Springtime in New Vrindaban is like stepping into a colorfully painted landscape, and Mother’s Day weekend will unite its beauty with some of our movement’s most talented artists, musicians, writers, and creators in the second annual Vaishnava Arts Festival, May 12-14th, 2023.

ISKCON Nepal successfully organized the largest Vaisnava festival, Gaura Purnima, to celebrate the 537th birth anniversary of Lord Chaitanya. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself who appeared in this age of Kali as a Golden Yuga avatar to teach the principle of devotional services The event was held at Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu Temple, and was attended by over 5000 devotees. More than 6000 participants received free prasadam meal on this day.

Srila Prabhupada’s Film Restoration Project is an initiative from the team who brought us the film, ‘Hare Krishna- The Mantra, The Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All’.

Devotees from across the UK descended on Liverpool, the city of George’s birthplace for a series of special events aptly titled ‘The Spiritual Beatle’, celebrating his spiritual journey. Gurudas, one of the ISKCON UK’s pioneers, who first met George Harrison in 1968 came especially for the celebration.

Svalikhita Jivani, the autobiography of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura published by the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) in its original Bengali language was released at ISKCON Leadership Sanga by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj and HH Guruprasad Swami Maharaj facilitated by HG Gauranga Prabhu and HG Braj Vilas Prabhu on 15th Feb 2023 as part of the ISKCON Leadership Sanga event in Sridham Mayapur. The event was telecast live on Mayapur TV.

Like a surprise pot of chipped-rice and yogurt won at a panihati festival auction, Mahimamrita Dashakam, a song released to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the installation of Shri Shri Radha-Vallabha at ISKCON Melbourne, is packed with many delectable flavours.  The song begins by describing ISKCON Melbourne as “śrī-prabhupāda tīrthaṁ” where ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada performed relentless preaching and writing pastimes, and by his potency transformed a mundane land into a holy tirtha, a sacred place of pilgrimage. The poet then uses Srila Prabhupada’s own words to describe this temple as “non-different from Vrindavana…” Describing the Lord’s inner reasons to come to Melbourne, Victoria, it sings of Their compassion for suffering humanity, especially for the residents of Melbourne. 

Bhaktivedanta Manor’s annual George Harrison tribute evening at the end of November received the highest ever attendance, many being first-time visitors to the Temple. Having been treated to a generous helping of delicious prasadam, the assembled crowd’s expectation levels were set high. The evening opened smoothly with sacred mantras delivered in silken melody form by a group of seasoned kirtaneers. George Harrison’s best Beatles and solo compositions are safe as ever in the hands of well-honed tribute band The Inner Light, whose accomplished delivery of classics such as Here comes the Sun, Something and My Sweet Lord will soon reverberate robustly enough to satisfyingly fill the estate’s vast new ‘modern architectural’ Haveli building and reliably bring the (already replete) audience to their feet. Senior devotee Sakshi Gopal das deftly took up the MC reins to oversee a night of musical and anecdotal homage to one of Liverpool’s most celebrated sons.

THE OLDEST SONG (An excerpt from The Saffron Path)

The Prabhupada Marathon has inspired book distribution throughout ISKCON since 1972. Now it is being celebrated as the Live to Give campaign.  This year our global team has set an unprecedented goal to distribute at least three million Bhagavad-gitas between September 11th and January 7th, 2023. Last year we distributed 2,805,444, smashing the goal of 2.2 million. Vaisesika Prabhu said, “The purpose of the campaign is to carry on the work of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as passed down to us through the previous Acharyas. Sankirtana, especially through the medium of book distribution, is the very essence of the Krishna consciousness movement. This is the most important time in history for us to distribute Bhagavad-gita. It’s a well-accepted book of knowledge, people will read it and benefit, and the whole world will be a better place. Start by assuming you can do it–and in a big way. You will be successful. Go for it!”