Homages ISKCON Centers, Latin America, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
We offer our respectful obeisances to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken refuge at His lotus feet.
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
We offer our respectful obeisances to you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī! You are kindly preaching the message of Śrī Caitanyadeva and liberating the Western countries, which are full of impersonalism and nihilism.
With great enthusiasm and gratitude, I wish to offer you, dear master Śrīla Prabhupāda, a few words on the auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, and I wish to express what your auspicious appearance in this material world and in this weighty age of Kali-yuga means to me – an age where humankind is most unfortunate, filled with negative qualities that cause constant disturbance, anxiety, and a profound ignorance. The śāstras describe this condition as the darkness in which the soul finds itself under the complete control of the modes of material nature, becoming increasingly entangled like a spider’s web by its fruitive activities, thus remaining in the repeated cycle of birth and death.
I found myself in such a sad and lamentable condition without realizing it. At certain times in my life, questions arose in my mind: Is there anything better in life than simply existing, eating, sleeping, reproducing, defending oneself, then dying? Having no satisfactory answers, I came to believe that this was simply “life.”
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. To him I offer my humble and respectful obeisances.
When the first books, Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, arrived at my house, brought by my brother, thanks to the saṅkīrtana of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, the answers to my questions began to appear. And thanks to the books you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, wrote with such effort and compassion for suffering souls, four of us brothers have transformed our lives; thanks to the books and the devotees you, like a touchstone, turned to gold, preaching the message of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your appearance in this material world is the mercy of Lord Caitanya to redeem the fallen souls of this Kali-yuga. Śrīla Prabhupāda, in my attempt to offer you my gratitude, please grant me your blessings so that I may always be engaged in the preaching service of the yātrā of the savior, Lord Caitanya.
From Śrī Guru-vandanā:
Our spiritual master is an ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor, the lord and master of devotees. O master, be merciful to us and grant us the shade of your lotus feet! Your fame spreads throughout all three worlds!
Always striving to be ready to serve you,
Nidrā Śilā Devī Dāsī
And the devotees of ISKCON El Salvador
Homages ISKCON Centers, Latin America, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious day of your divine appearance.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we offer our gratitude at your lotus feet for blessing the world with the nectar of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Here in Guyana, we feel deeply sheltered by our connection with your ISKCON, the boat you gave to carry the fallen souls across the dangerous ocean of material existence. You did not leave us with sentiment only; you gave us books, lectures, conversations, standards, and a complete way of life. These gifts are like beacons of light, showing us how to remain safely in that boat and to row together toward the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.
You taught us that real purification comes by taking shelter of the holy name. We are grateful to be counted among your spiritual family members, but we also know that belonging to your movement carries responsibility. It is not enough that we admire your work from a distance. We must try to embody your instructions, make tangible progress toward kṛṣṇa-prema, and share that experience with others in a way that is sincere, interesting, and free from pride. As your servants at ISKCON of Guyana Hare Krishna Study Centre, we pray for the spiritual strength to keep practicing bhakti as you taught us and to remain faithful to your mission.
This year, by your mercy, we are preparing to celebrate many meaningful milestones. Internationally, we are honoring the sixtieth anniversary of ISKCON. Nationally, Guyana is celebrating sixty years of independence. Locally, we are remembering fifty years since your movement came to Guyana, twenty years of preaching in Georgetown, ten years since the inauguration of ISKCON of Guyana Hare Krishna Study Centre, and twenty years of our annual Ratha-yātrā in Georgetown, the East Coast, and the East Bank of Demerara.
These anniversaries make us feel both joyful and sober – joyful, because they remind us of how much mercy you have already given to our small country; sober, because they remind us that the real success of these celebrations will not be measured only in crowds, decorations, dignitaries, or programs, but by whether more people come in contact with the holy name, prasādam, your books, and the association of devotees. Our festival will spread across five days, with programs at different venues and devotees expected from the Caribbean, Latin America, South America, and beyond. We are also inviting local leaders and dignitaries, praying that their participation may encourage the people of Guyana to look more favorably upon your movement and come forward to receive your mercy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our center aspires to become the “very nice center” that you would be pleased to see. Our congregation is growing, and many gṛhastha couples are now raising wonderful, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. We pray for your merciful glance upon these children so that they may grow into steady, thoughtful, and courageous servants of your mission. We have also added a few more members to our local temple board. Kindly bless us with purity, maturity, cooperation, and good sense so that our management may never become merely administrative but may always remain an offering of service to you, guided by your instructions and standards.
