TODAY MUSLIMS CELEBRATE EID

MUSLIM BLESSED HOLIDAY EID
CELEBRATED IN SEVERAL CITIES

www.sify.com/news - Delhi was in a festive mood for Saturday’s Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, with Muslims thronging the markets for their favourite delicacies and gifts and preparations on for the Eid congregations. ‘Friday is the final day of fasting in Ramadan and Saturday will be Eid,’ Syed Bukhari, Imam of the historic Jama Masjid in the city announced Thursday. Police and security personnel will be deployed at various prayer grounds (Idgahs) around the city, a senior police official told IANS. ‘Jama Masjid alone may see a deployment of around 500 policemen,’ he added. People preparing for the Eid festivities also hoped that rains would not disrupt their celebrations. Mohammed Amaan, 24, a resident of Chandni Chowk, said: ‘Eid is one of the most important days in a year. We’ve looked forward to it for a long time. We just pray that the weather doesn’t play spoilsport.’ Shamianas or marquees have been set up around the city for Saturday’s prayers. Food courts across Daryaganj, Sita Ram Bazaar, Okhla and other parts of the city are preparing their best for Saturday.

Eid traditionally is best known for the mouth watering sweet dishes like sevaiyan (vermicelli pudding). In tune with the changing times, Eid is also being celebrated over the internet. People have already started exchanging wishes over the social networking websites. ‘Eid greeting cards’ has already become one of the most searched phrase on the search engine Google in the past few days. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and other political leaders have greeted the people on the occasion of Eid. ‘I wish all the Delhiites, and hope the festival brings the message of peace and harmony to everyone.’


Ramadan is a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, determined by a lunar calendar. Its close is marked by the Eid al-Fitr (festival of fast breaking) festival, which includes celebration and giving of gifts. This holiday - sometimes called the “Muslim Christmas” - is to thank Allah for seeing them through the fasting period. These celebrations should be an opportunity to unite all men, whether one is Muslim or not.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In India, even in the interior villages, all the Hindu and Muslim communities used to live very peacefully by establishing a relationship between them. The young men called the elderly members of the village by the name cācā or kākā, “uncle,” and men of the same age called each other dādā, “brother.” The relationship was very friendly. There were even invitations from Muslim houses to Hindu houses and from Hindu houses to Muslim houses. Both the Hindus and the Muslims accepted the invitations to go to one another’s houses to attend ceremonial functions. ... Conflict between Hindus and Muslims was created by polluted politicians, especially foreign rulers, and thus the situation gradually became so degraded that India was divided into Hindustan and Pakistan. Fortunately, the remedy to unite not only the Hindus and Muslims but all communities and all nations can still be implemented by the Hare Krishna movement on the strong basic platform of love of Godhead.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita - Ādi-līlā
“The Pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His Youth”
Purport in Chapter 17 Verse 148

JOLIE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST QURAN BURNING

ANGELINA JOLIE CONDEMNS
PLANS TO BURN COPIES OF QURAN

NEW YORK (AP) - Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who is on a visit to flood-hit areas in Pakistan as UN Goodwill Ambassador, has condemned plans of a Florida church to burn the Quran. “Of course not. Of course not. I have hardly the words that somebody would do that to somebody's religious book,” Jolie said when asked if she supported the act. Christian pastor Terry Jones has caused a furor in Islamic countries by announcing plans to set fire to the Quran at his church in Florida, to mark the anniversary of the Sep 11, 2001 terror attack in New York. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several other officials in the country have also condemned the plan. The 35-year-old actress spoke out against the proposed burning during a trip to Pakistan to raise awareness about the floods that have devastated the largely Muslim country over the last six weeks. She visited in her capacity as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s refugee agency. Jolie's criticism echoed that of top U.S. officials, who have described the church's plan as a disgraceful act and have even warned that it could endanger U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Americans worldwide. President Barack Obama also urged the pastor of a Florida church not to burn copies of the Koran.

The Christian minister organizing the Quran burning, Pastor Terry Jones, has said he plans to go ahead in spite of concerns. He is part of the Dove World Outreach Center, a tiny, evangelical Christian church in Gainesville, Florida, with an anti-Islam philosophy. The issue has not gotten much attention in Pakistan, where officials and residents have been trying to cope with the devastation caused by floods that first hit the country at the end of July following extremely heavy monsoon rains. “I was shocked especially by how high the floodwaters went,” said Jolie, who wore a long dress and covered her hair with a black scarf in keeping with local Muslim custom.


