ISKCON Malaysia Headquarters, Sri Jagannatha Mandir in Kuala Lumpur, achieved a record during the 2023 Damodara month with 222,709 lamps offered and 19,821 plates of prasadam shared. Out of this, a team of devotees conducted the Damodara Program, also known as Deepa-Damodara Program, at 25 local primary schools (ages 5-12), facilitating the offering of 104,747 lamps and the distribution of 8,656 plates of prasadam.
Food for Life Hungary reached a historic milestone on 17 November when the head of the humanitarian program, Bhakta Vatsala Dasa, received the "For the City of Budapest" award from the capital's mayor, Gergely Karacsony. The honor, given on Budapest's 150th Birthday, also conferred honorary citizenship on Bhakta Vatsala. The 150th celebration commemorated the unification of the three historical parts of the city: Buda, Pest, and Óbuda.
In October, HH Niranjana Swami shared his "Third Report from Ukraine" with North American leaders. Along with Zonal Supervisor Acyuta Priya Das, they detailed a broad range of topics on the current state of the community and ongoing service in the country.
On Saturday, 7 October, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami visited the informal Bottlebrush settlement in Chatsworth, south of Durban. Residents were treated to a taste of the spiritual world through a vibrant and colourful harinam party and delicious prasadam distribution.
Astottara Sata Dasa, a native of Brunswick, Maine, USA, spent several years of his youth growing up at the ISKCON Gita Nagari Farm. Later, he graduated from Hampshire College and is currently a woodsman in the Maine woods. This week, he will be sharing online about his extraordinary service and experiences in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On June 12, devotees returned to survey the condition of the ISKCON Kherson Temple in Ukraine, which was damaged during the ongoing conflict there. The Kherson region has also been in the news this week because of the bursting of the Kakhovka dam early Tuesday morning. The breach unleashed floodwaters across a portion of the war zone and is effecting thousands of residents and animals.
Iskcon East London, a community of Krishna consciousness devotees, has been actively spreading the teachings of Lord Krishna in South Africa's Eastern Cape region since 2013. The project began when devotees traveling to Grahamstown for the annual National Arts Festival stopped in East London and arranged for a small, spontaneous Ratha Yatra procession in Braelyn. After the event, Nimai Das, Acyuta Keshava Das, and Vrajabasi Das mutually agreed to initiate programs in East London.
At the ISKCON Leadership Sanga this year, Haribol Foods was showcased at the plenary session focused on conscious giving back. HARIBOL Foods in perpetuity pledged profits to TOVP “His Divine Grace AC Srila Prabhupada dream project”.
We are deeply saddened to see the suffering faced by people who are victims of the escalating conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people are in need of our sincere prayers. While we are staying warm and comfortable in our homes with our families, in Ukraine it is getting harder and harder for people to get hot food, shelter, medications, and in some places, even drinking water. Can we help? Yes! What we can do as a community is to gather and chant together, pray for peace and raise funds to help in this time of dire need and desperation. Please join in this collective prayer and donate generously when you book your ticket.