Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to you.
By your mercy, on December 7, 2024, we humbly offered at your lotus feet the newly con-
structed temple extension hall at the Bhaktivedanta Ashram, ISKCON Adelaide, South Australia.
The grand inauguration of the Bhaktivedanta Ashram marked a significant milestone for devotees
and the local community. The atmosphere was filled with devotion as the sound of Hare Kṛṣṇa
kīrtana resonated throughout the temple premises. The event was graced by GBC members, digni-
taries, and many devotees who gathered to witness the auspicious occasion.
Among the distinguished guests in attendance were Mr. Steve Georganas MP, the sitting
Member of Parliament for Adelaide; The Honourable Russell Wortley MLC, South Australian
Legislative Council; His Holiness Rāmāi Swami and His Holiness Devamrita Swami, the GBCs
for Australia; His Grace Nṛsiṁha Kavaca Prabhu, ISKCON Deity Worship Minister; members of
the National Executive Council; yātrā leaders; devotees; friends; and well-wishers. In his address,
Mr. Steve Georganas expressed gratitude to ISKCON for establishing a spiritual sanctuary for the
people of Adelaide. Russell Wortley also acknowledged the efforts of the local ISKCON commu-
nity in presenting a beautiful hall to the people of Adelaide.
We performed the installation of Ananta-śeṣa nearly three years ago, and during this long-
enduring journey we encountered numerous challenges and hardships. However, by your mercy
we persevered and triumphed. As the temple opens its doors to the public, it stands as a testament
to your unconditional mercy upon all.
Our state-of-the-art temple room, the largest in Australia, features backlit niches, advanced
LED lighting, elegant chandeliers, a dedicated foot wash area for the pūjārīs, two paraphernalia
rooms (wet and dry), a brand-new Deity kitchen with a transfer station, and a spacious altar area
equipped with underfloor heating, in preparation for the new altar from Bali.
Additionally, we have constructed a new sannyāsī bathroom, a dedicated pot room, a modern
laundry facility, an upgraded dishwashing area, the finest tulasī house in Australia, a second cool
room, a substantial rainwater collection system, and a spacious undercover prasādam serving area.
The significance of this temple extends beyond its architectural beauty. In alignment with
your vision, we seek to develop this temple as a center where everyone from every conceivable
background is welcome and integrated. We aim to create an atmosphere of inclusivity, openness,
and a welcoming spirit, empowering everyone to tap into and unleash their spiritual potential at
Bhaktivedanta Ashram, ISKCON Adelaide.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, with deep gratitude for your unwavering dedication and tireless work in
spreading bhakti-yoga across Australia, we offer you this. We began from scratch, and today have
four thriving bhakti-vriksha groups, with plans to establish several more over the next year. Our
vision is to expand youth outreach, enhance book distribution, strengthen children’s spiritual
education, launch a dedicated Vaiṣṇavī program, and introduce initiatives specifically designed
for the local Australian community.
In 2025, we’re also working on securing Council approval for a new prasādam/multifunction
hall, which will be four times the size of the current temporary marquee.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your tireless efforts in spreading the message of devotion and Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness have inspired millions worldwide. With the successful inauguration, Bhaktivedanta
Ashram is poised to become a hub for spiritual enrichment, aligning with your vision of establish-
ing temples as centers of spiritual education and service to guide and uplift devotees and foster
cultural and moral values among future generations.
Your servants at Bhaktivedanta Ashram, ISKCON Adelaide
Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
By your causeless mercy, ISKCON Adelaide continues to grow. This Vyāsa-pūjā offering is a humble report of the various services, preaching initiatives, and developments carried out at ISKCON Adelaide over the past year for your pleasure by the devotees striving to serve under your shelter and instructions.
This past year has been marked by consolidation, strengthening standards, expanding preaching efforts, rejuvenating temple infrastructure, and laying stronger foundations for the future growth of your mission in Adelaide.
Nontraditional preaching to local communities has also expanded through “Beyond Borders” outreach for war-affected communities, particularly members of the Muslim community, along with Women’s Experiences in Spirituality programs, yoga-studio outreach, Adelaide Fringe initiatives, monthly Full Moon Kirtans at the Beach, Kirtan Under the Stars at Flaxley, Harmony Day exhibitions, and other grassroots outreach events.
