Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga.
The year 2026 is a great festival for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. It’s the sixtieth anniversary of Your Divine Grace establishing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Over these last sixty years, a great flood of devotion to Kṛṣṇa has inundated the entire world. Every small corner of the planet has been affected. A testimony to this fact is the endeavors of the servants of your servants in Norway. Although the country of Norway did not receive the fortune of your physical presence, your devoted followers traveled here in the seventies to spread the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. According to all accounts, they were very successful, and the seed of bhakti was planted in the heart of the nation. Then, in the early eighties, a devotee couple turned their home into a temple and thereby started the first center for Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Bergen, a city on the weather-torn west coast. After some years, a flourishing community of devotees moved their efforts to the capital, Oslo, and through the years Oslo has been the heartbeat of ISKCON Norway.
Today, a new generation of devotees still sustain themselves on this great heritage. For the twentieth year in a row, we will be celebrating the Ratha-yātrā chariot festival. Furthermore, the vibration of the holy names of Kṛṣṇa continue to linger in the air after the local devotees celebrated their annual festival, Scandinama, where they take the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa into the streets of the capital during the national celebration of the constitution.
A team of inspired householders, together with a growing congregation, maintain a small center in Oslo, where Śrī Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā reside, and here your Sunday love feast programs, together with Saturday night kirtans and morning readings of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are attended weekly by a happy crowd of locals. More recently, in the 2020s, a handful of brahmacārīs returned to Bergen to reclaim the west coast in your honor, and they have now opened a beautiful temple in a scenic part of that city, where curious Bergensians and aspiring devotees now regularly visit to receive the mercy of Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gauracandra.
Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is our hope that you will somehow be pleased with our efforts here in Norway. Your books are being distributed, and we know that this particular service is very dear to you. Following your order, the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā is now translated into Norwegian, and the reigning monarch, King Harald, has even received a copy with appreciation.
Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we beg you to please bless our tiny endeavors so that we might be made able to continue spreading the saṅkīrtana movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu here in Norway. You have so kindly given us this ISKCON society, and this small branch in this faraway Arctic Circle land is flourishing by your grace. Our only desire is to make your books and teachings more and more appealing to the local Norwegians. Please be kind and grace us with your mercy to continue this great task.
The servants of your servants at the Norwegian yātrās, offering obeisances at your lotus feet
Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to your divine personality!
On this, the most solemn day of your appearance, please accept our offering from the Vaiṣṇava communities in and around the city of Novorossiysk. All activities of the community are carried out only by Your Divine Grace!
In your temples, the worship of the Deities continues according to the accepted standards of ISKCON. One temple is located in the city of Novorossiysk, the temple of New Navadvīpa Dhāma with the Deities Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Śacīnandana, and the second temple is in the Vaiṣṇava settlement of Varṣānā with Śrī Pañca-tattva and Śrī Śrī Jagannātha-Baladeva-Subhadrā.
We regularly conduct programs in both temples – worship of the Deities according to ISKCON standards, daily classes on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Sunday programs, festivals, kirtan melās and weekly chanting of the holy name. Harināmas are held once a week in four places of the large communities in different localities (Anapa, Gelendzhik, Varshana, Novorossiysk).
We distribute books daily and regularly conduct weekend saṅkīrtana. Our achievements in book distribution:
- Third place in the region, in the marathon
- Seventheen place in Russia, in the marathon
- Eighteenth place in Russia, for the year
There are some preaching programs – mantra-yoga, preaching lectures, preaching on social media, and on the YouTube channel, “Hare Krishna in Russia”. Around fifty new people joined this year. There is a program for caring for devotees, a mentoring system, and a curator system.
