Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
I am very grateful to you for everything. Getting the human form of life is a great fortune, and
getting an opportunity to practice spirituality is a bigger fortune. But practicing spirituality under
your guidance by reading your books, hearing your lectures, and following your disciples is the
greatest fortune.
You came to this material world only on Kṛṣṇa’s request, as you yourself said. Delivering
modern conditioned souls is very difficult. But when we see your techniques – how you preached
to people – we get a lot of inspiration and encouragement.
Presently, we are serving at ISKCON Brahmapur under the guidance of His Grace Pañcaratna
Prabhu (the disciple of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Mahārāja). This year we will try to
finish our work on the bookstall, the panel room, security room, office room, and small snacks
room. We will also try to do more book distribution and try to finish whatever pending construc-
tion work there is.
Please forgive us our offenses. Please be merciful to us by showering your blessings. We prom-
ise to try to work harder to fulfill your mission.
Your servant,
Manikishore Dāsa
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear 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
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you.
We, aspiring to get shelter at your lotus feet, have no qualification to glorify your life, qualities, and pastimes, yet we believe that glorifying an exalted Vaiṣṇava ācārya like you is a way to purify our heart and soul. We pray to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī, the presiding Deities of ISKCON Brampton, for humility, so we can present our humble offering to you with the right words in the right spirit. Any limitation in our endeavor to glorify you is probably a reflection of limitations and imperfections in our devotional service and limitations in following your instructions as you have given them.
As our ever well-wisher, you endowed us with the greatest gift: the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON. Your life and deeds continue to inspire thousands of people to join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement every day from all sections of life.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was introduced by none other than Kṛṣṇa Himself in the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu made a predication that in every town and village, the chanting of His name will be heard (pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma). You accepted Mahāprabhu’s instruction as your personal responsibility. Being empowered by Mahāprabhu as his warrior devotee (senāpati-bhakta), at a very advanced age you left your accomplished spiritual life in Vrindavan for America, to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In your journey as a parivrājakācārya, you endured health issues, physical discomfort, psychological torment and uncountable risks; yet you were fearless and relentless in the face of every adversity and calamity. While you were under no compulsion, you undertook this great spiritual endeavor to make Mahāprabhu’s prediction a reality, and to immerse the whole world in the ocean of the saṅkīrtana movement. Above all, you did so out of your compassion for ordinary conditioned souls like us. You united the whole world through the glorious path of devotional service. We owe you an unrepayable debt of gratitude.
The ISKCON community continues to thrive despite many societal challenges, because the purpose is genuine, and the process is sublime. It is no overstatement to say that human society at large is deriving much-needed spiritual nourishment from the ISKCON movement. It is also not an exaggeration to mention that ISKCON is serving as the modern transformational institution for many ordinary souls, who get solace by following your simple instructions on the devotional path and by taking shelter of your books. You were the touchstone magician who reshaped many ordinary human hearts into pure golden ones.
After your departure from this material world, your mission continues to be the change agent in society. We continue to experience significant spread of the movement both through various traditional methods, such as house congregation programs, outreach preaching, temple programs and creative means of virtual outreach that leverage technology to reach thousands of ordinary souls all over the world who are waiting to follow your instructions.
The ISKCON movement assumes even greater significance in this decade, mired in geopolitical conflicts and forever wars. With global mental health continuing its downward spiral in the aftermath of the pandemic, many are finding a much-needed solace by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.
The devotees at ISKCON Brampton feel a deep sense of gratitude and indebtedness for the spiritual treasures you bestowed upon our community. With more than 650 devoted members, the ISKCON Brampton community continues to flourish year by year, driven by the profound sense of purpose you gave us. The following are some lines of sight presented for your pleasure.
Congregation programs: With numerous congregation programs across the Greater Toronto area, ISKCON Brampton is attracting more new devotees by propagating your teachings. Many of these newcomers have made immense progress on the devotional path and are making significant contributions in various initiatives through sincere service.
