Public voting is now open for the Bhakti Song Contest, a grassroots initiative aimed at exploring the use of music and emerging technologies in Krishna-conscious outreach. Three devotional songs have been submitted and are available for listening and voting on the Bhakti Song site.

Read More

On February 14, 2026, the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will convene in Mayapur. One of the topics of discussion will be the recent end of the three-year moratorium period on Vaishnavis offering diksha initiation.

Read More

The next TOVP milestone is set for February 11, 2026, with the scheduled Grand Opening of the magnificent Yajna Shala in the TOVP Gardens. This immense yajna arena will become the permanent home for daily yajnas for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the protection of His devotees, continuing a seva that began in 1986 at ISKCON’s World Headquarters in Sridham Mayapur.

Read More

Two nights ago, I was fortunate to witness something extraordinary during the Be A Gardener campaign. In the company of a small group of devotees, we went out with the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC), trusting Lord Caitanya’s guidance at every step. What unfolded felt worth sharing in the hope that others might feel encouraged to try as well.

Read More

Seva Care has released the latest episode of its ongoing podcast series, Care During Tough Times, titled Marriages and Vaishnava Community Support, featuring Dhanya Rico, M.Ed., Ed.S., NCC, a National Certified Counselor specializing in personal and relationship wellness. The episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how individuals and communities can respond to marriage difficulties, separations, and divorces within a devotional framework.

Read More

The Bhakti Vriksha Leadership Training Level-1 program will be held in Mayapur, India, from February 14 to 16, 2026, offering participants a systematic foundation for becoming effective leaders in preaching Krishna-conscious philosophy. Conducted in English and available both offline in Mayapur and online via Zoom, the training will be led by Nityanand Ashraya Das, Temple President of ISKCON Bahadurgarh, an experienced Bhakti Vriksha coach and trainer, international award recipient, and community developer.

Read More

On New Year’s Day 2026, approximately 400 devotees gathered at ISKCON Plainfield, NJ, to honor a traditional Sri Jagannath Puri–style Maha Prasad buffet featuring 15 courses. Organized by ISKCON of Central New Jersey (ICNJ), the annual New Year Sri Jagannath Puri–style buffet has been held for nearly a decade. Even during the COVID year, ICNJ volunteers continued the tradition by preparing and distributing 10+ course Jagannath Puri–style takeaway meals for hundreds of devotees who had pre-ordered prasad in 2021, allowing them to begin the year by honoring Sri Jagannath Mahaprasad.

Read More

Kamita Kamau, known online as Kamita_Kirtan, is a Nairobi-based Krishna-conscious content creator, musician, grihastha, and entrepreneur whose work documents both his inner spiritual life and the outward expression of Krishna consciousness in contemporary African society. His journey into bhakti began in 2020, during a period of personal searching and questioning. Like many young people of his generation, Bhakta Kamita was seeking meaning beyond career ambition or social identity. “I was searching,” he reflected, “but I didn’t yet know what I was searching for.”

Read More

As the sun transitioned into Capricorn for Makar Sankranti on January 14, 2026, Ayodhya Dham was transformed into a sea of devotion. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, fresh from their holy bath at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, arrived at the feet of Lord Ram. To honor this sacred arrival, ISKCON Ayodhya scaled its Food for Life initiative, distributing over 100,000 free prasadam meals.

Read More

ISKCON’s Ministry for Book Distribution is inviting devotees and communities worldwide to submit nominations for the 2025 Book Distribution Awards, recognizing outstanding leadership, innovation, creativity, and resilience in the global sankirtan movement.

Read More

A class centered on a key verse from the Srimad Bhagavatam that outlines the complete path of Krishna consciousness from beginning to perfection. The speaker emphasizes that real spiritual advancement begins with association with devotees (sadhu-sanga). Without such association, theoretical knowledge alone cannot lead to genuine understanding or devotion. Through hearing and discussing Krishna’s activities...

Read More

The speaker explains that the day is highly auspicious, marking multiple divine events, including the appearance of Srimati Vishnu Priya Devi and Pundarika Vidyanidhi. Raghunatha Dasa Goswami is highlighted as the personification of renunciation: born into immense wealth, he abandoned everything to serve Lord Chaitanya, later living in Jagannatha Puri and Radha-kunda in Vrindavan. His...

