Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
We offer our humble obeisances to you, at whose feet all masters sit. All glories to your extraordinary life of pure and unalloyed devotional service to Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa!
On this most auspicious occasion of your appearance in this material world, we take the opportunity to remember you and to meditate deeply on the meaning of Vyāsa-pūjā. In the early days of the Tokyo temple, in 1970, on the occasion of Vyāsa-pūjā, you instructed your disciples about the meaning of the Vyāsa-pūjā day and about serving the spiritual master in separation. You said: “You should always pray that only by the grace of the spiritual master we achieve the grace or mercy of Kṛṣṇa. This is the meaning of Vyāsa-pūjā … remain always faithful to the spiritual master and try to understand Kṛṣṇa.”
Today, we meditate on your instruction and rededicate ourselves to the service of your mission here in Athens, Ohio. We seek your blessings in order that we might carry on with our humble attempts to assist you in your work of bringing light to the people of this modern age of spiritual darkness, Kali-yuga. Your life’s example is our guiding light and our inspiration. Please guide our thoughts, words, and deeds as we continue on. Please give us the strength to take your vision of Kṛṣṇa consciousness forward and share the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā with everyone we meet, just as you did.
Out of profound compassion, on a wonderful day – May 19, 1969 – you addressed the people of Athens, Ohio, at a place called the Appalachian Lighthouse. How appropriate, as you had come to bring illumination to this remote place, located so far from the birthplace of Lord Caitanya.
Your message was simple. You spoke about the importance of chanting and what it can do for the human being: “[W]ith chanting, there is no religious or sectarian movement, only happiness. Happiness is man’s nature. It is one of man’s inherent qualities.” May the people of Athens become happy by being in contact with Kṛṣṇa and by the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa!
It has been our honor to represent you and to share your message of “Chant and be happy!” We pray that our service attempts are pleasing to you and to the entire disciplic succession.
We beg to remain your humble servants,
Ashok Gupta, professor emeritus
Prem Vilas Dāsa
Pranatakaruna Dāsa
Rāsalīlādevī Devī Dāsī (ACBSP)
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Our 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 our humble and respectful obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of your historic visit, in February–March 1975, to
the Atlanta temple (New Pānihāṭi Dhāma, a temple you personally named). Your visit was and
remains the most significant event in the history of this temple, and we are eternally indebted
to you for bestowing this blessing upon this community. We will continually strive to keep the
memory of your visit in our minds and hearts.
Your congregation here in Atlanta is ever expanding by the humble efforts of all of the devo-
tees. Recently, one devotee said that the “electricity” that he felt during your visit “is still here in
the temple room and around the temple property.”
Our strong desire here at New Paṇihāṭi Dhāma is to humbly work together to preserve the
memory of your visit and to support one another, as you stated in your third purpose of ISKCON:
“To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime
entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part
and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).” (“Seven Purposes of ISKCON”)
Our sincere prayer is that we can fulfill this purpose and, in so doing, please Your Divine
Grace. Our only desire should be to please you in all of our activities, but also personally and col-
lectively as a family of devotees.
What you bestowed upon us by visiting this temple in 1975 is the greatest blessing and sacred
responsibility any congregation of devotees could ever wish for. It is a holy responsibility because
we now have to work together to enlighten the people in this area by informing them that such a
great ācārya like you visited and blessed the greater Atlanta community.
Just as in India as well as other places sacred to the world’s many religions, people journey
for thousands of miles to see, touch, and experience the holy atmosphere of these sacred places;
we anticipate that as people become more aware of the significance of this sacred dhāma, New
Paṇihāṭi, they will come by the thousands to see the place where your holy lotus feet traversed and
hear about all of the amazing pastimes you performed during your brief stay over the course of
three and a half days. Every year at our Ratha-yātrā and Chipped Rice Festival, we set aside a few
hours before the main ārati to hear from various devotees who were here for your visit.
