New US Ambassador-Designate to India Welcomes Faith Leaders to His New Delhi Residence
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Ambassador-designate Garcetti with Yudhistir Govinda Das at US Ambassador’s Residence April 24, 2023 Eric Garcetti, the new US Ambassador-designate to the Republic of India, hosted senior faith leaders at his residence on April 24, 2023. Among the honored guests was Yudhistir Govinda Das, ISKCON’s Director of Communications for India. Before his March 2023 appointment by […]

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International Earth Day 22nd April 2023
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Parasuram das “Unless one is pious and recognized by the Lord, he cannot make others happy who are under his care. There is full cooperation between man and God and man and nature, and this conscious cooperation between man and God and man and nature, as exemplified by King Yudhisthira, can bring about happiness, peace
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ISKCON Kanpur sets world record with 8000+ youth gathered to promote mental wellness
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Record-breaking crowd of 8000+ youth and guests gathered in Kanpur ISKCON Kanpur has surcharged the youth with UP’s biggest youth festival, XPRESSION 2023, on 7th April, with the purpose of reviving the spiritual consciousness of the youths of India. The theme of this year was Mental Wellness, and ISKCON Kanpur officially attempted for the World […]

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The History of the Balaram Mridangas
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Hare KrishnaBy Ishan das

Some time in 1972-73 Srila Prabhupada saw that the East Indians were not carrying on the tradition of making the original mridangas and kartals. The younger generation who would normally take over the arts from their fathers were becoming more and more interested in going to school and going to the cities. They were thinking that working with leather making the drums and such was a lower class of activity. So Srila Prabhupada sent out a letter to all the GBCs indicating that some men should be sent to India to learn these arts. At that time I was in the temple of Jagadisha who was Srila Prabhupada’s Minister of education and a GBC member. Continue reading "The History of the Balaram Mridangas
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Earth Day
Giriraj Swami

Today being Earth Day, I thought of a prayer that resonated with me in my youth: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For He has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord.” (Psalm 24:1–5)

Later, when I met Srila Prabhupada, I came across a verse spoken by the Lord Himself, Krishna, which confirmed and expanded the same principle: “A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bhagavad-gita 5.29)

How, then, should we deal with the earth and its resources? “Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” (Isopanisad 1)

Thus one should be happy and satisfied in Krishna (God) consciousness.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

 

 

South African Children Complete First-ever Bala Bhagavatam Course
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Ratnalekha Devi Dasi, a devotee from South Africa, has successfully organized a Bala Bhagavatam Level One course for children as offered by the Mayapur Institute. The course, which started in August 2022 and ended on January 22, 2023, was initially designed for children in India. However, Mataji approached the Mayapur Institute to allow South African […]

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Toddler Book Distributor Inspires Many in the French Yatra
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A toddler devotee is taking the French yatra by storm with her extraordinary will to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. Sangita, the two-year-old daughter of New Mayapur’s temple presidents Locanananda Das and Gandharvika Rai Devi Dasi and granddaughter of Paris temple president Gaudamandala Das, accompanies her parents every week on Harinam Sankirtan. She shares Prabhupada’s books […]

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PBS Series Profiles Krishna Temple in Utah as a “Must See” Stop on Historic Highway
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PBS Television has developed a new travel series highlighting the “must-see” locations along Utah’s Heritage Highway, which stretches over 500 miles from the state’s northern border with Idaho to its southern border with Arizona. One of the iconic stops on the historic route is the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, UT. Liz […]

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Devotee Receives the Highest Civilian Honor from the President of Nepal
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On April 14th, 2023, HG Patri Das was honored by the President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Poudel, with the prestigious Suprabal Janashree Medal, the highest civilian award granted in the country. The award recognized his significant spiritual contribution to Nepal by uplifting the people’s consciousness and serving them for over two decades. Patri Das has […]

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Food For Life Vrindavan Enriching Thousands of Lives
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FFLV bids farewell to 12th grade graduates Food For Life Vrindavan (FFLV), a nonprofit organization and school, was formed 30 years ago by the founders to educate young girls in and around Vrindavan, India. It provides free education, skill training, and medical assistance to around 1,500 girls. The organization also provides free meal programs and […]

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New Krishna House Ashram Opens at ISKCON Dallas
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Following the successful formula developed at Krishna House in Gainesville, devotees recently opened the Krishna House Dallas Ashram in collaboration with the long-established Dallas community. ISKCON Dallas has been hoping to open an ashram for several years. An amazing facility opened across the street from Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji temple to facilitate this new initiative. […]

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ISKCON Tirupati’s Mega Youth Festival
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Youth from around South India, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala gathered for three days to mark the celebration of “Parivartan,” a mega youth festival organized by ISKCON Tirupati.  “It was a massive festival for three days with boarding facility provided by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), hosted in Mahati Auditorium in Tirupati with […]

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26th Annual Vaishnava-Christian Dialogue Held in Washington DC
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Amidst Potomac, Maryland’s cherry tree blossoms and spring flowers, religious scholars and spiritual practitioners gathered for the 26th Annual Vaishnava-Christian Dialogue on March 14-15th. Attendees include priests, pastors, professors from both the Protestant and Catholic traditions, and leaders and scholars from the Vaishnava tradition. Its founders, Anuttama Dasa, and Rukmini Devi Dasi, hosted the event […]

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