Read More

The speaker explains how the presiding deities of the senses sequentially enter the Virat Purusha—speech, smell, sight, hearing, touch, procreation, excretion, movement, circulation, hunger, mind, intelligence, and ego—yet none can awaken Him. Only when the Supersoul (the inner controller, consciousness itself) enters does the cosmic being arise. This illustrates that neither senses, mind, nor intelligence...

Read More

By Adiguru dasa

In Krishna Consciousness we hear many viewpoints about spreading the movement of Lord Caitanya. In reality there is not one fixed way to attract a conditioned living entity. A conditioned living entity who has achieved a rare benediction of having a human body has a unique existence and is driven by a unique desire and a unique fear. Preaching strategies differ from person to person and community to community. We need to understand the culture of a place and a counter-culture. The identification of culture and counter-culture help us to identify a right preaching approach. ...

Read More

By Bhurijana dasa

Srila Prabhupada: Everywhere, in the office, there is some immediate boss. So you have to please him. That is service. Suppose in office, in a department there is office superintendent. And if you do in your own way, “Yes, I'm doing my business,” and the office superintendent is not pleased, do you think that kind of service is nice? No. Similarly, everywhere we have got immediate boss. So we must work. That is systematic. If everyone manufactures, invents his own way of life, then there must...

Read More

By Prabhupada-priya Devi Dasi

My invitation had been for two weeks, but the more I read the books, the more I became fascinated by the philosophy. The practices the devotees followed, such as chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and worshiping the deity, were not just something made up but were rooted in the teachings of the ancient Vedas. This immense wealth of knowledge existed before the creation and describes in detail the cyclical events of the creation and destruction of the material universes, giving precise time scales for such events. I realized that no matte...

Read More

Vṛkāsura became frustrated after failing to obtain a vision of the lord. Finally, on the seventh day, after dipping his hair into the holy waters at Kedāranātha and leaving it wet, he took up a hatchet and prepared to cut off his head. But at that very moment the supremely merciful Lord Śiva rose up...

Read More

Translation Immediately afterward, on the same day, Devahūti gave birth to nine female children, all charming in every limb and fragrant with the scent of the red lotus flower. Purport Devahūti was too sexually excited, and therefore she discharged more ova, and nine daughters were born. It is said in the smṛti-śāstra as well as...

Read More

Her Grace Sravaniya dasi was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, throughout her life Her Grace Sravaniya dasi has been interested in metaphysics and spirituality. She became a vegetarian at the age of seventeen and began studying eastern classics to understand consciousness and reality. She always been interested in subjects that had no commercial potential. Using...

Read More

By Acintya Caitanya Dasa

Jananivas Prabhu’s service was to bring frankincense to Srila Prabhupada’s room in the evening. He mentioned that usually after you fill a room with frankincense, you open the doors and windows so that the mosquitos go out with the smoke. Srila Prabhupada however liked to keep the smoke within the room and stopped Jananivas Prabhu from opening the doors and windows. Since it was Srila Prabhupada’s darshan time, there would usually be many western devotees in the room...

Read More

By Gauri Dasa

The bittersweet aesthetic of “My Sweet Lord” touched the hearts of millions. Love in separation is one of many aesthetic qualities in Vaishnava theology, and some of these qualities are illustrated in George’s other lyrics. In making observations about George’s songs, I am not arguing that he attained the highest states of bhakti, nor do I want to pass judgment on anyone. George was seriously spiritual-minded. The Vaishnava journey to Krishna, in progressive stages of love, is reflected in his songs. He struggled in life, found some balance, and never departed from his...

Read More

By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

“Worship of Krishna without Radha is not worship but pride. It is another unauthorized philosophy nourished by the concept of an impotent God. Krishna is alone the enjoyer; all others are to be enjoyed. The origin of all the enjoyed, or the asrayas (abodes of love) is Sri Radhika. To serve God under the subordination of His servant is the core of Vaishnava philosophy. Other philosophies devoid of subordination to the original shelter, or asr...

Read More

HH Jayananda Goswami reflects on Srila Prabhupada’s final days, emphasizing that the true essence of life is chanting the holy names of the Lord, not merely prolonging physical existence. Chanting and preaching Krishna consciousness are presented as the real “medicine” and purpose of life. The talk contrasts early ISKCON temple life—marked by extreme simplicity, discipline,...

