Janmashtami Tulabharam Fundraiser 2026

Sunday, September 27, 2026 · 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Ashton Place, 341 75th Street, Willowbrook, IL 60527

Our grand annual fundraising evening, held in the mood of Janmashtami — an evening of kirtan, inspiring talks, dinner prasadam and community celebration, in support of the temple and its services, and of the effort to build our new sanctuary.

Event Details

Special Highlights

Special Guests

Tickets & Table Sponsorship

Please RSVP by Monday, 21 September 2026 using the Tulabharam RSVP form.

Each table seats 10 guests.

Tables and tickets are available now. To sponsor a table, buy tickets or discuss a donor sponsorship, please get in touch:

Sandeep Patel
(630) 890-2790
[email protected]

What is Tulabharam?

Tulabharam takes its name from two words: tula, a balance or weighing scale, and bharam, weight. In the traditional offering, a devotee sits on one side of a large balance and the other side is filled with offerings — grains, fruit, sugar, jaggery, coins or gold — until the two sides come level. It is an offering of thanksgiving, made in gratitude for protection received or a prayer answered, and it remains a living practice in temples across South India. In practice the weighing may be done on behalf of oneself, a child, one’s guru or the Deity, and what is placed on the other side may be lakshmi, precious metals, grains or other goods, according to the means and the wish of the family.

The pastime behind the offering

Devotees connect Tulabharam with a well-loved pastime of Lord Krishna. Narada Muni once set Krishna’s queens a test: Krishna was placed on one side of a great balance, and the other side was to be filled until it matched His weight. Satyabhama piled on all of her gold and jewels, and the scale did not move. It was only when Rukmini placed a single Tulsi leaf on the pan, offered with pure love, that the balance finally came level.

The lesson is the heart of this event. What Krishna accepts is not the value of what is given but the devotion with which it is given — and so a small offering made with love carries the same weight as a great one.

Why we celebrate Tulabharam

Tulabharam is less a transaction than a training of the heart. Offering something of real value, measured against a life we hold dear, is a way of thanking the Lord for blessings already received and of loosening our grip on what was never truly ours. Devotees describe the effect as an inner cleansing: it cultivates generosity in place of accumulation and humility in place of pride, and it returns us to the simple understanding that everything we possess is a gift from the Divine.

Benefits of taking part

• Deepens your relationship with the Lord
• Builds a sense of community and collective worship
• Encourages selfless service and generosity
• Brings peace, prosperity and spiritual fulfilment
• Offers devotees the simple joy of giving

Tulabharam celebration

ISKCON Naperville organizes Tulabharam each year as its principal fundraising evening, in the festive mood of Janmashtami.

The evening brings together kirtan, a talk by a distinguished visiting speaker, a full dinner prasadam and a closing Raas or Garba. Families and businesses take part by sponsoring a table or joining as donor sponsors, and the funds raised go directly towards the temple’s phase 3 construction, its festivals and its outreach and educational programs.

Everyone is welcome

You do not need to be a member of the temple community to attend. It is a family evening, suitable for all ages, and a relaxed way to meet the devotees and learn about the temple’s work. If you would like to come, or to contribute in any way, please contact us using the details above.