Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear to-our-hearts Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
My name is Gaura-siṁha Dāsa. I serve as president of the ISKCON temple in Krasnodar, in the South Russia Region. My wife, Dāmodara Rati Devī Dāsī, serves as the main pūjarī at this temple. Today, on the auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, allow us to address you on behalf of ourselves and all the devotees of our temple of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma and Śrī Gaurāṅga with respectful and grateful words.
By Your Divine Grace, the true reason for which remains a mystery to us, a very special idea one day entered our minds and hearts – to try to invite Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa into our lives and the spiritual life of our city, to build a beautiful, comfortable, and bright temple for Them, and to cultivate a beautiful garden with numerous kuñjas for Their pleasure. This inspiration came to us, as you know, from you personally in 2014 at the Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan. It was then, standing before you in your Samādhi Mandir that we felt your blessing for this special service.
Undoubtedly, we made some efforts and performed certain austerities within our bodies and minds, as much as we could in this age of spiritual degradation, a time of discord and conflict. But the true driving force behind this internal and external process of building the temple was, of course, you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. It is precisely by the power of your grace and blessings, as well as the blessings of your disciples, that this truly miraculous establishment of the temple can be attributed. Thus, on April 10, 2022, on the sacred day of Rāmanavamī, the beautiful Deities of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma and Śrī Gaurāṅga were installed in this new temple.
Furthermore, it was only by your grace and blessings that we were given the opportunity to serve in this temple, despite lacking the necessary qualifications, having been born and raised in families with heavy karma, and especially in this age of Kali – an age of degradation and strife. This service at the temple has been going on for four years now, and each year it becomes more and more splendid. The atmosphere in the temple becomes increasingly spiritual and attracts many devotees and new people. We never cease to be amazed by this.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we feel that you have been with us all this time. We constantly feel your presence both in the temple’s altar room, where you are constantly present in the form of your deity, and in your books, which we regularly read and draw great inspiration from. We sense your presence through the love and cooperation of devotees, and we sense your presence when we reflect on the example of your life and all the incomprehensibly difficult obstacles you overcame in your desire to give people throughout the world this priceless gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
A few months after the opening of the temple, on the sacred day of your appearance, your deity was installed in the temple directly opposite Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma and Śrī Gaurāṅga. On that day, as I offered you words of glorification, I felt inspired to offer you our entire service and our lives as devoted servants of this temple. Then, completely unexpectedly, these words burst from my mouth. As it turns out, this same desire was in the hearts of many devotees serving in the temple, and from that time this offering has been repeated every day since: all the devotees in the temple pray to be instruments in your hands, offering you their service and lives. Thus, we can feel that you direct all service in the temple. Every day, we feel your mercy, your blessings, your love, and your acceptance of us into your spiritual family.
We sincerely thank you, dear Srila Prabhupada, for everything we see, hear, and feel. We thank you for this opportunity to be part of your spiritual family, for this opportunity to participate in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, for the opportunity for spiritual development and service.
Please accept our service, our inspiration, our creativity, and our lives as an offering to you, and please bless us to reach true, pure, and unalloyed devotion in this life. Bless us to chant the mahā-mantra purely: Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare / Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Bless us to understand the science of devotional service that You have given us in Your transcendental books. And bless us to render selfless and devoted service to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāma and Śrī Gaurāṅga!
Your humble servants,
Gaura-siṁha Dāsa, Dāmodara Rati Devī Dāsī,
and all the devotees of ISKCON Krasnodar
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear 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
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to your lotus feet.
Last year, in the month of July, Krishna Katha Desh celebrated “30 years of Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness” at ISKCON Tirumala, Tirupathi. During this occasion, your beloved spiritual son, His
Holiness Jayapatāka Swami Mahārāja, narrated your earnest desire to construct a memorial for
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura at his birthplace, Birnagar, in West Bengal.
His Holiness Jayapatāka Swami Mahārāja expressed his desire that the devotees of Krishna
Katha Desh take up this project and help him in fulfilling your desire.
A Core Committee has been formed for the Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Janmasthan Project
(SBVT), which consists of:
His Grace Vaikuṇṭha Pati Dāsa (founder, Krishna Katha Desh yātrā)
His Grace Balarāma Govinda Dāsa (president, ISKCON Thiruppalai, Madurai)
His Grace Govardhana Giri Dāsa (senior devotee, Krishna Katha Desh yātrā)
His Grace Rādhāpati Śyāma Dāsa (president, Krishna Katha Desh yātrā)
And myself, Aniruddha Gopāla Dāsa (zonal supervisor, Krishna Katha Desh yātrā)
We have already identified, purchased, and registered the land at Birnagar in the name of
ISKCON. With Your blessings, we have planned shilanyas in the month of April 2025. Subse-
quently, we have also planned to take this project to all your disciples and granddisciples all over
the world for support.
