Yesterday, the auspicious day of Śrī Gaurahari's advent, marked the New Year for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. So, I think this is an opportune time for me to share an update on our daily online programs for this Year 538.

Our current programs

All the programs below begin at 7 AM India time, and usually last 1 – 1 1/2 hours. (Use this time converter to see the corresponding time in your region.)

1. Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata: Daily, except for the days we do the following programs:
2. Rays of The Harmonist Iṣṭa-goṣṭhī: Śukla Trayodaśī, Kṛṣṇa Pañcamī, Kṛṣṇa Ekādaśī, Amāvasyā. (More info about this program here)
3. Dainik Nadīyā Prakāśa reading with Śrīvāsa: Every other Sunday.
4. Special readings for significant tithis: As announced in the calendar (see below).

Beginning May 8th: All the songs written by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Our readings of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata will conclude on May 3rd, the disappearance day of Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura. Then, on May 8th, in celebration of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita's appearance day, we'll commence a program to go through the four songbooks of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. I am in the process of formulating a plan for this program, which I'll announce in about a month from now.

At the moment, I'm thinking we could start by going through a song each day from Śaraṇāgati – looking at the meaning of each verse, singing and discussing it, and exploring aspects of Bengali grammar (for those interested). Should time permit, we may also read from from Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's Śrī Harināma-cintāmaṇi.

Calendars and WhatsApp groups

I understand that there are a lot of programs, and it may not be feasible for everyone to participate daily. Depending on which programs interest you, I've created two Google calendars, along with two WhatsApp groups where I share Zoom and YouTube links before each session. Feel free to click the links below to join.

At the bottom, you'll also find the calendar I made for all the Vaiṣṇava tithis according to our maṭha's Bengali calendar for Navadvīpa, along with a WhatsApp group in which I regularly share countdowns for upcoming special tithis.

For Caitanya-bhāgavata & Special Tithi readings:

For Rays of The Harmonist Iṣṭa-goṣṭhī & Dainik Nadīyā Prakāśa:

For the Vaiṣṇava calendar:

Nurturing the Seed focus sessions

Every day at 8 PM India Time, a handful of devotees from our community meet together on Zoom to dedicate time to a daily practice of their choosing. Some devotees like to chant, some read, some study, some work on making Ṭhākurajī outfits and jewelry, some do creative writing or work on publication projects. I personally use the time to journal, plan for the next day, and wind down. Each session commences with a different quote from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda. After that, I set three alarms at 20- and 10-minute intervals, allowing participants to choose how long they wish to stay. If you'd like to join, click on the WhatsApp group below and you'll receive the Zoom link 5 mins before we start daily:

If you have feedback or questions about any of these programs, feel free to mention in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you. :)

I hope you have an auspicious 538!

– Madhukar das