Author Archives: Thomas Haribol

Since 2016, Jagadananda Das has served at the Durban Festival of Chariots, offering guidance and support in the Bhakti Cloud youth tent. When Jurgen Wolfenden first walked into a Bhakti Yoga Society (BYS) program as a young university student, he wasn’…

The ISKCON Justice Ministry will host its first Annual Global Conference online this Sunday, December 7, 2025. The event marks an important milestone in the ministry’s effort to strengthen justice services across the movement and deepen devotees’ under…

“The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater [outcaste]” (Bhagavad-gita 5.18). In Srila Prabhupada’s Purport, he states, “A Kṛiṣhṇa conscious perso…

Year 9 and 10’s assembly presentation to the school on Ratha Yatra. Hare Krishna School is celebrating the New Zealand Ministry of Education’s approval of its application to extend to Year 13, making it New Zealand’s only primary and secondary sc…

The Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) has taken a significant step toward fulfilling a prophetic vision by launching an online course to learn the Bengali language in collaboration with Scottish Church College, Kolkata—the very institution where ISKC…

When Aradhya-Nitai-Rama Das first stepped into an ISKCON temple four years ago, he was searching for direction. Today, he stands behind one of the most promising creative offerings emerging in the devotee community, an anime series titled Sachinandan. …

Leaders from more than thirty temples and outreach centers across Canada and the northern United States gathered in Montreal, Canada, from November 7th to 9th for the Annual ISKCON Zone 1 Leaders Conference. The three-day event brought together over on…

The recently acquired Temple in St. Louis, and a rendition of what is envisaged for the future temple. Recently, ISKCON hosted a high-profile gala on November 16th, drawing over 350 attendees. It is with immense gratitude and heartfelt joy that we anno…

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is thrilled to announce that it has successfully acquired 7 Bury Place, the site of its original London temple, in an auction held today. A Historic Homecoming ISKCON London, also known as th…

Nitay Mangala Das and his dedicated team are embarking on an extraordinary cinematic offering titled Chaitanya—a feature film centered on the life and mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This project seeks to move beyond a simple biographical narrativ…

On February 11, 2026 the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will reach another milestone: The Grand Opening of the amazing TOVP Yajna Shala in the TOVP Gardens. This huge Yajna Shala will replace the current location at the Gurukula and become the main fo…

One of the two original tape recorders used by Srila Prabhupada, on loan from the Bhaktivedanta Archives for the museum display. On February 18, 2025, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) in Mayapur opened the A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Legacy Muse…

After the horrific events of 9/11, some of my Hindu friends were concerned about their safety. They had been yelled at and threatened by strangers. And for no reason at all they were told they weren’t wanted in the USA.   Over the years, such incidents…

Isla Pula, one of the coastal and riverside communities completely devastated by flash floods and storm surge during Typhoon Tino. Less than six weeks after a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu, communities across the island found themselves…

If you thought you knew the Bhagavad-gita, think again. Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is is an endless mine of gems. Prabhupada Priya Devi Dasi, a veteran miner, offers priceless, jewel-like insights through her modern, accessible translations…

ISKCON New Vrindaban recently hosted a 10-day Deity Worship Course facilitated by Nṛsiṁha Kavaca Dāsa of the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry (IDWM). He was joined by a skilled teaching team consisting of Murali Manohar from England, Vraj Mohan Das, Rasa …

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and the broader devotee community in Bangladesh have reported an increasing number of security risks, social pressures, administrative complications, and misinformation-related incidents acro…

Braja Vilasa Dasa gives us a construction update on the Main Wing of the TOVP, while taking us on a tour of key areas where work is ongoing 24/7 for the next two years as we approach the Grand Opening. From elaborately designed marble pillars and colum…

On Sunday, 9th November 2025, ISKCON Finland, in collaboration with the Embassy of India, celebrated the International Gita Mahotsav. The initiative by the Government of India and the Indian Embassy, in partnership with ISKCON Finland, created an inspi…

Actress and advocate Hema Malini with Gajendra. In a ceremony that blended tradition with compassion, ISKCON Kharghar inaugurated Gajendra, a life-sized mechanical elephant, on November 9, 2025. The occasion marked a milestone for Sri Sri Radha Madan M…

Recently, the Bhakti Recovery Group (BRG) celebrated the five-year anniversary of its support network for devotees seeking healing through bhakti and the Twelve Steps. To commemorate the milestone, members from across the world gathered online for a he…

Ashta-Sakhis: The Closest Friends of Srimati Radharani offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives and personalities of the eight principal gopi associates of Srimati Radharani. Published by ISKCON’s Congregation Development Ministry (CDM),…

When the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple (SSRRT) community marked its 40th anniversary in October 2025, one of the most meaningful offerings wasn’t a ceremony or performance, but a living archive. The Memory Vault, compiled by Priya Kishori Devi Dasi, g…

“Yes, I am still brave (laughter). Otherwise, how could I come alone to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness?” Srila Prabhupada spoke these words after revealing that at the age of 12, he had climbed the scaffolding of the 300-foot-tall Victoria Memorial. Srila …

Farm accommodation. Govardhan Eco Farm CIC, a small hillside initiative in the Wye Valley near Symonds Yat, is bringing Srila Prabhupada’s call for “simple living and high thinking” to life under the guidance of Radha Krishna Das (Richard Higgins), Dir…

The A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Legacy Museum in the TOVP will eventually expand in size to 21,000 sq. ft., one of the largest museums of its kind for any single person in history. The paraphernalia within its rooms will include his personal ef…

Beyond the Binary: Recovering Moral Clarity in a Divided World When I wrote recently that the “No Kings” protests revealed the soul’s longing for genuine, caring leaders, for the spirit of Lord Rāma rather than another self-serving ruler, some readers …

Mukhya Devi Dasi and devotee volunteers with prepared grocery bags ready to distribute. ISKCON News: When reports surfaced that SNAP food assistance might not be funded on November 1, what prompted you and your team to take action? Mukhya Devi Dasi, Te…

Preparations are underway across ISKCON for two milestone observances: the society’s 60th anniversary in 2026 and the 50th anniversary of the Tirobhava (1977–2027) of its Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. At t…

Salika Das, Temple President of ISKCON Jos and Vice National Chairman of ISKCON Nigeria, was captured with his signature bright smile. Salika Das’s journey of faith began in childhood, shaped by both hardship and an insatiable search for truth. Born in…

For the first time, Mahatma Das will be teaching The Art of Forgiveness in a live online format, making the program accessible to devotees worldwide. The course, which has previously been offered in person, presents a systematic approach to one of the …

The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) has released its upcoming schedule of winter courses and seminars for 2025–2026, inviting devotees from around the world to strengthen their study of śāstra and deepen their devotional practice. The i…