We hope you will be pleased to hear that regular harināma-saṅkīrtana is taking place in markets and villages, along with book distribution and prasādam distribution. Many people are still happy and excited to see the devotees, and we pray that by your mercy and the mercy of Śrī Śrī Parama Karuṇā Nitāi-Gauracandra, their appreciation may deepen into serious attraction for devotional service. We have also begun an online and live japa session for one hour before maṅgala-ārati. Although attendance can improve, it has brought more life to the temple atmosphere. Our morning programs have remained consistent, with a few devotees attending regularly, and at the time of this offering, we are working to improve the temple surroundings so that devotees and guests may come more comfortably to hear and chant.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is so much more we could say, yet whatever we say is small before the mercy you have given. You built a house in which the whole world can live, and somehow, by your causeless mercy, even we in Guyana have been given a place within that house. We know there are many areas in which we are lacking. Still, on this sacred day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we pray for the honesty to see our shortcomings, the humility to correct them, and the determination to serve your mission with renewed seriousness.
Please bless us that we may take full shelter of the holy name, follow your instructions sincerely, make our lives perfect, and share your mercy with every citizen of Guyana.
Praying for your blessings and loving glance, your servant,
Hari-Kīrtan-Rasa Dāsa
On behalf of the management and congregation of
ISKCON Guyana Hare Krishna Study Centre
Homages ISKCON Centers, Latin America, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious occasion of your Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā.
On this most auspicious day, we in ISKCON Guyana humbly pray for your continued guidance that we may become worthy instruments in your hands, assisting in spreading your profound teachings and divine mission. This year marks the 130th anniversary of your sacred appearance. With each passing year, we perceive ever more deeply the limitless expanse of your glories and your transcendental qualities. Your Vyāsa-pūjā affords us a divine opportunity to contemplate your extraordinary personality and to renew our commitment to your ISKCON.
This year also commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of your incorporation of ISKCON in the United States. In a mere six decades, through the tireless endeavors of your sincere followers, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has expanded extraordinarily, touching millions of lives and establishing a truly global spiritual revolution.
Today we meditate upon your unwavering loyalty to your revered spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, and your resolute determination to fulfill his sacred instruction – to spread the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa among the English-speaking world and uplift the fallen souls of Kali-yuga. Reflecting upon your early days in America, we are deeply moved by your unshakeable faith in your Guru Mahārāja and your pure devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
Despite immense hardships – uncertainty even in meeting your basic needs, and the challenge of guiding those unfamiliar with spiritual discipline – you remained steadfast, fully confident that the empowerment to fulfill your mission resided within your guru’s instructions. Your commitment to pure standards coupled with boundless compassion have reached and transformed countless lives, bringing spiritual awakening to all corners of the world. In just twelve short years, you accomplished what no one in history had achieved. Today, we bow before you in profound gratitude and reverence, making our humble attempt to glorify your immeasurable mercy and sacrifice, by which you have uplifted humanity.
On behalf of the four established temples in Guyana and our wider congregation, we offer our homage unto you, our esteemed founder-ācārya. This year holds special significance for the Guyana yātrā. It marks the fiftieth anniversary of ISKCON’s registration in Guyana as well as the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of our premier temple, the Hare Krishna Study Center, near the University of Guyana in Georgetown. Above all, we join the worldwide celebrations of the sixtieth anniversary of ISKCON’s founding in 1966 in New York City. In recognition of these milestones, the Guyana yātrā is organizing a five-day commemoration, “ISKCON Guyana 60/50/20 celebrations,” to honor this historic convergence.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, as early as the 1970s you expressed a desire to visit Guyana and to establish an ISKCON center here. In your letter dated 4 April 1971, written to your dear disciples Vaikuṇṭhanātha Dāsa and Śaradīya Devī Dāsī, who you sent to Guyana, you encouraged them to open a center here, recognizing Guyana as a fertile field for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You envisioned a strong and beautiful center in this part of the world, and even expressed your intention to visit when circumstances permitted.
