ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

On January 29, Sunday (midnight UK time, 7pm New York time on January 28), Wikipedia features on its front page under the "On this day" section the 45th anniversary of the Mantra-Rock Dance event in San Francisco.

The library catalog of the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC) in Kolkata, India—which opened in June 2009 and aims to be an easily accessible resource of all Gaudiya Vaishnava literature—has expanded from 3,500 titles in October 2010 to an amazing 15,000 works today.

Renowned masters from various Yoga schools—including ISKCON’s Yadunandana Swami and Radhanath Swami—met for an international Yoga conference this past December 4th and 5th at the headquarters of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living Foundation in Bangalore, India to agree on a date for a special World Yoga Day.

At the recent 2012 North American Governing Body and Temple President meetings in Dallas, Texas on January 13th, Book Distribution Minister Vaisesika Dasa had some exciting news for the more than sixty leaders from across the US and Canada in attendance.

The 320 page book by Director of Food for Life Global, Paul Rodney Turner (Priyavrata das) is the result of many years of research and crafting while teaching the art and science of food yoga around the world at vegetarian conferences.

Companion planting is the ancient technique of planting different crops in close proximity that can provide benefits to each other. In a garden, parsley excels at repelling harmful insects and attracting beneficial ones.

Undeterred by a Siberian court's rejection of their plea seeking a ban on a translated version of the Bhagvad Gita, Russian prosecutors are planning to file an appeal against the verdict on the holy book dubbed by them as "extremist literature".

On the 24th of January, the US-based Odyssey Networks` second town hall meeting brought together multi-religious scholars and leaders in the world of faith media for a dynamic two hour event in New York, which was also followed by many in the US and other countries through live-streaming.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Ujjain has moved one step forward in using modern information technology as well as natural energy sources for the benefit of pilgrims.

One of our monks recently made a transition back into the ‘real world’. He recently went for an interview. It was his big break. Frustrated, he came back and complained “in this world it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.”

This temple is coming up on a piece of land that was earmarked for a mechanized slaughter house, but the government had to back track due to the perseverant opposition from the local leaders and citizens.

The world is in search of an economic system that works for the people and the Planet. And this search has been going on for the last one hundred years without much success. We may like it or not, but our time and options are running out. Our present economic paradigms are leading us fast on the path of self-annihilation.

If ISKCON were still to be defined as those living on ISKCON property under GBC authority, ISKCON would have become a very small organization indeed, and barely able to accomplish any of the founder’s mission. However, ISKCON’s mission is increasingly being realized and self-identifying membership is growing.