Recently, the Congregation Development Ministry (CDMC) of ISKCON Malaysia organized a Leaders' Convention which was held from September 30th through October 2nd at Port Dickson, Malaysia. We were fortunate that the occasion was graced by HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami, who is a Zonal Secretary of Kerala and western Tamilnadu and Deputy GBC of the ISKCON s world body

"The most enlivening feature of Ratha Yatra for me is the energetic, creative, and responsible participation of so many of our congregation members who fantastically organized everything from the fleet of children's Ratha Yatra carts in the parade to the various workshops on yoga, meditation, and kirtan at the festival sites." --Ravindra Svarupa prabhu

“Devotee Care, South Africa” opened its new Bhaktivedanta Care Centre, a Hospice-styled Care facility for the ISKCON community. This valuable service, inspired by and based on the model of the Vrindavan Hospice, is a multi-level building designed for assisting devotees in their final days, preparing them for their journey back home, back to Godhead

Back in the humble beginnings of 1973, there were barely 100 people to celebrate Janmashtami at the Manor, with Srila Prabhupada offering the first beautiful arati to Radha-Gokulananda and leading the devotees in encircling the Deities, dancing and leaping in kirtan

On October 1, Saturday, residents of Victorville, CA got to witness the first ever Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath in their little town. Victorville, located in the Inland Empire desert region of California and having a population of 95,000 welcomed Lord Jagannath to their 10th Annual Spice of Life Multicultural Festival

Lord Jagannatha was seated along with His brother Balarama and sister Subhadra on His gorgeously decorated cart, which was painstakingly transported from Los Angeles once again in record time by His Grace Ratnabhusana, who has been single-handedly designing, building, disassembling, transporting, re-assembling and decorating Lord Jagannatha’s carts for various Rathayatra festivals since the 1980’s

"Balarama represents plowing the land for agriculture and therefore always carries in His hand a plow, whereas Krishna tends cows and therefore carries a flute in His hand. Thus the two brothers represent krisi-raksya and go-raksya.”

The Canadian iteration of the Huffington Post recently posted an article about the Hare Krishnas and the Ratha-Yatra festivals, focusing on Toronto's festival. We thought it might of some interest for Dandavats readers

The beautiful deity of Lord Chaitanya along with the deity of Simantini, Goddess of Simantadvipa, have arrived and are waiting to move into Their new temple behind the existing Jagannath Temple in Rajapur. The temple structure is complete and inside the finishing work is underway. The external cladding in terracotta has resumed after pausing for the rainy season. The installation is planned to take place during the Gaur Purnima celebrations in 2012

My name is Bhakta Jeff. I was recently travelling with Bhakti Marga Swami as he began his fourth walk across Canada. Maharaja wanted me to send in all the different news coverage that he got so I am attaching it

This trip, which was an award to our senior girls who have been outstanding in their personal sadhana this term, turned out to be an amazing preaching experience which left all who participated in it feeling more spiritually exhilarated than they had ever imagined

After the first one at Thrissur on the 29thSeptember, 2011, ISKCON Vidyadan’s second program of Free Bhagavad Gita distribution took off at Kannur in Kerala, India. The inauguration was done by the Prison Superintendent Mr. Sivadasan Thyparampil by lighting the lamp. There were more than 120 inmates who attended the function along with Prison Welfare Officer Mr Mukesh and other senior jail officials