Baba Madhava Das Festival at Vrinda Kunda (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: On Friday, we observed the disappearance festival of Baba Madhava Das who gave Vrinda Kunda to ISKCON. We had wonderful katha, kirtan, artika, fed all of the Sadhus of Nandagram, and had feast for all the devotees and villagers. Relish Vittalrukmini’s photos!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/77fcZo

Transformation through Books.
Today one devotee shared with us about his meeting with two Russian devotee couples in Srirangam. Those Russian devotees were earnestly looking out for the place where Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet are being worshiped in Srirangam. After taking them to that place, this devotee inquired those Russian devotees as to how they came to know about Krishna consciousness. One of that Russian prabhuji was earlier working as a butcher in a slaughterhouse. Somehow some merciful Vaishnava had been doing book distribution even outside t...

A New Frontier (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Our first few days in China were spent getting to know the people and culture of this country. We also held programs with local devotees in Beijing. My conclusion is that Lord Caitanya’s formula for sharing Krsna consciousness; namely chanting, dancing and feasting, is very suitable for the people here. We look forward to the next 18 days of our journey through the Land of the Great Red Dragon.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/kGCu4I

April 10. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Prabhupada in the Loft.
The loft was a fourth-flight walk-up, and the only entrance, usually heavily bolted, was a door in the rear at the west end. From the outside, this door opened into a hallway that was only lit by a red EXIT light over the door. The hallway led to the right a few steps and into the open area. If a guest entered during the kirtana or lecture, he would see the Swami about thirty feet from the entrance seated on his dais. On other evenings, the w...

New TOVP Phone App Goes Live!
Everything can be used in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even modern technol......

Harinama and book distribution in Tel Aviv, Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: To be chanting the holy name of Your L......

ISKCON Auckland NZ: Kirtana program with Madhava (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting the Hare Krishna mantra without offenses, one increases his love for Krishna. As stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, preme pum-artho mahan: one’s main concern should be to increase one’s attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to increase one’s love for Him. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.3.24 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/2nJ7LE

Vaishnava Film Awards! (13 min video)
Please enjoy watching the first part of the ceremony that took part in Mayapur. There are......

April 9. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Bowery Loft.
94 Bowery was a narrow, four-storey building. It had long ago been painted grey and bore the usual facing of a massive, black fire escape. A well-worn black double door, its glass panels reinforced with chicken wire, opened on to the street. The sign above the door read: “A.I.R. 3rd and 4th”, indicating that artists in residence occupied those floors. Harvey Cohen’s loft on the top floor of 94 Bowery was an open space, almost 100 fe...

Not Always Rosy!
Bhaktimarga Swami: I had met Jaya Vijay at a festival in the Berkley area some years ago and had marvelled at his working efforts. He was a padayatra (pilgrim) leader for 10 years from 1986 to 1996. He is indeed inspiring. I wanted to include him in this blog about the purifying nature of walking. An article appeared in the recent issue of Padayatra Worldwide:
“When you watch a Padayatra India slideshow everything seems rosy, but in fact, it was very difficult. Walking the highways in India is no place for a lady or gentleman....

Become eager for mercy!
Kadamba Kanana Swami: In the beginning of our spiritual life, we come with lots of enthusiasm. Then, after some time, we lose that initial fire and we come into a realm of struggling with all the high standards of Krsna consciousness. We do not feel the same inspiration that we had in the beginning. Then, what do we do? At that point, what can we do?
Srila Prabhupada explains that one must chant in a mood of a helpless child. So, when we become helpless, when we realize, ‘Actually, I am not a great devotee, I am strugg...

Devotee Author Aims Bhagavatam-Inspired Novel at Western Audience.
With his first novel, “The Yoga Zapper,” ISKCON devotee Hari Mohan Das (Mohan Ashtakala) has blended exciting fantasy storytelling with themes from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, including the prophesied appearance of Kalki Avatar at the end of Kali Yuga. He hopes to entertain and educate a diverse Western audience with this potent mix, published by mid-sized Canadian publisher Books We Love. Mohan has all the requisite background for a mystical novel like this. As a child, he gre...

