Jaladuta Kirtan Festival
Three days of sacred sound, prasadam, remembrance, and community in the city where Srila Prabhupada first stepped onto American soil.
The offering
A journey that changed the world.
The Jaladuta Kirtan Festival is our offering of love and gratitude to Srila Prabhupada.
Imagine a 69-year-old man, with nothing but a small trunk of books, forty rupees, and an ocean of faith, stepping onto a cargo ship called the Jaladuta, bound for a land he had never seen.
That man was His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In 1965, he left everything behind in Calcutta, India, and set sail for America. The journey was 35 days across the Atlantic. He suffered two heart attacks at sea. Most would have turned back. He kept going.
On September 17, 1965, he stepped off that ship at Commonwealth Pier in Boston, and the world was never the same. With nothing but his devotion and the blessings of his spiritual master, he lit a fire that spread across the globe.
The Jaladuta Kirtan Festival is our offering of love and gratitude to that extraordinary soul. Every year, we come together not just to sing, but to feel, connect, and remember the man who crossed an ocean so we could discover what was always within us.
Kirtan is not a performance. It is a prayer. A homecoming. A moment where the whole world fades and only the Holy Name remains.
35
days across the Atlantic
1965
arrival in Boston
108+
temples inspired worldwide
80+
books carrying bhakti wisdom
Highlights 2025
Relive the best moments.
Video highlights from Jaladuta Kirtan Festival.