Team members of the Food For All charity were invited to meet with the Lord Mayor of the City of London William Russell, at his official residence the Mansion House, to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Equivalent to an MBE, the QAVS is the highest award given to local voluntary groups in the UK.  Food For All volunteers were told back in June that they would receive the accolade for “preparing and sharing free, hot, nutritious meals with those who would otherwise go hungry.” The prasadam distribution non-profit has delivered about 1.5 million meals to those in need...

By Narahari Rupa das, Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Head Gardiner: Although the garden staff are busy keeping Bhaktivedanta Manor gardens in top shape all year round, summer time is especially wonderful. This year in particular, it has been a real pleasure to see guests return, and enjoy walking around the gardens and finding peaceful spots to connect spiritually and chant Japa.  As the UK came out of lockdown we were able to invite our volunteers back, and we had many fun seva days, tidying up various areas around the Manor grounds. We are thankful to the wonderful members of the community who...

On Radhastami, the birth of Srimati Radharani devotees who attended the morning program both physical and online witnessed an enchanting pastime of Radha and Krishna’s loving exchange. The drama was based on Srila Raghunath dasa Goswami’s “The Pearl Pastime”. Devotees stated how they very much enjoyed the sweet pastime and got in the mood of the festival. The skit was organised by Jaya Krsna das who wants to try and make children perform on all special days in the Vaishnava calendar. As is respectful and appropriate, all of the forms of Radha and Krishna on the cakes offered on the...

50th Anniversary of George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord It is now 50 years since George Harrison’s most successful solo single, My Sweet Lord, was released in the UK. The hit was essential in popularizing the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra into the mainstream. BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Programme host, Vishva Samani, spoke to Shyamasundar Das, the devotee who first introduced the Beatles to the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness and enabled it to find a place on George Harrison’s biggest hit. From BBC Radio 4 interview: “George Harrison wanted to know the absolute, no half measures… he wanted it all,” recalls 79-year-old Shyamasundar...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases a special coin to commemorative the life of Srila Prabhupada 1st September 2021, New Delhi: The Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 125th Birth Anniversary of ISKCON’s Founder Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and released a Rs 125 Commemorative Coin in his honour via video conferencing.  Speaking in the presence of 600 ISKCON temples and devotees from more than 60 countries, Modi praised Srila Prabhupada’s tireless effort to share the teachings of Lord Krishna, Bhagavad Gita and the Indian culture with the world.  His message was screened live at Bhaktivedanta...

The Manor’ charity wing The Lotus Trust raises £185,000 to help Covid victims in India Earlier this year India experienced an enormous spike in COVID 19 cases and deaths. The Lotus Trust, the welfare arm of Bhaktivedanta Manor  has been working with the ISKCON Temple in Delhi. The money raised by Lotus trust allowed a university premise to be converted into a COVID nursing care center and provided the COVID care facilities free of cost to all comers. – Dr Sanjiv Agarwal (Sundaranand das) a consultant Urologist at Imperial College and Director of the Lotus Trust said “With donations received, they have treated about 1800 patients in over an hundreds beds and the...

At Bhaktivedanta Manor, ISKCON’s flagship centre in the UK, Srila Prabhupada’s 125th anniversary theme was: Srila Prabhupada offers enlightenment to the world through his books. For the occasion, the stage in the new Haveli was decorated with dozens of candles symbolising the light of knowledge that Srila Prabhupada brought to the world through his spiritual teachings. Throughout the morning of Vyasa Puja, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and grand disciples expressed their gratitude to him and appreciation of him. Prior to Vyasa Puja – throughout the three-day Janmashtami celebrations– Srila Prabhupada’s glories were continuously relayed by devotees speaking from the main stage....

After an absence of 14 years, the beautiful deities of Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra were ceremoniously transported from Their home in the ISKCON-London temple to Bhaktivedanta Manor. Two weeks in advance of London Ratha Yatra, thousands of devotees in the Manor community were given the invaluable opportunity to bathe Their Lordships inside the Shri Krishna Haveli. –  

Along with other faith representatives and local dignitaries, Godruma das and Radha Mohan das recited Sanskrit prayers and offered words of comfort at Norbury Primary School in Harrow.  It was part of a ceremonial unveiling of a new memorial stone erected in the school’s front lawn, in memory of the disproportionate amount of staff and parents that had sadly passed away after catching the Coronavirus.  –