Our community has governing councils for each group, including spiritual councils of mentors and senior devotees, as well as management councils. Leadership meetings are held regularly. The following committees have been established:
- Preaching committee
- Family committee
- Parenting committee
Our community also has small groups for spiritual communication:
- Nāma-haṭṭas – thirteen groups
- Bhakti-vṛkṣas – three groups
- Mentoring saṅgas – five groups
- Women’s saṅga – eight groups
- Men’s saṅga – four groups
We offer educational programs to prepare devotees for praṇāma and initiation, as well as the following courses and trainings:
- ISKCON Student
- Bhakti-śāstri
- Bhakti-praveśa
- Bhakti-latā
- Leadership training
- Thematic seminars
- Hare Kṛṣṇa course
- Deity worship courses
- Reflection on Prabhupāda’s Mission
- Music education at the Kīrtana School
- Cooking courses
Senior ISKCON Vaiṣṇavas regularly visit our community. The Care and Protection of Children program is in operation. Temples have special rooms for children and their programs. And we plan to open Sunday schools in the temples. Sports and children’s playgrounds have been set up.
The Vaiṣṇavī eco-village, Varṣānā has the following facilities:
- Educational school for children
- Gurukula
- Kindergarten for preschool children
- Tourist club
- Various clubs and electives
- Philosophical online education for children, Our Roots.
- Teaching children kirtan and playing musical instruments
- Organizing leisure activities and children’s programs
- Organizing summer camps for children
- Acting school
- Indian dance studio
- Organizing children’s nāma-haṭṭa
In our community, we carry out the following social projects:
- Food for Life in four settlements.
- In Novorossiysk we successfully held a photo exhibition of the organization’s activities. We also plan to hold in other nearby cities.
- Take part in city holidays: Day of the village, May 9, Maslenitsa, etc.
- Maintaining social ties in the city: we develop relations and congratulate officials on holidays. We participate in the social life of the city (subbotniks, etc.).
- The international group of modern Indian dance “Anandaloka”, consisting of Vaiṣṇavīs, holds performances to the sound of the holy name.
- Cooperation with social care, support for the poor
Developments at the Vaiṣṇava settlement, Varshana:
- Made guest rooms in the temple
- New roads are filled
- New lines of communications are laid
- A new well for the community’s water supply is launched
- Night lighting of the streets is installed
- The temple has purchased new furniture for the guest room, the altar room, and the pūjā room
- The temple grounds have been improved
- Trees have been planted
- We plan to create a park area on the lake shore
- The Devāmṛta altar-making workshop is operating
- The Sundarī project for making kaṇṭhi-mālā is also active
- Sports and children’s playgrounds have been set up
- Fire hydrants have been installed
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, all our development and activities can only take place with your blessings! We are very much appreciative and sincerely grateful to you for creating ISKCON for us, a place and a community of people where we can peacefully practice our spiritual life and follow your mission of helping others.
We try to follow your instructions and the goals you have set for us, your followers and your śikṣā disciples. We feel your divine presence every day, otherwise we would not have achieved what we have.
Please allow us to continue serving under your guidance and supervision, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. You are very dear to us, and we want to please you with our service. Please bless us so that our efforts will not be in vain and we will never stray from the path you have shown us.
ISKCON Novorossiysk
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to you!
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we bow our heads in deep gratitude for
your boundless mercy, which continues to illuminate the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Oakville.
By your divine vision, we strive to serve as humble instruments in your glorious mission.
With your blessings, ISKCON Oakville continues to flourish. Our weekly gatherings have
remained steady, with about fifty devotees coming together every Sunday to chant, hear, and
serve in devotion. The sacred atmosphere resonates with your timeless wisdom, uplifting both
newcomers and committed practitioners alike. Through these gatherings, new devotees are
becoming more serious about their spiritual progress, engaging in sādhana and service with
greater sincerity.
By your mercy, we have also expanded our preaching efforts. This year, we are excited to hold
our second outdoor Ratha-yātrā at Bronte Lakeshore Park, where Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva,
and Subhadrā Mahārāṇī will again grace the streets, showering their mercy on countless souls.
This festival, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, is our humble offering to you, a small effort to carry forward
the grand tradition of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to all.
Each week, our Sunday program unfolds as a beautiful tapestry of devotion:
• We begin with your ārati and a lively kīrtana, invoking the presence of the Lord.
