Recently, ISKCON Kolkata marked the celebration of its 54th annual Rathayatra, recognized as the second largest Ratha Yatra in the world. Each year, the city of Kolkata is surrounded by an atmosphere of devotion as the grand chariot festival of Lord Ja…
Author Archives: Thomas Haribol
54th Kolkata Rathayatra Rolls with Fighter Jet Tires & Live GPS Updates
ISKCON Houston Marks 40 Years with Two-Day Festival
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The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Houston celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Garden Oaks location with a two-day festival on July 12 and 13, 2025. The event drew over 700 devotees on Saturday and more than 900 on Sunda…
MAN-tra Retreat Returns to New Vrindaban This September
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Devotee men from across North America will gather at ISKCON New Vrindaban, West Virginia, for the 8th annual MAN-tra Retreat, happening from Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 21, 2025. Conceived in 2018 by Bhaktimarga Swami and Anuttama Dasa, t…
ISKCON Gurugram Hosts 13 Rathayatras in 11 Days
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For the second year in a row, ISKCON Gurugram organized a Rathayatra marathon, hosting 13 Rathyatras across the city over just 11 days, from June 26 to July 6. The celebrations, held in various housing societies, neighborhoods, and city sectors, provid…
A Sacred Ceremony for Leadership Transition at Avanti Schools Trust
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A beautiful and heartfelt yajna ceremony was held to honor a significant moment in the journey of the Avanti Schools Trust. The ceremony was conducted to express deep gratitude to Nitesh Gor OBE (Navina Krsna das), the Founding CEO, and to warmly welco…
Devotees Bring Joyful Kirtan to July 4th Celebrations at DC’s National Mall
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This year’s Hare Krsna Festival at the National Mall was another amazing event. Literally thousands of people from all walks of life, all ethnic backgrounds, and age groups couldn’t help but hear this chanting of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra. As a direct…
In Loving Memory of His Grace Vrindavana Candra Das
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Today, I’ve lost a father figure, mentor, and one of the gentlest, most spiritually grounded souls I’ve ever known. Vrindavana Candra Prabhu guided me on the path of Krishna consciousness for over 26 years. Even before I was married, I saw him daily at…
ISKCON Law Department Holds First-Ever Conference in the Asia Pacific Region
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The ISKCON Law Department held its first Law Conference in the Asia Pacific region. The Conference, held in Sydney, Australia, brought together a diverse audience of more than 25 devotee attorneys, those in the provision of legal services, law students…
Concluding Statement from the Executive Committee of the GBC Regarding Trivikrama Dasa
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Concluding Statement from the Executive Committee of the Governing Body Commission Regarding Trivikrama Dasa 16 July 2025 Dear ISKCON Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Following the 24 June 2025 resolution …
Lord Jagannath Draws Unexpected Crowd to Phoenix Arizona Festival
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On June 29, 2025, honoring the divine journey of Lord Jagannath, ISKCON Phoenix joyfully celebrated our Rathayatra festival, aligning the celebration with the same auspicious day as the Rathayatra in Puri, India. While our main Rathayatra celebration t…
Official Statement Regarding Incident at ISKCON Toronto Rathayatra Parade
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July 14, 2025 Official Statement Regarding Incident at ISKCON Toronto Rathayatra Parade By ISKCON Communications North America On Saturday, July 12th, during the annual Rathayatra parade organized by ISKCON Toronto, multiple eggs were thrown from a res…
How Ghana’s Rathayatra Rolls On with Joy and Purpose
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The streets of Accra come alive with ecstatic kirtan and dancing during the Rathayatra. Each year, the streets of Accra come alive with vibrant kirtan, smiling devotees, and the majestic presence of Lord Jagannatha on His chariot. What began two decade…
In Her Own Words: Vaishnavi Shares Miraculous Escape from Flood Waters
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Kamalini Devi Dasi, with her husband, Apurva Dasa, shares new details from her escape from their car surrounded by flood waters. On Tuesday, July 8th, ISKCON News reported on the miraculous escape of Kamalini Devi Dasi, a longtime ISKCON educator and s…
New Navadvip Dham Hosts Harinam Mela on Independence Day Weekend
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Over 150 devotees from across Texas and beyond gathered at New Navadvip Dham in McAllen, Texas, for a spiritually uplifting and joy-filled celebration—the first-ever Harinam Kirtan Mela in the Rio Grande Valley, held alongside Independence Day festivit…
Is it Maya to Become a Parent?
