Author Archives: Thomas Haribol

ISKCON’s North American Leadership Conference was held October 4-6th at New Vrindaban, West Virginia, gathering over 120 leaders from across the continent. Sankirtana Dasa, a long-time resident of NV, reflects on its relationship to Srila Prabhupada’s …

Prime Minister Starmer (far right) with Visakha Dasi in background with other leaders. Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, invited faith leaders from different traditions to join him for breakfast on Thursday, November 14th. Visakha Dasi, r…

Bhaktimarga Swami and leaders of Zone 1 cut a cake to honor the event. The 2024 Zone 1 Leadership Conference, held from November 8th to 10th in Edmonton, Alberta, brought together over 60 leaders from more than 25 ISKCON centers across Canada and six n…

2023 Winter Krsna Kidz Camp participants. The 16th Annual Winter Krsna Kidz Camp and Youth Retreat will be held at ISKCON Detroit – The Devasadhan Mandir from November 28th to 30th. This events aim to engage children and the youth in a fun and me…

Since 1972, the Prabhupada Book Marathon has inspired ISKCON devotees to share the spiritual wisdom of Srila Prabhupada’s books with the world. Now celebrated as the “Live to Give” campaign, this annual effort aims to “cover the earth” with copies of t…

Dr. Sumanta Rudra, Academic Dean of BRC, Radharaman Das, Vice President, ISKCON Kolkata, along with Scottish Church College Principal, Vice-Principal, Head Librarian, and others. Kolkata, being Srila Prabhupada’s appearance place, holds the uniqu…

Jaya Govinda Das leads 2024 guests on a hay ride through the New Talavana farm. The annual Cow Fest, or Go-Puja Mela, is a celebration with deep roots at ISKCON New Talavana, nestled in the peaceful countryside of Mississippi. Each year, this festival …

Guests gathering outside the Bhakti Center; Temple room filled for evening program. Bhakti Center NYC celebrated its seventh annual Diwali Festival on November 1st, attended by over 1,000 people. The popular evening event included kirtan, food stalls, …

Devotees at our fall fundraiser. As most ISKCON readers know, Saranagati Village was evacuated on the evening of July 17th, 2024. During our three-week absence, some devotees lost their homes, and others lost their wood sheds, outbuildings, storage str…

On Saturday, November 23, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT, the North American Regional Governing Body (NA-RGB) will host a transformative online workshop facilitated by Jai Nitai dasa, the North American Representative for the ISKCON Devotee Care …

ISKCON of Baltimore devotees sharing prasadam with the city’s grateful residents. “The Hunger Free Zone” is a non-profit organization of ISKCON Baltimore with a mission to distribute prasadam to the community at large. With its own fo…

This article aims to open the door to an emotionally and spiritually healthier attitude toward our ongoing journey of self-realization. This approach stands in stark contrast to the sectarian and fear-based renunciation that many of us in the first and…

Gauranga Das about to go in the ring for his biggest fight, feeling confident with the Lord by his side. Devotion and drive have shaped Gauranga Das’s commitment in the classroom and success in the boxing ring. His professional journey has also i…

Olympiad participants in front of ISKCON Kurukshetra. ISKCON Kurukshetra, in collaboration with the Kurukshetra Development Board and Kurukshetra University, organized its second International Gita Olympiad Workshop in Kurukshetra. The event drew stude…

Govardhan Puja event. On November 2, 2024, more than 1,200 devotees from remote villages in the Satpura hill range came together to celebrate the auspicious Giriraj Govardhan Puja Mahotsav. The event, led by Nitaipad Das and Markatshyam Das, with the c…

The Bhagavata Academy, a spiritual retreat center in Sealy, TX, suffered a great loss last November from an electrical fire. The fire caused over $50,000 worth of damage, including the workshop and guest housing. Thankfully, there were no injuries. The…

Nestled in the vibrant city of Oslo, Norway, the ISKCON Oslo Yatra is a community that has undergone significant growth and transformation over the years. The Oslo temple serves as a beacon of spirituality in one of the world’s most secular count…

Yesterday, at the Hindu Sabha Mandir, a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, there was an incident during a temple event. Pro-Khalistan movement protesters held a demonstration outside the temple, which escalated into violence. It is unclear what…

In October, ISKCON Hungary hosted an early celebration of Diwali (Dipavali), known as “The Festival of Lights,” an event with a long-standing tradition in the local community. This exclusive gala dinner is held annually in Budapest, invitin…

From October 3-6, 2024, over 120 North American leaders gathered at New Vrindaban, WV, for the North American Leadership Conference. This event brought together leaders from across the United States and Canada to discuss topics central to ISKCON’s futu…

This year, ISKCON Turkiye hosted Bhakti Camp, attracting over a hundred devotees from Europe and the Middle East to a forest retreat near Istanbul. The camp provided an opportunity for spiritual growth and community engagement. Led by Zonal Supervisor …

On September 18-26th, ISKCON’s Ministry of Education organized the annual Books Are the Basics Week 2024, a week-long program dedicated to enhancing the culture of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books around the world. This program was approved…

UK leaders in front of the British Prime Minister’s iconic residence. ISKCON devotees have been “on the front-line of special Diwali events across Westminster, Central London,” including a visit to the official residence and the offic…

A companion article to As the US Election Approaches: “Our Original, Constitutional Position.” Right now, for the upcoming USA election (or wherever elections take place), devotees have a tremendous opportunity to present Krishna Consciousn…

On October 26, 2024 at Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, six devotees lost their lives while returning from Tadipatri. The accident took place near Nayanapalle Cross in Singanamala Mandal when their car, due to a sudden tire burst, went out of cont…

Sandamini Devi Dasi, President of the Tucson Iskcon temple during the Sunday Feast. Courtesy Prerana Sannappanavar, Arizona Daily Star ISKCON Tucson was recently featured in the Arizona Daily Star which has a large online readership and over 230,000 pr…

Since the launch of our food truck at UCLA, Krishna Lunch So Cal is thrilled to announce that its sales have increased threefold in just six months. This remarkable growth is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, as well as the enthu…

The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) is pleased to announce a series of courses for the upcoming year that will allow devotees worldwide to deepen their study of Bhakti texts. These courses offer an opportunity for dedicated sadhakas to …

Mohanvilas Das (right) among ISKCON leaders working with global leaders to achieve a nature-positive world. Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) has been featured in a Faiths for Biodiversity report released at the 16th annual Conference of the Parties (COP16) m…

On October 13th, devotees at ISKCON Devasadan Mandir in Detroit, Michigan, celebrated the annual Dussehra festival. This event commemorates the victory of good over evil. Dussehra is the day when the evil King Ravana, who was well-known for causing atr…

Bhakti Kids, an initiative by ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry (CDM), has announced the Bhishma Panchaka Challenge from November 11th to 15th. Led by Gourangi Gandharvika Devi Dasi, this event aims to engage children, youth, and families in a…

Gandharvika Prema Dasi, a member of the ECRL, speaking at the conference. The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference 2024, held from September 20th to October 11th in Warsaw, Poland, focused on critical human rights and fundamental freedoms across the Organ…

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kazan, Russia with over 20 other world leaders for the upcoming BRICS Summit. ISKCON devotees welcomed him with kirtan and Sadhu Priya Das gifted him with books on Krishna art and a doll made by one of th…

Guru Prasad Swami on main stage with minister, AIIMS Director, and university officials. Ethiccraft Club, a Social & Youth Wing of ISKCON, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from the Government of India, organized …