ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

The biggest event on most ISKCON devotees’ calendars – the Gaura Purnima festival at Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir in Bengal, India – kicked off this February 24.

Traditionally, Gaura Purnima honors the birth in 1482 of Sri Chaitanya, the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Kolkata-On Sunday February 15th, more than six thousand people participated in the "Prema and Bhakti Sammelen," an all-day forum in honor of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, India's 16th Century saint and avatara.

At its recent annual general meetings in Mayapur, India, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission approved Yadunandana Dasa as a candidate for sannyasa, the renounced order of life.

Yadunandana is the principal of Bhaktivedanta College, a Vaishnava school accredited by the University of Wales, Lampeter, and located in the rural Ardennes region of Belgium.

P.L. Sethi, a building contractor who assisted Srila Prabhupada in acquiring and building ISKCON’s Juhu temple, passed away on February 16 in Mumbai, India. He was 88.

Although he was never officially initiated into ISKCON, Sethi always regarded Prabhupada as his guru. From the moment the two first met in 1971, Sethi became a life member and a staunch, loyal follower of Srila Prabhupada.

Four months after suffering a life-threatening brain hemorrhage, ISKCON guru and leader Jayapataka Swami has made a triumphant return home to Mayapur, India.

Flying in from ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai on February 20, the Swami was greeted at Kolkatta airport by hundreds of devotees. After thanking them with a short speech, he left for Mayapur, where he arrived at around 6pm.

ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission have added a new member to their ranks.

Dina Sarana Dasi joined the GBC by unanimous vote on February 21 -- day 10 of the ISKCON management entity’s Annual General Meetings in Mayapur, India.

E. Burke Rochford Jr., a professor of sociology at Middlebury College, has studied the Hare Krishna movement for over thirty years, and as a well-wisher and friend of the movement, has written numerous articles addressing its development. In January of this year, he came to Bhaktivedanta College to give a course on ISKCON and Society, and has been an inspiration for the many students who attended.

On February 19th, 2009 the assistant Hakim of Almaty province, S. Mukanov, has demanded the farm property occupied by the Krishna Society be vacated by March 1, 2009. Mukanov emphasized that failure to vacate will result in new court cases against the Krishna Society.

Monks and farmers celebrate arrival of cow destined for life at new Hare
Krishna eco-farm.

The birth of a calf on a farm near Watford would not normally cause tears of
joy among onlookers. But Gangotri, a female calf, might have been in danger of
drowning in the celebratory deluge from farmers and monks when she was born on
Friday after a two-hour labor.

Have you ever thought it would be impossible to visit all of the prominent temples in India? Think again. ‘Kunda Satyanarayana Kala Dhamam’ a Vedic museum on a sprawling 18 acres of land was inaugurated by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, India a fortnight ago.

The ISKCON Studies Institute will hold its second conference at Villa Vrindavana, near Florence, Italy, from 3–6 July. The theme of this year's conference is "The Guru: Person, Position, Possibilities."

Doubt is the motor of the modern mentality, the indefatigable engine that drives the spirit of our age. Such doubt was honored with an early recognition in the essays of the Renaissance courtier Michel de Montaigne: “We are, I know not how, double within ourselves, with the result that we do not believe what we believe, and we cannot rid ourselves of what we condemn.”

We made the national news recently as our new calf - whom we’ve named Gangotri - was born. We are all very happy to see her into the world and pray that she will never have to struggle like her namesake. The Guardian supplement did a nice piece with a colour picture.

People's health could be harmed by social networking sites because they reduce levels of face-to-face contact, an expert claims.

Dr. Aric Sigman says websites such as Facebook set out to enrich social lives, but end up keeping people apart.

Divorce adds to the impact of global warming as couples switch to wasteful single lifestyles, Australian senator Steve Fielding says.

He told a Senate hearing on today that divorce led to a "resource-inefficient lifestyle" and it would be better for the planet if couples stayed married.