By the GBCSrila Prabhupada wrote to a GBC member: “Now I have invested the GBC for maintaining the standard of our Krsna Consciousness Society, so keep the GBC very vigilant. I have already given you full directions in my books.” (Letter to Satsvarupa, 5 September 13, 1970) Later, Srila Prabhupada wrote to another member of the GBC: “I have formed this GBC for that purpose, to keep the devotional standards at the highest level and at the same time to manage a world-wide organization.” (Letter to Rupanuga, November 4, 1970) Srila Prabhupada often st...
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- 2 Apr 2017
By the GBCIn Los Angeles on June 4, 1976, a reporter asked Srila Prabhupada: “Is there anyone who is designated to succeed you as the primary teacher of the movement?” Srila Prabhupada replied: “I am training some, I mean to say, advanced students so that they may be very easily take up the charge. I have made them GBC. They are under my direct training, and I think they will be able to conduct this movement.” Six days later, on June 10, 1976, also in Los Angeles, another reporter asked about succession of spiritual leadership: once Srila Prabhupada...
- 1 Apr 2017
By Spencer Dew Last year, for the twentieth anniversary of the festival, 80,000 people were reportedly in attendance, with that crowd estimated to be about 90% Mormon. The festival in Spanish Fork has spawned a series of smaller events in other cities run by a travelling team from the Utah temple and has also given birth to the popular “Color Run” phenomenon, employing the same kind of powdered, cornstarch-based colors, and the same spirit of carnivalesque engagement in “sharing love.” Mormon festival-goers are led in chanting Sanskrit mantras and ...
- 31 Mar 2017
By Jency JacobIs this the image of the proposed Ram Mandir temple at Ayodhya? Yes, if certain images posted on social media – Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp are to be believed. The image showing a magnificent structure has been doing the rounds on Twitter and Facebook since the last two years.
...- 31 Mar 2017
By the GBCThis document describes the collective service of the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The listed functions derive primarily from Srila Prabhupada’s direct instructions. Some details have been shaped, however, by insights gained over decades of observation and experience. The GBC members collaborate to fulfill their various global responsibilities and individually contribute according to their capacity, area of expertise, personal inclination, and specific requirements. It is not expected that eve...
- 31 Mar 2017
By Hemanga Gopal Dasa18 April 2016 ISKCON50 Presentation at the Interreligious Forum (IFH) ISKCON Hamburg Bhakti Yoga Zentrum 2 17-22 May 2016 Narasimha Caturdasi Festival ISKCON Jandelsbrunn Simhachalam 3 25 June 2016 Participation at Parade of Cultures Downtown Frankfurt 4 01 July 2016 Prabhupada Tirtha Schloss Rettershof - Memories and Activities Romantikhotel Schloss Rettershof 5 17 July 2016 Srila Prabhupada’s Tirthas in Hamburg ISKCON Hamburg Bhakti Yoga Zentrum 6 17 July 2016 Special ISKCON50 Celebration ISKCON Vienna 7 30 July 2016 Ratha Y...
- 30 Mar 2017
By Vijaya DasGood news in Vrindavan: Rohininandana Balarama Prabhu distributes books in Srila Prabhupada's Samadhi almost daily, and he recently told me that in the past two years he's collected the contact information of about three hundred people interested in staying in touch with him to learn about Krishna consciousness. So every week he gives two classes to them. Some chant japa. One lady is a pilot flying the Airbus 880 planes. She said, "I was so unhappy before coming in contact with you people and reading these wonderful books, but now I'm so happy....
- 30 Mar 2017
By Madhava SmullenOne of the first of the retreat-style festivals currently so popular in ISKCON, Festival of Inspiration, launched in New Vrindaban in 2000, has always offered something a little unique. Now, in its 17th year, with the tagline “Rethink. Refresh. Renew,” FOI is again taking a fresh approach, offering an exciting new inspirational experience based on feedback from devotees about what they like. “Whereas previous Festival of Inspirations were a high-speed puzzle of eighteen different short presentations you could choose from, we now pla...