You will be pleased to know that the message of Lord Caitanya continues to flourish in Guyana. Inspired by your desire to establish temples and install Deities here, your followers have, over the years, developed four centers across the country:
- New Kulīna-grāma in Berbice
- the Hare Krishna Study Center in Georgetown
- Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi Āśīrvād Mandir on West Demerara, and
- New Navadvīpa Dhāma in Essequibo.
Three sets of Deities have been installed: Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokula Chandra in Berbice (1986), Parama Karuṇā Nitāi-Gaura Chandra in Georgetown (2016), and Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Caitanya Chandra at the Crane temple in West Demerara (1985). This year also witnessed the inauguration of the first Govinda’s restaurant at our Georgetown center.
We humbly beg for your blessings that we may continue to uphold the highest standards in Deity worship. By your mercy, the observance of Vaiṣṇava festivals, book distribution, nāma-haṭṭa preaching, Food for Life programs, and Sunday Love feasts are all progressing steadily. We feel your constant presence and divine direction, and you remain our enduring beacon on the path of spiritual life. We pray for your mercy so that our devotees may always remain enthusiastic and loyal in their service.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are our shelter and our strength. Kindly bless us so that we may remain humble mediums in your service. We pray that you forgive our shortcomings and grant us the strength to faithfully carry forward the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as you have so perfectly taught it. You are the guiding force behind all that we do and the eternal well-wisher of every soul. You have bestowed upon us everything – knowledge, purpose, and a loving spiritual family – and we remain forever indebted to you for your causeless mercy. We earnestly pray that you empower us with devotion, courage, and humility, so that we may continue to serve your divine mission with sincerity and determination. May your words forever illuminate our lives.
Today we renew our vow to spread the mission of Lord Caitanya, to serve the devotees, and to immerse ourselves in the nectar of the holy names of Kṛṣṇa. Please continue to guide us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so that we may one day become true conduits of your boundless compassion and love. Kindly empower us to work together in harmony, with unwavering faith, determination, and love, in service to your divine mission. May we remain united in devotion, supporting one another in fulfilling your desires and sharing the sublime gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness far and wide.
From the depths of our hearts, we offer our gratitude, our adoration, and our very selves at your lotus feet, praying always to remain engaged in your service. This alone is our life and soul, and our sole aspiration in this life. Please keep us always near your lotus feet and engaged in spreading the light of Kṛṣṇa consciousness through many diverse means.
We thank you for all the sublime gifts you have given us.
Your servants of the Guyana yātrā
(written by Paramatma Dāsa)
Homages ISKCON Centers, Latin America, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our boundless daṇḍavats at your lotus feet. All glories to you.
sakhyena saṁsthira-dhiyādhama-sāthako ’pi
seveya te parama-vismaya-bhakta-saṁgham
cikroḍa-vṛndam iva rāghava-divya-setuṁ
vande suvismaya-karaṁ prabhupāda-devam
O Śrīla Prabhupāda! Although I am a fallen sādhaka, a humble practitioner of bhakti according to the teachings of Your Divine Grace, I beg for the privilege of serving the wonderful society of devotees you have created. I pray that this service may be rendered in a spirit of friendly cooperation with other devotees and with firm intelligence. However, my small attempt to serve your mission is similar to the service that squirrels rendered to Lord Rāma in the construction of the enormous bridge over the ocean. Śrīla Prabhupāda, with profound gratitude, I offer my humble obeisances to you who performed the most wondrous deeds. (Śrīla Prabhupāda Vismayopahāra Daśakam 11)
On this glorious day, we celebrate your divine appearance in this world. We pray that your divine grace will be poured out upon the hearts and minds of all your followers.
Kali-yuga and māyā are so powerful that even almost fifty years after your physical departure, great obstacles and challenges have arisen that threaten the stability of your sacred ISKCON mission. The scriptures, the ācāryas, and even Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, as in His form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, have established that the founder-ācārya is the ultimate authority in his movement and must be followed exactly as he taught, without changes, dilution, or deviation from his commands. ISKCON’s dharma was established by you, as the empowered founder-ācārya of the ISKCON Vaiṣṇava saṅga, and no one has the right to change anything or circumvent your authority through social experiments. You established all the standards for leadership, whether at the level of GBC, sannyāsī, guru, temple president, pujārī, etc., and we must all simply follow them – no compromises, dilutions, or experiments. No one should believe they can be stricter than you or more liberal than how you taught us. Please, in your mercy, heal the evil influences of Kali-yuga and māyā in your sacred ISKCON saṅga. Please allow us to be your servants eternally, obeying you without deviation, simply following you “as it is.” May peace and harmony reign among your followers. So be it, by your divine grace.
