ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Over two hundred children from the Bhaktivedanta National School in Mayapur, India, held their own congregational chanting parade this August 19th. They were accompanied by school staff members, parents, visiting pilgrims, and members of the local Nagara Sankirtan chanting party.

The festivities at Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari temple (ISKCON Juhu) are reputed to be one of the largest Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in world. An estimated million people attended the two day festival at Hare Krishna Land at Mumbai.

This year the Supreme Lord adorned outfits designed by none other than fashion icon and designer Manish Malhotra.

Imphal, Aug. 24: “Dad, are the flowers going to explode?” Laxmi Devi wanted to know as she inched closer to the decorated stage for Rasa Lila inside Imphal’s Iskcon temple complex.

“No, darling. Nothing will happen. They are not bombs, but beautiful flowers,” said her father, Ajita Dasa.

The Janmashtami festival at Bhaktivednata Manor, UK, was expecting 65,000 over two days but it is estimated that 50,000 attended the first day in a record breaking attendance, which is becoming to be one of the most unique spiritual festivals in Britiain. At one point 14,000 cars were parked by 200 volunteers in 78 acres of land.

ALACHUA – Nearly 2,000 people gathered in Alachua on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of Krishna, the deity worshiped in the Hare Krishna religion.

The celebration, which took place at the New Raman Reti Temple on N.W. 112th Boulevard, featured a miniature replica of the Village of Vrndavan, which was the home of Krishna.

They began to arrive at 5:30 a.m. Saturday. At first it was a slow trickle through the main entrance, as people took off their shoes and greeted each other with, “Hare Krishna.”

Eventually, the parking lot was buzzing with thousands of area Hare Krishna followers who poured into the brand-new Vedic Cultural Center in Sammamish.

Little children dressed up as Krishna - flute in hand and peacock feather stuck on headband - did the rounds of colonies as Hindus decorated homes with garlands and floral motifs and visited temples on Sunday to celebrate Janmashtami, the birthday of the much-loved Hindu god.

Sri Krishna Janmashtmi was celebrated on 24th August at ISKCON, Ludhiana, India. 1008 different food preperations were offered to Their Lordships. This year all devotees who came to see the Deities got the opportunity to participate in the bathing ceremony, although they needed to wait for over an hour in the long queue.

Indian Hindus are populating ISKCON Temples in the West in a way never seen before over the last forty-two years. This is happening all over the world at a massive rate and is not a phenomenon, as some suggest. The fact is, as India becomes a wealthier nation, we can only expect more and more students to leave India and attend Western educational institutions as well as many more arriving from India to become citizens of other countries.

Ghee, clarified butter, is the preferred cooking medium for many dishes. Most commonly used in traditional Indian cuisine, ghee is also popular in Middle Eastern cooking. Whilst olive oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, and coconut oil are popular, ghee has many advantages.

When butter is melted and slowly heated, all the moisture is evaporated, and the milk solids are separated from the clear butterfat. This residual, golden-coloured liquid, called ghee, is excellent for sauteeing and frying, as it can be heated to 190°C/375°F before reaching its smoking point.

KOLKATA: A 30-foot-high mound in a nondescript Bengal village, which has spawned many a legend and mystery, may yield one of the biggest archaeological finds in the country. The remains of a huge yet exquisite monastery are emerging from the sands of time.

Archaeologists believe it is one of the missing monasteries mentioned in Hiuen Tsang's memoirs that was yet to be found. The monastery reportedly dates back to the seventh century - the time when the Chinese Buddhist monk made his 17-year walk across India.

Ginger may help to fight ovarian cancer, US scientists believe.

University of Michigan researchers announced at the American Association of Cancer Research that tests show ginger kills cancer cells.

Thousands in Trinidad and Tobago celebrated the Janmashtami festival, joining their counterparts the world over in marking the occasion of the birth of Lord Krishna, one of Hinduism's most popular deities.

A large number of devotees thronged more than 200 temples, most managed by the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), on Saturday night.