• A family offers two verses from the Bhagavad-gītā, sharing realizations from your divine
teachings.
• We immerse ourselves in the nectar of your instructions, drawing wisdom from your books,
letters, and lectures.
• Vedic discourse and guest speakers inspire deeper understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
• As we conclude with joyous kīrtana and prasādam, we relish the divine taste of both spiritual
sound and sanctified food.
Our Sunday school continues to blossom, engaging young aspirants in learning Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness through kīrtana, dramas, and scriptural teachings. With your blessings, these children are
growing in devotion, laying the foundation for a bright future in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, despite our limitations and imperfections, we strive to uphold your mission,
relying on your mercy to overcome obstacles. Please bless us with unwavering enthusiasm, humil-
ity, and strength to serve you with sincerity. Let ISKCON Oakville be a place where your vision
manifests, where lost souls find shelter at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, and where your transcendental
books become the guiding light for all.
With deep reverence and unwavering devotion, we remain your humble servants, praying to
walk in your divine footsteps.
Your aspiring servants,
The devotees of ISKCON Oakville
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On this sacred day of your appearance, we, the devotees of ISKCON Oakville, offer our heartfelt gratitude for your causeless mercy. It is only by your compassion that a small community like ours has any connection at all to Kṛṣṇa, His holy name, and His service.
This past year has been one of steady and meaningful progress. By your blessings, our weekly Sunday gatherings continue with consistency, bringing together a sincere group of devotees eager to hear, chant, and serve. While the numbers may appear modest, the depth of commitment is growing, and this gives us great hope. We are especially encouraged to see more devotees taking up the serious practice of chanting sixteen rounds, gradually shaping their lives around your instructions.
By your divine arrangement, we were most fortunate to welcome a beautiful twelve-inch pañca-dhātu Lord Narasiṁha Deity at our center. His presence has deepened the devotional mood of our community, reminding us daily of the shelter and protection available to those who take refuge in the Lord. We pray to serve Him in a way that pleases you, knowing that without your mercy, we have no qualification.
We are also preparing for our third annual Ratha-yātrā at Bronte Lakeshore Park. It will be held on July 4. What began as a hopeful attempt has now become a growing offering to your mission. We humbly pray for your blessings that this year’s festival may be successful – not in material terms, but in its ability to touch hearts, awaken devotion, and connect souls to Kṛṣṇa through the chanting of His holy names.
Our Sunday programs, youth engagement, and festival celebrations continue steadily, sustained by your teachings and the association of devotees. We see more individuals moving from casual participation to genuine commitment, and we recognize this transformation as your direct mercy working through your instructions and books.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are deeply aware of our shortcomings – our lack of purity, consistency, and realization. Yet, we take shelter in your assurance that even a small, sincere effort in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never lost. Please continue to guide us from within and without, so that we may remain steady, humble, and united in your service.
Kindly bless us that ISKCON Oakville may always remain an instrument of your compassion – a place where your teachings are lived, where the holy name is chanted sincerely, and where conditioned souls find a path back to Kṛṣṇa.
We pray for the strength to serve you cooperatively, without pride or distraction, and to contribute, however insignificantly, to your grand mission.
With deep gratitude and devotion,
Your aspiring servants,
The devotees of ISKCON Oakville
Europe & Russia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
We bow to the shining dust from your lotus feet, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Jaya oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aşṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Mahārāja Prabhupāda kī jaya!
We express our deepest respects to you and pray that we may please you by following your instructions and serving your mission.