We want to make this an iconic stopover en route to Māyāpur from Kolkata, having a grand
temple, museum, library, teaching facility, restaurants, etc.
A project of this magnitude is possible only with the blessings and mercy of great Vaiṣṇavas
and ācāryas. Therefore, we beg for your mercy and blessings to empower us to accomplish one of
your desires. Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Your humble servant,
Aniruddha Gopāla Dāsa (JPS)
Krishna Katha Desh yātrā
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Hare Kṛṣṇa, dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please kindly accept my most respectful obeisances. All glories to your most magnanimous
lotus feet. All glories to all our ācāryas in the disciplic succession.
On this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we wish to express our heartfelt appreciation
for your love, kindness, and divine grace. It is only by this causeless mercy that we have been
blessed with the association of your pure and enlightened devotees. I cannot imagine a world
without you and your empowered representatives. You have mercifully drawn us close to the cur-
tain of Mahāprabhu’s nitya-līlā, granting us a glimpse into the spiritual world.
O divine architect, you built countless temples across the planet that are embassies and portals
to the spiritual realm. We were born in the darkness of ignorance, with no conception of the soul
or Kṛṣṇa, yet you have so creatively and ingeniously filled our lives with all auspiciousness.
You taught us how to sleep, eat, sing, dance, and work for Kṛṣṇa. You molded our lives in such
a way that we would not stray into Māyā’s illusions. You made God accessible – even to a fool
like me, who once had no clue what to do in this life or the next. You are indeed one of a kind,
the object of Kṛṣṇa’s divine glance, teaching the world to sing and dance to the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s
name, which has the power to uproot the tree of sinful life.
O dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you for teaching us that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is simple for
the simple – by your own life’s example. You showed us that simplicity, without duplicity, is a
necessity in our society.
Yet despite your boundless mercy, I am sorry that I have not been a worthy or responsible
servant. I have not taken seriously the family business of happily and scrutinizingly reading your
books and distributing them to others. I am sorry for not relating more consciously and cau-
tiously with those most dear to you – my spiritual family.
O dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, though I am weak, dull, and pretentious, please do not let go of
me. I know I have failed you more times than I can count, but please – do not look at me as I am
but as you want me to be. Having taken shelter of you through your dear son, I am confident that
by your causeless mercy, I will learn to grow and uphold your instructions in the highest esteem.
Thank you, dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all you have done and continue to do for us. Words
alone are not enough to express our gratitude. We pray that our actions and thoughts – not just
our words – will reflect our appreciation.
We remain forever indebted to you for your divine grace. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your most unworthy servant,
Caitanya Bhāgavat Dāsa
Kumasi, Ghana
Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda!
In the blessed jubilee year of your divine appearance in this material world, please accept our humble obeisances in the dust of your gentle, wonderfully cooling lotus feet! All glories to Your Divine Grace!
We, your followers, have a unique opportunity to communicate with you through our attempts at devotional service through your vāṇī, making an effort to fulfill the spiritual instructions you’ve given in your books, numerous lectures, meetings, and walks with devotees.
Your humility and complete devotion to your spiritual master, your compassion and love for all living entities, as well as your infinite mercy allow us to try to develop the qualities necessary for cultivating true devotion to guru and Kṛṣṇa!
Inspiring the devotees through your example, you tirelessly spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya throughout the world in every city and village. Your every step frees this world from the consequences of billions of sins!
You have opened the practice of bhakti to the whole world, opening your heart and in an incomprehensible way, transmitting the bliss of your enlightened mind. When you saw the Western world, you turned to Kṛṣṇa and said, “You’ve brought me here and now I’m your marionette, so pull the strings. I will dance however You wish.” It was an amazing, fearless decision.
But you didn’t just say it – you did it. You’d been doing it throughout the years. You were a perfect instrument. Preaching intensively, going through the great pressure of writing books at night, you practically didn’t live for the body but were constantly in service to the mission.
You opened temples of Kṛṣṇa in many cities of many countries, including those where there was not a single devotee before you came. These temples are still embassies of the spiritual world.
Here in Kursk, we follow your instructions and continue the tradition of worshiping the Lord in our temple, holding Sunday programs and celebrating festivals. We invite guests for darshan of the Deities, chant the holy names together, and eat prasādam. All this is possible only because we know how important it was for you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Let us always stay at your lotus feet, holding onto the hem of your dhoti and realizing our helplessness!
We ask for blessings to open our hearts so that they become as pure and beautiful as your huge heart, overflowing with the elixir of divine love in which each of us has found a place. Forever bound to you with bonds of love, we are eternally indebted to you!