Book distribution: Book Distribution has been one of the most telling successes of ISKCON Brampton in recent years. In 2025, ISKCON Brampton was able to distribute a total of 13,000 books, which includes 71 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets, 2,567 copies of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and more than 10,000 copies of other big and small books. This accomplishment was only made possible by your mercy and determination, coupled with the enthusiasm of a few sincere devotees.
Temple programs and festivals: The weekly Sunday Feast at ISKCON Brampton consistently draws an average of 200 devotees and serves as a pillar of our community. In 2025, the temple successfully organized ten major festivals. Notably, Ratha-yātrā and Janmāṣṭamī attracted massive crowds, blending devotional fervor with cultural fanfare and resulting in the distribution of 5,000 and 2,000 plates of prasādam, respectively.
Sunday school: A hallmark of ISKCON Brampton, our Sunday school is making steady progress, with 75 students currently enrolled. By imparting essential spiritual education, the program continues to build a strong devotional foundation for our young children.
Adult education: The year 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the Adult Education department at ISKCON Brampton. By expanding our curriculum, this department attracted approximately 70 students across established programs like Vaiṣṇava Etiquette, Bhakti Śāstrī, Bhagavad-gītā Fundamentals, and the ISKCON Disciples Course. ISKCON Brampton is proud to announce that four students have successfully completed the rigorous Bhakti Śāstrī course. Furthermore, new offerings like Tulasī Care and Parenting have drawn many curious participants who seek practical spiritual training. 2026 is already following the same encouraging trend we experienced in 2025.
Teen education: ISKCON Brampton’s Teen Education program emphasizes experiential learning, blending spiritual knowledge with practical application through innovative projects. In 2025, 20 students participated in the Bhakti Śāstrī Teens program, engaging in highly interactive, hands-on learning. As part of the curriculum, they completed two student-led projects, taking full responsibility for planning and execution. The NOD Project involved organizing an interactive workshop with rotating sessions on Vaiṣṇava etiquette, Deity worship and cleanliness, book distribution, and the benefits of prasādam. In the Śrī Īśopaniṣad Project, students applied philosophical teachings to real service roles, demonstrating principles such as selfless service, duty without attachment, and respect for all.
Youth program: ISKCON Brampton’s youth group is a closely connected and emerging community of young leaders poised to serve as future torchbearers. Throughout 2025, the Youth Group worked diligently behind the scenes to lead and support several outreach initiatives, including organizing a family day kirtan that fostered a spiritually enriching, community-centered environment, and actively contributed to the success of our 13th Annual Festival of Chariots, serving in multiple areas. In parallel, the group maintained consistent engagement in temple activities and service opportunities, strengthening a culture of responsibility, collaboration, and deeper devotional connection among its members.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the purport to verse 1.2.6 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you define dharma as the living being’s sustenance of existence by aligning one’s activities with one’s eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While we sincerely try to live by this guiding principle, we often find ourselves falling short of the standards you set. Despite our efforts to uphold and preserve what you so mercifully gave us, we recognize our limitations in expanding your movement with the dedication and boldness it truly deserves. At times, we take shelter in our comfort zones, supported by excuses that hold us back from striving further.
We understand that your ISKCON movement is now more relevant than ever, especially in a world increasingly affected by conflict, suffering, and uncertainty. Humanity stands in need of hope – the hope of returning back home, back to Godhead, beyond the despair of material existence. In these challenging times, we humbly beg for your special mercy – that we may remain firmly rooted in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and protected from influences that may divert us from the path of devotional service.
Please bless us with strong spiritual character and a genuine missionary spirit, so that together we may contribute, in our own small way, toward uplifting the world. Kindly grant us unwavering conviction in Kṛṣṇa’s protection – avaśya rākṣibe kṛṣṇa viśvāsa pālana – under all circumstances.
Above all, we pray for the strength to live simply on your remnants and to sincerely serve by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness with humility and devotion.
Your menial servants at ISKCON Brampton
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
It is always difficult not only to find words but also to keep the mind calm and focused in sincere
remembrance of you. It is often appropriate, when remembering you, to reflect on what would
have happened to this world if you had not graciously appeared and traveled from India to
America.
