Our global team continues to distribute unprecedented numbers of Srimad Bhagavatam sets through the Bhadra Campaign. This year, 250+ communities from 50+ countries distributed 45,800 sets of Srimad Bhagavatam, smashing the worldwide goal of 43,000 sets. The long-term goal is to reach 100,000 sets by 2026. This Bhadra Campaign was launched in 2017 by the BBT MCI Team (Marketing, Communications, and Innovation) under the leadership of HG Vaisesika Prabhu. By uniting a global team around this common goal, Bhagavatam distribution has skyrocketed from 7,007 sets in 2018 to 45,880 this year. The campaign runs annually from Gaura Purnima to Bhadra Purnima. Vaisesika Prabhu commented, “Congratulations teammates, we smashed it together. The globe will never be the same. How did it happen? Because Lord Chaitanya wanted it to happen. We're just cooperating; we're just instruments. The more we advocate for this, the more we assume it can be done and do our part methodically, the more this will increase and bring pleasure to Srila Prabhupada.”
Krishna Bhava Das, from ISKCON Punjabi Bagh community in Delhi, is 68 years old, strongly built, having a sharp gaze of determination yet having an air of humility around him. He is the eldest in his family of 30 members, untouched by modern flare, who prefers to keep to his village roots and culture. He is strong businessman and has also been one of the most enthusiastic devotees when it comes to book distribution. Over the last ten years, he has distributed lakhs (hundred thousand) of Srila Prabhupada's books and contributed to various projects of ISKCON. He was introduced to devotees by one of his relatives approx 14 years ago and his life took a different turn at that point. He was initiated in 2010 and heard through devotees how much Srila Prabhupada and his spiritual master, H.H Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja, love book distribution. Taking inspiration and gathering courage he started going door to door with his study class for three years during the December book marathons and they would distribute a total of 250 Bhagavad-gitas as a group.
This last Live to Give campaign from the BBT ran from September 21st, 2021 through January 7th, 2022. Informally known as the December Marathon, communities across the globe come together to share and distribute the Bhagavad Gita in a collective effort. Each year, a global goal is created to enthuse, inspire and measure our successes in sharing this wisdom. This year, the goal was placed at 2.2 million Bhagavad Gitas.
Prajapati Dasa, a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has lived at the ISKCON Dallas, Texas, USA, temple for more than two decades.
Our "Paramahamster" comic strip follows an enthusiastic devotee as he navigates a 9 - 5 work day in the corporate world. Please check back weekly for new episodes!
One thousand Russian devotees gathered to celebrate Diwali in spectacular style in Moscow on Saturday October 29th. The afternoon was a cultural event to commemorate welcoming Lord Rama and his wife Sita Devi back to their capital Ayodhya. Hanuman, played by Jagat-Pati Das, was a particular crowd favorite. In an incredibly realistic costume, he jumped into the crowd, involving the audience. He also invited all the children onto the stage to participate in fun games with him.
Political pundits last weekend were calling the second presidential debate “the darkest and nastiest in modern history,” full of scandals, personal attacks and insults. And the ongoing drama may be what’s taking over the news lately. But not everyone, even in Washington, is being dragged down by it. On Saturday October 8th, thousands of people from different faiths and backgrounds gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a “Chant 4 Change,” trying to bring some light into the darkness.
While the news that Japan has announced it has scrapped plans to kill 50 humpback whales on its yearly whale hunt is welcomed by all, there is deafening silence in the mass media about the fate of millions of other animals who are not the subject of intense diplomatic lobbying, and who will, without any fanfare, be put to death to satisfy the palettes of Christmas revelers this year.
They plan to take a lot of photos and record the experience when they go on a faith-based trip to Italy and Bosnia in May. The Grand Rapids couple will visit the Vatican, as well as religious sites in Monte Ste. Angelo, Loreto and Lanciano. In Bosnia, the city of Medjugorje holds a place where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to children every day since 1981.