ISKCON NewsThe News Agency of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

In every ISKCON temple around the world, the morning greeting ceremony is held to the sweet, gentle sounds of “Govindam Adi Purusham” sung by the late Yamuna Devi. Not in Simhachalam. There, new visitors are startled by a ground-shaking crash of thunder, followed by Vedic brahmanas chanting “Om Narasimhaya namaha.”

ISKCON Communications has received a grant from Odyssey Networks, America’s largest multi-faith production company, to produce thirteen short films for its Call on Faith app for smartphones.

The devotees were on their way to a pilgrimage at Nepal’s Muktinath Temple, located at the foot of the Thorong La pass in the Himalayas. Reports suggested that the small airplane lost balance due to strong winds, hit a hillock, and broke into pieces just after the pilot reported a problem at around 9:45am local time.

On the 5th of May, over a hundred Hare Krishna devotees from all over Russia gathered in Kursk to celebrate the opening of the new center.

Around forty ISKCON leaders and communications staff attended the 2012 ISKCON Communications Europe Seminar at the Community Hall in Radhadesh, Belgium this April 22nd to 25th.

The Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Zsolt Semjen, Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament Janos Latorcai, along with the Hungarian Ambassador to India and seven other Hungarian government officials visited ISKCON Delhi on the 6th of May.

Hot lunch will be served to patient and attendants at the Niloufer Hospital, daily, thanks to a joint program launched by the Hare Krishna movement, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure limited and the Andhra Pradesh government.

Relatively unknown outside the Benelux, the ́Samadhi Dance Company' recently won the Dutch Dance Audience Award 2011. For such a young company with minimal funding using Vedic themes and insights, this achievement is quite extraordinary.

The Philly Cheesesteak sandwich invented by a Philadelphia hot dog vendor in 1930, is a staple of the city and even a major tourist draw. Govinda’s restaurant owner Haryasva Dasa has created the traditional sandwich shop experience with a difference.

On Saturday May 5th, the appearance day of Lord Nrsimhadeva—Lord Krishna’s half-man half-lion form known for protecting His devotees—ISKCON North America’s Child Protection Office launches its official website.

Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On April 30th, millions of people gathered in Amsterdam to celebrate - they all sported clothes, hats, garlands, feather boas and socks colored bright orange, the color associated with the royal family. The saffron-clad ISKCON devotees felt quite at home chanting Hare Krishna in this crowd of fellow orange celebrants.

The 3rd Vedic Ecology Convention organized by the ISKCON Vaishnava Research Forum (I-VRF) was held at the Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple of Understanding, in Chatsworth, south of Durban, on Sunday 22nd April 2012.

There are no ISKCON temples in Cuba. But in the capital city of Havana, thirty to forty people attend weekly programs at the home of congregation leader Janardana Dasa. A recent trip to Cuba by ISKCON guru Bhaktimarga Swami has continued to increase the budding Krishna conscious congregation there.

A national conference on ”Cow Based Agriculture, Health and Environment” was recently organized by the Gujarat Government. A first of its kind, it was held in prestigious Anand University and was attended by senior ministers, government officials, top scientists, religious leaders, environmentalists and cow protection activists.

With two albums out this year, mega performances to tens of thousands in India, and yoga studio tours across the US, Canada, Australia and South Africa, Gaura Mani and the Vrajavadhus is the biggest kirtan band you may not have heard of…. yet.

On Friday, April 20th, Radhanath Swami joined Francis X. Clooney S.J. a Jesuit priest and Harvard theology professor at Columbia University in New York for an interfaith dialogue program to discuss how do they encounter God in each other`s traditions.

Starting on April 24th and lasting for 11 days, a series of festivities will be held in East Bangalore to inaugurate Lord Narasimha`s new temple.

In 1968, when the counterculture movement had a strong presence in Laguna Beach, ISKCON Los Angeles’ then temple president Tamal Krishna Goswami, along with Vishnujana Swami, would travel to Laguna to do kirtan at the popular psychedelic store Mystic Arts World.

Out of millions of dogs that take birth, only the rare dog is destined to become a military working dog, trained in the service of a human military. Out of thousands of military working dogs, even more rare is the highly trained canine that ends up rescued, taking shelter of Krishna’s devotees.

Several prominent Buddhist groups in Thailand invited Dr Sahadeva dasa for a series of countrywide programs and visit to their communities. They hosted a series of TV shows with him.