New Vrindaban Releases Booklet For Self-Led Temple Tour
“We have mostly Indian preachers, and noticed that there was a disconnect, due to cultural differences, between them and our Western guests,” says Anuradha Dasi, director of the communications team behind the booklet. “Guests would come into the temple, stay for just a minute, and then turn around and walk out.”
Over four million people around the globe walked out of their schools and workplaces on Friday September 20th to demand an end to the age of fossil fuels. The protests were organized by young people led by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg. The campaign has seen students walk out of their schools on Fridays to demand their political leaders take urgent action to address climate change.
The program, which was conceived and initiated by Keshav Murari Das, Temple President ISKCON Rohini, saw participation of various spiritual leaders from different faiths and communities, who shared their views and realization on the Holy Name as per their practice and faith.
Every year, some 800 projects from all over the world that conserve and protect our resources, or employ renewable energy, participate. One award winner is chosen from each country.
Since 2016, when it was launched as an offering to Srila Prabhupada for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary, the Fortunate People project has seen devotees film people chant the Hare Krishna mantra for the first time “for love and peace.”
“These people have really been to hell and back,” he says. “And I knew it was most likely that they’d never had prasad before in their lives. So it was very gratifying to be able to give prasad to so many people who had never tasted it before," says Abhay Das.
Incessant rains pelted the South Indian state of Karnataka from late July until August 13th, causing widespread flooding, a death toll of 76, and damage to over 75,000 homes.
The new temple project in Salt Lake, conveniently close to the downtown of Utah’s largest city, sits on 4 acres of land and includes the new temple building as well as an existing former school building with existing classrooms, a commercial kitchen, offices, and a large multi-purpose room.
“Wise-Love,” by Srila Prabhupada disciple Pranada Dasi, is described as “a handbook of the essence of bhakti written for a modern, Western audience.” “Wise-Love” is the book’s term for bhakti, meaning love grounded in reason and philosophy.
It’s an ambitious effort. In the 1980s, Srila Prabhupada’s tape ministry had just 700 hours of audio. In the 1990s, the Bhaktivedanta Archives expanded it with another 300 hours.
The 700 acres of Sridham Mayapura land, in titles of individuals, is soon to be amalgamated so that ISKCON can officially own all of it.
Between July 22 and November 30, ISKCON Chile is developing its first census of ISKCON Chile, with the purpose of providing statistical data of interest about the community of devotees in the country.
The Vedic Federation of France, a coalition of Indian-origin religious denominations and spiritual movements including ISKCON, is presenting one united voice to the French government and thus strengthening ISKCON’s position in France, where it has long been treated as a cult.
Beginning as simple home sessions, a program designed to teach young children the Srimad-Bhagavatam will soon be offered internationally via Zoom video conference. The resources are already being shared with parents everywhere on the lightofgodhead.com website and WhatsApp Group. Eventually, the full curriculum will be presented as a book.
Titled A Legacy Begins, the beautifully presented photo book features rare, original photos from Gurudas’ personal archive documenting the years 1968 – 1973, from when the seven pioneers first arrived in London, iconic pictures of the devotees meeting The Beatles.
After decades of communism, civil war, and bans on all religion in Albania, ISKCON was finally officially registered in the Southeast European country on May 31st, 2019 for the first time.
In an inspiring show of cooperation, six ISKCON-affiliated organizations in the New York area collaborated to put on a hugely successful Rathayatra festival this summer – Brooklyn’s Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir, the Bhakti Center in Manhattan, 26 2nd Avenue, ISKCON of Queens, New Yoga Pitha in the Bronx, and the Yuga Dharma Ashram.
Devotees of Yuga Dharma Sankirtana Ashram are found chanting and distributing books at New York’s Union Square almost every day.
Tulsi Gabbard took time out of her busy schedule of events in New York to visit the main kirtan tent at the Rathayatra’s post-parade festival in Washington Square Park.
With his Bangalore-based agency, Shabdahari Das has run social media campaigns for world-famous personal development gurus like Tony Robbins, T. Harv Ecker, and Bryan Tracy. He’s also trained over 20,000 entrepreneurs in how to use social media to grow their businesses.
Baladeva Das was appointed CPO Director in October 2018 by ISKCON’s Latin Regional Governing Body (RGB). Since joining ISKCON in 1991 in Argentina, he has done preaching, communications and educational services, lead the Nava Gundica Dhama temple, and helped edit and translate the Spanish edition of Caitanya-Caritamrita.
“There are many vegan and vegetarian places on the Gold Coast – but the most successful ones are the Hare Krishnas,” says Nitai Chandra.
Food For Life London, which has been feeding hot vegetarian meals to the homeless since 1994, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with its first ever “Walk Against Hunger.”
Two to three thousand devotees are expected to pack out the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina this weekend for Sadhu Sanga, ISKCON North America’s biggest kirtan retreat.
Despite the great efforts of and protests by hundreds of thousands of activists, and despite the countless promises by present and previous Indian governments, so far, there has not been any improvement in the Yamuna’s condition.