It is also significant that while in Vrindavan you were remembering your visit to our temple,
and you said in a lecture: “So our only request is that this simple thing: harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā … this formula of the
Vedic śāstra. And you will be surprised – I invite you to come to our different centers in Europe
and America – how they are chanting, dancing before the Deity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,
Nityānanda, or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Recently, I had been to Atlanta for the first time. But the boys and
the girls there, they have taken three big, big houses. The middle house has been transformed into
a temple. How nicely they are chanting and dancing. You will be surprised if you go.” (Lecture on
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.53, April 20, 1975, Vrindavan)
It is well known throughout ISKCON that your arrival address here is the shortest one you
have ever given. In that address you spoke about the relative difference between the mercy of
Kṛṣṇa, which is conditional, based on surrender, and the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who
makes no demands:
So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very kind. Parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana. Two Lords,
Nitāi-Gauracandra, Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, are very kind,
you see? They have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. So They are
more kind than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Kṛṣṇa
demands that first of all surrender. Caitanya Mahāprabhu even does not demand sur-
render. He is so kind. [voice choking] So take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and
be happy. Thank you very much [weeping].
These and many other of your Atlanta pastimes are forever etched into the minds and hearts of the
hundreds of devotees who were fortunate to be here for your visit.
One of your pastimes was observing the Vyāsa-pūjā of your Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti-
siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. You performed the ārati for your Guru Mahārāja and gave a beauti-
ful and instructive lecture that day. Here are a few excerpts from that historic lecture:
So now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and in the presence of my
Guru Mahārāja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahāprabhu
you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So
my Guru Mahārāja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all
benefits.
*
So you are hearing this philosophy daily. Try to understand more and more. We have
got so many books. And this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and, by disciplic
succession, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then my spiritual master. Then we are trying our
level best. Similarly, you will also try your level best on the same principle. Then it will
go on. Same principle. It doesn’t matter whether one is born in India or outside India.
No. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma, “As many
towns and cities and villages are there,” He did not say it to make a farce. He is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
*
So as far as possible, we are trying to lead you in this line, and you kindly follow.
Then your life will be successful. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
He wanted to deliver these fallen souls, the conditioned souls rotting in this material
world. So Kṛṣṇa Himself … Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa sends His devotees, Kṛṣṇa
comes as devotee – just to execute this mission to reclaim the fallen souls from the
clutches of illusory energy, material world. Thank you very much. (Lecture on the
Appearance Day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, March 2, 1975, Atlanta)
The devotees responded, “Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!”
You created a template for us to follow by performing the Vyāsa-pūjā ārati and giving the lec-
ture. Each year since your visit, for Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Vyāsa-pūjā day we
follow your example by setting up a life-size painting of your Guru Mahārāja – the same one to
which you offered ārati – and either playing the recording of the lecture you gave on that day or
reading the transcript and discussing its meaning.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees and the general congregation of the Atlanta temple have
worked together for the last fifty years to preserve the memory of your historic visit. We humbly
pray at your lotus feet that we will continue in this tradition and work together to enshrine the
memory of your visit for all future generations – not only for the Atlanta yātrā but also for devo-
tees and members worldwide.
On behalf of ISKCON Atlanta
Your servant,
Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya Dāsa
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace, the
most merciful messenger of the Lord.
Hyderabad is blessed by your stepping onto this land, transforming it into a place of pilgrim-
age, as confirmed by Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.13.10):
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
My Lord, devotees like Your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you
carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of
pilgrimage.
We are witnessing the potency of this place as a sign of your unlimited mercy, seeing how so many
souls are benefitting and taking shelter at the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Attapur has completed just four years, yet within this short span,
we have striven to fulfill your instructions – book distribution and prasādam distribution. Last
year, we also began daily nāgara-saṅkīrtana, and in doing so, we experienced your empowerment.
We can see how the fame of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava is spreading far and wide as we endeavor to
follow your three key instructions for running a temple.
Apart from this, our temple devotees engage in various outreach programs, such as:
• Engaging influential members of society – every day our devotees meet various leaders and
high-net-worth individuals in Hyderabad and inspire them to serve Their Lordships.
• Youth preaching – many devotees visit areas with large youth populations, encouraging
them to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Currently, we have four youth centers with more than
140 boys attending weekly classes.
• Bhakti-vriksha programs – congregation leaders connect with families, inspiring them to
commit to temple services.
• Traveling saṅkīrtana – in addition to our regular harināma-saṅkīrtana and book distribution,
we organize traveling saṅkīrtana three to four times a year, extending your mercy beyond
Hyderabad.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, following your instructions, we strive to make the worship of Their Lordships
very gorgeous. The enchanting darshan of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava is attracting many people.
