By Damodara Pandit dasISKCON can report there are: CENTRES 602 ISKCON Temples World wide 65 Farms / Eco Villages 54 Educational Institutes: Including primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary Colleges 110 Vegetarian Hare Krishna Restaurants worldwide DEVOTEES 75,000 devotees in ISKCON have received initiation (taken clerical vows) 7 million worshippers attend an ISKCON centre annually 2000 home study / worship (Bhakti Vriksa) groups meet regularly worldwide (consisting some 30,000 devotees) BOOK...
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- 13 Aug 2015
By Chaitanya Charan DasMore than forty years before, during their first meeting, Bhaktivedanta Swami’s guru, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, had instructed him to preach the message of Lord Krishna to the English speaking world. Thus, after a lifetime of preparation, at the age of 69, Bhaktivedanta Swami, later to be known as Srila Prabhupada, left for the New World not seeking riches, but to teach and distribute the greatest wealth of India and the East—knowledge of God, or “Krishn...
- 13 Aug 2015
By Iskcon teamFifty years ago, on August 13, 1965, a lone elderly monk and teacher, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami boarded the cargo ship Jaladuta in Calcutta for the one month sea voyage to New York City not seeking riches, but to teach and distribute the greatest wealth of India and the East—knowledge of God, or “Krishna Consciousness”. This historic journey introduced the Western world to the Bhakti tradition unlike ever witnessed in history before. Srila Prabhupada established #ISKCON in 1966 to share...
- 13 Aug 2015
By Sanjeevini DuttaKirtan music in the West, spurred by the growth of the international Hare Krishna community, but also of yoga studios in the US, has built up an extensive kirtan circuit with performers like Jai Uttal and Krishna Das filling vast auditoria, and getting up to a million You-Tube hits. Jahnavi Harrison toured extensively in the US with the group Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits (producer of CD) from 2009-2012, giving violin accompaniment, singing, dancing and storytelling. Jahnavi brought her trai...
- 13 Aug 2015
By Dvarakarani Devi DasiIf you are feeling the separation from New Dwarka's Lord Jagannatha's Ratha-yatra may you relish the sites of the Festival and hear the transcendental sounds of devotees worshiping Their Lordships. (166 photos)
...- 12 Aug 2015
By Iskcon KolkattaThis event is a tribute to His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of ISKCON who embarked on the mission of inundating the world with Indian heritage, love in devotion and happiness through loving service to the divine. He left from Kidderpore dock on the 13th of August, 1965 heading to Boston harbour in United States. He triggered the Hare Krishna Movement that has touched and transformed the hearts and lives of millions of people in 100+ countries around the world....
- 12 Aug 2015
By Mayesvara DasaChapter nine of the Bhagavad Gita is referred to as: “The Most Confidential Knowledge” and in the first two verses Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you this most confidential knowledge and realization, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence. This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and bec...
- 12 Aug 2015
By Devaki Devi DasiBeing a selfless care giver means, that we don't even expect the most subtle gratification in return for our service. It implies that we should have healthy and appropriate ways of fulfilling our financial, emotional and managerial needs and thus never use our dependants for those needs. Unless we are stably situated in one of the ashrams, this condition will not be fulfilled. There will be some unfulfilled needs, which very easily enter the relationship in which we are meant to give shelter.
- 12 Aug 2015
By Ravindra Svarupa dasaAny student of Srila Prabhupada will at once recognize the phrase “plain living and high thinking.” It occurred frequently and memorably in his discourse. It functioned as kind of motto or slogan to epitomize Prabhupada’s vision of a natural spiritual culture, an alternative to our modern, “soul-killing” industrial civilization. Prabhupada had made use of the phrase even before he journeyed to America in 1965. In an essay (published much later by the BBT as the second chapter of...
- 11 Aug 2015
By Bhakta NikhilWe thank all those devotees who came to attend the program from various parts of the world, including Italy, Spain, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Special thanks to HG Govinda das and his team of sincere and hardworking devotees, unto whom all credits go for the successful Ratha yatra. We pray to Srila Prabhupada that we can hold this festival for years to come for the Lord’s pleasure and thus we may also become instruments in his hands and be engaged in spreading the message of Mahaprabhu’s sankirt...
- 11 Aug 2015
By James CooperAccording to Egyptian texts this universe is produced from the primordial waters at the beginning of creation. From these waters a mound is produced and from this mound a lotus flower travels up to the top of this universe upon which Ra, the great sun God appears. Now this of course is the same account we find in the Vedas, a lotus appears from the navel of Lord Visnu residing upon the causal ocean and upon this lotus Lord Brahma appears and proceeds to create this universe. The mound which appears,...
- 10 Aug 2015
By the Radhakunda Seva teamWhat a busy month this was! Purusottama Adika Masa (the very auspicious extra lunar month which comes once every three years) brought unprecedented crowds. Even at midday under the scorching sun, there was no diminishing of the throngs of pilgrims doing parikrama around Govardhana and Radha Kunda. And then to top off the joyous madness, the month ended with Guru Purnima, Govardhan’s biggest parikrama day of the year. With your support, we were able to distribute thousands of bowls of...
