For distribution to the general public 1 tons of oranges arrived, sponsored by Dina Dharini mataji, which was offered to the Lord. Balinese and bharata natyam dances were performed by the devotee girls to open the ceremony. Speech was given by the leader of Malang Hindu Parisad, that he really appreciated the festival. Short class about the origin of ratha yatra was given by HH Kavicandra Swami Maharaj. A recorded lecture from HH Subhag Swami Maharaj covering Jagannatha’s pastimes, Prabhupad...

Bhaktimarga Swami sat calmly Monday morning as he rested in the grass of Joliet’s West Park with a water bottle at his side. Known as the “Walking Monk,” Swami covers about 20 miles a day with only a pair of sandals separating his feet from the ground. He’s in the middle of the second leg of his journey from New York City to San Francisco. “I started walking in Joliet today,” Swami said. “I found out the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail is here. That’s a piece of paradise. Y...

A brief but fruitful meeting took place between His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaja and the Indian MP in Maharaja’s quarters. During the meeting, Maharaja highlighted the importance of Go Seva, the IDVM’s ongoing OM Sri Surabhi Campaign, the interdependence of cow protection movement and village life and so on. His Holiness also gave prasadam to the Honorable MP. The Honorable MP said that he would help establish an ISKCON center in Uttar Pradesh (UP). While handing over the IDVM-India pamphlets to...

ALACHUA – It’s 4:30 a.m., and while the rest of the world is asleep, the Hare Krishna temple in Alachua is softly lit and gently buzzing. Women wearing ornate saris and men in white, flowing dhoti and kurta remove their shoes before stepping onto sacred ground. They enter, bowing their heads and prostrating their bodies in the direction of the statue of Srila Prabhupada, the pioneer of their movement that began 50 years ago. Beads in hand and eyes closed, they’re chanting the names of G...

Three 40-foot high, colorfully-decorated Rathayatra carts hand-pulled by devotees and surrounded by thousands of chanting and dancing people —rolled down New York’s 5th Avenue June 11 to kickoff a national celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness better known as the Hare Krishna Movement. The Rathayatra parade began at 12 P.M. at West 45th Street and 5th Avenue, and ended at Washington Square Park where it joined the “Hare Krishna Festi...

Some devotees asked me if Cameron had received a copy of Bhagavad-gita since there was no video of him receiving it. A little perspective on PM Cameron's visit to the Manor. This was his second time, the first in 2006 when he was leader of the conservative party. Krishna Dharma described his visit at that time, "Cameron could well become the next leader here in the UK. He heard the holy name, took prasadam, saw the deities and even had Lord Rama’s shoes placed on his head as he bowed before ...

British Prime Minister David Cameron returned to Bhaktivedanta Manor ten years after his first visit to take part in the Bhumi Puja for the Manor's new Shree Krishna Haveli. After seeing the George Harrison garden he proceeded to the temple room where he took darshan of Sri Sri Radha-Gokulananda, Sri Sri Sita Rama Laxman and Hanuman and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. He also garlanded Srila Prabhupada and met some of the residents. The Prime Minster then joined some 300 guests in the main marquee. Present ...

The first attempt to spread the sankirtana mission in Albania was in the late '80s when HH. Bhakti-Vaibhava Swami (then HG. Avinas-Candra prabhu), together with three devotees from the former Yugoslavia, spent several days in Tirana. Then, in 2010. and 2011; a handful of devotees from the Karlovac temple (Croatia), led by Mohan prabhu, had a Harinam tour of Albania. Both times they stayed for five days and were holding Harinams in Tirana, Shkoder and Durres. In addition to singing the holy names, th...