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October 2026
ISKCON of Arizona Newsletter
| | Janmastami - Krishna Fest 2026 the biggest yet! | |
Greetings and Namaste,
As the calender at right shows, though there are no big festivals in October, near the end of the month, the Karttika season starts, when devotees daily worship Lord Krishna with candles, songs, and promises to increase their daily service to Him.
This Karttika also signals the arrival of two of our biggest festivals in early November: Diwali/Govardhana and our Rathayatra participation in Tucson's All souls procession. Please scroll down for details and see you at the festivals!
Yours in service, Sandamini Devi
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Best October Days for
Meditation and Fasting
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Tuesday, October 6th
Indira Ekadasi
(fasting from grains & beans)
Wednesday, October 21st
Pasankusa Ekadasi
(fasting from grains & beans)
Sunday, October 25th
Purnima--Full Moon
Monday, October 26th
Karttika month begins
Damodara-vrata, offering lamps each morning for one month.
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Visiting Sadhus Inspire Tucson Devotees
Like providential rains dispelling the summer heat, two saintly devotees showered mercy on Tucson's devotees in August.
Padmanayana Prabhu, the head of the Mayapur Institute & Bhadra Prabhu, a renowned kirtan leader based in Alachua, Florida, inspired our Tucson community on separate occaions with kirtans and classes in the morning and home programs in the evening.
Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam!
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Janmastami Comes to the University of
New Mexico
Far from Mother India, Indian students at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque asked us to help them celebrate Janmastami, the Appearance Day of Lord Krsna.
Kirtans, a talk, a bathing ceremony for Lord Krsna's murti form, and a prasadam feast highlighted the well-attended program.
For the devotees who made the 8-hr drive each way, the icing on Krsna's birthday cake was distributing an entire box of KRSNA books to the students. Jaya Sri Krsna!
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Launching Our New Temple Fundraiser
Surveying our packed temple room on Janmastami, Temple President Sandamini Devi concluded, "We need a new temple while I still have the energy to see the project through."
This year's festival was so crowded our temple could hardly fit all the guests who came. Our only option: build the new temple NOW. And to do that we'll need everyone to help in any way they can.
For more information on how to contribute to ISKCON Tucson's new temple project, please call or text Sandamini at (520) 250-0299.
| | Janmastami - Krishna Fest in Review | | Aaheli Performs Odissi dance | |  | Sohini performs Kathak dance | | | | | | All remarkable performances and beautiful dances for the Lord. | | | | | | Thank you to all our volunteers who put on such a wonderful festival. | | | |
Sri Giridhari
Lifter of Govardhana
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Next Big Festival:
Diwali Festival of Lights
Govardhana Puja
& Annakuta
Friday, November 6th
6 to 8 pm
Join our festival honoring Lord Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill, Annakuta, and lighting lamps to offer to the Deities
6 - 6:30 pm - Bhajans on stage
6:30 - 7 pm - Dance performances
7 pm - Fire Show
7:15 pm - Offering of lamps, Govardhanan Hill Puja & Arati
8 pm - Prasadam Feast
Please bring sweets for the hill
| | | Rathayatra parade & All Souls Procession | | |
Tucson's 3rd Annual Jagannath Rathayatra, Sunday, November 8th
Chant and dance with us as
Lord Jagannath's cart once again
lights up the All Souls Procession all the way to our free prasadam feast at the parade's end. Start at Grande and Speedway at 4pm. Jaya Jagannath!
Put your name on the Rathayatra cart on a decorative banner. $51.
| | | The Sunday Feast & Festival | |
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Join us each Sunday for an evening of musical meditation, topical philosophy, an ancient worship ceremony, and an
8-course vegetarian feast.
Better serve-out flow!
ALL FREE!
5:30 pm - Bhajans
6 pm - Topical talk
6:30 pm - Worship ceremony
7 pm - Announcements
7:10 pm - Feast
October Sunday Speakers:
Oct 4th Jivananda prabhu
Oct 11th Dhiro Datta Prabhu
Oct 18th Kirtanesvara Prabhu
Oct 25th Padma Rukmini DD
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Sponsor the Sunday Feast for an upcoming birthday, anniversary, or special day in the name of a loved one. Donations are tax deductible and support the temple.
Sunday Feast Sponsorship for 75-100 plates is $151.
SPONSOR HERE
| | | | Govinda's Vegan/Veggie Restaurant | | |
Govinda's in New Delhi, India.
Govinda's is a worldwide vegan/veggie franchise
serving food offered
to Krishna.
See menu on Govinda's web page:
iskcontucson.org/govindas
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Govinda's Self-Serve,
All-You-Care-To-Eat Hours:
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Lunch - Wednesday through Saturday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner - Tuesday through Saturday 5 to 8 pm
Sunday Brunch - 11 am to 2:30 pm
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Govinda's guest quote of the month: Hi Govinda community, we visit often to share your delicious food and fortifying environment.
Please share your recipe for the wonderful blueberry-lemon
coffee cake you baked today. So good! Blessings always.
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Many thanks to our volunteers: Iain, Janesvara, Tara Lakshi, Anita, Deepa, Venket, Stefan, and to all our Food for Life helpers and Sunday Feast servers. We so much appreciate everything you do!
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Have your home, car, business, or family blessed and protected
with the help and guidance of our experienced temple priests.
| | | Check out this video titled: “Harmonizing with Karma: Trusting the Universe's Perfect Balance for Peace of Mind”
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Authentic Indian
Cuisine Catering!
All varieties of Indian foods for parties, weddings, and banquets, including entrees, savories, and sweets. Over three years in service, our Nepali cooks have also mastered many Western dishes.
See our new catering menu online at iskcontucson.org/govindas
To book, call Kul Sharma at (520) 891-8083.
| | | | | "My dear Lord, Your two lotus feet are so beautiful that they appear like two blossoming petals of the lotus flower which grows during the autumn season. Indeed, the nails of Your lotus feet emanate such a great effulgence that they immediately dissipate all the darkness in the heart of a conditioned soul. My dear Lord, kindly show me that form of Yours which always dissipates all kinds of darkness in the heart of a devotee. My dear Lord, You are the supreme spiritual master of everyone; therefore all conditioned souls covered with the darkness of ignorance can be enlightened by You as the spiritual master. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.52) | | | | |
