Srila Prabhupada says -
"
This Krsna culture has so many festivals. We could have one every day. In spiritual world, every day is a festival."
SRI KRISHNA JANAMASHTAMI
Sri Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated as the transcendental appearance day of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He mercifully descends to this material world from His eternal abode to reclaim His devotees, annihilate miscreants, and re-establish the principles of dharma. This glorious festival allows us to meditate on His divine pastimes, deepen our devotion, and celebrate the endless love and mercy He bestows upon all living entities.
SRI RADHASHTAMI
Radha Ashtami marks the appearance day of Srimati Radharani, the eternal consort and pleasure potency (Hladini Shakti) of Lord Sri Krishna. For ISKCON devotees, this is a supremely important festival. Srimati Radharani embodies the highest love for Krishna and is considered the perfect devotee. It’s understood that to attain Krishna’s mercy, one must first receive Her grace.
SHARAD PURNIMA
Sharad Purnima, also known as Rasa Purnima, falls on Monday, October 6th, 2025. This sacred full moon night commemorates Lord Sri Krishna’s transcendental Maha-Rasa Lila with the Gopis in Vrindavan, symbolizing divine love. Devotees offer kheer exposed to the moonlight, believing it becomes nectar. ISKCON temples celebrate with vibrant kirtans and discourses, marking the auspicious start of Kartik.
DAMODAR MONTH
The Kartik Festival, also known as Damodara Month or Urja Vrata, is considered the most auspicious and holy month in the Vaishnava calendar. This period is exceptionally dear to Lord Krishna, particularly in His childhood form as Damodara, symbolizing how He allows Himself to be bound by the pure love of His devotees, as seen in the pastime with Mother Yashoda. During Kartik, ISKCON devotees intensify their spiritual practices, primarily by daily offering ghee lamps to Lord Damodara while singing the Damodarastakam prayers, along with increased chanting, scripture reading, and personal austerities, all aimed at receiving immense spiritual merit and deepening their loving relationship with the Lord.
GOVARDHAN PUJA
Govardhan Puja, is a beloved ISKCON festival commemorating Lord Sri Krishna’s miraculous pastime of lifting Govardhan Hill. This divine act protected the residents of Vrindavan from the torrential wrath of King Indra, showcasing Krishna’s supreme power and emphasizing the importance of taking direct shelter of the Supreme Lord. In ISKCON temples worldwide, the festival is joyously observed as Annakut, where devotees lovingly prepare and arrange hundreds of vegetarian dishes to form a replica of Govardhan Hill, offering this “mountain of food” to Sri Sri Radha Krishna, performing cow worship, and engaging in ecstatic kirtans before distributing the sacred prasadam to all.
PUSHYA ABHISHEK
Pushya Abhishek is a joyous and visually stunning festival in ISKCON, typically celebrated in the winter months (around January/February), where the Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are bathed in a magnificent shower of thousands of fresh flowers. The name “Pushya” refers to both an auspicious star and, predominantly, to flowers, highlighting the essence of this unique abhisheka. This elaborate offering of pure blossoms is a highly pleasing way to serve and beautify the Lord, allowing devotees to experience His transcendental charm and deepen their devotion, all while immersed in a vibrant atmosphere of ecstatic kirtan and spiritual bliss.
NITYANANDA TRAVODASHI
Nityananda Trayodashi, is a profoundly significant festival in ISKCON, marking the glorious appearance day of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, the most merciful and principal associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, revered as the original spiritual master and a direct expansion of Lord Balarama. This auspicious day underscores His boundless compassion and pivotal role in widely spreading the congregational chanting of the Holy Names (sankirtana). Devotees emphasize His mercy, understanding that it is essential for approaching Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and celebrate with grand abhishekas for Gaura-Nitai Deities, ecstatic kirtans, discourses glorifying His life and teachings, and abundant distribution of prasadam, all highlighting the accessibility of Krishna consciousness through His divine grace.
GAURA PURNIMA
Gaura Purnima, is one of the most significant and joyous festivals for ISKCON devotees, marking the divine appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Lord Sri Krishna Himself appearing in the golden complexion and mood of Srimati Radharani. Lord Chaitanya descended to widely propagate the Sankirtana movement—the congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra—as the most sublime and accessible means of spiritual realization for this age. This profound celebration of mercy typically involves devotees observing a full fast until moonrise, performing a grand abhisheka (ceremonial bathing) of the Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai Deities, engaging in ecstatic kirtans and discourses on His life and teachings, and concluding with a joyous feast of prasadam, all of which beautifully reinforce the simplicity and power of divine love.
HOLI FESTIVAL
Holi, the vibrant “Festival of Colors,” is a joyous celebration held on the full moon day of the Phalguna month. For ISKCON, Holi carries profound spiritual significance, primarily commemorating Lord Sri Krishna’s playful and loving pastimes with Srimati Radharani and the Gopis in Vrindavan, symbolizing the beautiful, transcendental reciprocation of divine love. While also signifying the triumph of good over evil through the story of Prahlad and Holika, the festival’s emphasis in ISKCON is strongly on Krishna’s affectionate lila, celebrated with enthusiastic kirtans, sometimes “Pushpa Holi” (playing with flowers), and joyful throwing of natural colors, all aiming to recreate the transcendental atmosphere of Vrindavan and immerse everyone in Krishna consciousness.