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Being a father or mother in Krsna Consciousness can be a little confusing. On the one hand, there is this small child who appears as our son and gradually grows and develops his intelligence and personality. At the same time, we philosophically underst…
Bliss House Devotees Share Kirtan and Culture on CBS Morning Show
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Bliss House, a San Antonio-based spiritual outreach, was recently featured on “Great Day SA,” a widely viewed morning show airing on the CBS network. With an estimated audience of 30,000 to 50,000 viewers, the five-minute segment offered a …
Mahavatar Narsimha Trailer Released; In Theatres July 25, 2025
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In January 2025, ISKCON News interviewed Ashwin Kumar about his stereoscopic 3D film Mahavatar Narsimha. To learn more about its origin and inspiration, click here. This month, on July 25th, the Divine Roar will arrive in theatres worldwide. Recognized…
ISKCON Ministry of Education to Host PAN America Symposium Online July 18
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The ISKCON Ministry of Education will host its Annual PAN America Mini-Symposium 2025 on Friday, July 18, bringing together educators, leaders, and practitioners from across the Americas in a two-hour virtual event. The symposium begins at 6:00 PM CDT …
Seva Care Tackles Loneliness in New Talk Series
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Seva Care is relaunching its monthly educational talk series designed to raise awareness on key issues related to community wellbeing. The initiative, titled Caring for Our Community, will explore diverse topics intended to inspire thoughtful action an…
“Krishna My Best Friend” Online Bhakti Course for Kids Now Enrolling
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Bhakti Kids, an initiative of ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry, will be leading an inspiring new online course beginning this week titled Krishna – My Best Friend, designed to help children build a personal and loving relationship with Lord K…
Ontario, Canada Honors ISKCON Thunder Bay Devotee
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Premkishro Das with the June Collinwood Award at Vedic Cultural Centre, ISKCON, Thunder Bay. Premkishor Das (Dr. Prashant A. Jani), a dedicated member of ISKCON Thunder Bay and Director of the Vedic Cultural Centre, has been awarded the June Callwood O…
Kamalini Devi Dasi Saved from Rising Floodwaters by Radha Golokananda’s Mercy
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Our beloved Kamalini Devi Dasi, a respected disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has devoted her life to the distribution of his books and the education of our youth, experienced a harrowing brush with death — and a rem…
Wheels of Devotion: ISKCON Botswana’s 9th Annual Rathayatra Draws Crowds and Hearts
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Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi grace the streets of Gaborone from atop Their beautifully decorated chariot, offering darshan to hundreds of joyful onlookers. On June 15th, the streets of Gaborone vibrated with rhythm, color, and…
Statement from ISKCON Communications North America: Gunfire Damages Utah Krishna Temple
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Statement from ISKCON Communications North America: Gunfire Damages Utah Krishna Temple In the early morning hours of June 27 and 28th, approximately 20 to 30 bullets were fired at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Temple in …
Devotees Bring Barsana Eye Camp to Life Through Theatre
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A recent theatrical production titled The Promise, performed at ISKCON Chowpatty, has brought renewed focus to the Barsana Medical Camp and Hospital Project—an initiative dedicated to providing free medical services in Vrindavan. Presented as part of t…
Rathayatra in Leicester, UK Honors Those Lost in Air India Crash
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Devotees gather with city and religious leaders, and Cllr Ravi Mahesh, the cousin of the sole survivor of the crash, for a moment of silence. Leicester’s city center fell silent for one minute during the Rathayatra – Festival of Chariots on Sunday, 22…
ISKCON Toronto Deepens Interfaith Engagement Through Dialogue and Service
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ISKCON Toronto welcomes a delegation of Catholic leaders and scholars to the temple. Over the past several months, ISKCON Toronto has actively participated in three meaningful interfaith engagements, strengthening connections with other faith communiti…
ISKCON India Youth Council (North Wing) Launches UDGAAR 2025
