Hare Kṛṣṇa, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances unto your lotus feet.
ISKCON Calgary offers this small offering as a humble tribute to your inconceivable contribution toward humanity on this Vyāsa-pūjā. Śrīla Prabhupāda, a few words or a few pages cannot fully express the deep gratitude in the hearts of your devotees at ISKCON Calgary. Just as Vaikuṇṭha ever expands, so the devotion and gratitude of the devotees here continue to grow for you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are an ocean of mercy. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa happily accepted the banana peel offered with great love and devotion by Vidurāṇī, so we pray that you kindly accept this offering as a token of gratitude, devotion, and love on behalf of the ISKCON Calgary congregation.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you established so many temples across the world that serve as powerful gateways to propagating spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Inspired by your vision, ISKCON Calgary, to the best of its ability, is striving hard to spread this mission. To meaningfully carry forward your divine purpose, the temple places a strong emphasis on nurturing devotees from within and without. With this understanding, by providing internal nourishment, a devotee naturally becomes an instrument for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. In this way, dear Prabhupāda, internal cultivation and external outreach go hand in hand, forming a balanced and sustainable approach to fulfilling your mission in the Western world.
Focused on providing spiritual nourishment to the devotees, temple efforts involve organizing spiritual courses, devotional discussions, and outreach programs. These also include book distribution, which is the heart of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
With the involvement of youth and other volunteers in the temple services, the temple also takes care of these devotees by providing them spiritual nourishment. Rendering services in the right mood and consciousness is very important for quick elevation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore we have more than forty devotees who have taken courses like Discover Yourself and Positive Thinkers, taught by His Grace Rādheśhyāma Prabhu form ISKCON Pune. These courses have not only helped devotees to grow in their spiritual wisdom but have helped them over time to preach this transcendental knowledge to new devotees during outdoor activities.
ISKCON Calgary now has more than twenty dedicated youth who attend the full morning program, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class. For many devotees, the Saturday maṅgala-ārati programs have become a powerful source of spiritual support. Regularly joining these early morning gatherings has helped people strengthen their bhakti and build more consistency, sincerity, and enthusiasm in their devotional lives.
As a result, many have made real progress in their spiritual journey by regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and slowly bringing their lives in line with the four regulative principles. These programs encourage discipline and devotion while building a sense of community, accountability, and shared spiritual growth among everyone who takes part.
ISKCON Calgary has always prioritized high standards of cleanliness. Temple management recognizes that the regular cleaning of the temple on weekdays, festivals, and Sunday feast programs requires a large number of dedicated devotees. In your letter dated 2 January 1972, you explained the most practical way to engage our skills in Kṛṣṇa’s service: “In the material dealings, there is always something undesirable, but even so, you cannot give up your occupation. Just like fire is very pure, there is still some smoke. You cannot avoid it. All these things can be rectified when the result is offered to Kṛṣṇa.” Taking this instruction as a guiding principle, devotees at ISKCON Calgary, including our more than forty young people, are wholeheartedly engaged in cleaning services, trusting that it will please you and our Lordships. This service is performed not merely as a duty, dear Prabhupāda, but as an offering imbued with devotion.
To further cultivate and help them grow, a dedicated initiative known as Pāṇḍava Sena of Calgary has been established under the guidance of His Grace Kanāi Ṭhākura Prabhu. This is a dedicated team focused on youth outreach. Pāṇḍava Sena of Calgary organized various courses for the youth, including retreats, kirtans, and other youth-oriented activities to provide them holistic and nurturing care. This team’s efforts aim to create a supportive and inspiring environment where young devotees can connect deeply with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Currently, Pāṇḍava Sena is actively involved in university outreach, conducting regular monthly programs at the University of Calgary to introduce students to Vedic philosophy and devotional practices. These sessions include interactive discussion, kirtans, and the practical application of spiritual principles, creating a welcoming platform for students to explore Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a structured and relatable manner. Thanks to the dedication of our faithful devotees, it has been possible for us to participate in many of the events at the university level, where not only were the students connected, but also books like Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Beyond Birth and Death, and many others have been distributed. Not only that, but Pāṇḍava Sena also has plans to conduct its very first retreat in May 2026. This retreat is aimed at anchoring the existing devotees and new devotees of the temple.
CVA in Calgary is also expanding rapidly. With an initial enrollment of forty-five students, CVA now has more than 150 students, who participate in understanding the fundamentals of the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, along with śloka recitation. CVA is diligently working to train the next generation of warriors for your mission, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Calgary bows at your lotus feet again and again and offers its obeisances to you on the auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā. You crossed oceans, endured two heart attacks, and had nothing in your hands simply to deliver generations and generations of this world. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you did not have material riches, but you were full of the mercy of the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda, how will we – rather, how will this whole world – be able to repay our debt to for your immense mercy?
With you in our hearts, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees are constantly elevating themselves on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is no moment when the devotees of Calgary forget you. Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Calgary may not have achieved the best of everything it’s capable of, but we promise that, being warriors in your army, we will keep growing every day, every moment, and make sure that Lord Caitanya’s message and glories are heard in every street of the city.
With this, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we beg forgiveness if in any way we are lacking in our service to your mission. Please accept each of us and keep us under your shelter. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to you.
Your servants at ISKCON Calgary