- 10 Aug 2015
By ISKCON UK Communications Temples across the UK are gearing up for the official 50th anniversary of ISKCON, with events to mark Srila Prabhupada's departure from India to the West to spread Krishna Consciousness - ISKCON Leicester will host the very first UK national convention to celebrate the 50th anniversary; ISKCON London will be holding three one-day festivals to commemorate Srila Prahupada's departure from India, his arrival in Boston and New York; ISKCON Birmingham will hold a special 8hr kirtan program...
- 9 Aug 2015
By Simheswara DasaOn July 11, 1966, Srila Prabhupada officially registered his International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York. At that time, he had one small storefront on New York’s Lower East-Side, and a handful of students. Today, there are nearly four hundred ISKCON centers all over the world, and thousands of ISKCON devotees. ISKCON is now gearing up for its 50th anniversary, with plans for celebratory events all over the world throughout 2016. To mark the significance of His Divine Grace Sr...
- 9 Aug 2015
By Nrsimha Krsna DasIn 3 programs we had total of 90 guests. Maharaja was first day talking about Sannyasa Yoga and he was reading from Bhagavad Gita 6th chapter. Maharaja was explaining how yoga is done as tapasya and the relationship between eightfold yoga system and bhakti yoga in a very simple way that even first time comers could understand it perfectly. I don’t need to mention about kirtans since we all know how Maharaja’s kirtans. We were chanting as if we were above clouds, not touching to the ground. ...
- 8 Aug 2015
By Parijata DasiSandstone is a material that will meet the required standards of strength and aesthetics for some of the TOVP construction. Decorative sandstone units will enclose the two base floors of the Temple. Each unit in pink sandstone will be comprised of a framework, a jali, and an arch at the top flanked by two columns housing the windows on the Pujari floor. The surface of the arch which you see in the pictures are embellished with carvings in the Art Nouveau style. There will be 32 such units running...
- 8 Aug 2015
By Hari Narayana DasA cultural carnival was held at Bantul city, Jogyakarta, Indonesia, on July 25 this year commemorating its 284 anniversary. Traditional cultural performances starting from dances exhibiting attractive costumes and social life were performed in the carnival. Groups of traditional artists from 17 districts in Bantul participated and presented their performances in front of the crowd at the parade starting from Trirenggo field to Masjid Agung (Great mosque). The committee of the anniversary also ...
- 8 Aug 2015
By Caitanya Vihara dasAnticipation and nervous excitement filled the atmosphere. It was the first day in the dissection room for the three hundred new medical students in my year. Entering the foyer area, we slipped into our white coats and prepared our surgical kits. The doors to the interior theatre swung open, and we were hit by an overwhelming smell of formaldehyde, the chief embalming agent. Inside lay fifty veiled cadavers, evenly spaced around a large white hall. Many of us, having not even attended a fune...
- 7 Aug 2015
By Dharmatma dasMark McGowan is quite famous in the UK as The Artist Taxi Driver. Parasurama prabhu in his inimitable way gives him a great dose of philosophy. Every day him and his crew prepare Prasadam for over 1000 and are present at every major demonstration and event in London. In this video interview there is nice and practical explanation of the philosophy behind his program
...- 7 Aug 2015
By Pradyumna dasaTributes is a collection of offerings from the direct disciplines of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The book is now in its seventh year and is produced by a small group of devotees. This year it was funded by one devotee from Africa, who wishes to remain anonymous. To celebrate ISKCON's 50th anniversary next year, we would like to reach as many disciples of Srila Prabhupada as possible and special edition of Tributes. I would like to encourage all devotees to help reach o...
- 7 Aug 2015
By Parijata DasiFlood has been on everyone’s mind for awhile now, as we experienced record amount of rain throughout July. But most of us thought it’s too early, previous times it was at the end of September back in 2007 and 2000. It is a grand Mayapur ‘tradition’ that every 7-8 years Ganga Devi is coming to visit Sri Sri Radha Madhava and Ashta Sakhis, Sri Panca-Tattva and Sri Prahlad Nrsimhadev. So it’s official, Ganga Devi is in the temple room now getting a divine darshan. She also visited TOVP con...
- 6 Aug 2015
By Gauranga dasThe first Mega kirtan festival at Jagannatha Puri 'Chant for Change' attracted more than 10,000 people on the idyllic and historic sea beach at Jagannatha Puri.Held very near Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhus beachside statue at Swargadwar,the festival had the crowds chanting ,dancing and drowning in the nectar of Harinam Sankirtana.It was held on July 17 th, a day before the first Navakalebar Rath Yatra festival to offer a prayer to Their Lordships to bestow Their mercy to fill everyone's hearts with fe...
- 6 Aug 2015
By Parijata DasiThis past week Vilasini, Head Architect for the TOVP, and Parvata Muni visited the fabrication plant of McCoy Industries. A full size mock-up of a section of the Kalash was to be shown. This mock-up is made from polished stainless steel coated with titanium nitride, and from this we will determine which fabrication methods will be used. This coating is a ceramic gold like substance that is very resistant to weathering. A skeletal structure behind the sheeting holds everything in the correct positio...
- 6 Aug 2015
By Madhava SmullenThis year’s Janmastami festival at New Vrindaban, West Virginia on September 5th is expected to be packed with inspiring spiritual activities and sweet exchanges between residents and guests alike. “Under the steady leadership of our community president Jaya Krishna Prabhu, the quality of the festival has been improving every year,” says one of the festival’s organizers Gaura Nataraj Das.
...- 6 Aug 2015