You struggled so much to establish Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but by your mercy, we now have the
resources to facilitate our preaching – vehicles, media tools, and audiovisual equipment. However,
despite these facilities, we are incapable of achieving anything without your guidance. Therefore,
Śrīla Prabhupāda, like a crawling child dependent on its mother, we seek your direction at every
step so that we may contribute meaningfully to your movement.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you once said that you cannot think small. Our temple leader, His Grace
Sītārāma Prabhu, constantly inspires us to think big in order to please you. At ISKCON Attapur,
we have started implementing all the activities and festivals prescribed by you, attracting thou-
sands of participants – further testimony to your being an empowered ācārya.
During festivals, ISKCON Attapur draws so many devotees that our current temple hall can
no longer accommodate them. Therefore we have recently begun our temple extension project to
make the Lord’s mercy accessible to even more people.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bestow your causeless mercy upon us so that we, the devotees of
ISKCON Attapur, may continue serving to the best of our capacity, without deviation from the
uncompromising principles.
Your servants,
Caitanya Avatāra Dāsa and the devotees at ISKCON Attapur
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to your lotus feet.
Lord Caitanya said,
yadi pāpi chāḍi dharma dūre deśe yāya
mora senāpati-bhakta yāibe tathāya
If some sinful people escape and, giving up religious principles, go to far-off countries, then my senāpati-bhakta (military commander) will come at that time to give them Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is clearly evident that you are that senāpati-bhakta, the military commander of Lord Caitanya, spreading the Lord’s saṅkīrtana mission to every nook and corner of the world.
Your purity attracted millions of people. Your love bound them to your lotus feet. Your transcendental teachings purified their hearts and the divine prasādam and holy name smashed their illusions. The Kṛṣṇa conscious lifestyle you taught us has actually made us become human and give up our animal way of living.
The greatest blessing on this planet earth is that one is able to know and worship Lord Kṛṣṇa in all parts of the world, just because of your divine compassion on fallen souls.
At ISKCON Attapur we are trying to put forth our best efforts to serve the Deities, care for the devotees’ physical, mental, and spiritual health, perform regular harināmas and book distribution, preach to the youth and our congregation, and more.
We are trying to cultivate the elite people of Hyderabad, like businessmen, celebrities, government officials, and others, inviting them to temple festivals, involving them in some kind of service to Their Lordships. It is so happy to see that how they really appreciate ISKCON’s efforts to spread peace, love, and devotion, as guided by Your Divine Grace.
It is our pleasure to bring to your kind notice that by your blessings, ISKCON Attapur secured first place in the outpost category for the 2025 book distribution marathon, with 113,342 book points. Also, we distributed more than 7 lakhs packets of prasādam over the past one year. Hundreds of youth are attending regular classes and chanting and performing other services. At Sircilla Farm, which is being managed by the devotees of ISKCON Attapur, a beautiful temple and farm project is gradually manifesting and will showcase an ideal Kṛṣṇa conscious lifestyle.
On this auspicious occasion of your divine appearance day, we devotees at ISKCON Attapur would like to beg at your lotus feet to bless us with increased spiritual energy and enthusiasm to do more wonderful services for your great mission.
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Attapur
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Our dearest 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
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this year marks the auspicious 129th anniversary of your holy appearance day,
and we, at ISKCON Auckland, your disciples and granddisciples, are bowing down at your lotus
feet to offer you our most humble obeisances! Kindly bless us as we attempt to glorify you to the
best of our ability!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the embodiment of eloquence, style, and finesse. Your profound
concern for the condition of the fallen souls is what drove you to save us. Your every action and
instruction were an act of love and ultimately meant for our own benefit.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by the mercy and blessing of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī, ISKCON Auckland is
now fifty-five years old. The congregation members here in Auckland are more and more enthusi-
astic to be engaged in devotional services, serving your mission of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness
in many towns and cities in New Zealand.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Auckland continues its best effort to perfection in regular activi-
ties. These activities include, among others:
Hare Krishna School: By your mercy, the Hare Krishna School continues to grow as a center for
Kṛṣṇa conscious education. This year, we have taken significant steps to strengthen both the spiri-
tual and academic foundation of our students. We opened a new classroom block to support our
high school program, enabling students to earn their National Certificate of Educational Achieve-
ment while remaining in a devotional environment. Our teaching staff has expanded, allowing us
to deepen our delivery of both secular and śāstric education.