In the light of the ideas of your teachings, the daily efforts of those who want to enjoy this
world with the dogma of a concept of human happiness focused only on the duration of one
human life are a sad demonstration of their perverted values.
Every intelligent person who understands the value of your message, which you brought like
a gem to a market of ordinary stones, must immediately consider, if not glow with joy, that there
is a much better world and way of thinking, thanks to which we are not forced to suffer under
the pressure of the threefold miseries of ādhidaivika, ādhyātmikā, and ādhibhautika (Bhāgavatam
5.14.25). No one escapes this suffering, and each of us has to bear it day by day, without knowing
how much we will suffer. The temples you established and the disciples you initiated are like oases
of peace, tranquility, and transcendental happiness.
The more I identify, after years of devotional service, with the teachings you left us, the more
I realize how important the change is that must take place in each of us so that we can at least,
to some extent, teach others who are still searching and do not have the answers to their life’s
problems.
This change is important also so that we can fulfill among ourselves the vision you carefully
instilled in ISKCON. The vision is clear only when we fully understand it, and this can only be
achieved by sincerely following your teachings.
The power of taking refuge at your lotus feet also allows sufferers to see their suffering in a dif-
ferent context and sequence of events. You have always been there for all who have questions and
are searching in this lost world, and you have had the incredible understanding and patience of a
loving father who endlessly explains to his children so that they understand and mature.
We want to be happy, but if we do not surrender to what you have taught us, what hope is
there? Surrender means constantly realizing that our desires and actions are not independent.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura writes in one of his songs in Śaraṇāgati:
mānasa, deha, geha, yo kichu mora
arpiluṅ tuyā pade nanda-kiśora!
If we are serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we must surrender, as you taught us by your
own example. We must surrender with everything we have – mind, body, home, and everything
else.
Now, as I conclude this description of celebrating your grace, I realize how easy it is to lose the
right direction by the right example when we are not fully determined and prepared. If we forget
you, we are lost.
An insignificant servant of your servants,
Īśvara Candra Dāsa, on behalf of ISKCON Goloka
Bratislava, Slovakia
Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our humble obeisances and attempt to glorify you on behalf of the community of New Vrajamaṇḍala, part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness near Madrid.
Our spiritual authority has requested that I write this offering. As I am new in the role of president, I can only present these words as a sincere expression of our intentions and vision for our project. Yet, whatever our position, we always have the opportunity to glorify our beloved spiritual master.
New Vrajamaṇḍala is an exceptional place for developing spiritual activities and preaching – we have space for retreats, seminars, courses, camps, and gatherings of many other kinds. Therefore, having mature, organized, and spiritually grounded leadership is essential.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, at present we are blessed with an exceptionally dedicated team of devotees. Our commitment is to follow your instructions and to please you by creating an environment that is organized, clean, and spiritually vibrant – so that anyone who comes here can feel, breathe, and experience spiritual peace simply by the harmony of the atmosphere. To achieve this requires the collective effort of the entire community. Our service depends on our own internal spiritual work, because the external reality will reflect our internal consciousness. This community exists for the individual spiritual advancement of each devotee. To the extent that we are serious in our practice, that same spiritual energy will manifest outwardly and naturally attract other souls.
Those who visit will feel inspired to continue their journey back to Godhead. The Supersoul within their hearts will guide them: “Here you will find what you are seeking.” In this way, our effort is truly a cooperative spiritual endeavor.
By your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have this extraordinary place. We also have your teachings in their pure form, without addition, giving us the ability to understand spiritual life clearly and to guide society toward respiritualization and purification.
At the heart of our community are our beautiful Deities, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda Candra, who inspire us, give us strength and enthusiasm, and nourish our devotional service day by day. This is a wonderful opportunity for service and purification. By serving your mission, we can purify our hearts and attain the ultimate goal of life.
