ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

ISKCON’s Food For Life program in the Philippines is assisting with relief efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy, which has left more than 300 people dead and nearly 400,000 affected.

The tropical storm, which hit the Northern Luzon region of the Philippines on Saturday September 26, caused some of the worst floods the country has ever seen.

After what is promised to be a spectacular Diwali firework display on Sunday 18th October at Bhaktivedanta Manor near London, numerous community leaders will be releasing 1000 lanterns into the sky in a bid for world peace.

On the Sunday, 15,000 people are expected to attend the Diwali celebrations at the Temple. Other highlights of the festival include colourful dances, plays and free vegetarian meals for everyone. The day will culminate at 7.15pm, in one of the most spectacular Diwali firework displays in the Greater London area. Everyone is welcome.

ISKCON devotees from Nashville, Tennessee participated in Nashville’s annual Celebration of Cultures for the first time this October 3rd.

The popular multi-cultural festival was established in 1995 by Scarritt-Bennett, a center committed to empowerment through cross-cultural understanding, education, creativity and spiritual renewal.

The first-ever All India Communications Conference was held on 28th and 29th September 2009 at ISKCON Juhu.

The Communications Conference, which was preceded by an informative Communications Course conducted by Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON Communications Minister, saw an impressive attendance.

ALACHUA — Devala Gorrick wouldn’t take no for an answer.

He didn’t compromise when his college of choice denied him admission, and he wasn’t going to let any coach tell him he had a problem with his shoulder.

Gorrick, an Alachua native whose family is part of the area’s Hare Krishna community, pinched a nerve in his right shoulder while trying out for Puerto Rico’s Bayamon Futbol Club. He missed two days of practice. When he came back, he had a good workout and expected to be signed.

Minister of Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Sri D. Sridhar Babu launched the book "To Kill Cow Means To End Human Civilization", written by Dr Sahadeva Dasa, in Secunderabad, India today.

On the occasion, 4 vice-chancellors of Andhra Pradesh universities were present. Minister spoke on the need for more information and awareness on cow science of ancient India and congratulated Dr Dasa for his work in this field. State and national media covered the event.

If acting is meant to deliver a message, then that’s what the New Delhi based acting team Vaikunta Players do. The troupe performs plays that bring out the essence of literatures such as the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam.

The group has performed at several major ISKCON events, but Vaikunta Players are also seen as contributing to inter-religious dialogue. The band was invited to perform at the ‘Church of Transfiguration’, a popular church in New Delhi.

How's this for an early Diwali gift for Hindu-Americans (and, perhaps, Hindus around the world): President Barack Obama lit a ceremonial diya (traditional candle) and delivered a characteristically smooth speech in which he declared that he was happy to join "some of the world's greatest faiths" in celebrating a holiday that heralds "the triumph of good over evil."

“Over my dead body!” screamed the woman over the telephone.

As I entered the office I could hear every word she was saying to Nandini dasi: “Never! I’ll never rent my school to you people! Not in a million years!” With that, she hung up.

Barack Obama has become the first US President to personally attend a celebration of the spiritual holiday Diwali, at a ceremony held in the White House on October 14th.

For Vaishnavas, Diwali heralds the victory of Lord Rama—considered to be God himself—over the demon Ravana, and his return to his kingdom Ayodhya.

Internet users used to comfort themselves by thinking that to become victims of the pirates of the Web, they had to frequent the online porn circuit or respond to an e-mail from the widowed wife of the former central bank governor of Nigeria. The idea was that one had to do something naughty to get caught in the wrongdoers’ net, or at least go for a late-night stroll in the rough end of town.

BHUBANESWAR: How many Jagannath temples exist across the world? Nobody knows for sure. To provide a reasonable answer, the Jagannath temple at Puri started making efforts to document all shrines dedicated to Jagannath and bring about "emotional integration and aesthetic unity" among them.