Meet the Teachers
Kalakantha das is the president of Krishna House. A devotee since 1972, he is a humble grandfather and the author of four books on Krishna Consciousness, including the Gator’s Guide to the Gita.
Sesa das is a senior devotee in ISKCON and a practicing attorney. Together with his wife and two children, he resides in Alachua where he serves as the GBC of the ISKCON Alachua temple.
Adi Karta das is a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He advocates Krishna consciousness through a simple, spiritual life based on living off the land. He has been introducing UF students to Krishna for four years.
Brahma Tirtha das is a board member at Krishna House, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, a professional mediator, and an advisor for the EPA. His initial conversations with Srila Prabhupada were recorded and later published in a book entitled Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers.
Laxmi Nrsimha das is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, a wonderful speaker and chanter, and a successful businessman who is very active in spiritual life. He and his wife Patarajani most recently served as Community Liaison Directors of the ISKCON Alachua project.
Ali Krishna dd is the Director of the Institute for Vaishnava Studies (IVS) having completed her bhakti-sastri degree in Mayapur, India in 2008. She is also pursuing a graduate degree in Religion & Nature at UF.
Jaya Sita dd is a resident in the Krishna House ashram, is a certified yoga instructor in Atma Yoga, and instructs daily hatha yoga classes here at the center. She is also an accomplished cello player and currently plays with the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra.
Krishna Kripa das travels around the world chanting, dancing, and inspiring others to take up spiritual life. He is a scholar of bhakti-sastri literatures and yoga philosophy.
Nanda dd is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a former president of ISKCON Alachua. As a teacher at the Mayapur Institute for Higher Education & Training (MIHET), she is a devoted scholar of bhakti yoga philosophy.
Madhava das has over twenty years of experience studying Vaishnava literature, cooking Hare Krishna feasts, and worshipping Krishna deities. He lives with his family in Alachua and currently serves as a facilities manager for the UF Foundation.
The following is a partial list of our visiting guest speakers:
- H.H. Hridayananda das Goswami (Dr. Howard Resnick) has practiced bhakti yoga for 40 years. With a Ph.D. in Sanskrit & Indian Studies from Harvard University, he is a sunnyasi, a guru, an acclaimed author, and a translator of ancient Vedic scripture including the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Mahabharata. Last year he was a visiting professor at UF in the Religion Department.
- H.H. Param Gati Swami is one of the first members of ISKCON in Brazil. As a sannyasi (traveling renunciate) and guru, he is an international leader of the Hare Krishna Movement, spending most of his time in Brazil and in various parts of Western Europe.
- Jayananda das is an experienced devotee, a member of the Krishna House Board of Directors, and is currently completing his Master’s degree in Geology at UF.
- Pani Bhusan das (AKA Mr. Das) is a very special guest. He has been chanting Hare Krishna around the world, including Japan, for over three decades and is a pioneer in devotional comedy, theatre, and performance.
- Mother Indrani is a disciple of Bhakti Tirtha Swami and a respected elder in the Alachua community.
- Mother Akuti is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and the spearhead behind the new Krishna Lunch program at Santa Fe Community College. She is an active member of ISKCON Alachua, involved in prison ministry outreach, and is an accomplished woodworker.
- Srutakirti das is a beloved student of Srila Prabhupada, having served as his personal assistant for many years. Sruta Kirti has since written several memoirs about these experiences and is, thus, in high demand as a speaker around the world.
- Nama Kirtana das is a visiting guest, a brahmachari, and a practioner of bhakti yoga for over a decade. Although now living in LA, he began practicing Krishna Consciousness in Gainesville and spent many years living, studying, and cooking at Krishna House.
- Krishna Keshava das has been chanting Hare Krishna for many years and is currently the vice-president of ISKCON Alachua.
- Gauranga Kisore das, having grown up in the Hare Krishna Movement, has distinguished himself as a sincere practitioner and teacher of bhakti yoga. He currently facilitates the ISKCON Student Association of Stanford at Stanford University in southern California (http://iskconstudentassociation.wordpress.com).
- Gadadhara Pandit das is a visiting scholar and teacher, serving NYC as the Hare Krishna chaplain for New York University and Columbia University.
- Stava Priya das is a resident of Krishna House and the temple commander, meaning he oversees all temple activities and projects. He is a skilled carpenter and has been practicing bhakti yoga for several years.
