Gujarat Commits to Srila Prabhupada’s Vision
Anand, Gujarat: A national conference on “Cow-Based Agriculture, Health and Environment” was held here. Many senior scientists and government leaders attended. In the inaugural address, Dr. Vallabh Bhai Katiria, a senior politician and chairman of Goseva Ayog, read out Srila Prabhupada’s statement from Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.2.29): “Human society needs only sufficient grain and sufficient cows to solve its economic problems. All other things but these two are artificial necessities created by man to kill his valuable life at the human level and waste his time in things which are not needed.”
Nava-Narsimha temple in Bangalore
Bangalore, Karnataka: A new Lakshmi-Narsimhadeva temple has opened here on a land that was previously allocated by the government for building an abattoir (mechanized slaughter house). With the help of local people, devotees have built a temple dedicated to Srila Prabhupada’s mission.
Building Hindu Relationships in Europe
Radhadesh, Belgium: On March 27–28, ISKCON Radhadesh hosted the meeting of the leaders of the Hindu Forum of Europe (HFE).
Vedic Ecology Convention Held in South Africa
Chatsworth, South Africa: The third Vedic Ecology Convention organized by the ISKCON Vaishnava Research Forum (I-VRF) was held at the Sri Sri Radha Radhanatha Temple of Understanding, in Chatsworth, on Sunday, April 22, 2012.
Krishna Comes To Cuba
Havana, Cuba: A December 2011 trip to Cuba by ISKCON guru Bhaktimarga Swami has continued to increase and solidify the budding Krishna conscious congregation there. In Havana, thirty to forty people attend weekly programs at the home of congregation leader Janardana Dasa.
Orange Day Kirtana in Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Holland: On April 30, millions gathered in Amsterdam to celebrate Koninginnedag, or Queen’s Day, a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They all sported clothes, hats, garlands, feather boas and socks colored bright orange, the color associated with the royal family of the Netherlands. Three hundred ISKCON devotees, many of them saffron-clad, led by Kadamba Kanana Swami, chanted Hare Krishna in this crowd of fellow orange celebrants.
Hungarian High Dignitaries Visit ISKCON Delhi
New Delhi: The Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Zsolt Semjen, Deputy Speaker of Hungarian Parliament Janos Latorcai, along with the Hungarian Ambassador to India, and seven other Hungarian government officials visited ISKCON Delhi on the May 6, 2012.
ISKCON Receives Grant to Produce Smartphone Videos
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 application for smart phones.
The application delivers eighty original short videos on fourteen different channels each month for a one-time download charge of 99 cents. The videos, which convey inspirational, religious and spiritual stories from the world’s greatest faiths and spiritual traditions, are available on iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones and on the iPad and iTouch.
New ISKCON Temple Opens in Russia
Kursk, Russia: Under the leadership of Nitai Caitanya Goswami, a new temple opened here on May 5, 2012. The full size of the center is 360 square meters.
Ratha-yatra in Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya: Jagannatha Ratha-yatra was celebrated here amidst kirtana, dancing and rejoicing. Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Swami from America enthusiastically exclaimed, “This is not an ordinary event, or an ordinary party; its God’s party. People in this world like to party. Why? Because God also likes to party! You don’t have to do much in Krishna consciousness; you just have to join God’s party.”
Simple Living in Scotland
Lesmahagow, Scotland: Hare Krishna devotees have opened an eco-friendly farm here. The site has received a loan of £100,000 for the two turbines, funded by Energy Saving Trust Scotland, and a Scottish Government Community and Renewable Energy Scheme grant of nearly £87,000. The eco developments provide around 40% of the small community’s energy requirements.
Contributed by Madhava Smullens, Kumari Kunti Sherreit, Sahadeva Dasa, Hariksetra Dasa, Divesh Maharaj, Yudhisthira Govinda Dasa, Olessia Podtserob, and Radha Sakhi Dasi.