Your servants at the Rādhā-Govinda Mandir, Saltillo
Homages ISKCON Centers, Latin America, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my most humble and respectful obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you! All glories to your beloved Guru Mahārāja, the lion among the Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs!
This year, 2026, following my recent trip to India, I come before you with a realization that has shaken my material complacency. Passing through Dubai, I encountered a city that defies imagination: impeccable architecture, boundless luxury, and an order that seemed almost paradisiacal. For a moment, my conditioned mind whispered, “What a wonderful place to live. What a comfortable refuge to spend my days in.”
But you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, do not allow your followers to sleep for long in the lap of Māyā. Barely two days after leaving that place, the reality of this world struck with the news of bombs falling upon that very opulence. That paradise was made of glass. I then recalled the verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.58) that you so often quoted: padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām … – this material world is a place where danger lurks at every turn. No matter how much technology or beauty we accumulate, this world remains a place of suffering, and only your lotus feet are the safe boat to cross this ocean of ignorance.
Argentina: From the Pain of Envy to the Hope of Faith
You knew the character of this distant country well. We remember with sorrow that dark time when the movement in Argentina was shut down by the military dictatorship. It is said that upon receiving the news of the closure and the persecution, you remarked that Argentina was the most envious country in the world, for envy is the root of religious intolerance and the rejection of God. However, despite this harsh diagnosis of our nature, you never abandoned us.
In your letters to Brahmānanda and Hanumān, you wrote with transcendental vision: “The BTG Argentina and the photos showing Argentine ladies and gentlemen singing and dancing in ecstasy give me great hope.”
Even in a land marked by envy and conflict, you saw the potential of souls to transform. Here we stand, Śrīla Prabhupāda! Your faith in us was stronger than our own degradation. You taught us that the only way to cure envy in the heart is by chanting the holy names and performing humble service.
The Pastime at Jagannath Puri: Your Living Voice in Your Books
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you always say that you are alive in your instructions (vāṇī). I vividly recall proof of this in 1998. We were on pilgrimage to Jagannath Puri, the holy place where Lord Caitanya lived His final pastimes. While visiting the Gambhira, we were captivated by the atmosphere and heard a group of people chanting a mantra with a very sweet melody:
sri-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma śrī rādhe govinda
In our innocence and lack of technical guidance at the time, we began chanting it along with them, thinking we were deepening our devotion. However, upon returning to our hotel, we resumed our systematic reading of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, just as you had instructed us to do. Amazingly, we opened the book to the exact passage where you spoke directly to us:
There are many unscrupulous devotees who, taking advantage of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, compose their own mahā-mantra. Sometimes they chant “bhaja nitāi gaura rādhe śyāma hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma,” or “śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma śrī rādhe govinda.” In reality, however, one must chant the names of the entire Pañca-tattva … and then the sixteen words of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra…. Of course, they are Vaiṣṇavas and must be respected, but these unscrupulous and unintelligent men muddle the whole process.
It was as if you were right there, giving us a merciful “scolding.” You taught us that devotional feeling without following the prescribed method is dangerous. That instruction protected us from straying from the path and confirmed that your books are your personal presence guiding us.
Your Stature Grows: Saint Among Saints
You are no ordinary saint; you are the empowered śaktyāveśāvatāra. As the Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛta of Narahari Sarakāra says, although all Vaiṣṇavas are transcendental, there are “waves of varying sizes” in the Ganges of devotion. You are the largest wave that has ever struck the shores of the West. You transformed degraded people into perfect ladies and gentlemen, and you continue to do so even today.
I long for the day when we can enter that beautiful house that Kṛṣṇa has prepared for you in the spiritual world. We know that you are waiting for us eagerly, with open arms, because your love is unconditional, and, as you wrote to Brahmānanda in 1969, you have no intention of returning to Goloka without us.