We will always pray to cling to your lotus feet so that Kṛṣṇa may be pleased with our spiritual family!
Aspiring to become devotees, the eternal servants of your servants,
The devotees of ISKCON Kursk, Russia
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
On December 1, 1975, you visited Kurukshetra with your disciples, walking the sacred grounds
of Brahma Sarovar and Jyotisar – the very place where Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā. At this
divine site you envisioned a grand Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Arjuna temple. Now, by your causeless mercy, under
the guidance of your dear disciple Gopal Krishna Goswami and through the humble efforts of
your disciples and granddisciples, this sacred vision is manifesting before our eyes.
We express our deepest gratitude for the opportunity to serve this monumental project on the
holy land of dharma-kṣetra, Kurukshetra. It is only by your causeless mercy that we can contribute
in some way to the fulfillment of your divine vision.
The temple, designed as a grand chariot, symbolizes the divine chariot of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.
It features six massive wheels, three on each side, each measuring 25 feet in diameter, with four
majestic horses standing in the front, each 28 feet tall. By your mercy we are striving to complete
the first phase of this sacred project by December 2026.
With your blessings, ISKCON Kurukshetra has been actively engaged in spreading Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness, inspiring thousands to embrace the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā. We humbly present
before you a brief account of the various preaching activities, outreach programs, and temple
developments undertaken in the past year.
Preaching initiatives:
• Ratha-yātrās were organized in eleven cities across Haryana, with over 100,000 participants
glorifying the holy names through kīrtana and prasādam distribution.
• Bhāgavata-kathās were conducted in fifteen cities, immersing more than 25,000 people in the
glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the holy name.
• We recently inaugurated a new center at Karnal.
• Construction of a new preaching center in Jind is underway.
• We also purchased a saṅkīrtana bus and conducted over 300 saṅkīrtanas and preaching pro-
grams across various cities in Haryana, including at Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala, Panipat,
Jind, Sonipat, among others.
Youth and online preaching:
• The International Gita Olympiad witnessed the enthusiastic participation of 46,000 stu-
dents across the world.
• Throughout the year, many youth camps were organized, drawing participation from over
1,000 students. These camps helped strengthen their faith in the process of bhakti and
brought them closer to the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā.
• We opened a dedicated student center at Kurukshetra University to nurture the spiritual
growth of aspiring youth.
• Our online preaching platform reached and benefitted over 100,000 people worldwide,
helping them connect with the Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Festival celebrations:
• Grand festivals like Janmāṣṭamī and Gaura-Pūrṇimā saw thousands of devotees
participating.
• ISKCON was invited to conduct Janmāṣṭamī celebrations at schools and colleges, introduc-
ing students to the joy of bhakti.
• On Gītā Jayantī, a mahā-yajña was performed, with over 2,000 devotees participating.
Education and academic outreach:
• 100 devotees completed the Bhakti-śāstrī course; the Bhakti-vaibhava course is now
commencing.
• The official Gītā Course at NIT Kurukshetra completed its fifth batch, with 120 students
receiving copies of the Bhagavad-gītā after their final exam.
• Inspired by our outreach, many universities have signed Memorandums of Understanding
with ISKCON to introduce the Bhagavad-gītā officially into their curriculum.
Tourism and pilgrimage:
• The Ministry of Tourism recognized ISKCON’s major contribution to spiritual tourism, and
the upcoming temple is officially listed as a major attraction in Kurukshetra.
• Even before the temple’s completion, 11,500 Indian devotees and 2,500 international devo-
tees from thirty-seven countries visited Kurukshetra and experienced the spiritual vibrancy
of this dhāma.
Public relations and government appreciation:
• The Chief Minister and Education Minister of Haryana participated in harināma-saṅkīrtana
and publicly appreciated ISKCON’s efforts.
• The Chief Minister was presented with a copy of the Bhagavad-gītā.
• On the occasion of his swearing-in celebration, the Chief Minister of Haryana invited our
devotees to his residence and personally acknowledged ISKCON’s contributions to the
state.
• ISKCON was invited to the British Parliament, where twenty copies of the Bhagavad-gītā
were distributed and ISKCON’s mission was highly appreciated.
Temple construction progress – by your divine inspiration and the humble efforts of devotees:
• The temple, designed as a grand chariot, is progressing toward completion of Phase 1 by
December 2026.
• The brahmacārī ashram is completed up to the third floor, and the superstructure of the
guesthouse is completed up to the second floor.