A particularly significant milestone has been the integration of our śāstra curriculum with the
NCEA Level 1 Religious Studies course, meaning that students are now using your transcendental
books as the foundation for earning state qualifications. Additionally, we have introduced San-
skrit education across years 1 through 8, ensuring that students can access our sacred texts in their
original language from an early age.
With your blessings, we are now preparing for further expansion. We have submitted a change
of class application to the Ministry of Education to extend our enrollment to years 11 through 13,
allowing our students to complete their secondary education in a Kṛṣṇa conscious environment.
To facilitate this growth, we are also planning for three new classrooms and a library. We pray for
your continued guidance and mercy as we strive to realize these goals in service to your mission,
ensuring that future generations develop both academic excellence and deep, unwavering devo-
tion to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī.
RISE (Rupanuga Institute of Spiritual Education): RISE was founded as an educational institute
under ISKCON Auckland in 2017. Over five hundred devotees have participated in our courses,
seminars, and workshops to date. Over one hundred devotees have enrolled for the Bhakti-śāstri
course in three batches; so far, twenty-five devotees have graduated successfully.
The RISE graduation ceremony takes place as an offering to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on your
appearance day each year.
RISE has conducted four IDC courses, three retreats, two workshops, and three seminars.
Many visiting Vaiṣṇavas, such as His Holiness Devamrita Swami, His Holiness Rāmāi Swami, His
Holiness Subhag Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Mukunda Swami, His Grace Praṇeśvara Dāsa, His
Grace Devakīnandana Dāsa, His Grace Amarendra Dāsa, and His Grace Caitanya Caraṇa Dāsa
have also provided their valuable insights to the students.
The fourth batch of the Bhakti-śāstrī course (online and offline) commences in April 2025, just
after Rāma-navamī.
The Bhakti-vaibhava course also commences after Janmāṣṭamī this year. Thank you, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, for gifting us this eternal knowledge and enriching our spiritual lives. Diving deep
into these spiritual books gives us so much spiritual nourishment.
Book distribution: Knowing how dear book distribution is to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we at
ISKCON Auckland endeavor to make this important activity prominent.
We participated in the BBT’s Bhadra Pūrṇimā and Live to Give campaigns. We display books
at all our major programs and at the Sunday feast, and we have an honesty book table always
available in our reception area so that anyone visiting will have an opportunity to purchase your
books and thus gain your association.
Also, outside the temple we have seen our śāstra-dāna program strengthened. We have had
more people in correctional facilities contact us through the chaplains, who are asking for Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam sets, and the chaplains are also taking initiative to contact us, saying they’ve finished
their stocks of the Bhagavad-gītā and please send more because the prisoners are asking for them.
In our ongoing Motel Gita mission, we have seen moteliers who have never seen or heard
of the Bhagavad-gītā holding them to their hearts with tears in their eyes, saying this is precious
knowledge and placing Gītās in all their rooms.
We are pleased to report, by your mercy, that since your last Vyāsa-pūjā, we have distributed:
• 58 full sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta
• 1,796 Bhagavad-gītās
• 2,304 other titles
That’s over 5,000 individual books. Please empower us that we may continue and expand this
service to you.
Ratha-yātrās: Once again, last year, mid-November till mid-December, ISKCON Auckland trav-
eled to the various suburbs of Auckland and conducted Ratha-yātrās. Altogether we performed
eleven Ratha-yātrās within a month, as we took the opportunity of Christmas parades. Thousands
of curious people line up to see their Lordships Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā sitting on
the beautiful chariot. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for allowing your mercy on so many lost
souls who, just by taking the Lord’s darshan get so much spiritual benefit.
Harināmas: Our harināmas have expanded, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We have a new location in West
Auckland, and our congregation is out doing harināma fortnightly on Thursdays. In South Auck-
land, we do Saturday harināmas weekly, going to different suburbs. Each Friday we do harināma
in Auckland City – this has been happening for more than fifty years. Please continue to shower
your mercy so that we can be steady in this wonderful service to Lord Caitanya.