You have come to this misery-filled material world to bestow the supreme mercy of pure devotional service to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This grace is the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which liberates the world from the philosophy of impersonalism and emptiness. The world is sick, and numerous conflicts are arising both at the level of countries and the level of people – terrible wars and violence, diseases, mental abnormalities, earthquakes, fires, droughts, and floods. When you came to this world, you brought the only remedy: the reunion with one’s true self as a loving servant of the Lord. This is the only way to extinguish the fire of material existence.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you bestowed on us the purest knowledge and the eternal mercy of the ācāryas. You placed the responsibility on your sincere followers to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in modern society. The task is difficult and impossible on a material level. In your books, talks, and lectures, we hear your insistence, guidance, and power as you encourage your followers to be serious and sincere in their spiritual lives. You provide the conviction that the almighty Absolute Truth, the source of all existence, and the source of all love, always reciprocates the devotion of His servants.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your divine grace we have the opportunity to serve the first and incomparable Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda in Russia. This is your grace, as is the grace of the first Omsk Deities, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. Thirty or forty years ago, none of us could have imagined that we would ever be able to serve the source of all existence.
Now, our temple complex in the city center occupies an area of 250 square meters. The total area of the premises is 1,700 square meters, and more than 280 devotees are engaged in the worship of the Lord.
Lord Śrī Govinda gives joy to the earth, cows, and senses. For the satisfaction of the Lord, you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, have established the Cow Planet Farm, which is now home to more than two hundred happy cows. The supreme spiritual abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described as consisting of two main aspects, manifested in the spiritual world as the Audārya-dhāma (abode of mercy) and the Mādhurya-dhāma (abode of sweet love). This place is akin to the Audārya-dhāma, as it is ruled by the beautiful Pañca-tattva.
We conduct the following preaching programs:
- Harināmas are held twice a week for two hours
- Once a week, devotees participate in weekend saṅkīrtana
- There are weekly meetings in twelve spiritual communication groups
- There are programs for those who are just beginning to learn the spiritual science, such as Reading the Bhagavad-gītā, Sunday Yoga, and Yoga in the City Parks.
- On Sundays, the temple hosts a Sunday Program.
- Every two months, devotees organize mantra concerts.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you gave us the resources and methods to achieve ISKCON’s goals: to preach the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as described in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; to spread and encourage the saṅkīrtana movement, which involves chanting the holy name of the Lord together and following the instructions of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, and books; and to prepare delicious food for the Lord and distribute it to the people.
We can never fully thank you for the invaluable gift you bestowed on us. To fulfill your instructions and achieve these goals, you gave us everything we need. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your servants,
The devotees of ISKCON Omsk
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to your glorious mission of spreading harināma-saṅkīrtana all over the world, which is the only means by which one can attain pure love of Godhead.
In the Caitanya-maṅgala (Sūtra-khaṇḍa, song 12, verses 562–65), Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
ebe nāma-saṅkīrtana tikṣṇa-khaḍga laiyā
antara asura jīvera phelibe kāṭiyā
yadi pāpi chāḍi dharma dūre deśe yāya
mora senāpati-bhakta yāibe tathāya
Taking the sharp sword of nāma-saṅkīrtana, I will root out and destroy the demoniac mentality in the hearts of all the conditioned souls. And if some sinful people escape, giving up dharma and going to far-off countries, My senāpati-bhakta will go there to deliver them.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are that senāpati-bhakta, the divine commander of Lord Caitanya’s army, who has fearlessly spread the holy name of Kṛṣṇa across the globe. Your tireless efforts to establish ISKCON, to give the world the mercy of the holy name, and to deliver the souls entrapped in ignorance have inspired millions and will inspire millions more in the years to come. Through your books, your disciples, and your personal example, you have fulfilled this glorious prophecy of Lord Caitanya.
As Lord Caitanya Himself foretold, His senāpati-bhakta would go wherever necessary to deliver the conditioned souls. You went to the distant lands of the West, where the most fallen souls were immersed in materialism, and revived the great tradition of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You took the sharp sword of nāma-saṅkīrtana and by its power chopped out the misconceptions and material desires from the hearts of countless souls.
It is through your direct instructions and personal example that we, the devotees of ISKCON Ottawa, Ontario, continue to engage in the mission you so expertly guided us toward. In your own words, the secret of success in spiritual life is satisfying the spiritual master and thereby getting his sincere blessings; by not satisfying him, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We know that the perfection of our lives lies in satisfying you and fulfilling the mission you started with your purity and grace. Following in your footsteps, ISKCON Ottawa endeavors to uphold your teachings by spreading the holy name, performing service, and expanding the loving outreach to our community.