• A 4-acre basement has been constructed, and interior design work is in progress.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you once wrote: “I may take up one project of constructing a Varna Ashrama
College and Temple in Kurukshetra in India. I am presently negotiating for this, and if we get the
opportunity, I shall spend the money here first.” (Letter to Gurukṛpa Dāsa, June 21, 1975)
In another place, you said: “We are trying to establish an International Institution in Kuru-
kshetra to teach Bhagavad Gita in practical life and inviting students from all over the world.”
(Press conference, August 17, 1976, Hyderabad)
In line with these desires, we are also working toward establishing Gita University in Kuru-
kshetra – an institution that will attract seekers from all over the world to study and live by
the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā in this sacred land. We humbly seek your blessings for this
endeavor.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us so we may continue to expand the preaching mission, always
remain aligned with your instructions and desires, and dedicate our lives to serving your mission
with sincerity and devotion.
Your servants at ISKCON Kurukshetra
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet! All glories to your Divine Grace.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this glorious and auspicious day of your divine appearance, we wish to
express our deepest gratitude to you for what has become the foundation, substance, and ultimate
goal of our lives – the opportunity to study, explore, discuss, and distribute your books.
In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.38), Kṛṣṇa says: “In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure
as transcendental knowledge.” Śrīla Prabhupāda, you transformed the spiritual sound of the
paramparā into the printed word, making it easily accessible to us. Reading your purports on the
Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Īśopaniṣad, and more than sixty other
books inspires and strengthens our faith.
By illuminating our lives with the light of knowledge, your books embody your mercy and
magnanimity. Out of deep compassion you wrote these books at night, when no one was with you
except Kṛṣṇa and His most intimate associates. You became the eastern horizon where the sun of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has risen, dispelling the darkness of Kali-yuga.
Your books are filled with the love that Lord Caitanya has brought, and they also embody the
desire of your spiritual master. Just as Śrīla Vyāsadeva compiled the Purāṇas to attract people
from all walks of life to transcendental knowledge, your books attract everyone, making the deep-
est, most elevated truths accessible. For every verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you provide an exact
Sanskrit word-for-word translation, a literary translation, and illuminating purports which, like a
lens, focus and clarify the message of the previous paramparā teachers.
Your purports are tīrthas, sacred places where the streams of the highest philosophical teach-
ings converge, allowing us to bathe daily in transcendental wisdom. Your books are bhava-
auṣadha – the medicine to cure material existence – and the catalyst for renouncing futile material
ambitions. They offer shelter and support. They are a mirror reflecting the state of our own hearts.
They are not merely representations of the ideal of life but also a source of joyful, invigorating
strength that help us move toward that ideal.
Just as the Kumāras were drawn by the fragrance of tulasī leaves from the Lord’s feet, so the
liberating fragrance of knowledge from your books gives relief from the burning miseries that
surround us. Furthermore, the pain of separation from you, as well as the suffering of material
existence, is soothed by the experience of your presence in your books.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray to you to develop a deep appreciation for your books, which are our
true friend, teacher, refuge, companion, treasure, salvation, good fortune, and solace.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.16), Sūta Gosvāmī declares:
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
We humbly hope that by serving you, a resident of the transcendental world free from any sin,
we may develop a taste for hearing the message of Vāsudeva. Your books extinguish the fever of
material life, halt the relentless march of time, and serve as both the ultimate goal and the very
essence of life itself. There is no greater joy than simply studying your books in the association of
your followers.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you mercifully outlined a structured program for studying your books, guid-
ing us toward the highest perfection of life. In your letter to Aniruddha on February 4, 1969, you
wrote: “Our theological school will regularly teach our published books, such as Bhagavad-gita As
It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Nectar of Devotion…. We wish to hold examina-
tions and award titles such as Bhakti-sastri, Bhakti-vaibhava, and Bhaktivedanta. The whole program
will continue for seven years.”
Following your desire, we have organized a course in our Academy for studying your books
according to the plan you approved. We are also actively engaged in translating your books into
Ukrainian. In your letter to Brahmānanda Dāsa on December 12, 1967, you wrote: “When one
book is published I think I have conquered an empire.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the true emperor, and we aspire to be your devoted assistants in your
most important service to your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. The publication
of each book, each volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is an eagerly awaited event not only for the
devotees of ISKCON but also for people from various backgrounds in Ukraine who long to meet
you through the pages of your books.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your books are our true wealth. They are the treasure of our hearts, the light
of our lives, our ornaments, the source of transcendental taste, and the fulfillment of all desires.
They are the essence of all teachings, and they are so potent that they awaken devotion and allow
us to see things as they truly are. Your books are, in fact, the only true shelter.
With deep gratitude,
Your servants, the devotees of the New Navadvīpa community,
Kyiv, Ukraine