Senior government officials, religious leaders, people from the world of culture, Hollywood stars and even ordinary citizens asked the pastor Terry Jones to abandon its project to burn 200 copies of the Al Qur’an. However, always with his 40 caliber pistol in his belt, pastor Jones believes, to cancel the event would not be a show of tolerance, but a sign of weakness. One should respet the faith of others in their gurus and holy scriptures.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

There are many different religions throughout the world. Each one of these religions has a historical founder, whom we normally call its guru. For example, the founder and guru of the Christian religion is Jesus Christ; the founder and guru of the Islamic religion is Hajrat Mohammed; the founder of the Jewish religion is Moses; the Sikh guru is Nanak, and the guru of the Buddhists is Buddha. ... The spiritual masters of each religion were, each in their own way, seers of the Divine Truth. Their realizations were expressed in words and these words became the scriptures of the spiritual paths they founded. The words of Christ and Moses are the basis of the Bible. The Koran was revealed by Mohammed. ... Those who love religion have faith in the words of their gurus and the scriptures that they composed. This is the essence of faith, which is the seed of understanding the Supreme Lord.

Śrīla Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Mahārāja :
"Sanatan Hindu Dharma : The Way to Harmony"
http://www.gopinathmath.ru/katha/Sanatana%20Hindu%20Dharma%20way%20to%20harmony.pdf

MEAT PROTEIN RISKY, STUDY FINDS

LOW-CARB DIETS BASED ON
MEAT PROTEIN RAISE DEATH RISK

WebMD Health News - All low-carbohydrate diets may not be created equal when it comes to your health. Low-carb diets based on meat protein rather than vegetable protein may raise death risk, a study finds. This new study suggests that a low-carb diet based on vegetable protein is healthier than one based on meat protein. Low-carb diets have gained popularity in recent years as research shows they aid in weight loss and may improve some cardiovascular risk factors. But researchers say their findings suggest that health benefits of a low-carb diet may depend on the type of protein and fat it contains. The study followed nearly 130,000 health professionals for at least 20 years and found that low-carb diets that emphasized animal sources of fat and protein - such as red meat - were associated with a higher risk of death from any cause. In contrast, people who ate low-carb diets that emphasized vegetable sources of fat and protein, such nuts and beans, had a lower risk of death from any cause, particularly heart-related death.

The study, based on regularly administered questionnaires, found that eating a low-carb diet based on meat protein was associated with a 23% higher risk of death from any cause, 14% greater risk of heart-related death, and 28% greater risk of cancer-related death. Eating a vegetable protein-based low-carb diet, however, was associated with a 20% lower risk of death from any cause and a 23% lower risk of death from heart disease. Researcher Teresa T. Fung, ScD, of Simmons College in Boston and colleagues say that the macronutrient content of both diets may be similar, but the source of those nutrients may create large differences in substances known to affect health, such as fatty acids, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and phytochemicals.

The study confirmed a “direct association” between animal-based low-carbohydrate food intake and increased cancer deaths, particularly from colorectal and lung cancer. Dieters interested in eating more plant and vegetable-based proteins should consider adding tofu, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds in to their diet. Sunflower oil, olive oil, and peanut oil are also great sources of plant-based fats.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Flesh eating generally results in an excess of proteins in the organism. The minimum daily requirement of protein, which experts on nutrition calculate to be between 10 and 90 grams, is easily received from vegetable food and from dairy products. Protein is found in ample quantity in milk, cheese, yoghurt, whole wheat, corn, many varieties of nuts and beans and vegetables. ... Vegetables, fruits, grains and dairy products are in perfect balance for proper nutrition. These same vegetable substances, if they reach us through flesh of an animal, are dangerous to health and carry with them the following disease provoking substances: Toxic wastes from the bloodstream, germs and pus, vaccines and drugs injected to offset animal disease. Fear poisons released at the time of slaughter. Bacteria from putrefactive decomposition, which commences as soon as the animal dies.

