ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

This month sees the BBT release a unique publication — Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Braille. A complete Spanish edition has been printed by devotees in Argentina, while Croatian devotee Dvaraka-gamana Dasi has produced a two volume edition in her native language. Initial copies number only one hundred for each volume, but a larger print run can be expected according to demand.

As a young man in Lille, France, Anandamaya Dasa probably never expected to live most of his adult life in India. But in 1971, he took an epic journey that would change his life, driving thousands of miles from his home to the mystical Eastern country, where he planned to spend a year traveling.

Rath yatra is a few days away and the entire city of Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, India is gearing up for the festival billed for July 4. But Jagannath Temple authorities are worried about ‘incongruous celebrations’ organized by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) on different days across the country. In 2007, the institution organized rath yatras in October and December instead of the official dates in June.

Vaisnava culture emphasises renunciation therefore ISKCON has many people who have accepted a role as a sannyasa, or traveling monk. However, in the past many aspirants have had difficulty maintaining their vows which created controversy and scandal. ISKCON responded to the issue by developing a system by which we can better ensure the maturity and qualification of candidates.

ISKCON News approached Prahladananda Swami, GBC minister of sannyasa, to help clarify the system by which an ISKCON member can take sannyasa.

Jai Shree Krishna, a new show on Krishna will hit the TV screens on July 21. Though Krishna has not been finalized, the rest of the star cast has already started the shoot. The producer of the show Moti Sagar gave us the details.

”We made Krishna in the 90’s but a lot has changed now so we felt the need to come up with a new series.

Have you ever wondered why the consumption of processed meats is so strongly linked to cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and pancreas? The evidence continues to mount, as demonstrated by a recent study showing a 67% increase in pancreatic cancer for people consuming moderate amounts of processed meat on a frequent basis.

New Vrindaban Community wishes to invite family, friends and well wishers to New Vrindaban's Country Rathyatra on Saturday July 12th beginning at 11 am up on the Ridge past the Palace across from Nityo Dita's log siding-palace...come rain or shine we will pull the Lord in His rathyatra chariot!

Ditching your gas guzzler is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but if you really want to do something about global warming, get a used car. You'll be putting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

As Matt Power notes in this month's issue of Wired, hybrids get great gas mileage but it takes 113 million BTUs of energy to make a Toyota Prius.

If you think Sunday school is just for Christians, think again.

Each Sunday morning, thousands of children show up in classrooms at houses of worship across the Washington area. But instead of learning about Jesus Christ, the Trinity and stories from the New Testament, they study the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita and the Torah. They learn about Indian culture, memorize Arabic or Hebrew, or explore an atheist path to ethical living.

New York City – On Saturday, June 14, 2008, more than five thousand Krishna devotees, guests, and festival-goers braved scattered thunderstorms and downpours to attend the annual Ratha Yatra (Festival of the Chariots) parade and Festival of India.

The all-day event, put on by the New York chapter of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), began with a colorful procession of three 40-foot high traditional Indian chariots, bearing sacred images of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi, pulled by hand down the world-famous Fifth Avenue.

As anyone who has ever told a "How many _____ does it take to change a light bulb?" joke knows, humor can be tricky. Attempting religious humor can be downright dangerous. On the one hand, we fear offending people's cherished beliefs; on the other, spiritual growth seems to necessitate that--from time to time, we all learn to not take ourselves quite so seriously.

This dish proves just how delicious pumpkin can be if teamed up with the correct flavour partners. Succulent Gujarati Pumpkin is excellent served with hot chapatis. Makes enough for 6 persons.

On June 20, 2008, The Love Guru hit theaters, amidst controversy that the film is offensive in its depiction of Hindu themes. In a notable departure from other organizations, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement, released a statement rejecting calls to protest the movie, and encouraging others to view the film with tolerance and a sense of humor.