- 30 Mar 2017
By the GBCGlobal Observance of Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi: Whereas Sri Ramanujacarya, the great Vaisnava saint who lived between 1017 and 1137, requires no introduction to the saintly, especially the Vaisnavas; Whereas Sri Ramanujacarya’s 1000th anniversary is being celebrated around the world this year, 2017. According to the Sri Vaishnava calendar, his 1000th appearance day is on May 1, 2017; Whereas although 1000 years have passed since the appearance of Sri Ramanujacarya, the ...
- 30 Mar 2017
By Nanda Priya Nivedita Devi DasiThe ancient city of Madurai visited by pilgrims year-round witnessed a rather unique event on the 26th March, 2017. More than 5,000 people from different walks of life gathered together in one of Madurai’s biggest outdoor auditoriums, Gandhi Mandapam, eager to celebrate the 1,000th Anniversary of a Stalwart Saint, Acharya and Guru, Srimad Ramanuja Acharya. ISKCON Madurai, under the inspiration of HH Jayapataka Swami and leadership of HG Balaram Govinda Das and HG Shanka Dari Das, Temple President of ISKCON Madurai, orga...
- 29 Mar 2017
By Kumudaksa DasaFor the last four years a Cambodian youth has been inspired to organize an elaborate yearly Hindu worship within the monastery of a major Buddhist temple (Pagoda) in Phnom Penh with the approval and consent of the local head monk. Not only is it a Hindu worship program, indeed the initiative has developed into the manifestation of a Hindu shrine within the Buddhist compound. On Sunday, April 26, 2017, a group of devotees from our Hare Krishna base center in Siem Reap travelled to the capital city to attend a shorter version of their yearly...
- 29 Mar 2017
By Vrsabhanu dasAt the recent GBC Meetings in Sridham Mayapur, the GBC College was pleased to present 32 graduates from the GBC College to the assembly of GBC members. As HG Rupanuga Prabhu (President of the GBC College) called out the names of the graduates, HH Romapada Swami handed them their graduation certificates, HH Bhakti Charu Swami gave them a pavitra (in the colours of the GBC College and offered to Lord Nrsimhadev) and HG Gopal Bhatta Prabhu gave them a GBC College bag. HG Tapan Misra Prabhu, the top student in this group of graduates, spoke bri...
- 29 Mar 2017
By Vijaya DasaAbout a hundred people were in the room for our presentation. We started with a kirtan. Then I spoke about the glories of the Bhagavatam. I said, "There is so much news about the world. It's not good news. But the Bhagavatam is good news, in fact, it's great news, because it gives us direction how be completely happy and satisfied and then go to the spiritual world. Vasudeva Datta Prabhu then glorified some great personalities from Bhagavatam. He also mentioned the Fifth Canto, where we find out how to avoid the hellish planets. Aft...
- 28 Mar 2017
By Iskcon NepalISKCON Founder Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada says, "Bhagavad Gita is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upanisads in the Vedic literature whose purpose is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence and is devoid of any religion." (25 March, 2017) Saturday festival in ISKCON Temple, Budanilkantha, Kathmandu with social activist, CNN-hero and the founder of Maiti Nepal, Anuradha Koirala and Actress Rekha Thapa. Actress Rekha Thapa sponsored 45 Srimad Bhagavad Gitas ...
- 28 Mar 2017
By Abhaya Mudra DasiThe meanings of personalism and impersonalism may seem clear when the subject is discussed in theory, but in practice these two understandings of eternal existence seem to intertwine and confound the inexperienced spiritual practitioner. The answer lies in how we approach the Supreme Absolute Truth. While espousing the cause of a personal Godhead, neophytes are often seen to behave in a way that reveals longstanding impersonal roots. To understand the highest concept of personalism, let us see how Shrila Prabhupada describes the relationship of Krishna’s...