Every Sunday, we host a Love Feast, a celebration of love for our beloved Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, where we welcome guests from all walks of life to take in prasādam and connect with the holy name. As you instructed us in your purport to Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 9.50, “In every center of our institution, ISKCON, we have arranged for a love feast every Sunday, and when we actually see people come to our center, chant, dance, take prasādam, become jubilant and purchase books, we know that certainly Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always present in such transcendental activities and He is very pleased and satisfied.”
In this humble offering, we strive to create a community where everyone can feel the warmth of the holy name, the love of Kṛṣṇa, and the harmony of service to you.
Each month, we gather for a Monthly Saṅkīrtana Festival, where devotees go out onto the streets and door to door, distributing books and prasādam, and sharing the mercy of the holy name with anyone willing to listen. You have constantly reminded us that this saṅkīrtana movement is our most important program, and by chanting the holy name, the consciousness of the world can be revived. We are humbled and honored to follow your instruction and attempt to share this sacred gift with the world.
On Friday evenings, we host a vibrant kirtan event that has become a beacon of joy, where devotees connect with newcomers, students, and the wider community. You stated, “The Lord’s holy name is called śravana-maṅgala. This means that one receives everything auspicious simply by hearing the holy name.” (Bhāgavatam 2.7.15, purport). Every week we are blessed to see the transformation in the hearts of those who come to hear the sacred sound vibrations of the holy name. Through kirtan we connect with the divine and one another, just as you envisioned.
We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the installation of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, a beautiful milestone in the history of ISKCON Ottawa. We are eternally grateful to you for bringing these divine forms to our lives and for inspiring us to always serve with love and enthusiasm. You said, “Without the mercy of Nitāi-Gaura, there is no way to come out of this dark well of ignorance.” (Bhāgavatam 7.15.46, purport). It is by the mercy of Your Divine Grace that we are able to serve Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi in this special year and in the many years to come.
You emphasized that hearing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees is considered the most important process of hearing. Our morning Bhāgavatam classes on Zoom allow us to stay connected to devotees worldwide. Utilizing technology in Kṛṣṇa’s service, just as you instructed us, we have also established social media platforms and websites to further broadcast the glories of the holy name and your mission. You emphasized the value of yukta-vairāgya: “everything can be used to the extent that it can be engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service.” By your mercy, we are able to reach countless souls and discuss the valuable Bhaktivedanta purports as a community.
You also emphasized training children, the future of the movement, in these codes of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every week we hold children’s classes where we teach the young ones the eternal wisdom of the Vedic scriptures, ensuring that they grow up with the values you instilled in us. With the wonderful stories and explanations, you have eloquently described, we are attempting to nurture them to become devotees who will carry on your legacy.
You once said: “Observe many festivals, that will keep both public and devotees alive. Temple means festivals and Festivals means chanting and distribution of Prasadam.” (Letter to Tamal Krishna, 8 August 1973). By your mercy, we are able to organize festivals and serve prasādam to thousands. Each year we host more than thirty festivals, providing about 2,500 meals per festival to the local community. The Ratha-yātrā festival is one of the highlights of our year, where we unite the community for the Lord’s divine procession with joyous singing and dancing. We are inspired by your words: “Taking part in these festivals means a step forward for our self-realization. Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate. Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.” (Ratha-yātrā address, London, 16 July 1972)
O Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, O personified mercy-shower of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates! O Śrīla Prabhupāda, we simply pray that you please accept our humble offerings of service and allow us to continue spreading the light of the holy name, following your instructions and example. We are your humble servants, and we beg for the strength to never deviate from the path you set before us.
We are forever indebted to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and we offer our prayers for your continued blessings on ISKCON Ottawa and all your followers around the world. Jaya jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!
With eternal gratitude,
Your insignificant servants
(written by Gopālānanda Dāsa)
