Our dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Though there is no way that we can fully express our gratitude to you because it is so enormous that we cannot even see the amount of it ourselves, we, your disciples and granddisciples at ISKCON Auckland, bow down at your lotus feet to offer you our most humble obeisances! Kindly bless us as we attempt to glorify you to the best of our ability!
A very happy 130th appearance day, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. 130 years ago, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave a very valuable gift to humanity – you, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have changed the landscape of this material world by your wonderful preaching activities. You extended the mercy of Lord Caitanya all over the world. What you achieved in a few short years of your mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness around the world cannot be imagined. You gave us eternal life, community, family, real knowledge, shelter, culture, a true sense of belonging, leadership, integrity, plus your secret weapon to get all of us hooked, the world’s best cuisine, prasādam!
This movement has given immense happiness and bliss. It has given a genuine purpose to our lives. The knowledge we gained from you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is pure and meaningful. We at ISKCON Auckland are truly indebted for that.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, only because of your mercy and blessings, we got our Lord Jagannātha’s Exhibition, which consists of the backdrop, wheel, and column directly from Lord Jagannātha’s ratha in Jagannath Puri Dhāma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Rupanuga Institute of Spiritual Education (RISE) continues to be a thriving hub for spiritual learning, serving over six hundred devotees and guests. The Institute has conducted four batches of the Bhakti Śāstrī course, which has seen thirty-seven graduates so far, over a hundred attendees, and the certification of eleven teachers through the Mayapur Institute. The Bhakti Vaibhava course currently has sixteen students. RISE has also facilitated six batches of the ISKCON Disciple Course, with more than eighty devotees attending, conducted specialized chanting workshops, hosted three major outreach seminars that engaged over four hundred people, and offered Career Dharma coaching to fifteen devotees. Beyond these core programs, RISE serves as a vital support system for four local bhakti-vṛkṣa groups, assisting prospective teachers and bhakti-vṛkṣa leaders. Last year, the RISE facilitator was appointed by the ISKCON Ministry of Education to serve as the Regional Coordinator for reporting educational activities in New Zealand. This whole progress is only possible by your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, distributing your books at ISKCON Auckland is a deeply enlivening service, and we have experienced many inspiring moments over the past year. Our book table provides a valuable opportunity to develop relationships with those visiting the temple, particularly during the Sunday Feast program. Many guests have deeply moving experiences during the ārati, class, and kirtan – sometimes even to the point of these programs evoking tears. Afterward, they often approach the book table to share their experiences and seek guidance on the next steps in their spiritual journey.
We are also fortunate to work alongside the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, participating in the distribution of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets during Bhadra Pūrṇimā and Bhagavad-gītā As It Is during the Live to Give campaign. We humbly pray for your empowerment in carrying forward this important mission.
In addition to steady book distribution within the temple, through our śāstra-dhana and Motel Gita initiatives, we are striving to distribute your books to every town and village throughout New Zealand. This is an inspiring and dynamic service, and we can only imagine how far your words may travel through these transcendental literatures.
We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you in this way and are pleased to report that, by your mercy, during the past year we distributed:
- 48 full sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta
- 1,565 copies of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
- 1,669 other titles
This amounts to over 4,000 individual books distributed.
We humbly pray to continue serving in this mission and assisting in the distribution of your transcendental books for the benefit of all.
The Hare Krishna School presently has 206 students enrolled across years 1 through 12, with continued steady growth in our roll. We are grateful to be serving the community of Vaiṣṇava families, faithful Hindu households, and others who are developing an appreciation for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By your mercy, the school is now officially recognized and funded by the Ministry of Education as a full Years 1–13 school. This is a significant milestone, as it enables our students to complete their entire schooling journey, including their secondary qualifications, within a Kṛṣṇa conscious environment. We now have subject specialist teachers across years 7–12, strengthening the quality of teaching and learning in each area. We are the only school in New Zealand offering Kṛṣṇa consciousness as a dedicated Religious Studies subject at the high school level.
Our śāstra curriculum continues to develop steadily, supporting students’ understanding of kṛṣṇa-bhakti knowledge and practices. The daily program includes kirtan, ārati, japa, śloka recitation, and regular study of your books. In addition, our year 7–10 students study śāstra as a dedicated subject, with four classes each week on their formal timetable. Through this, we are endeavoring to systematically nurture Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the hearts of our students. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for engaging us in nurturing young hearts to a spiritual awakening.
We are pleased to announce the inauguration of a new center in South Auckland named the Vedic Education and Cultural Center. This center has been established with the sole purpose of sharing spiritual knowledge and uplifting the community.
Every Sunday evening, we host a Sunday Feast program to support the spiritual needs of people in that region. Alongside this, we run engaging children’s programs concurrently, creating a welcoming space for families. The response has been very encouraging, and we attribute this success to your blessings and continued mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We humbly seek your guidance in sustaining and growing this spiritual endeavor. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
We continue to conduct our weekly and fortnightly harināma programs. Every Friday evening, we gather in central Auckland, and every fortnight, we extend these gatherings to West and South Auckland, sharing the mercy of Lord Caitanya through devotional chanting.
In addition, prasādam distribution takes place fortnightly in both Auckland City and South Auckland. This initiative has become increasingly popular among locals and serves as a meaningful way to connect with the wider community.
We also remain committed to organizing our annual Ratha-yātrā festivals, hosting more than ten events during the festival season, including participation in Christmas parades. These occasions are always met with great enthusiasm, as audiences eagerly look forward to our vibrant chanting and dancing, while also inquisitively embracing the opportunity to take darshan of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we at ISKCON Auckland are unable to fully express our gratitude for all that you have given and done for us – it is truly impossible to repay you. Therefore we remain forever indebted and deeply grateful for your unfathomable compassion and mercy. The only way we can hope to please you is by embracing and continuing your mission as the very heart and soul of our lives. Kindly bless us with the strength and sincerity to become worthy instruments in spreading the glories of your divine mission.
Begging to always remain at the shelter of your lotus feet – our savior,
Your servants at ISKCON Auckland