BUSH FIRE UPDATE:
After coordinating our strategy to support the victims of the terrible bush fires raging here in Victoria in particular, I have contacted all the various Councils and also the Sikh community and they have assured me that …at this time… there is absolutely no need to have direct food distribution outlets.
There is so much food that has been donated they have a problem with storage.

Today’s featured video on Dandavats.com.
HH Radhanath Swami expounds the intricate workings of the modes of material nature in his Srimad Bhagavatam class on SB 11.25. 06 at ISKCON Chowpatty on 5th Jan 2020.
...

Boat Sankirtan by Sydney Opera’s House, Australia (1 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: “Although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.3.51 Purport)
...

H.H Mahavishnu Swami’s letter to the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison. Dear Honourable Prime Minister Scott Morrison,
Happy New Year! Hare Krishna! In this bushfire emergency so far material solutions seem to be of no avail. Therefore I humbly offer my service to inspire the public to participate in an enjoyable spiritual solution which can by God’s Grace bring rains to put out the fires.

Mantra Chaitanya das, 33, on how spirituality has changed his attitude towards money.
Interview by The Guardian.
Name: Mantra Chaitanya das
Age: 35
Income: £12-£15,000
Occupation: Gardener, teacher and voluntary university chaplain, Canterbury

Bhakta Dasa: With the tragic bush fires around Australia at the moment, the Hare Krishna devotees in Melbourne are contributing in a variety of ways. We are supporting the JET Australia Foundation ( the Ramanuja Sampradaya ) by providing funds to them to distribute bottled water to the Firefighters. We are also looking at ways Hare Krishna Food for Life can assist with Vegetarian meal distribution. There are also plans to have a joint Hindu temples and organizations Yajna where we will be performing the Hare Krishna M...

Krishna Balaram Mandir Darshan in Vrindavan (4 Jan, 2020) (Album of photos)
Please take darshan of the Deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir and the foggy winter morning in Sri Vrindavan Dham....

TOVP Pujari Floor Grand Opening - H.H. Gopal Krishna Maharaja Speaks Out (2 min. video)
In a little over one month, ISKCON will be celebrating another milestone event at the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in preparation for the opening in 2022: The Grand Opening of the fully completed Pujari Floor. On February 13, 2020, in observance of the 146th anniversary of the appearance of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and in preparation for the relocation of our beloved world Deities into Their new home...

Harinama in Russia (Album of photos)
Some shots from the New Year Harinam and book distribution night.
At the end of the Harinam just one book left and we met Father Frost who was super exciting to see Prabhupad’s book and get prasadam! When we asked:
-What’s your name? He replied:
-Anirudha Krishna Das.
...

New Year Kirtan Program in Kolkata (2020) (Album of photos)
Devotees in Kolkata were very fortunate to have the blessed association of HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj and they organized an amazing kirtan program at Seal Mansion on the first day of the new year 2020. The owner of the place comes from the same lineage of Srila Prabhupad and they had a very old and aristocrat mansion. Themed as “Srivas Angan”, the decoration of the place was marvelous and depicted traditional Bengali art. Many devotees led...

Photos from London New Year’s Eve 2019.
“For us, every day is New Year’s. Krishna is always new, always fresh, and we are always celebrating Him. Just see how these people in maya are celebrating, drinking poison to forget everything! Because they are frustrated, they want to forget. But for a devotee, it is just the opposite. The devotee wants to remember Krishna at all times.” - Srila Prabhupada. December 31, 1966, New York.

Exciting news for the San Diego Hare Krishna Temple.
To our dear Hare Krishna community family:
We have very exciting news. This year our Temple Property Mortgage Fundraiser exceeded all expectations, and by Krishna’s grace we raised the full amount to pay off the $138,000.00 that remained on this loan! We started this fundraiser back in 2015, when we owed $300,000.00, and each year since, many of you have come forward to help our temple with donations to reduce the principal on this loan. And to co...

Shastrakrit Das: Sweet Kiwi family, they were looking for presents to give family for New Years’. Where ever we go in the world, everyone is doing the same old things. Until they come across one of Srila Prabhupada’s books!

Ladies’ Ashrama Update
The women’s ashrama at New Govardhana, Australia, has been full of activity of late, with new devotees Bhadra Yamuna (from the US), Bhaktine Cameron (from UK) and Bhaktine Jin Lou (from Hong Kong) arriving, inspired to serve Shri Shri Radha Govardhanadhari.

Melbourne Namahatta preaching (Album of photos)
Ramai Swami: Most devotees who visit Melbourne temple know about the program near the temple at an apartment complex just where the tram goes around the corner.

A Spiritual Trek to The Heart of The Himalayas
One of New Govardhana’s main pujaris Dhanistha devi dasi recently embarked on a spiritual pilgrimage to the Himalayas. Along with friends, Bhuvana Mohini devi dasi and Madhu, Dhanistha braved dangerous slopes and high altitudes to eventually arrive at Gangotri, the origin of Mother Ganga.

Bhagavatam is the Answer!
Giriraj Swami: I have been rereading the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam and receiving great illumination and inspiration from it. Srila Prabhupada said that he was not sure how long he would live, so he put everything into the First Canto, and Ramesvara Prabhu told me that whenever he told Prabhupada that the BBT had money and asked what they should print, Prabhupada would reply “Reprint the First Canto.”
...

Lord Krishna: “I am too hungry! Just give Me anything to eat”.
“Durvasa arrived at the Pandavas’ cottage hungry with his ten thousand disciples just after Draupadi had finished her meal. King Yudhisthira greeted him respectfully and offered obeisances to the exalted sage. He then invited him and his disciples to lunch. When the sage accepted the invitation, King Yudhisthira asked Durvasa to go and bathe at the nearby Devanadi (Vimala Kunda, at Kamyavana). But when King Yudhisthira learned that Draupadi had already eaten from he...

NEWS FROM THE BRAHMACHARY ASHRAMA
It’s been a productive year in the brahmachary ashrama at New Govardhana (Iskcon Farm Community in Australia) in 2019. The ashrama is headed up by Krishna Gana dasa, who has not only been traveling around Australia catering but also took Govinda’s catering over to France to help the New Mayapur team begin their catering venture.

IN FOCUS: RATIPRIYA DEVI DASI
By Anasuya dasi.
This month, we interviewed Ratipriya devi dasi, who has had a connection with both the Bhaktivedanta Gurukula and New Govardhana (Iskcon Farm community in Australia) since the 1980s.
...

Please pray for rain!
Iskcon Farm New Govardhan, Australia.
Karunamayi dasi: Due to the lack of rain and increasing heat the drought has been getting worse all around the country! The farm has not been this badly affected by drought in anyone’s memory.

The Shree Krishna Haveli is a feat of architecture, built from traditional materials that reflect the character of local Hertfordshire, such as timber, brick and tile. It features a reception area with a bakery and café; a Kirtan Hall with a stage and lighting for festivals, visiting speakers, Sunday programs and play performances; and a Seva Hall for serving prasad, as well as youth clubs, weddings and other samskaras.

Kirtan Mela in Dnipro, Ukraine (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the sastras it is said that if a person only once chants the holy name and completely surrenders unto the lotus feet of the Lord, the Lord immediately considers him His ward and is always inclined to give him protection. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 6.2.49 Purport)...

A blind uncle is better than no uncle but HG Moksha Lakshmi Devi has chosen the best! (6 min video)
...