- 26 Mar 2017
By Anand Caitanya das​​On behalf of Govardhan Eco Village, Vrajendra Nandan Prabhu, ISKCON India Communications Head went to receive the Water Digest Award. The Awards were graced by several prestigious personalities such as Shri Vipul Goel, Cabinet Minister for Ministry of Industries and Commerce, Ministry of Environment & Ministry of Industrial Training, Government of Haryana; Ms. Dana Kursh, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel; Mr Mitrasen Bhikajee, Senior Programme Specialist, Natural Sciences, UNESCO; Hon’ble Justice Dr. Mukundakam Sharma...
- 25 Mar 2017
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of February 2017. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
...- 24 Mar 2017
By Anuradha Devi Dasi On Tuesday, March 14, 2017, the Department of Sport, Recreation and Culture of the city of Durban, South Africa, hosted a panel discussion at the prestigious Durban International Convention Centre entitled, "Healing Historic Divisions - towards racial harmony". Over 150 delegates, including city officials, political councillors and religious leaders accepted the Heads invitation to attend this important and ground-breaking event. The esteemed panellists included His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, Governing Body Chairperson of ISKCON; Bis...
- 23 Mar 2017
By Madhava SmullenAnanda Vidya and Lalita Gopi’s service is often not easy. In the wintertime temperatures regularly drop below freezing. The couple have to break the ice in the water trough so that the cows can drink. They struggle to clean the barn when the cow dung is frozen to the floor and the shovel. And they’ve had to wear heavy layers of clothes and gloves, still shivering because the freezing wind blows right through cracks in the doors and walls. Recent developments, fortunately, have made winters more manageable. Former ECO-V project manager ...
- 22 Mar 2017
By Deena Bandhu dasOn Saturday evening March 18, ISKCON Vrinda Kunda very ecstatically celebrated the annual Yamuna Boat Festival on the opposite side of Yamuna from Sringar Vat. All the devotees gathered at Srila Prabhupada's Samadhi in the afternoon to take the special festival large Deities of Radha Shyamasundar along with Radha Govinda, the personal Deities of HH Radha Govinda Maharaja, on procession to the boat ghat. Our dear godbrother Punyatama Prabhu arranged flags of a hundred different countries for the devotees to carry to show that Srila Prabhup...
- 21 Mar 2017
By Uma devi dasiWhen Arjun Bhattacharyya started telling us that Agnideva Prabhu, the legendary Agnideva Das, was coming to Detroit, most of us didn’t believe him. In the spirit of serving a dear and surrendered disciple of Srila Prabhupada, many of us offered to assist in preparing his residence. But our hearts weren’t quite ready to accept that he would actually come; it would be too painful if it didn’t work out and with Prabhu so in demand, we had every reason to think it wouldn’t. But Krishna can make anything happen and He sure did! Agnideva P...
- 21 Mar 2017
By Daiva dasaIskcon Silicon Valley has a most solid reputation for taking wholeheartedly the order of guru and Gauranga, with 'books are the basis', as their battle cry. There is no doubt that this community of hard-working, humble and empowered Vaishnavas, will manifest amazing results with this latest venture into cow culture, knowing that all the books that have been distributed, all the seeds of bhakti that have been planted will one day result in millions of people wanting to take up the life of bhakti.  Then we will be sufficiently ready on the farm...
- 21 Mar 2017
Pusta Krishna das: This morning, March 17, 2017, our friend and godsister, Gayatri devi dasi, passed on. ...
- 21 Mar 2017
By Indradyumna SwamiI'll never forget the wonderful reception the devotees gave you in Mayapura. They knew you were coming to the holy dhama to leave your body, and they rushed to greet you and express their appreciation for your years of service. Our car slowed to a snail's pace as everyone surged forward in a show of love. How proud I was of you! How grateful I was to Krsna for arranging such an acknowledgment of your service! Now you are gone, and the days of your association are no more. Your humor, which could light up the darkest day, is a distant...
- 20 Mar 2017