We bow before you once, a thousand times, a million times, because you are worthy.
Your grandson and servant,
Baladeva das
Homages ISKCON Centers, Latin America, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
My most humble and prostrated obeisances unto Your Divine Grace, 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
On this most sacred occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā in 2026, we attempt to glorify your divine presence through service, philosophy, and measurable sacrifice, knowing well that no amount of words or numbers can truly capture your unlimited mercy.
Yet, as you instructed, devotional service must be practical, organized, and result-oriented. Therefore, we present before you a glimpse of how your mission is manifesting in Suriname.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your movement in Suriname continues to expand steadily. Today, active preaching is taking place in four districts – Paramaribo, Nickerie, Wanica, and Commewijne – with established centers in Paramaribo and Nickerie, and outreach growing in the other regions.
In Paramaribo alone, your mandira serves approximately 150 active devotees, including 43 initiated members. We reach around 700 people regularly through our preaching programs. In Nickerie, a dedicated community of approximately 26 devotees (8 initiated) reaches out to around 220 people. Even in developing areas like Wanica, weekly programs are attracting 15–30 participants, showing the gradual awakening of devotion.
Your daily temple program continues without fail, with multiple āratis daily (maṅgala-ārati, Deity greeting, rāja-bhoga, and gaura-ārati) and a weekly Sunday feast, attracting around 60 people in Paramaribo, 20 in Nickerie, and 15–20 in Wanica. This is the living manifestation of nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.
Your festivals, Śrīla Prabhupāda, have become powerful instruments of transformation. Major events such as Gaura-Pūrṇimā and Janmāṣṭamī attracted up to 500 people, while Ratha-yātrā reached approximately 700 participants. These are not mere gatherings; they are saṅkīrtana-yajñas, fulfilling Lord Caitanya’s prophecy.
In the area of book distribution, the very heart of your mission, the results are especially inspiring. In 2025, your followers in Suriname distributed 1,687 transcendental books in total, including 1,348 books in Dutch and 339 in English. This generated over SRD 313,580.65 in distribution value, representing an astonishing 197 percent growth over the previous year.
Truly, this is the sound of the bṛhad-mṛdaṅga resounding across the country. Not only did your devotees spread books, but a number of harināmas were conducted, as instructed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Your instruction that no one should go hungry has also been honored through our Food for Life program. In 2025, 3,120 prasādam meals were distributed, supported by over SRD 168,000 in donations. This is spiritual compassion in action. Furthermore, six cookouts were held to help the temple finances in the spirit of self-sufficiency, to which the Surinamese people respond very generously. Many people flock to get a taste of kṛṣṇa-prasādam, and this is all because of Your Divine Grace.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your emphasis on education is also being realized. Weekly classes in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam reach 10–15 participants per session, while bhakti-vṛkṣa programs engage smaller groups deeply. Formal training programs, such as Bhakti Śāstrī and disciple courses ensure that your movement remains philosophically grounded.
At the infrastructure level, your mission is taking physical shape. ISKCON Suriname now holds 24 acres of land in Commewijne for future development, alongside established preaching locations in Paramaribo, Nickerie, and Wanica. In Wanica, 1.23 acres of land was secured and is finally in ISKCON’s name. This area is strategic and will serve for the expansion of your mission further onto the southern part of Suriname.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we reflect on these numbers, we understand a deeper philosophical truth: these are not statistics but souls being connected to Kṛṣṇa. Each book distributed is a life changed. Each meal served is karma purified. Each kirtan performed is ignorance destroyed.
Still, despite these efforts, we recognize how small our service is compared to your desire to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every town and village.
As stated in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. You have given us both the mission and the method. What remains to develop is our sincerity.
Therefore, on this Vyāsa-pūjā day we humbly pray that we may increase our service. May we expand our preaching. May we purify our intentions. May we become true instruments in your hands.
Please bless us that in the coming years, these numbers will not only grow but deepen in quality, devotion, and purity. Śrīla Prabhupāda, everything we have is your mercy. Everything we do is in your service. Everything we aspire for is for your satisfaction. Please accept this insignificant offering.
Your eternal servant,
Shantipriya Dāsa
On behalf of the devotees at ISKCON Suriname yātrā
