For at least 250 students of Sandipani Muni School (SMS) in Vrindavan, it’s ‘bull power’ that drives them to school every morning. In its own small way, the school is contributing to the green cause.

There was a flurry of excitement as a panel of judges announced the winners of the Bhaktivedanta Swami Literary Quiz in the holy town of Vrindavana recently.

Charu Dasa, president of ISKCON’s Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, welcomed a crowd of over three thousand for the 23rd annual Festival of India this September 12th

MOMBASA: ISKCON Africa is currently in the final phase of construction of its new temple complex on Beach Road, Mombasa. The expansive project sits on a two-acre plot in the affluent Nyali area, opposite the local golf club.

Managers at the ISKCON complex in Sri Mayapur Dhama, India, have announced that construction will soon begin on a new guest house with many on-site facilities, to be named Isodyan Bhavan.

On September 12, Penguin Books India launched Where’s Hanuman — a pictorial adventure book in the tradition of the famous 'Where’s Wally' at a packed house in Starmark, Kolkata’s biggest bookstore.

Los Angeles, Friday July 31st, 2009 - Nestled in the Hollywood Hills is the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, Los Angeles’ oldest performing arts venue. Tonight, it is nearly full with a glamorous audience of 950 people; some dressed in their very best suits or evening gowns, others in more exotic Bollywood attire.

Only a couple of hours ago, they walked down the red carpet in a brilliant hail of flash photography. Now, as they sit in the open air under the glittering stars, they watch performers deliver a first class show of entertainment and heart, each act introduced by local celebrities. On the stands above, a sprightly reporter conducts interviews for the show’s DVD release.

On September 16, 2009 the Krishna Society appealed to the Almaty Oblast deputy Hakim, S. Mukanov to allot the Society the 15-hectare land plot that the society has occupied and developed for the past ten years.

The Kazakhstan government destroyed 26 homes of Hindu practitioners of the community. Their land plots were confiscated. The owners of the destroyed houses were left homeless and never offered compensation or humanitarian aid. All of the land plots have been resold by the Kazakh government.

It’s the second-largest continent in the world. It has fifty-three countries, 2,000 languages, and a population of over 900 million. Yet with the South African BBT publishing books mainly in English, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust has only touched the tip of Africa’s potential.

Gaura Vani, a Hare Krishna musician who combines traditional Indian kirtan music with Western elements such as 12-string guitar, gospel choruses, and hip-hop rhythms, is a musical product of his environments.

Parvati Dasi, who just turned twelve years old, gives a warm and genuine smile as she hands an old lady an invitation to Festival of India in the town of Rewal, Poland. On the beach beside her, sixty devotees carrying flags, umbrellas and festoons sing the Hare Krishna mantra with the waves of the Baltic sea rippling around their feet.

On Friday August 28, ISKCON Moscow’s Sri Sri Dayal Nitai-Saci-suta deities were taken out to see the sights of Russia’s capital city for the first time in over seventeen years.

Riding on a canal-cruiser barge, they traveled down the Moskva river, with beautiful views of Moscow landmarks such as Red Square, Temple of Christ the Saviour, Park of Culture and Moscow State University.

This September, Volume One of ISKCON Studies Journal was released by ISI, an academic institute dedicated to developing the field of ISKCON studies through research, publishing and discussion.

“Volume One is full of excellent articles by some of the best scholars in the field of ISKCON Studies,” says ISI member Lal Krishna Dasa. “Including Harvard’s Francis Clooney, William and Mary College’s Ravi Gupta, ISKCON Resolve’s Braja Bihari Dasa, and Bhaktivedanta College Principal Yadunandana Swami.”

Mr. Premal Thacker (Parmanada Dasa) gifted a copy of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is to Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil earlier this year. It was the first time the President recieved one of Srila Prabhupada's books. She was grateful and kept the copy in her personal temple room.

Devala Dasa won the Puerto Rico Soccer League championship vs Athletico San Juan in a hard fought game played in San Juan. Devala began his professional career signing with the Bayamon team in May of this year.

Bayamon won 1-0 giving Devala another victory to his club.

In the tradition of the Brazilian soccer greats, Devala took his jersey off at the game's end. As can be seen in the image below, he used the opportunity to glorify Lord Krishna.

MUMBAI: With Lord Krishna’s blessings, the entire team of Choti Bahu is reeling in the super success of the show which redefined the prime time slot. The cast and crew celebrated the successful completion of 200 episodes by conducting a Puja/Hawan at The Iskcon Temple, Mumbai, as a mark of gratitude to the almighty.

On the weekend of September 19th to 20th, four hundred ISKCON devotees will congregate at Boston’s Commonwealth Pier to celebrate the day that changed their lives forever.

For it was at the Pier that ISKCON’s founder Srila Prabhupada first stepped onto American soil on September 17, 1965. Determined to fulfil his guru’s request to preach Krishna consciousness in the West, he had endured a thirty-five-day sea journey from Calcutta on board the cargo ship, Jaladuta.

The Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra Harinama Tour has just wrapped up its 2009 leg after holding eighty-five Harinamas, or chanting performances, in over fifty-five Eastern European cities.

The tour has visited countries and islands along the Adriatic Sea every year since 2003, and has grown from a humble start into a travelling Festival of India with audiences of over half a million people.

This November 7, ISKCON devotees at the rural Prabhupada Village community in Sandy Ridge, North Carolina will be holding “George Fest,” the latest in a series of innovative festivals designed to attract the general public.

At previous events, devotee and outside professionals spoke on different aspects of sustainability such as transportation, farming, energy production, and solar panels.

On 20 August 2009 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi ISKCON's Gopal Krishna Goswami met with India's president Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

A copy of the photo book Darshan, featuring images of the deities of ISKCON centers worldwide, was presented along with a flower garland and Maha-prasadam (sanctified food) from ISKCON Delhi's Radha Parthasarathi.