Prasāda distribution: We go to Auckland City every other Friday. We go to South Auckland
every other Saturday. Many people look forward to our coming and line up to relish the mercy of
the Lord, which you made accessible to all regardless of the religion or faith they follow.
We also hold a food festival once a year. Many thousands of people attend our food festival
and get to relish many varieties of restaurant-style prasāda.
Krishna Holi: Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Krishna Holi is our mega preaching event. We target those
audiences that would never come to the temple. It was a great pleasure for ISKCON Auckland
to serve the thousands of visitors to New Varṣāṇa, but the icing on the cake was to welcome the
Honorable Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Right Honorable Christopher Luxon, to the great
festival of colors. The Prime Minister, accompanied by the Minister of Police and a few local
members of parliament and other dignitaries, also relished the vibrant cultural affair. Temple
president Kālasamvara Dāsa warmly received the Prime Minister and dignitaries into the temple.
They had darshan of the Deities and, following an inspiring explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
and ISKCON’s origins, had the pleasure of garlanding Śrīla Prabhupāda.
The Prime Minister then made his way to the main outdoor stage, where the cheers of thou-
sands greeted him. To the delight of festivalgoers, Prime Minister Luxon released a cannon full
of vibrant Holi powder over the excited crowd – a moment that quickly went viral, amassing over
15.5 million views on Instagram. The dignitaries were then escorted to our small prasādam hall,
where devotees served them a sumptuous, delicious lunch.
Before leaving the event, each was gifted a set of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books! All glories to you,
Śrīla Prabhupāda. This was only possible by your mercy!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please shower your mercy on us so we can continue to host this grand event
and infuse Kṛṣṇa consciousness into those souls.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please always keep us under the protection of your wing. Please give us
strength so we can, on your behalf, as caretakers of ISKCON Auckland, take this huge responsi-
bility to serve and expand your mission. Your mercy acts in mysterious ways. Please give us the
enthusiasm not to waver when faced with challenging situations, but give us faith that you are
always with us, guiding us, overseeing us, and blessing us so we can realize that you are our com-
mander in charge, and we are your menial soldiers.
Begging to remain always and eternally in the shelter of your lotus feet,
Your servants at ISKCON Auckland
Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026
Our dearest 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
Though there is no way that we can fully express our gratitude to you because it is so enormous that we cannot even see the amount of it ourselves, we, your disciples and granddisciples at ISKCON Auckland, bow down at your lotus feet to offer you our most humble obeisances! Kindly bless us as we attempt to glorify you to the best of our ability!
A very happy 130th appearance day, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. 130 years ago, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave a very valuable gift to humanity – you, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have changed the landscape of this material world by your wonderful preaching activities. You extended the mercy of Lord Caitanya all over the world. What you achieved in a few short years of your mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness around the world cannot be imagined. You gave us eternal life, community, family, real knowledge, shelter, culture, a true sense of belonging, leadership, integrity, plus your secret weapon to get all of us hooked, the world’s best cuisine, prasādam!
This movement has given immense happiness and bliss. It has given a genuine purpose to our lives. The knowledge we gained from you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is pure and meaningful. We at ISKCON Auckland are truly indebted for that.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, only because of your mercy and blessings, we got our Lord Jagannātha’s Exhibition, which consists of the backdrop, wheel, and column directly from Lord Jagannātha’s ratha in Jagannath Puri Dhāma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Rupanuga Institute of Spiritual Education (RISE) continues to be a thriving hub for spiritual learning, serving over six hundred devotees and guests. The Institute has conducted four batches of the Bhakti Śāstrī course, which has seen thirty-seven graduates so far, over a hundred attendees, and the certification of eleven teachers through the Mayapur Institute. The Bhakti Vaibhava course currently has sixteen students. RISE has also facilitated six batches of the ISKCON Disciple Course, with more than eighty devotees attending, conducted specialized chanting workshops, hosted three major outreach seminars that engaged over four hundred people, and offered Career Dharma coaching to fifteen devotees. Beyond these core programs, RISE serves as a vital support system for four local bhakti-vṛkṣa groups, assisting prospective teachers and bhakti-vṛkṣa leaders. Last year, the RISE facilitator was appointed by the ISKCON Ministry of Education to serve as the Regional Coordinator for reporting educational activities in New Zealand. This whole progress is only possible by your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, distributing your books at ISKCON Auckland is a deeply enlivening service, and we have experienced many inspiring moments over the past year. Our book table provides a valuable opportunity to develop relationships with those visiting the temple, particularly during the Sunday Feast program. Many guests have deeply moving experiences during the ārati, class, and kirtan – sometimes even to the point of these programs evoking tears. Afterward, they often approach the book table to share their experiences and seek guidance on the next steps in their spiritual journey.
