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A new documentary POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE (12A) directed by Paul Sng and Celeste Bell is released across the UK and Ireland on March 5th. 

Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain, with a rare prescience. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk

Temperatures were mild. There was a thaw. My ceiling told me so. A slow leak of brown water was coming through. It’s interesting how it travels from the roof. Clumps of snow and ice meet the sun and hence a drip makes its way from the rooftop to the floor in the bedroom.

“We’ll get it fixed,” says our maintenance man.

“Great!”

Whenever a bit of humidity makes its entrance, arthritic joints feel it. Today is a good example of the elements visiting this second building — the body. Legs, knees and

About Jagattarini Devi
Her Grace Jagattarini Mataji joined ISKCON and first met Srila Prabhupada in America in 1970 (many of you may have heard of this famous story of a successful actress becoming a devotee). Through her connections with the Movement, Jagattarini met her husband, Bhurijana Prabhu, and together they pioneered a nama-hatta center in Hong Kong. Srila Prabhupada encouraged her to use artistic talents in attracting people to the cultural side of devotional service. Some years later

About Kusha Devi
She became a devotee at the age of 17, moved into the temple as soon as she turned 18 in 1969. Govinda dasi deputed Jayasri Prabhu and her to grow the first Tulasi plants in the western world. In 1970, Govinda dasi was asked by Srila Prabhupada to make Gour Nitai Deities. So she deputed Kusha Devi to sculpt the clay form of Lord Caitanya, the first in our Iskcon. She was put on the board of Trustees of the Vrinda Kund Project, maintaining a non profit corporation in which to ra

By Madhava Smullen

After over a decade of dedicated service, Krishna-lila Dasi is moving on from her position as managing editor of ISKCON News. An award-winnning professional filmmaker, she will continue to work with ISKCON News as a freelance contributor of short films, an exciting new development for the website.

A scholar, teacher, filmmaker, and activist, Krishna-lila holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literary Studies from the University of Budapest, and a Certificate in Screenwriting from New

A prominent sun dominated the sky and when it was time for it to make its ever so graceful exit a reigning powerful king in the form of the moon set itself firmly in the heavens.

During the hours of light devotional activities prevailed at the temple, beginning with a guru-puja; honouring of the guru just after darshan; the viewing of the deity of Krishna. As the sun rose I was feeling gratitude to the devotees from the Atlantic zone for sending that sun to us. The sun enlivens.

I thought of ou

In the mood of visiting the Dham when you can’t physically go to the Dham, GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) is bringing the Dham to you!

About Chandan Yatra Das
Chandan Yatra Das is disciple of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. He live in Canberra, Australia. Since 2009, he has travelled to various Holy Dhamas across India, especially covering the holy places connected with pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His associates, Vaishnava acarya’s and Lord Krishna. He has prepared over 60 articles

“You can associate with me by reading my books.” Srila Prabhupada Morning Walk — Toronto, 7 August 1975.

Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93686

By Indradyumna Swami

In light of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the development of COVID-19 vaccines, many of my students have inquired whether they should get vaccinated or not.

As a result, I wish to share my views on this matter with my students and those who look to me for advice. Of course, the final decision whether or not to get vaccinated rests with each individual.

After consulting several devotee doctors who have literally saved my life on five separate occasions (thre

Srila Prabhupada would describe how sometimes during the rainy season in Mayapur, the Ganga is flooding its banks and the entire area goes underwater. And sometimes, Mayapur is almost two months in a lockdown underwater, imagine that! I remember spending some time in that flood during a year and it was quite an experience. We would have to swim from one building to another and we were not the only ones swimming. There were also cobras swimming to add some excitement. Some had rubber boats and t

Much of the snow has turned into water, trapped between heaps of white and bordered by slush. The reason is the mild temperature. It got up to 8°C and that meant wrapping my jacket around my left arm, leaving a full orange cloth exposure. People noticed. It stands out; especially with snow patches as a backdrop. It’s been a while since I strolled into the daytime. There’s a lot more pedestrians out.

“Hey, that attire really is something,” said one service/repair person.

Monks are rare. Period.

About Radhika Raman Das
Radhika Ramana Das, also known as Dr. Ravi M. Gupta, is a notable Vaishnava scholar. Presently, he is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia and a member of the faculty at Bhaktivedanta College. He received his doctorate from Oxford University on the topic of Jiva Goswami’s Vedanta,and has a Post Doctoral Fellowship from Linacre College.He grew up in Boise Idaho where his academic accomplishments were docume

By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader

Taking a detour from our route padayatra reached Jasdan, a municipality town in the Rajkot district, the home of Mahavishnu Maharaja disciple Ganshyam dasa. When Ganshyam and his wife had darshan of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar in Belgaon, Maharashtra, he prayed to Their Lordships for blessings so that he could become a good grihastha devotee. He had served in padayatra for six months and also in Vraja-mandal Parikrama where he received the blessings of R

ISKCON Ujjain celebrated the 15th anniversary of its temple inauguration on 25th February 2021, Nityananda Trayodasi, the day of the divine appearance of Lord Nityananda.

On 10th February 2006, the beautiful temple of Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan ji, Krishna Balarama and Gaura Nitai was inaugurated in the auspicious presence of many GBCs, sannyasis and senior devotees of ISKCON. HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja had constructed this beautiful marble temple in a very short time of 9 mo

Many years ago a great Krishna Bhakti teacher, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, penned the following 4 principles of community building:

1. Treat everyone you encounter as if the success or failure of your spiritual life depends on the quality of your interactions with them.

2. Think of the person you love the most and aspire to treat everyone with that same quality of love.

3. View all conflicts as your own fault first.

4. Realize that people in your present environment might very well be the people with

By Gauranga Darshan Das (Gaura Purnima Special)

Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gīta that He descends in every yuga as an incarnation for three purposes: to protect the righteous, to punish the mischievous, and to establishes dharma. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa descended in the current age of Kali as Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu or Śrī Gaurānga. In this incarnation, the Lord appears in the form of a devotee to teach how to perform loving devotional service (bhakti) unto Him.

Assuming the emotions of a

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine

śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ

mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo ‘stu te

namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His

While studying about Madhavendra Puri I came across these gems.
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur says that there are 5 primary counter examples we should learn from Ramachandra Puri:
(1)Faultfinding, especially finding fault in Vishnu and the Vaishnavas, is extremely detrimental to one’s spiritual advancement. A devotional practitioner should look at his own faults rather than at others’. By correcting his own faults, he will be able to make some advancement.

(2)All the disciples who take initi

He is indeed by far
The mercy avatar
For he bore the blood
During the love flood

As companion to Gaur
Life was less is more
Distributing a wealth
For everyone’s health

Committed to the name
And establishing its fame
He went door to door
In the effort to explore

He went with Haridas
Many gains, no loss
With interesting reception
Prepared for any rejection

Jagai/Madai, there in queue
The loud obnoxious two
Met more than their match
When Nitai did dispatch

They swayed, they fell
Totally drunk as h