Life here, especially in winter, can be austere, but this austerity also helps us cultivate introspection and dependence on Kṛṣṇa. It is both a challenge and a blessing. We are working to develop a strong and cooperative community capable of advancing in essential services such as cow protection, self-sufficiency, educational programs, youth training, seminars, and spiritual gatherings. In all of this, we aim to remain practical – keeping our feet on the ground while keeping our hearts fixed in Vaikuṇṭha.
We pray for your blessings so that we may serve your mission faithfully, work together harmoniously, and become instruments of your compassion for the benefit of all living beings.
Your servants at New Vrajamaṇḍala
(written by Dharmarāja Dāsa)
Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026
To our beloved founder-ācārya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to you on this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, in what has been, for us, a very special year.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on one of your six visits to Australia, devotees were overjoyed to show you their newest preaching acquisition: a double-decker bus outlandishly painted bright orange with the hare krishna movement – the positive alternative emblazoned on its side. You were delighted and, upon inspecting its interior, remarked “I could live in this.” (The Great Transcendental Adventure, Kūrma Dāsa p. 105).
That same year – 1972 – this bus would bring a crew of ISKCON devotees, with an abundance of your books, to Brisbane for the first time. On that occasion, they stayed only two days, but Brisbane had its first taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Later that year, our first temple was opened on your behalf by your dear servants Upendra Dāsa and Citralekhā Devī Dāsī, followed by Cāru Dāsa and his wife Vaibhavī Devī Dāsī.
After this followed fifty-four years consisting of a total of nine location moves, literally hundreds of devotees made, and thousands more people whose lives have been touched by your books, prasādam, and/or the holy names, sung in the streets today as they were on that first 1972 visit.
However, this year something monumental occurred. After fifty-four years of being moved – sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly – from one location to another, we finally purchased a permanent home for our wonderful Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi and Your Divine Grace. In what can only be described as a miracle, after a seemingly endless citywide search for a suitable location, a church came up for sale a mere short walk from our then residence. Astonishingly, we then beat out other buyers to acquire, for your ISKCON, this heritage-listed property, built a hundred years earlier by the Methodist Church, at 8 Lee Road, Darra, Brisbane, Australia.
The building was old and in need of repair, but what rose up is an utterly charming, unique, character-filled, fully restored, beautiful temple. It also features delightful gardens, an expansive lawn, a huge permanent marquee to cater for large festival crowds, and the former hall was expertly converted into a massive, fully equipped commercial kitchen.
This work was the effort of your ISKCON Brisbane community, not only as it is now but of all those who came before us. It was completed by a small team who worked tirelessly around the clock to offer this to you.
Due to the proximity to our former premises, it was decided to take the Deities and yourself to your new residence via a Ratha-yātrā procession. An auspicious date was chosen for the move – 28 February 2026 – and a five-day festival was planned, culminating in Gaura-Pūrṇimā.
So many wonderful occurrences happened during this time: from roads being cleansed by steady rain the entire day before the parade to brilliant blue skies and sunshine on the day we moved, to local dignitaries crying with joy during speeches (one of them dressed for the occasion in a sari) and to wonderful gifts and blessings kindly sent to us by our first devotees.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you wrote to your disciples in a letter dated 13 December 1972 that you were very happy to know an ISKCON temple had been established in Brisbane, Australia, and that you would like to come here. Upon completion of the new temple project, we felt so happy to welcome you to your new home here.
Our temple is continuing to flourish in a number of ways, such as increased harināma-saṅkīrtana and book distribution efforts, bhakti-vṛkṣa programs, educational courses like Bhakti-śāstrī, prasādam distribution, Western outreach initiatives, bigger festivals, and more visits from senior devotees, including our GBC.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we love you with all our hearts. We know that strictly following your instructions will lead us to the perfection of our lives. Please forgive us for our shortcomings and bless us so that we can serve you in a way that always pleases Your Divine Grace.
With eternal gratitude,
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Brisbane
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, our dearest ever well-wisher,
śrī-guru-caraṇa-padma, kevala-bhakati-sadma,
vandoṅ mui sāvadhāna mate
yāhāra prasāde bhāi, e bhava toriyā yāi,
kṛṣṇa-prāpti haya yāhā haite
The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure
devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace
one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.