We are also fortunate to work alongside the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, participating in the distribution of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets during Bhadra Pūrṇimā and Bhagavad-gītā As It Is during the Live to Give campaign. We humbly pray for your empowerment in carrying forward this important mission.
In addition to steady book distribution within the temple, through our śāstra-dhana and Motel Gita initiatives, we are striving to distribute your books to every town and village throughout New Zealand. This is an inspiring and dynamic service, and we can only imagine how far your words may travel through these transcendental literatures.
We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you in this way and are pleased to report that, by your mercy, during the past year we distributed:
- 48 full sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta
- 1,565 copies of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is
- 1,669 other titles
This amounts to over 4,000 individual books distributed.
We humbly pray to continue serving in this mission and assisting in the distribution of your transcendental books for the benefit of all.
The Hare Krishna School presently has 206 students enrolled across years 1 through 12, with continued steady growth in our roll. We are grateful to be serving the community of Vaiṣṇava families, faithful Hindu households, and others who are developing an appreciation for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By your mercy, the school is now officially recognized and funded by the Ministry of Education as a full Years 1–13 school. This is a significant milestone, as it enables our students to complete their entire schooling journey, including their secondary qualifications, within a Kṛṣṇa conscious environment. We now have subject specialist teachers across years 7–12, strengthening the quality of teaching and learning in each area. We are the only school in New Zealand offering Kṛṣṇa consciousness as a dedicated Religious Studies subject at the high school level.
Our śāstra curriculum continues to develop steadily, supporting students’ understanding of kṛṣṇa-bhakti knowledge and practices. The daily program includes kirtan, ārati, japa, śloka recitation, and regular study of your books. In addition, our year 7–10 students study śāstra as a dedicated subject, with four classes each week on their formal timetable. Through this, we are endeavoring to systematically nurture Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the hearts of our students. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for engaging us in nurturing young hearts to a spiritual awakening.
We are pleased to announce the inauguration of a new center in South Auckland named the Vedic Education and Cultural Center. This center has been established with the sole purpose of sharing spiritual knowledge and uplifting the community.
Every Sunday evening, we host a Sunday Feast program to support the spiritual needs of people in that region. Alongside this, we run engaging children’s programs concurrently, creating a welcoming space for families. The response has been very encouraging, and we attribute this success to your blessings and continued mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We humbly seek your guidance in sustaining and growing this spiritual endeavor. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
We continue to conduct our weekly and fortnightly harināma programs. Every Friday evening, we gather in central Auckland, and every fortnight, we extend these gatherings to West and South Auckland, sharing the mercy of Lord Caitanya through devotional chanting.
In addition, prasādam distribution takes place fortnightly in both Auckland City and South Auckland. This initiative has become increasingly popular among locals and serves as a meaningful way to connect with the wider community.
We also remain committed to organizing our annual Ratha-yātrā festivals, hosting more than ten events during the festival season, including participation in Christmas parades. These occasions are always met with great enthusiasm, as audiences eagerly look forward to our vibrant chanting and dancing, while also inquisitively embracing the opportunity to take darshan of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we at ISKCON Auckland are unable to fully express our gratitude for all that you have given and done for us – it is truly impossible to repay you. Therefore we remain forever indebted and deeply grateful for your unfathomable compassion and mercy. The only way we can hope to please you is by embracing and continuing your mission as the very heart and soul of our lives. Kindly bless us with the strength and sincerity to become worthy instruments in spreading the glories of your divine mission.
Begging to always remain at the shelter of your lotus feet – our savior,
Your servants at ISKCON Auckland