Namamrita Program by Bhakti Brihat Bhagavatam Maharaj at Sri Mayapur International School (Album with photos)
During the first......

The Municipal Government of Stockholm city: Save the only Hindu temple and oldest vegetarian restaurant in Stockholm!
This Spiritual Centre is run by ISKCON, the world´s largest international Hindu institution based on the ancient Vedic scriptures. It contains a temple, shop and vegetarian restaurant, and has existed in Stockholm city for over 34 years. Over the years it has developed to become an established cultural institution.
The Centre is yearly visited by up till 100 000 people of
different categories: worshippers, spiritual see...

Sri Harinam Sankirtan in Sydney (Album with photos)
One amazing incident happened!!! When we were standing in front of Microsoft Office near Pitt Street Mall and chanting, the boss of the Microsoft came and very nicely said, we love your song and appreciate, if you could kindly please move will be nice as we are doing some presentation and it’s very loud sound and we can’t present. He continued we love to give some donation. Then he open his wallet and took out $200 and gave it to Harinam Sankirtan team. We all got so excited that just doing...

Mahabharata event at University of Cincinnati (Album with photos)
Andy Fraenkel: It was a great pleasure for my wife and me to ......

The devotees from the Govinda restaurant and Patisserie of Benesov, Czech Republic organize home delivery of their prasadam!
Srila Prabhupada: You said that your job is maya, but you must know that maya is illusion. As soon as there is absence of Krishna Consciousness—that is maya. But you are working just to help and push Krishna’s interest; therefore, it is not maya. Anything used in Krishna Consciousness is real renouncement. Letter to Jayagovinda, February 3, 1970
For more information: https://goo.gl/...

April 8. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Harvey Offers Prabhupada His Studio on the Bowery.
Prabhupada had lost his spirit for living in Room 307. What would prevent the janitor from stealing again? Harvey Cohen and Bill Epstein had invited him to relocate downtown and had assured him of a more interested following among the young people there. It had been an attractive proposal, and he began to reconsider it. Then Harvey offered Prabhupada his studio on the Bowery.
Harvey had been working as a commerci...

Into the Mouth of The Red Dragon (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: This afternoon myself and a team of 14 devotees arrive......

Post-modern Perspectives on the Guru-disciple Relationship.
Kripamoya Das: Despite the success of Vaishnavism as a worldwide phenomenon, there are yet some persistent difficulties faced by converts in understanding and implementing the ancient guru-disciple tradition. Partial understandings of source texts combined with highly selective use of quotes has only served to exacerbate the divisions of thought. This is particularly true of the writings on the delicate subject of guru-disciple.
This is probably as much as can be expected considering the ...

Letting out of the Cows!
Each spring, the Bhaktivedanta Manor’s New Gokul farm goes through the “letting out of the cows” ritual, whereby the cows and bulls are overjoyed to be let out again in the fields after being kept sheltered inside for the winter. Everyone laughs and cheers as the herd race across the fields, jumping and moo-ing in happiness. A truly delightful and entertaining experience for both cows and humans alike!
When: Sunday 10th April at 9.45am
Where: At New Gokul (The Manor’s farm - UK)

The King’s Finger.
Once upon a time, there lived a king. The king was very kind and ruled his people very well. One day he accidentally cut his finger. The king cried aloud and his minister who was a devotee of Krishna came running and saw that the king has cut his finger.
The minister tying a cloth to the king’s finger said, “Dear king, don’t worry, whatever happen it’s is the mercy of Krishna. So be happy and thank your luck and thank Krishna”
The king got very angry and said, “What nonsense you ar...

Cows Protection Purifies The Heart (3 min video)
A short announcement by the Harinama Mandir community.
Srila Prabhupada: ......

Preaching program in the University of Cincinnati (Album with photos)
The University event was sponsored by the UC Bhakti Yoga ......