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.

The festivities at Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari temple (ISKCON Juhu) are reputed to be one of the largest Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in world. An estimated million people attended the two day festival at Hare Krishna Land at Mumbai.

This year the Supreme Lord adorned outfits designed by none other than fashion icon and designer Manish Malhotra.

Spanning the cusp between the 15th and 16th centuries, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught and exemplified complete absorption in divine love through the chanting of the names of God. Mahāprabhu propagated a spiritual discipline that carries the guided practitioner through clearly demarcated stages, beginning with a tentative interest (adau śraddhā) and culminating in an extraordinary exultation of ecstatic spiritual emotions (prema).

PUNE: The Pune rural police have questioned 20 people, having past record of stealing idols from temples, in connection with the theft of an idol [sic] from a temple at Bajarangwadi near Shikrapur. But even after a month of the theft taking place, the police have failed to make any headway in the case.

The nearly-200-year-old idol [sic] of Krishna was stolen along with silver ornaments from the temple at Bajarangwadi, about 50 km from Pune, on April 12.

Among the many gifts the West appears intent on bestowing upon the rest of the world – such as TV, burger bars, pop music etc — democracy is perhaps top of the list. We cherish our democratic institutions and are prepared to endure great pain and difficulty, sacrificing our soldiers and heaps of cash, to ensure that voting is embraced in far flung places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Even, it seems, when they don’t really want it anyway.

Chapatis are one of India's most popular breads. They are enjoyed especially in the northern and central regions of India. They are partially cooked on a hot griddle and finished over an open-heat source. Chapatis are made from special wholemeal flour called atta, available from Indian grocers. If unavailable, substitute sifted wholemeal flour.

Chapatis are usually served at lunch or dinner and are great whether served with a 5-course dinner or just with a simple dal and salad. Makes 12 chapatis.

Buono, a retired therapist and public school principal, says he decided to become a priest because he wanted to exert his energy in a meaningful, spiritual way after his wife died. And while he liked dating, he did not want to remarry.

Brussels, July 22 (DPA) The European Union is to ban the sale of inefficient TVs, fridges and electric motors as early as next July in a bid to save energy and fight global warming, the EU’s executive said Wednesday.

The EU is the world’s largest single market, making the new rules crucial for technology producers around the world.

Jaipur, India – Rajmata Gayatri Devi—formerly the Queen of Jaipur, a member of India’s Parliament, and a celebrity christened one of the most beautiful women in the world—passed away on Wednesday, July 29 at the age of 90. For devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), she will be especially remembered for her hospitality to the early Hare Krishna devotees visiting Jaipur and her gift of large Radha Krishna deities to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON’s founder-acarya.

American Atheists, a group that advocates on behalf of atheists in the U.S., will hold its national convention later this month. According to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 5% of American adults say they do not believe in God or a universal spirit, but only about a quarter (24%) of these nonbelievers actually call themselves atheists.

As if there aren't enough differences between the sexes – now it seems we sin in quite diverse ways. Men struggle most with lust, while for women it's the issue of pride.

A Vatican report has found that after excessive pride, the most common sin for women is envy; for men the urge for sex is followed by desire for food, The Advertiser reports.

Barack Obama, Democratic candidate for President of the United States of America, has been compared to a number of great men before him.  The charismatic young politician has been likened to president John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, as well as to civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.  But here's one that the mainstream media is not likely to catch: it seems Barack Obama has something in common with Lord Krishna's dear friend and devotee Arjuna.

Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change.

The spiritual path can be a rewarding yet difficult one. There comes a time when all of us need need a shoulder to lean on, a friendly push in the right direction, or a few strong words of encouragement. Oh, wouldn’t it be great if every time you stumbled in your faith, you could just open up your instant messenger and talk to someone would could help you right back up?

You don’t have to read Stillson Judah’s 1974 study, “Hare Krishna and the Counter Culture,” cover to cover to have some idea of the place in American society occupied by the Hare Krishnas in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Hare Krishna Movement was then self-promoted as, “The Positive Alternative.” An alternative to the drug culture prominent among the young, yes, and perhaps an even more far out alternative to the mainstream world of their parents.

This is a spicy, all-American favourite dessert. Select highly flavoured, dark-fleshed pumpkins for optimum flavour. For Australian readers, butternut, or especially Jap pumpkin, is highly recommended.

Mathura, Oct.18 (ANI): Hundreds of religious-minded people from different parts of the country arrived in Mathura town of Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of annual Govardhan Puja which was celebrated here on Sunday.

Celebrated on the following day of Diwali, the festival of lights, Govardhan Puja holds its own significance among Hindus.

On Saturday, July 25, 2009; ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) Berkeley Hare Krishna Temple celebrated Ratha Yatra (Festival of Chariots) in the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. ISKCON of Silicon Valley (ISV) located in San Jose collaborated in the celebration.

The Ratha Yatra with three chariots of Lord Jagannatha, Lady Subhadra, and Lord Baladeva respectively started in the afternoon from Transverse and JFK Drive. The colorful chariots were gloriously decorated.

Kuli Mela, the festival to bond and inspire youth (Kulis) who have grown up in the Hare Krishna movement, truly showed its scope and adaptability this year when it reached Siberia.

Held in Tomsk from July 3 – 7, the event attracted 250 young devotees from CIS countries that most westerners have never heard of, and probably couldn’t even pronounce, including Moscow, Ulan Ude, Almaty (Kazakhstan), Novosibirsk, Novokuznetsk, and Krasnoyarsk.