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Senior ISKCON leaders launch UDGAAR 2025 in New Delhi. The ISKCON India Youth Council (North Wing) officially launched UDGAAR 2025, a major youth empowerment initiative aimed at addressing some of the most pressing challenges faced by India’s young gen…
Attaining Real Freedom Through Devotional Service
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Independence Day celebrates the signing of the Declaration Of Independence on July 4, 1776, and the founding of the USA by the thirteen colonies, declaring their freedom from England. The document declares that “all men are created equal, that they are…
Back to Godhead Magazine Appeals for 5,000 New Subscribers to Sustain Publication
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For the past 80 years, Back to Godhead magazine has served as a powerful medium for spreading Krishna consciousness around the world. First launched by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the magazine has become a cornerstone of devot…
Devotee Killed in Durban Home Invasion After Returning From Temple Service
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Jeeva Pillay (right) with Vibhu Chaitanya Das. The ISKCON community in Durban – KZN is mourning the tragic and untimely passing of 63-year-old devotee, Jeeva Pillay, who was fatally shot during a home invasion on Monday afternoon, shortly after r…
Successful Youth Workshop Empowers Mauritian Teens with Values and Vision
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Youth Workship participants proudly holding their certificates alongside workshop facilitators, celebrating growth and inspiration. This June, 22 and 29th, 2025, ISKCON Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar Mandir in Bambous, Mauritius, hosted a youth workshop tha…
PM Modi Greeted by ISKCON Devotees in Croatia and Ghana
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Ghana screenshot from Press Trust of India video. Screenshots from the Croatia video show devotees joyfully chanting the Maha Mantra as Prime Minister Modi arrives. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun a five-nation tour, during which he will …
BBT Youth Launch Global Book Drive July 26–27th
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On July 26 and 27th, recent efforts of the BBT Youth For Book Distribution, an Initiative of the BBT MCI Team, will come to fruition in Global Youth Book Distribution Day. This project is being spearheaded by youth, for youth, in order to fulfill the d…
Pioneer Devotee Supporter Champak Soni Passes Away in South Africa
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Mr. Champak Soni, an early and courageous supporter of the Hare Krishna movement in South Africa, passed away on June 25, 2025. He played a vital role in the establishment of Srila Prabhupada’s mission in the country, standing alongside ISKCON’s …
BIHS Offers Free Global Series on Consciousness, Ethics, and Meaning This July
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The Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies (BIHS) invites you to the Summer Discovery Series, a free online event hosted via Zoom, unfolding over three weekends—July 12–13, July 19–20, and July 26–27. This global gathering brings together 18 distin…
Krishna Temple in Utah Targeted by Gunfire
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The ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, world-famous for its Color Festival, has recently come under attack in suspected hate crimes. Over the past several days, 20–30 bullets were fired at the temple building and the surrounding…
Africa’s CPO Director Creating Safe Havens Across Continent
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Karunamayi in Ghana with Srivas Das during a visit. When the ISKCON Governing Body Commission appointed Karunamayi Devi Dasi as the first African Regional Governing Body Child Protection Director last November, they entrusted a lifelong devotee, raised…
Exploring Freedom and Power in Varṇasrama Dharma with Vaishnava Scholar
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Rupachandra Das (Rodney Sebastian), a Professor of Religion at St. John’s University, will be speaking on the topic of “Freedom and Power in Varṇāśrama Dharma: Analysis of Kshatriya Dharma in the Itihasas” in an upcoming Zoom Call hos…
GBC Releases Official Paper on Srila Prabhupada’s Order and Vision for ISKCON’s Managing Authority
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The “Carrying Out Srila Prabhupada’s Order: The GBC as ISKCON’s Ultimate Managing Authority” is an official GBC paper and an important presentation that traces the vision and instructions of Srila Prabhupāda in establishing the Governing Bo…