ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Tamarind is the fruit contained in the hanging pods of the tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica. The pods themselves are between 10-15cm (4-6 inches) long, cinnamon-brown coloured with a fuzzy coating. The pulp from inside the pods is piquant with a sour, date/apricot flavour.

There are some interesting etymological origins of the word 'tamarind'. The Arabic tamr hindi simply means “date of India” ('date' being a general name for the fruits of various palm trees); needless to say, tamarind neither stems from India nor is it related to palm trees. It is a native of Africa.

Dried tamarind is available at all Indian and Asian grocers in three main forms - hard, pressed blocks, packets of softer pulp and jars of puree, or concentrate. The dried pulp, which needs to be reconstituted by soaking it in water, varies immensely from source to source. The stuff in jars also varies from liquid to jam-like.

Some pulp appears full of fibre, and others are relatively fibre-free. But this is not an indication of quality; some of the best tasting tamarind puree I have tasted comes from soaking very unappealing looking rock-hard dried tamarind. Shop around, and choose your favourite brand.

There are innumerable variations on this classic chutney. This one is sauce-like and sweetened predominantly with dates. It is very versatile and popular, and especially suited as an accompaniment for fried dishes, such as samosas, kofta, pakoras and vadai. Makes about 2 cups

Norway today authorised its whalers to harpoon 885 minke whales in 2009, a quota sharply down from previous years in what animal rights activists saw as a sign of consumers' growing disinterest for whale meat.

For the period 2006-2008, the quota was 1052 minke whales per year but whalers fell short each year, killing around half the allowed number, according to environmental group Greenpeace.

The world must avoid backsliding in fighting global warming and work out a "Green New Deal" to fix its twin climate and economic crises, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday. "We must re-commit ourselves to the urgency of our cause," Ban told a December 1-12 meeting of 100 environment ministers in Poznan, Poland, reviewing progress toward a new U.N. climate treaty meant to be agreed at the end of 2009.

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has sparked a furore by suggesting she would be prepared to kill a bear and wear its fur.

The British author of How To Be a Domestic Goddess and star of TV cooking show Nigella Bites made the comments during an interview on the BBC's The One Show.

The busy bee may be a cliche. But it turns out that bees are very busy on the world's farms, pollinating many of the fruits, vegetables and nuts we eat.

But a major report from the National Academies says bees and other important pollinators are losing out to development and disease. The report's authors warn the losses could have a big impact on some farmers, such as the almond growers of Central California.

Adding nuts to a healthy diet may help release people from a dangerous combination of health problems.

Up to 25% of people in the UK are thought to have "metabolic syndrome", which includes obesity and high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

It was as far back as 1972 when ISKCON devotees first discovered the potential for distributing large amounts of spiritual literature during the December Christmas rush. As we begin another marathon for our founder Srila Prabhupada thirty-six years later, observers may still be asking the question, “Why is distributing books so important for ISKCON devotees?”

With sadness we inform the members of ISKCON about the passing away of His Holiness Tatpar Swami, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He was one among the first Bengali devotees to take initiation from Srila Prabhupada.

Tatpar Maharaja joined ISKCON in 1970 and was first initiated in 1972. He accepted second initiation in 1973. Maharaja lived for many years in Mayapur, India where he preached the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

What role have the books of ISKCON’s founder Srila Prabhupada played in your life?

They brought me to accept Srila Prabhupada as my guru. When I first came across his writing in 1970, I was convinced that he was a person who knew God. And throughout my life as a devotee, they have always been there to give me shelter and to take me further.

On December 1, 2008 the Karasai district court Judge Shakirov informed the directors of the Krishna Society that the Karasai government had withdrawn its claim to invalidate the purpose of usage and demolition of the Temple and barn at the Krishna community in Kazakhstan.

When he began the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada wrote out its seven purposes. The first of these was: “To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large, and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life, and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.”

World Enlightenment Day for ISKCON signifies a thrust for radical social change. On this day, thousands of Hare Krishna devotees expect to achieve a world record by distributing the greatest number of Srila Prabhupada's books ever in one day. But what exactly are these books, and what is their value to ISKCON and society at large?

A group of Mayapur gurukuli girls swayed the crowd of United Religious Interfaith (URI) delegates this past weekend in an emotional medley of drama and dance entitled “Shaym”.

Despite difficulties earlier this year, ISKCON’s certified organic farm in Australia, New Govardhana, is now able to supply its Radha Krishna deities with all the vegetables needed for their offerings.

Last week, three members of ISKCON Communications attended the Fifth Session of the Interparliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom. The conference was organized by the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, located in Washington, D.C. The ISKCON delegation met lawmakers from countries around the world.