Iskcon remains the most successful of the various 20th-century religious movements centered around guru-worship and built upon the disillusionment of well-heeled westerners. With roughly 9 million followers worldwide, and wealthy, powerful donors (including Gainesville resident Ambarish Das – born Alfred Ford – the heir to the Ford Motor Company) opulent temple sites are still being erected in India today, such as the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, currently under construction in Mayapur, that was funded in part by Ford’s $35m donation.

Over this period of Lent we’ve spoken to priests, minister and Senators already, asking them ‘what’s it all about?’ What is the meaning of life? What impact does religion have on a person’s everyday life. Sarah Keogh was joined by Praghosh, who is the representative for ISKCON, the Hare Krishna movement here in Ireland, and he also began the Govinda restaurant chain over 20 years ago. Praghosh explained what the Hare Krishna movement is, and what he believes life is about.

I have been a regular visitor to the ISKCON Temple in Jaipur, Rajasthan for almost an entire past decade. Rajasthan being my ancestral state, we make it a point to travel here once at least every year. To say then, that I have a personal affinity for this state, and the Jaipur ISKCON temple wouldn’t be an exaggeration… from being a simple small house many years back, it has been a joy to see the temple gradually evolve to a relatively bigger premise and stand in line along with some of its more famous contemporaries like Delhi.

Russell Brand releases latest podcast with one of his mentors and spiritual teachers – HH Radhanath Swami. An enlightening and pragmatic podcast questioning the role of religion, spirituality and our own place in modern society.

The following is a recognition EDM (Early Day Motion) text which Dr Lisa Cameron, Member of the Scottish Parliament who opened our 11th ISKCON European Farm Conference last September, submitted in Parliament following her visit. Her office is offering ISKCON IMCPA a framed version of the text. We're equally grateful to Dr Cameron for her support and encouragement. "That this House commends the efforts of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness' Ministry for Cow Protection and Agriculture; recognises the value this organisation...

I am pleased to know that a special souvenir is being published by ISKCON-India on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami celebrations. ISKCON has been leading a spiritual transformation of the humanity by illuminating the world with the wisdom and grace of Shri Krishna's philosophy. Its members have been serving the humanity through its numerous philanthropic missions underlining the non duality of service to God and humanity. I convey my best wishes to the whole ISKC...

On 20.05.1988, 30 years ago ISKCON Russia officially got registered in USSR . On a beautiful spring day in 1988, the Council for Religious Affairs officially registered the Moscow Society for Krishna Consciousness, concluding, or so it seemed, a longstanding feud between the devotees and the State. It was the first religious society registered in the Soviet Union since World War II. Hon'ble Prime minister of India has sent his message on this occasion!

Kolkata: ISKCON has set up an immersive 360 degree full dome at Mayapur to preach the message of harmony and world peace. The hi-tech theatre was officially launched for public viewing on the auspicious occasion of Narsingha Chaturdashi on April 29. It may be recalled that during her visit to Mayapur in February, Chief Minister had assured the ISKCON authorities every cooperation in their attempt to declare Mayapur as a World Heritage Centre. Full dome refers...

Srila Prabhupada Uvaca - The Glories of Ramananda Raya - Sacred Sound Retreat - Transformation at SSR - Each Year Becomes Sweeter - BB Govinda Swami Aussie Visit - Let The Games Begin - New Horizons - Strong Foundations - Home Group Mothers - Happy Hearts - Spiritual Chariot - Way North - Auspicious Beginnings

The wait in the UK is finally over! Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami who started it all (formerly known as Acharya) is coming to cinemas in the UK! Never before has there been a bigger opportunity for a mainstream audience in the UK to experience the incredible story of A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami (affectionately known as Srila Prabhupada), the 70-year-old Swami from India, who arrived in America without any support or money in the ...

Starting March 23rd, 17:00, Pacific Time for 24 hours, the wiki page of the Bhagavad-gita Diorama-museum was featured on Wikipedia first page “Did You Know” section. The museum was established in 1977 as the First American Transcendental Exhibition (FATE) in Los Angeles, but has been inactive for most of its 40-year history. The Bhagavad-gita museum was renovated and has been in display daily since June 2016. It has been received by the public and media with ...

In our small endeavor to fulfill this statement by Srila Prabhupada, BBT India has released an App called "Transcend - to a Higher Life" that is available on Google Play Store and Apple Store. It contains 20 of Srila Prabhupada's books in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Gujarati Languages. This set of 20 books are available for a price of only Rs. 499. This App also contains the 18 Volume Srimad Bhagavatam as another download package for a nominal price of ...