Vedic Knowledge On Line :
“Hidden Price of Meat”
“Modern Civilization is Centered around Animal Killing”
VEDA - Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Krishna.com
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/bhaktiyoga/change.htm

SMOKING AND ORAL CANCER

HOW TO PREVENT ORAL CANCER
MOST OF IT IS CAUSED BY SMOKING

www.yahoo.com - Oral cancer occurs on the lips (usually the lower lip), inside the mouth, on the back of the throat, tonsils or salivary glands. It occurs more frequently in men than women, and especially so to people over 40 years. Cigarette smoking combined with heavy alcohol use is a key risk factor. Late detection of oral cancer may involve surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Early detection of oral cancer is essential for successful treatment. What are the symptoms of oral cancer? Some of these include:

A sore on the lips, gums or inside your mouth that bleeds easily and does not heal. A lump or thickening in the cheek that you can feel with your tongue. Loss of feeling or numbness in any part of the mouth. White or red patches on the gums, tongue or inside the mouth. Difficulty at chewing or swallowing food. Pain, without explanation, in the mouth or choking sensation in the throat.

How to prevent oral cancer? If you do not smoke or chew snuff, do not start ever. Almost 80 or 90% of cases of oral cancer are due to smoking. The relationship between smoking, lung cancer and heart disease has been extensively tested.

Smoking is bad for your overall health and it hampers your immune system fight infections or your recovering from injuries and surgeries. Among young people, smoking can lead to stunted growth and developmental difficulties. Many smokers do not smell or taste and is common to suffer from bad breath and stained teeth. High alcohol consumption increases cancer risk, and combined with snuff creates a particularly high risk factor. The best thing is to not smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes, snuff or chew. People who stop using snuff, even after many years of use, greatly reduce the risk of oral cancer.


Smoking cigarettes, pipes or cigars increases the chances of developing cancer of the larynx, throat and esophagus. Like most people do not know or ignore early symptoms, oral cancer often spreads before it is detected. The people trapped in cigarette addiction can get rid of this material pleasure if they can experience a higher taste on the spiritual plane.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The camel is pleased to eat thorny plants, so he is destroying his nose, in order to enjoy the taste of his own blood without being conscious of pain and self-mutilation. It seems that human beings act in the same way. A cigarette after another, one package after another, looking for enjoyment, but this pleasure lasts just a short time. The ads from different entities warn people that smoking is hazardous to health, but for them, the taste is what counts!. ... The process of Bhakti Yoga indicates that the intoxication, indiscriminate sex, gambling, eating meat, are self-destructive activities that must be abandoned as soon as possible. Not only because they corrupt the body and the mind, but because they impede the spiritual development and lead us to a life of suffering in the cycle of repeated births. The problem is that while we understand the need to avoid these things, we can not stop. We’re physically, psychologically and culturally addicted, so it is very difficult to achieve such a radical change in the way we are living.

Śrīpad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Mahārāja :
“Yoga and Current Era” - “The Camel and the Thorns”
http://vrinda.vaisnava.hu
http://vrinda.vaisnava.hu/vrindakunja/
http://www.buscadorpdf.com/pdf-VRINDA---Instituto-de/

NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK

SEPT. 5-11 IS “NATIONAL
SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK”

KIRKSVILLE (USA) - Sunday marked National Suicide Prevention Week. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 18 to 24-year-olds and accounts for 1.3 percent of all deaths in the United States annually. Suicide and depression can be very hard to bring up in conversation. Many people feel embarrassment and loneliness so they keep their emotions boiled up inside. Mental Health Councilor Joe Hamilton says the most important thing to do is talk. “With suicide in particular, people get really nervous about bringing up the subject” said Hamilton. “What we want to make sure is that people are open to talking about it. Often times, the person finds it’s a relief and they can talk about it and that they have someone willing to listen.” Hamilton recommends talking to a councilor or mental health expert. If you are shy and are scared to talk to a professional, you should at least talk to a friend. Being able to recognize warning signs is important.

Many people who experience suicidal thoughts will send out warning signs - they may be obvious and overt or they may not.

The American Association on Suicidology identifies the following common warning signs:

- Increased substance (alcohol or drug) use. - No reason for living; no sense of purpose in life. - Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep or sleeping all the time. - Feeling trapped - like there’s no way out. - Hopelessness. - Withdrawal from friends, family and society. - Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge. - Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking. - Experiencing dramatic mood changes. - Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill someone. - Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means. - Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person.



