ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

His Holiness B.V. Narayana Maharaja, a prominent Vaishnava leader, passed away at 3:00am on the morning of December 29th in the holy city of Jagannath Puri, India.

Two devotees from ISKCON Hungary’s non-profit Eco-Valley Foundation (EVF) attended the COP16 Climate Summit in Cancun, Mexico from November 29th to December 10th this winter.

Film-maker Vasudeva Dasa had planned to spend only three days at ISKCON’s Radhadesh community in rural Belgium to celebrate the annual Janmastami festival, when a doctor advised him to stop traveling and rest for three week—and he got an unexpected offer that would make a strong impression on him.

Christianity lost much of its alchemical fire centuries and centuries ago. Modern yoga teeters on the brink of suffering a similar fate for very different reasons.

Scientists are increasingly becoming convinced that junk food can be just as physically addictive as street drugs like heroin. Over time, regular consumption of junk food can create imbalances in some chemicals, leading us to eat more and more in order to restore normal levels.

ISKCON Ludhiana, India, had its 15th annual Ratha Yatra on December 19, 2010. Thousands of devotees from India and abroad joined the festival of chariot.

On the auspicious occasion of Gita Jayanti, the advent day of Srimad Bhagavad Gita, students from all grades put up an all day long celebration program. Arrays of colorful placards depicting the shlokas of Bhagavad Gita, the thematic displays of Bhagavad Gita teachings, high-spirited book distribution and the exuberant kirtans made it an event that gurukulis will always cherish.

Sriman Prahlad Nrsimha das passed away on Saturday, December11, 2010 at about 2:10 PM in Port Charlotte, FL. He was a disciple of Hanumatpresaka Swami, and most of his devotional life was spent at the Miami Temple.

During this time of year, we are all aware to some degree of the idea of “Christmas spirit,” of making some endeavor to give to others in the season of goodwill. But few of us embody this caring spirit as much as a quiet, uncelebrated group of Russian devotees did this winter.

The ancient Greeks said that even virtues, when overly applied can become vices, and do a lot of harm. Compassion is one of the virtues, and its a great virtue; indeed. However, there is a time for compassionate action to become transformed to measures of discipline, so that a person may ultimately improve themselves, and that others may be protected.

When it opens, the Krishna-Avanti Primary School, Leicester, will become the UK’s first cross-community Hindu school, providing a Hindu ethos but with half its places allocated purely on the distance that parents live from the school, regardless of their faith.

There is a new project aiming to promote and support Vaishnava artists in the UK. It is called the Vaishnava Art Council (VAC).

In anticipation of the upcoming Kulimela Australia festival, the KM09: Bhajan Kutir CDs - Volumes 1, 2 & 3 are now available for complimentary listening and downloading.

Starting in January of 2011, Bhaktivedanta College will offer for the first time a complete one-year VTE Bhakti Sastri course online at www.bhakti-sastri.com

My fellow Americans it’s time to face the truth, the era of the lead-dog is over. As described by Srila Prabhupada, world leadership today requires a collaborative effort: “The blind man of the Western countries and the lame man of India should combine together."