Our dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this year marks the auspicious 129th anniversary of your holy appearance day,
and we, at ISKCON Auckland, your disciples and granddisciples, are bowing 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!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the embodiment of eloquence, style, and finesse. Your profound
concern for the condition of the fallen souls is what drove you to save us. Your every action and
instruction were an act of love and ultimately meant for our own benefit.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by the mercy and blessing of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī, ISKCON Auckland is
now fifty-five years old. The congregation members here in Auckland are more and more enthusi-
astic to be engaged in devotional services, serving your mission of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness
in many towns and cities in New Zealand.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Auckland continues its best effort to perfection in regular activi-
ties. These activities include, among others:
Hare Krishna School: By your mercy, the Hare Krishna School continues to grow as a center for
Kṛṣṇa conscious education. This year, we have taken significant steps to strengthen both the spiri-
tual and academic foundation of our students. We opened a new classroom block to support our
high school program, enabling students to earn their National Certificate of Educational Achieve-
ment while remaining in a devotional environment. Our teaching staff has expanded, allowing us
to deepen our delivery of both secular and śāstric education.
A particularly significant milestone has been the integration of our śāstra curriculum with the
NCEA Level 1 Religious Studies course, meaning that students are now using your transcendental
books as the foundation for earning state qualifications. Additionally, we have introduced San-
skrit education across years 1 through 8, ensuring that students can access our sacred texts in their
original language from an early age.
With your blessings, we are now preparing for further expansion. We have submitted a change
of class application to the Ministry of Education to extend our enrollment to years 11 through 13,
allowing our students to complete their secondary education in a Kṛṣṇa conscious environment.
To facilitate this growth, we are also planning for three new classrooms and a library. We pray for
your continued guidance and mercy as we strive to realize these goals in service to your mission,
ensuring that future generations develop both academic excellence and deep, unwavering devo-
tion to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī.
RISE (Rupanuga Institute of Spiritual Education): RISE was founded as an educational institute
under ISKCON Auckland in 2017. Over five hundred devotees have participated in our courses,
seminars, and workshops to date. Over one hundred devotees have enrolled for the Bhakti-śāstri
course in three batches; so far, twenty-five devotees have graduated successfully.
The RISE graduation ceremony takes place as an offering to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on your
appearance day each year.
RISE has conducted four IDC courses, three retreats, two workshops, and three seminars.
Many visiting Vaiṣṇavas, such as His Holiness Devamrita Swami, His Holiness Rāmāi Swami, His
Holiness Subhag Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Mukunda Swami, His Grace Praṇeśvara Dāsa, His
Grace Devakīnandana Dāsa, His Grace Amarendra Dāsa, and His Grace Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa
have also provided their valuable insights to the students.
The fourth batch of the Bhakti-śāstrī course (online and offline) commences in April 2025, just
after Rāma-navamī.
The Bhakti-vaibhava course also commences after Janmāṣṭamī this year. Thank you, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, for gifting us this eternal knowledge and enriching our spiritual lives. Diving deep
into these spiritual books gives us so much spiritual nourishment.
Book distribution: Knowing how dear book distribution is to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we at
ISKCON Auckland endeavor to make this important activity prominent.
We participated in the BBT’s Bhadra Pūrṇimā and Live to Give campaigns. We display books
at all our major programs and at the Sunday feast, and we have an honesty book table always
available in our reception area so that anyone visiting will have an opportunity to purchase your
books and thus gain your association.
Also, outside the temple we have seen our śāstra-dāna program strengthened. We have had
more people in correctional facilities contact us through the chaplains, who are asking for Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam sets, and the chaplains are also taking initiative to contact us, saying they’ve finished
their stocks of the Bhagavad-gītā and please send more because the prisoners are asking for them.
In our ongoing Motel Gita mission, we have seen moteliers who have never seen or heard
of the Bhagavad-gītā holding them to their hearts with tears in their eyes, saying this is precious
knowledge and placing Gītās in all their rooms.
We are pleased to report, by your mercy, that since your last Vyāsa-pūjā, we have distributed:
• 58 full sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta
• 1,796 Bhagavad-gītās
• 2,304 other titles
That’s over 5,000 individual books. Please empower us that we may continue and expand this
service to you.
Ratha-yātrās: Once again, last year, mid-November till mid-December, ISKCON Auckland trav-
eled to the various suburbs of Auckland and conducted Ratha-yātrās. Altogether we performed
eleven Ratha-yātrās within a month, as we took the opportunity of Christmas parades. Thousands
of curious people line up to see their Lordships Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā sitting on
the beautiful chariot. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for allowing your mercy on so many lost
souls who, just by taking the Lord’s darshan get so much spiritual benefit.
Harināmas: Our harināmas have expanded, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We have a new location in West
Auckland, and our congregation is out doing harināma fortnightly on Thursdays. In South Auck-
land, we do Saturday harināmas weekly, going to different suburbs. Each Friday we do harināma
in Auckland City – this has been happening for more than fifty years. Please continue to shower
your mercy so that we can be steady in this wonderful service to Lord Caitanya.
Prasāda distribution: We go to Auckland City every other Friday. We go to South Auckland
every other Saturday. Many people look forward to our coming and line up to relish the mercy of
the Lord, which you made accessible to all regardless of the religion or faith they follow.
We also hold a food festival once a year. Many thousands of people attend our food festival
and get to relish many varieties of restaurant-style prasāda.
Krishna Holi: Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Krishna Holi is our mega preaching event. We target those
audiences that would never come to the temple. It was a great pleasure for ISKCON Auckland
to serve the thousands of visitors to New Varṣāṇa, but the icing on the cake was to welcome the
Honorable Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Right Honorable Christopher Luxon, to the great
festival of colors. The Prime Minister, accompanied by the Minister of Police and a few local
members of parliament and other dignitaries, also relished the vibrant cultural affair. Temple
president Kālasamvara Dāsa warmly received the Prime Minister and dignitaries into the temple.
They had darshan of the Deities and, following an inspiring explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
and ISKCON’s origins, had the pleasure of garlanding Śrīla Prabhupāda.
The Prime Minister then made his way to the main outdoor stage, where the cheers of thou-
sands greeted him. To the delight of festivalgoers, Prime Minister Luxon released a cannon full
of vibrant Holi powder over the excited crowd – a moment that quickly went viral, amassing over
15.5 million views on Instagram. The dignitaries were then escorted to our small prasādam hall,
where devotees served them a sumptuous, delicious lunch.
Before leaving the event, each was gifted a set of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books! All glories to you,
Śrīla Prabhupāda. This was only possible by your mercy!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please shower your mercy on us so we can continue to host this grand event
and infuse Kṛṣṇa consciousness into those souls.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please always keep us under the protection of your wing. Please give us
strength so we can, on your behalf, as caretakers of ISKCON Auckland, take this huge responsi-
bility to serve and expand your mission. Your mercy acts in mysterious ways. Please give us the
enthusiasm not to waver when faced with challenging situations, but give us faith that you are
always with us, guiding us, overseeing us, and blessing us so we can realize that you are our com-
mander in charge, and we are your menial soldiers.
Begging to remain always and eternally in the shelter of your lotus feet,
Your servants at ISKCON Auckland