On Wednesday 15 February, Sruti Dharma das, Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor (UK), joined 1000 dignitaries from across the British Commonwealth at Buckingham Palace. He was then invited to have a private audience with the Queen and other members of the Royal family. Upon meeting Her Majesty, he discussed her visit to the Krishna Avanti School in 2015, which she remembered well. She also confirmed that the tapestry of Lord Chaitanya gifted to her hung on one ...

The Manor School children participated in an inaugural ceremony to mark a new chapter in their school’s history. The primary school has been situated at Bhaktivedanta Manor for the past 35 years. Due to various challenges associated with the building of the new Haveli on the site and the required demolition of two of the classrooms, the school has been relocated into a new temporary premises not far away. The renovation of the existing buildings took over eight mont...

“I don’t mean that people have their eyes open or that their brain’s working after they die," Parnia said. "That petrifies people. I’m saying we have a consciousness that makes up who we are—our selves, thoughts, feelings, emotions—and that entity, it seems, does not become annihilated just because we've crossed the threshold of death; it appears to keep functioning and not dissipate. How long it lingers, we can’t say.” Clinically, we understand death...

The poet Allen Ginsberg, an early devotee who attended some of the first outreach sessions in New York, told The Times in 1966 that the chanting “brings a state of ecstasy.” Swami Prabhupada, known to his followers as Srila Prabhupada, officially founded the Hare Krishna Society that same year. Its first temple was located in a former gift shop at 26 Second Avenue in Manhattan. Early devotees were mostly white Westerners, many of whom were disillusioned with Amer...

Vancouver, BC - One of Canada's fasting rising young opera stars, Dustin Hiles, first met the devotees seven years ago in Winnipeg, MB, while campaigning as a candidate for the provincial Liberal Party of Canada. After his staff put together a list of temples and mandirs for him to visit, he eventually made it to 108 Chestnut Street where the devotees invited him, and his team, to hear about Krishna and take prasadam. This meeting had a profound effect on Dustin who...

Atma has won several food awards, including The Observer’s 'Best ethical restaurant in Britain' title, and it also provides space for healthy living activities such as yoga and meditation. "We are called the kitchen religion, because we place a lot of emphasis on food. Everything we see, tough and smells affects our consciousness and how we think and feel. Everybody's got to eat. You know you have come to the right religion when you have got a big plate of food in front of you." The cafe, which closed the doors at its previous Church Street location in April, advocates ...

One case that came out just a few weeks ago is a discovery of some footprints on the island of Crete, a part of Greece, it's an island in the Aegean Sea. In the northwestern end of Crete archeologists found footprints in layers of rock five million seven hundred thousand years old and the way they described these footprints was pretty interesting they had many human-like features first of all the creatures that made these footprints were bipedal in other words they walked on two legs there weren't any prints of any four limbs like you know you would have a dog walking on f...

A European division of BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) is in the process of printing the largest sacred text in the world! Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As t Is. It will be 2.8 meters high (9.18 feet) and 2 meters large (6.56 feet). It will weight 750 kgs. The idea is to make it travel all over the world as a big piece of religious art and people can take darshan and worship the Bhagavad-gita as a Deity. The Bhagavad-gita is also a Deity of Lord Krishna because His words are there.

If Hare Krishna! film director John Griesser’s goal was to reintroduce the world to the magic of Prabhupada, he hit his mark. Hare Krishna! is the second coming of Prabhupada. Griesser (Yadubara Das) draws the viewer into to the magic of the Hare Krishna movement through an artfully crafted, seamless, multimedia medley, drawing from a wealth of existing archival elements including photographs, film, and video interviews combined with recreations, reenactments, and graphics to achieve a cinematic flow that takes you out of the theatre and into the moment.

ISKCON Malaysia receives many workaways to serve at our farm or temple. Workaways are group of Americans and Europeans who travel all over the world and would offer some physical service in return for free food and lodging. One such workaway was Elizabeth, a young LLB graduate from North England. She stayed at our Sri Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya Temple for 3 weeks and became serious in Krishna consciousness. She started chanting 16 rounds, attending mangala arati daily, vegetarian and seriously started reading Bhagavad Gita. She just returned back to England and promised to...

His Grace Pancagauda Prabhu gives the invocation speech on 4th April 2017 at the Iskcon Vrindavan Devotee Care Assisted Living Facility's Bhumi Puja at Deva Lok Colony. Srila Prabhupada wanted the devotees to come to Vrindavan to retire, to finish their days. And it is encouraging that we provide you would say a guest house if you need to come and stay and retire. We see our devoted community really growing and developing all over the world, our congregation and many devotees have spent many many years serving in Prabhupada's mission, Lor...

Is this the image of the proposed Ram Mandir temple at Ayodhya? Yes, if certain images posted on social media – Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp are to be believed. The image showing a magnificent structure has been doing the rounds on Twitter and Facebook since the last two years.