Book distribution increased by approximately 82 percent compared to the previous year, reflecting a growing commitment among devotees to distribute your transcendental literature. Here are our 2025 marathon results:
15 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets
2 Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta sets
1 Caitanya-caritāmṛta set
1,000 Bhagavad-gītās
210 Kṛṣṇa books
473 other books
Total books distributed: 1,630
Total devotees participating: 34
The temple bookshop is now open seven days a week. We pray to continue increasing distribution of your transcendental literature throughout South Australia and beyond.
Youth preaching expanded considerably this year. Two new youth groups have been formed at the temple. Likewise, the children’s engagement also increased by unifying the children’s education system. We now have just under 100 children registered. We pray to create a stronger spiritual foundation for the next generation of devotees in Adelaide.
Harināma-saṅkīrtana was revived within the city, with plans for expansion into additional locations across Adelaide.
This year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the purchase of the beautiful Bhakti Vedanta Ashram property in Adelaide. As part of honoring and preserving this property for future generations, extensive infrastructure work has been undertaken, including:
- Complete interior repainting of the temple
- Extensive repairs and maintenance of roofing, gutters, and downpipes at both 23 and 25 Le Hunte Street
- Complete asbestos removal from the temple property
- Removal of over twenty-five years of accumulated rubbish from sheds and storage areas
- Construction of a purpose-built book-storage shed
- Conversion of the old temple room into a preaching and multipurpose hall
- Renovation and improvement work throughout the property
These efforts have helped prepare the temple for future preaching expansion and safer long-term use. The temple is also currently in the process of installing approximately 150 kilowatts of battery storage infrastructure to improve sustainability and reduce operational costs.
By your mercy, in 2025 ISKCON Adelaide experienced its biggest Janmāṣṭamī festival ever, with more than six thousand visitors attending the celebrations.
Devotee engagement and preaching initiatives also expanded significantly through programs such as Śrīla Prabhupāda Abhishek by congregation members, Christmas and New Year Kirtan Melās, Kids’ Kirtan Melā, a weekly Vaiṣṇavī Saṅga, and Wednesday Bhagavad-gītā classes.
The congregation increasingly embraced preaching as an essential part of devotional life and responsibility. This year, significant emphasis was placed on training devotees and building long-term foundations for the future of your mission in Adelaide. Throughout the year, ISKCON Adelaide was deeply blessed by the association and guidance of fifteen sannyāsīs and senior Vaiṣṇavas.
More than forty devotees enrolled in a three-day online children’s teachers training course to help strengthen Kṛṣṇa conscious education for the next generation.
More than thirty devotees registered for a four-week bhakti-vṛkṣa leadership training program to develop preaching skills, devotee care, facilitation, and leadership capacity within the congregation.
A two-day, twenty-hour Devotee Care seminar was also conducted, and more than 35 devotees participated, helping us establish a stronger culture of devotee support, empathy, and pastoral care within the community.
Understanding that Deity worship is the heart of temple life, we focused significantly on improving worship standards and expanding opportunities for devotees to serve.
Over the year:
- Night dressing of the Deities was introduced
- Evening bhoga offerings were commenced
- Increased flower budgets and decorations were arranged for Their Lordships
- Theme-based decorations on the altar were developed
- Adhivāsa ceremonies were introduced for festivals
- Auditing and inventory systems for the Deity department were initiated
- More devotees were encouraged to participate in Deity service
By your mercy, Govinda’s Restaurant also received a 5-star food safety rating. Govinda’s Vegetarian Delights was launched and now operates on major festival days. We also aspire to continue expanding Food for Life initiatives in the future.
Most importantly, we pray to develop a stronger mood of cooperation, humility, service, and dependence on your instructions. Please bless ISKCON Adelaide so that this community may become an instrument for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout South Australia and beyond. We beg forgiveness for all shortcomings, mistakes, and offenses committed, knowingly or unknowingly, in the course of service.
