How ISKCON Spanish Fork Has Responded to COVID-19
The Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork is world-famous for its huge festivals drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the Utah attraction, but COVID-19 changed everything.
Nitai Chaitanya Goswami is one of ISKCON Russia’s first sannyasis and seniormost devotees.
Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu and his wife Gourachandrika Devi are already feeling better and recovering.
More recently New Vrindaban devotees welcomed guests on Labor Day Weekend, from September 5th to 7th. As always, masks, sanitization, and social distancing were in place over the weekend.
COVID-19 claims the life of the world renowned spiritual leader but his legacy lives on.
In the past two weeks, he has been recovering very nicely, now he is back serving on the altar and started to take small speaking engagements.
From September 17th to 23rd, the ISKCON Kirtan Ministry is holding daily virtual events on its official Facebook page, as well as on ISKCON Desire Tree’s Hare Krishna TV Youtube channel, which reaches 1.2 million subscribers.
Melbourne Food for Life distributes meals with contactless delivery to elders, children, students, the unemployed, as well as people who are isolated or in quarantine, and anyone in need.
So far tens of thousands worldwide have completed the course, which has inspired a family togetherness amongst devotees, as well as a strong dedication to Srila Prabhupada, their gurus, and Lord Chaitanya’s mission.
A few days ago, after a period of repeated fevers, it had been confirmed that Gopal Krishna Goswami tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to a hospital in New Delhi — making the worldwide ISKCON community very worried.
The Birth of Lord Krishna was performed for 30 resident devotees who also took part, rather than the traditional cast members. It was of course broadcast live online.
Update: Gopal Krishna Goswami's temperature is now normal, as is his blood pressure and pluse rate, while oxygen saturation is at 97%. "This is very encouraging," says Dr. Krishna Priya Das. "However, we need to continue to closely track Maharaja's progress."
The Safe Re-opening Guidelines contain safe practices for ISKCON leaders and devotees to use while visiting or doing devotional service at the temple, as well as while doing day-to-day activities such as going to work or the grocery store.
Husband and wife team Prema Rupa Madhava Das and Prema Rupini Madhavi Dasi, who previously organized Bhakti Vriksha programs and “Harinama Party Buses” in their hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina, launched the retreat when the pandemic halted those activities.
An innovative new project promises to bring Mayapur to you – straight into your living room – via an immersive 360 degree Virtual Reality film on Radhastami, August 26th.
In his daily talks in April 2020, Niranjana Swami gives invaluable instructions on keeping Krishna’s holy names prominent in our daily lives and the proper consciousness to develop—not only during the coronavirus lockdown, but also during our continued lockdown in this material world.
ISKCON Ujjain devotees express their gratitude to the worldwide Vaishnava community for the support they have been receiving to help cope with the passing of their beloved spiritual master Bhakti Charu Swami.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for parents and kids, as they try to find engagement while staying at home. Here are eleven tried-and-true Krishna conscious activities, as shared by devotee parents themselves!
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most popular virtual events, drawing at least 1.2 million viewers, engaging multiple generations of devotees and inspiring many others to hold their own major online kirtan events to this day, was the Global Pandemic Kirtan.
The GBC's Strategic Planning Team have compiled a celebrate-at-home Janmastami portfolio, which consists of resources to make devotees' Janmastami experience delightful and filled with personal loving service to the Lord.
Only a maximum of five to ten guests attend each retreat. Guests stay in their own separate rooms with attached bathrooms in the Palace Lodge, which receive deep cleaning and disinfection after every stay.
From July 1st to 12th, ISKCON Toronto, Canada held a 12-day series of online events. More recently, on Saturday July 18th, ISKCON of Berlin, London, Radhadesh (Belgium) and Zurich jointly hosted a unique first-time European virtual collaboration festival, “Spirit of Ratha Yatra.”
The podcast boom has accelerated in the first half of 2020, perhaps partly due to the appetite for more streaming content while people stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. ISKCON devotees have also embraced the medium.
While the coronavirus is spreading throughout the world, so is kindness. Even though they are physically restricted in their movement, people find ways to reach out, express appreciation to and care for one another.
“Every year, there’s some new challenge that comes up while organizing Toronto Rathayatra, and we joke that Lord Jagannath always throws us a curveball,” says Rukmini Dasi, co-chair of the Rathayatra Committee. Little did they know, however, that 2020 would bring the ultimate curveball – a global pandemic that required people to social distance from each other and saw all gatherings and public festivities banned.
