Author Archives: Madhava Smullen

Not only did Prabhupada directly focus on winning people’s hearts and bringing as many to the process of bhakti as possible; but he was also an expert in creating and sustaining, as the Communications Ministry puts it, “favorabl…

Sana Mittar, a young devotee who attends the ISKCON Punjabi Bagh temple in Delhi with her family, has been honored with the Diana Award. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, it is the most prestigious accolade a young person a…

After a successful school year of keeping all students safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, the TKG Academy in Dallas, Texas held a graduation ceremony on May 27th that felt “triumphant,” according to Vice Principal Gopi Gita…

An online “Sravana Festival,” with a series of Zoom talks by illustrious guests about the pastimes of Lord Jagannath and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is setting the mood for the upcoming Ratha Yatra celebrations at the ISKCON temple in…

The Bhaktivedanta Academy in Alachua, Florida, a thriving spiritually-centered Pre-K through 10th grade Montessori and International Baccalaureate school, is seeking applicants for its new internship program for Pre-K and Elementary teacher…

This year the Bhaktivinod Thakur book distribution campaign runs from May 26th to July 10th (Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s Disappearance Day). It provides an interim point for devotees around the world to check their progress in the…

Covering twenty videos in the Memories series, the fifth book runs 520 pages, and contains over 700 anecdotes from 109 disciples.

A new 37-minute documentary entitled “Seeking Shelter: The Life & Legacy of Bhakti Charu Swami” is set to premiere on ISKCON News and Youtube on July 24th, as part of the global celebration on the beloved ISKCON guru’s…

Healthy snack company Pure Bliss Organics has had a 75% increase in sales, and plans to expand as well as to hire eight new devotee staff. The company creates its own grain free and sugar free granolas, bars and snack bites, and makes produ…

New paperback editions of Srimad-Bhagavatam: A Comprehensive Guide for Young Readers Cantos 1, 2, and 3 are now available on Amazon.com, along with the just completed Canto 4.

ISKCON New Vrindaban has started its festival season, which runs from May to September, and draws pilgrims, gives inspiration and association to visiting devotees, helps to maintain the temple, and provides engagement and financial support …

Lord Jagannatha is coming. 2020 was the first year without a New York Ratha Yatra parade in 45 years – instead, Lord Jagannatha was driven down Fifth Avenue in a minivan, along with a virtual online celebration.

In a five-day festival from May 22nd to 26th, ISKCON of Sydney, Australia celebrated the 50th anniversary of the installation of their presiding Deities Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. 

Ireland’s main temple, on the Hare Krishna island of Inis Rath – also known as Govindadwipa and located on Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland – is set to undergo major renovations.

On June 4th, Bhaktivedanta Academy – a Montessori school serving the New Raman Reti community in Alachua, Florida – will reach a successful end to its most challenging year so far.

How do we have a happy, Krishna conscious marriage? To find out, we interviewed Partha Das and Uttama Dasi, members of the Grihastha Vision Team and themselves a happily married couple who are about to celebrate their 50th we…

Deep Leap, a new Youtube series from Bhaktivedanta College of Radhadesh, Belgium, is responding to the “overwhelming need” amidst ISKCON devotees for applied philosophy, with authentic solutions to modern challenges.

“We certainly hope that after having attended the seminar, devotees are inspired and will inspire others to be trained and launch Vaishnavas CARE teams in their respective communities,” Ekanistha Radha says.

ISKCON News is commorating Srila Prabhupada’s 125th appearance anniversary with a series of articles glorifying his achievements, contributions and qualities. 

Krishna’s People (Gente di Krishna), a new online talk show in Italian, gives voice to the devotee majority in Italy – those who live regular lives working, studying and taking care of their families, while incorporating Krishna…

Sri Prahlada Das, who is known for traveling with Indradyumna Swami and bringing kirtan and bhakti wisdom to yoga schools, has been offering life lessons from the Srimad-Bhagavatam online during the pandemic.

Volunteers for the Food For Life Program in Turin, one of Italy’s largest cities, distributed 15,000 meals to homeless people in need during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and plan to increase to 20,000 meals in 2021.

A second Covid wave has struck India hard, with deaths passing 200,000. ISKCON devotees in India are stepping up to do what they can to help, while also battling Covid along with the rest of the country.

On Earth Day (April 22nd, 2021), ISKCON’s North American Council passed a resolution endorsing the work of the ISKCON Environmental Initiative (IEI), and encouraging “adoption of the environmentally sustainable practices promote…

Bhagavat Seva, an ISKCON Silicon Valley project with the motto “Distributing Ancient Wisdom Through Education” is offering online Sunday School, and using the course fees to distribute full Srimad-Bhagavatam sets. Coordinators a…

For many years, Bhakti Sastri has been offered in person by organizations such as the Mayapur Institute for Higher Eductation (MIHE). Amid COVID-19 lockdowns around the world, however, a team led by GBC and ISKCON guru Bhakti Chaitanya Swam…

‘Strengthening the Bonds that Free Us,’ a Grihastha Course that will teach devotees how to develop the insights and skills for a more meaningful, happy, and inspiring marriage will be offered online via Bhaktivedanta College fro…

Destroyer of Sorrow, the epic conclusion to Vrinda Sheth’s Sita’s Fire trilogy based on the Ramayana, is set to be released by Mandala Publishing on April 20th. Hardbound and 336 pages long, the book features over nine…

ISKCON at the UN and the ISKCON Vaishnavi Ministry have organized an interfaith panel discussion entitled “Shared Stories: Culture, Religion & Women’s Empowerment” which will take place virtually on March 21st as …

ECO-Vrindaban is preparing for another growing season in New Vrindaban. High tunnel greenhouses allow devotees to offer locally grown flowers and vegetables to Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra and the temple kitchens all year round. &nb…

After over a decade of dedicated service, Krishna-lila Dasi is moving on from her position as managing editor of ISKCON News. An award-winnning professional filmmaker, she will continue to work with ISKCON News as a freelance contributor of…

After over a decade of dedicated service, Krishna-lila Dasi is moving on from her position as managing editor of ISKCON News. An award-winnning professional filmmaker, she will continue to work with ISKCON News as a freelance contributor of…

For over twenty years Vaishnavi Ministers, currently led by Global Minister Radha Dasi, have been working to support devotee women’s voices and rights, including efforts to address domestic abuse (also known as domestic violence) with…

In mid-March, the ISKCON Communications Journal (ICJ) is set to publish its first issue after a fifteen-year hiatus, under the guidance of Mahaprabhu Dasa, Director of ISKCON Communications Europe. 

The Live to Give Campaign, run by the BBT Marketing, Communications and Innovations team, distributed 2,172,456 copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is around the world. 

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bhakti Center in New York City has been offering a new selection of virtual yoga teacher training and meditation teacher training programs, as well as training in Ayurveda and kirtan.

“The Rising Sun: Vrindaban Samadhi Diary” by Alfred Valerio (Bhaktisiddhanta Das), now available on Amazon Kindle, recounts the story of how the Vrindaban samadhi, or mausoleum, for ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupad…

Robert Bigelow founded BICS “to support research into both the survival of human consciousness after physical death and, based on data from such studies, the nature of the afterlife.

With 2021 unfortunately again looking unlikely to allow festivals in the old model, the Hare Krishna Festivals team has now decided to start a video podcast, “Hare Krishna Festivals UK Tour,” which will “travel” virt…