Your servants at ISKCON Adelaide
Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to you! Thank you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Thank you for your great dedication to the mission of Lord Kṛṣṇa and our Lord Gaurāṅga! And thank you for your patience, wonderful behavior, and compassion toward all of us!
The rarest and most valuable thing in this world is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. In the material world, there is always some contamination. Therefore all the knowledge we receive is more or less contaminated, or wrong! By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa we had a unique fortune to come in contact with you in the form of your book, classes, videos, and your most wonderful movement, ISKCON!
Even though in this lifetime I was not able to see you personally, I feel a very strong connection with you through your books and devotees! Reading only a few pages of your books can completely change the life of a person if he dedicates his life to following what you write. I was reading in the Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa cannot be pleased without brahminical culture and cow protection. I was thinking that brahminical culture is too difficult for me, but let me try with cow protection.
I’ve now been doing this service for the past twenty-two years, and during this time so many wonderful things have happened in my life. Now more devotees are engaged as well, and I am sure that you are seeing us and are very pleased with us!
We all going through different illusions, but the persons who dedicate their lives to your instructions will be eternally benefited!
Your eternal servant,
Nitāi Candra Dāsa
On behalf of the devotees at New Madhuvana farm
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we humbly offer our prostrated obeisances at your
lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace, the Vishwa Guru, the ācārya! It is with immense
gratitude and reverence that we celebrate your unparalleled contributions to the world of spiritual
enlightenment.
This year, we are particularly blessed to acknowledge the special honor bestowed upon you by
the Akhila Bhartiya Akhada Parishad, recognizing you as the Vishwa Guru. This title is not merely
a formality; it is a testament to your tireless dedication and the profound impact you have made
in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness across the globe. You are truly the only one deserving of this
esteemed title, for you have selflessly devoted your life to sharing the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa
with every corner of this world, transcending boundaries and cultural barriers.
Your mission has been nothing short of miraculous. Today, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is flourishing
in every town and village, thanks to the various programs you initiated. Your vision and guidance
have inspired countless devotees to come together in devotion and service, creating a vibrant com-
munity united by love for Kṛṣṇa.
As humble servants residing in Akola, we are fortunate witnesses to your boundless mercy
and grace. In our region, where knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is limited and awareness of Śrī Gaurāṅga
Mahāprabhu is almost nonexistent, we have seen a remarkable transformation. By your divine
intervention, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is steadily taking root in Akola.
Last year, for Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, we were overjoyed to host nearly seven thousand devotees at
our center – a testament to your influence and the growing interest in spiritual practices. Similarly,
we welcomed close to one thousand devotees for Gaura-Pūrṇimā, and another thousand for the
Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā. These gatherings are not just events; they are celebrations of your teach-
ings and a manifestation of your love for all living beings.
The dedication of our devotees continues to grow, even in the absence of specific programs
tailored for them. This organic blossoming of devotion is a direct result of your mercy and the
spiritual atmosphere you have created. We are inspired by your example and strive to nurture this
growing community with care and compassion, much like how you would boil milk to ensure it
thickens perfectly.
In our efforts to expand your movement in Akola, we are excited to announce that this year we
are constructing a grand chariot for Lord Jagannātha. This endeavor is not merely about building
a physical structure; it is about following in your footsteps and organizing a magnificent Ratha-
yātrā that will attract even more devotees. We hope that through this festival we can bring the
blessings of Lord Jagannātha closer to the hearts of the people in our community.
As we reflect on your teachings and the path you paved for us, we remain committed to spread-
ing Kṛṣṇa consciousness with sincerity and dedication. Your legacy inspires us daily, and we are
eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve you and share your message with others.
With heartfelt gratitude and unwavering devotion, we pray for your continued blessings and
guidance as we endeavor to expand your glorious movement in Akola and beyond.
Your humble servants at the Akola Extension Centre of ISKCON Amravati
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, our ever well-wisher, eternal spiritual master, and savior of the world.
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our heartfelt gratitude for the causeless mercy you have bestowed on us. You alone are responsible for bringing the most confidential transcendental message of Lord Caitanya to America and thereafter distributing it throughout the world.
