Author Archives: Thomas Haribol

Public voting is now open for the Bhakti Song Contest, a grassroots initiative aimed at exploring the use of music and emerging technologies in Krishna-conscious outreach. Three devotional songs have been submitted and are available for listening and v…

On February 14, 2026, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will convene in Mayapur. One of the topics of discussion will be the recent end of the three-year moratorium period on Vaishnavis …

Two nights ago, I was fortunate to witness something extraordinary during the Be A Gardener campaign. In the company of a small group of devotees, we went out with the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC), trusting Lord Caitanya’s guidance at every step. What unfo…

Seva Care has released the latest episode of its ongoing podcast series, Care During Tough Times, titled Marriages and Vaishnava Community Support, featuring Dhanya Rico, M.Ed., Ed.S., NCC, a National Certified Counselor specializing in personal and re…

The Bhakti Vriksha Leadership Training Level-1 program will be held in Mayapur, India, from February 14 to 16, 2026, offering participants a systematic foundation for becoming effective leaders in preaching Krishna-conscious philosophy. Conducted in En…

On New Year’s Day 2026, approximately 400 devotees gathered at ISKCON Plainfield, NJ, to honor a traditional Sri Jagannath Puri–style Maha Prasad buffet featuring 15 courses. Organized by ISKCON of Central New Jersey (ICNJ), the annual New Year Sri Jag…

As the sun transitioned into Capricorn for Makar Sankranti on January 14, 2026, Ayodhya Dham was transformed into a sea of devotion. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, fresh from their holy bath at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, arrived at the feet of Lor…

ISKCON’s Ministry for Book Distribution is inviting devotees and communities worldwide to submit nominations for the 2025 Book Distribution Awards, recognizing outstanding leadership, innovation, creativity, and resilience in the global sankirtan…

ISKCON Visakhapatnam was honoured to host the Pan-India ISKCON Leaders’ Summit from January 5th to 11th. Set against the serene backdrop of the beautiful seafront, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, where the gentle waves kiss the shore and the morning sun…

Devotees interacting with children at Our Little Vaishnavas school campus. Students from Our Little Vaishnavas school in Mayapur recently hosted their annual children’s market day, turning classroom lessons into real-world business experience. Through …

In the last thirty or forty years, the rapid pace of technological progress has been dazzling. I still remember my first desk-sized computer, with its massive 20 megabytes of storage, its MS-DOS operating system with the old C: prompt, and the modems t…

The new project in progress. On November 30th, 2025, the ISKCON New Goloka community in Hillsborough, North Carolina, joyfully gathered at the site of our new temple foundation to mark a significant milestone in the ongoing expansion of our sacred spac…

The Secretariat to the Co-Directors of ISKCON Mayapur has issued an urgent advisory warning devotees and well-wishers about an ongoing room-booking scam targeting pilgrims planning to visit Mayapur during the upcoming festival season. According to the …

On February 11, 2026, the TOVP will reach its next milestone: the Grand Opening of the Lord’s Yajna Shala in the TOVP gardens. Only yajnas for the Lord’s pleasure will be executed in this facility on a daily basis, continuing this long-standing seva si…

The Krishna Center for Empathic Communication, an online platform under the guidance of Bir Krishna Das Goswami, is conducting a ten-week online course series beginning on January 18 that examines communication and relationships through the framework o…

No matter where we are on our journey, we can find solace in the fact that the effects of time, as we know it, exist only in the material world and are ultimately not linear. The big picture is that all souls (excluding descending nitya siddha masters)…

As part of a sacred yearly tradition, the ISKCON Bhakti Center for Education and Culture (BCEC) in Vishal Nagar organized its annual Shrimad Bhagwat Saptah from January 1st to 7th, 2025. The week-long spiritual festival brought together thousands of re…

Sridama Dasa. Chairman of the ISKCON Philippines National Council with the attendees at the close of the retreat. ISKCON Philippines has marked a significant milestone with the successful hosting of its first national Vaishnavi Retreat, held from Decem…

In a historic development at the intersection of spirituality and public infrastructure, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has selected ISKCON Dwarka as an official partner to enhance the quality, purity, and consistency of fo…

After the successful Sankirtan Marathon in December 2024, Michigan devotees once again undertook a month-long book distribution marathon in December 2025 at Great Lakes Crossing Mall, one of the state’s largest outlet malls. With Michigan’s harsh…

In December, the Second Annual Śaraṇāgati Youth Retreat was successfully held at Govardhan EcoVillage, bringing together 40 young devotees from six countries for a seven-day immersive global bhakti experience. Organized by Arjuna Sakhā Das and Sudevī S…

On September 19th, 2025, a milestone in academic collaboration was achieved with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Engineering & Management (IEM/UEM University), ISKCON Mayapur, and the Bhaktivedanta Research Cen…

Riddha Das at his writing desk, holding copies of his published works documenting the early years of ISKCON in South Africa. In 1975, a small band of determined devotees in apartheid South Africa faced a task that seemed almost impossible: bringing His…

GOKRSNA was honored with the Hindu Business Award at Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh. When life slowed in 2020, and routines stumbled, Dr Nivedita and her husband Prathap found themselves in a rare stillness. Dr Nivedita, with a PhD from Oxford and …

Matchless Gifts has announced a design competition inviting artists and devotees to create the official artwork for the historic storefront’s merchandise during ISKCON’s 60th anniversary year. The sacred pilgrimage site at 26 2nd Avenue in the Bo…

Karuna Care Association invites you into a six-week transformational journey in a course entitled Karmic Pattern Rewiring: Six Weeks to Better Relationships with Sri Radha Govinda Dasi. Many people try to improve their relationships by changing partner…

ISKCON’s newly completed Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra Devi Mandir at Myitkyina. On November 24–26, 2025, more than 2,000 devotees from across Myanmar gathered in Myitkyina to witness the historic inauguration, marking a momentous chapter…

On December 1, 2025, ISKCON Kurukshetra observed Gita Jayanti with a large gathering of 2,000 devotees and visitors, commemorating fifty years since His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s historic visit to Kurukshetra on December 1, 197…

A recently released report from the AI & Religion Multi-Faith Forum, held in Washington, DC, has raised important ethical, spiritual, and cultural questions that should be explored by many ISKCON leaders and communities worldwide. The forum brought…

From November 25 to December 10, 2025, the ISKCON Vaishnavi Ministry held its annual “Safe Families, Strong Communities” campaign. We now reflect on the activities undertaken, the support received, and the spirit of compassion and unity that emerged th…

ISKCON Communications Europe just released the new ISKCON Communications Journal (ICJ) in a bookmarked, digital format. Click here to access the 2025 ICJ. Readers can also download a .pdf version here. Mahaprabhu Dasa, the Director of ISKCON Communicat…

All the youth and leaders gather for a group photo. The two-day Navarasa Festival, held on December 20-21, 2025, organized by ISKCON Youth Forum Patna, unfolded as a vibrant celebration of spirituality, culture, and youth empowerment under the inspirin…

The years 2026 and 2027 mark a significant milestone for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) —60 years since its founding and 50 years since the disappearance of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. These year…