The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 7.83) states:
kṛṣṇa-nāma-mahā-mantrera ei ta’ svabhāva
yei jape, tāra kṛṣṇe upajaye bhāva
It is the nature of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra that anyone who chants it immediately
develops his loving ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa.
In your purport you write, “A neophyte disciple begins by hearing and chanting, associating with
devotees and practicing the regulative principles, and thus he vanquishes all of his unwanted bad
habits. In this way he develops attachment for Kṛṣṇa and cannot forget Kṛṣṇa even for a moment.
Bhāva is the almost successful stage of spiritual life.”
Its only by your boundless kindness, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that our small, diverse group here in
Brunei, a tiny, almost invisible speck on the world, finds the inspiration to take up the process of
chanting and hearing.
With your divine blessings and grace we started a second weekly Bhagavad-gītā study session on
Tuesdays for another group of expat colleagues from the oil industry and their families. We come
together to read the profound verses, translations, and nectarean purports by Your Divine Grace,
and to hear one another’s reflections. Now, we have two such Bhagavad-gītā study sessions each
week – on Saturdays and now Tuesdays – where new members, friends from the expat community,
join with eagerness and devotion.
And it’s only through your causeless mercy that we’ve also started small congregational Hare
Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra sixteen-round japa sessions on Ekādaśīs. It’s a humble attempt to encourage
our new members from the expat community to deepen their spiritual connection
Through your boundless grace a new endeavor has blossomed: interactive, fun, storytelling
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam classes designed for children ages 6–12. Every Friday evening, with the enthu-
siastic support of mothers from among the new members of the expat community, we gather to
share the wondrous tales of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in a fun and engaging way. These Friday evenings
are a delight, with both children and their mothers utterly captivated by hearing and discussing
the enchanting līlās of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, followed by the honoring of much-
awaited snack prasādam.
The auspicious month of Dāmodara continues to be the most joyful and busiest time of the
year. Last Kārttika, more than 200 ghee lamps were offered to Lord Dāmodara in various home
gatherings. These personal gatherings have stirred enthusiasm to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-
mantra, bringing a quiet but deep sense of connection among the new members in the expat
community.
Just as in years past, our Govardhana-pūjā celebration was filled with devotion, where we
offered our deepest respects to Lord Giridhārī, who, in the form of the Annakūṭa, cast His loving
gaze and mercy upon each member of our diverse expat family. This indoor gathering is some-
thing our new members look forward to each year.
Our Sunday evening gatherings continue to grow, especially among our Bangladeshi expat
community, who enthusiastically offer tulasī-ārati, Gaura-ārati, and Nṛsiṁha-ārati and hold soulful
kīrtana. Together, we chant a round of the mahā-mantra, share a brief reflection on the Bhagavad-
gītā, and partake in a delicious prasādam meal. It warms one’s heart to see some new attendees
feeling inspired to turn away from meat-eating, and others eagerly asking for japa beads, ready to
embark on their own personal journey of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra in their homes.
And truly inspiring is the heartfelt devotion of some members among the Bangladeshi trades-
men community. Despite their long and arduous workdays, sometimes ending as late as 11 p.m.,
they gather in small groups of up to ten persons and sing harināma kīrtanas. Their sincerity, their
simple but deep faith, is truly humbling and inspiring.
With a deep-seated commitment, vibrant eagerness, and sincere enthusiasm, we dedicate our-
selves to the task of fulfilling your instructions, recognizing that even within the stringent rules
and regulations of the conservative Islamic country in which we live, our ability to partake in the
aforementioned, entirely indoor initiatives is solely by your grace. We sincerely offer our heartfelt
prayers for your benevolence to guide our steps in the way you have shown, as it is only through
your compassion that any progress is made in these unique circumstances.
On this sacred and auspicious day of your appearance, we humbly seek sanctuary at your feet,
which is the only true shelter and our sole source of strength and ability.
Your insignificant servants of the servants of your servants,
Cakradhārī Kānāi Dāsa and devotees of the Brunei yātrā