Of the hundreds of ISKCON temples throughout the world, your Alachua, Florida, community, where we are honored to serve, is one of your most diverse. We have devotees here from over twenty countries, and around two hundred of your initiated disciples live in the surrounding area. Then there are also second- and third-generation devotees, who are offering their experienced service, along with newcomers who have enthusiastically embraced the path of devotional service.
Among the devotees are doctors, nurses, lawyers, realtors, artists, contractors, musicians, accountants, farmers, writers, business people, and those who work in the service industry. We also have teachers, most of whom teach in the two temple-affiliated schools. Along with the diversity in occupation and nationality of the devotees, there is also a wide range of religious, cultural, and social backgrounds among the devotees.
In spite of such diversity, there is, by your grace, real unity. All are engaged according to their propensities and means in devotional service under your guidance. Along with the two temple-affiliated schools, we have elaborate Deity worship, campus prasādam distribution and preaching, street harināmas, monthly kirtan festivals, six to eight annual Festival of the Chariots programs, an annual and now famous Festival of the Holy Names, large-scale vibrant observance of various festivals like Śrī Janmāṣṭamī and Gaura-Pūrṇimā, and, of course, book distribution.
In your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.30.8 you write: “The unity of the individual souls attempting to satisfy the Supreme Lord or rendering service to the Lord is real unity. In the material world such unity is not possible. Even though people may officially unite, they all have different interests. In the United Nations, for instance, all the nations have their particular national ambitions, and consequently they cannot be united. Disunity between individual souls is so strong within this material world that even in a society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, members sometimes appear disunited due to their having different opinions and leaning toward material things. Actually, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness there cannot be two opinions. There is only one goal: to serve Kṛṣṇa to one’s best ability. If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be disunited in any circumstance. This makes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very happy and willing to award all kinds of benediction to His devotees, as indicated in this verse.”
On this sacred day, we pray for the strength to remain united, to honor one another as your servants, and to continue growing as a community that reflects your vision of a worldwide spiritual family.
Thank you for not only giving us Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but one another.
Your servants at the Alachua devotee community
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
On this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we, the devotees of Śrī Vrindavan Dhāma Farm, Almaty, Kazakhstan, offer our heartfelt gratitude for your immeasurable mercy. By your compassion, even in this distant land, far from the holy dhāmas, a small reflection of Kṛṣṇa’s culture is gradually manifesting.
You did not simply establish temples – you gave the world a complete way of life centered on Kṛṣṇa. Inspired by your vision, we are striving to create a place where bhakti is not theoretical but is lived daily through simple living and high thinking. Here, devotees, guests, and other local people come together to chant, serve, and honor prasādam. Festivals such as Janmāṣṭamī and Govardhana-pūjā are celebrated not as formal events, but as opportunities for heartfelt participation in devotional service.
By your guidance, we understand that true prosperity is spiritual, and that a sustainable life must be rooted in devotion. We are trying, in our small capacity, to care for the land, protect the cows, and engage everyone – villagers, families, and children – in Kṛṣṇa’s service. Step by step, a new generation is growing up hearing the holy name, learning the values of simplicity, humility, and devotion.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, the modern world pulls society toward complexity, dependency, and forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Yet you have already given the perfect solution: farm communities centered on daivī-varṇāśrama, where life supports the natural growth of bhakti. We are trying to follow this path – sometimes we are able to take small steps forward, and sometimes we are not. In truth, we are still very far from your ideals, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda … yet our lives have already become perfect. By your mercy, despite hundreds and thousands of mistakes, we are already living a joyful and meaningful life in the association of devotees.
We humbly pray for your mercy that we may become your instruments – united, sincere, and determined – to serve your mission. Please bless us with the intelligence to accept what is favorable for Kṛṣṇa consciousness and reject what is unfavorable, and to always remember that real success is only in pleasing Śrī Śrī Rādhe-Śyāma.
From the depths of our hearts, we offer ourselves at your lotus feet, praying to remain engaged in your service, life after life.
Your servants,
The inhabitants Śrī Vrindavan Dhāma Farm
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