Read More

The session opens with a reflective exercise inviting participants to set a personal intention for the new semester, sharing words such as clarity, focus, devotion, peace, perseverance, and service. This establishes a mindful, intentional atmosphere for the class. The main teaching centers on Chapter 1 of the Third Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, focusing on Vidura’s...

Read More

By Mahabhagavat Das SDA In Toronto’s brutal winter, Srila Prabhupada transforms the cold into spiritual gold by encouraging remarkable Sankirtan efforts, exceeding a total of 110 outings in 2025 against all odds for one humble warrior. Battling frigid temperatures and indifferent crowds, Srila Prabhupada tirelessly inspires diverse audiences, from skeptical Sikhs to curious Muslims. Each...

Read More

By Sri Nandanandana dasa

In spite of the fact that everything comes from the Supreme Being, He is still aloof from it all. He does not disengage Himself from His eternal pleasure pastimes with His devotees in the spiritual realm. So, in the process of creating the material worlds, the Supreme expands Himself into various forms, which are His plenary parts. Krishna is the primeval Lord, the original Personality of Godhead, so He can expand Himself into unlimited forms with all potencies. They are no different from Him, but may exhibit differences in form. He first expands Himself i...

Read More

By Isvara Krishna Dasa

The Bhagavad-gita is no doubt a major spiritual treatise and one of the world’s greatest classics. Understanding that a hierarchical concept of reality characterizes the Gita can help us see coherence of the Gita’s message. The Bhagavad-gita speaks on two major levels of reality and a third, intermediate, one. We can use the Sanskrit words dharma and moksha to treat the two main levels, and the word yoga for the third. Dharma refers to a set of values repres...

Read More

Position Paper – ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry Position statement Regular daily deity worship in ISKCON centers must be carried out without interruption during an eclipse. If there are concerns regarding local public sentiment that may be caused by continuing the deity worship, the temple may be closed to the public while privately maintaining the scheduled...

Read More

Translation What is difficult to achieve for determined men who have taken refuge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s lotus feet? His feet are the source of sacred rivers like the Ganges, which put an end to the dangers of mundane life. Purport The words yair āśritas tīrtha-padaś caraṇaḥ are significant here. The Supreme Personality...

Read More

I felt insulted that he didn’t want my money. I grabbed the book from his hand, threw the book in my briefcase, and walked away quickly, without even so much as a look to say thank you. I’ll read that book, I thought, to find all the faults, and show any shaven-headed fellows next time...

Read More

ISKCON Chowpatty

Purushottam Das: Secret of Empowerment

Watch Now

On February 11, 2026 the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will reach another milestone: The Grand Opening of the amazing TOVP Yajna Shala in the TOVP Gardens. This huge Yajna Shala will replace the current location at the Gurukula and become the main focal point of all yajnas performed for the Supreme Personality of Godhead on a daily basis, in perpetuity, since they started in 1986 in the Lotus Park.

Watch Now

On February 11, 2026 the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will reach another milestone: The Grand Opening of the amazing TOVP Yajna Shala in the TOVP Gardens. This huge Yajna Shala will replace the current location at the Gurukula and become the main focal point of all yajnas performed for the Supreme Personality of Godhead on a daily basis, in perpetuity, since they started in 1986 in the Lotus Park. See the schedule below:

Open Flipbook

In this video, Srila Prabhupada explains the vision behind the Vedic Planetarium—meant to reveal the cosmic order described in the scriptures. A glimpse into how spiritual knowledge, science, and devotion come together to help us understand our place in the universe.

Watch Now

A lecture by Dr. Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa Dasa)

Heaven and Hell

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.31.33
September 16, 1993
San Diego, California

Is there a reality to heaven and hell, or are they imagined constructs described within religious traditions? Thompson begins by examining an apparent enlightenment consensus that tends toward denying existence beyond three-dimensional gross matter. Enhancing the discussion with anecdotes from his recent presentation at the “Parliament of the World's Religions” in Chicago, Thompson encourages his audience to consider possibilities beyond the constraints of an exclusively materialistic paradigm.

Listen Now