It is very sad to see how many people believe that by committing suicide they will be alleviated from their suffering. On the contrary, because of that nonsense they will be placed in even more painful life situations. They ignore that the living entity is eternal, and therefore one still lives after the end of this life. The end of suffering comes when one begins the process of Krishna consciousness and reaches the supreme spiritual abode.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

I have heard that a group of people in South America committed collective suicide because they felt that their faithful way of life was going to be destroyed by the present civilization. They could not tolerate that, but rather, they thought, “Let us take poison and leave this world behind. ... We have no charm for anything in this mundane world”. ... We can agree that there is no charm here that shall make us hesitate to withdraw from this world, but we must also disagree and say that our life in this world is valuable. Why? With this life we can acquire a higher aspiration. We can have the chance of acquiring the goal from this plane. ... If we can use this human life in a valuable way, we can acquire the key by which to become free from the whole chain of life in this troublesome world. ... This human form of life is the most advantageous position to escape this entanglement and reach the highest object of our divine life.

Śrīla Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Mahārāja :
“The Golden Volcano of Divine Love”
Part 3 “Conclusion - A Drop of Divine Love”
Section: “Let us Take Poison ...”
http://bvml.org/SBRSM/index.htm

ORGANICALLY PRODUCED FOOD IS TASTIER & BETTER

ORGANIC FOOD IS HEALTHIER, TASTIER,
BETTER FOR ENVIRONMENT: WSU STUDY

WASHINGTON (DPA) - Supporters of conventional agriculture say that organic farming is little more than a fad - and that organic produce lightens consumers’ wallets for no tangible benefits. And unfortunately, since agro-ecosystems are so complex, scientists have had a hard time cutting through the haze of claims and counter-claims. Until now: “Fruit and Soil Quality of Organic and Conventional Strawberry Agroecosystems,” a study led by Washington State University Regents professor of soil science John Reganold, is one of the most comprehensive, persuasive studies yet to show the nutritional and environmental benefits of organic farming. Its findings only apply to strawberries - but they do point the way to the kind of research that can, and should, be done with other crops as well.
Despite the conventional practice of spraying soils with synthetic fertilizers, the study found that organic fields contained significantly higher amounts of nutrients. It’s hard to argue against Reganold’s findings.

The results are pretty convincing: organic strawberries are healthier, tastier, and better for the soil than conventional strawberries. Even while some categories of analysis produced similar results between conventional and organic strawberries, the fact that organic methods did not rely on toxic chemical inputs is a big, juicy point in its favor. Promoting organic agro-ecosystems means fewer people will be exposed to toxic chemicals, all in the name of producing a healthier, tastier piece of fruit. But what’s perhaps most interesting in the study is the use of DNA analysis, which helped scientists establish that organic soils contain a significantly higher amount of unique genes and overall genetic diversity.

Organic and conventional soils contain similar levels of most extractable nutrients, but organic soil has higher levels of zinc, boron, sodium, and iron. Organic soils also performed better through a number of biological properties. In a time when global warming is creating increasingly unpredictable weather conditions, biodiversity is one of our greatest defenses against climate change.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

We want everyone to become aware of environmental and also be spiritually conscious. We long to see the Vaishnavas running functions at the head of the environmental movement. We encourage all the missions to live a healthy lifestyle, and produce their own organic food, or at least buy their food at organic farms whenever possible. We want the Vaishnavas understand the dangers of processed food, whose ingredients are not often vegetarian, and many times they are not written down on the packaging. We want to inform everyone about the dangers of industrial agriculture, and the benefits of natural treatments, about Ayurveda and many other alternative medicines. We want to increase research and the exchange between all the Vaishnavas, about the use of alternative energies, such as solar energy, wind, manure, organic waste, biogas and protection of cows, etc.; these are just small examples to consider. If we are not going in this direction, we will get a great reaction of unhappiness.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Vishva Vaishnava Raj Sabha - World Vaishnava Association”
“A study on the Past, Present and Future of the World Vaishnava Association (WVA)”
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/uploads/paramadvaiti_ba/asociacion_mundial_vaisnava.pdf

S. HAWKING SAYS NO GOD CREATED UNIVERSE

“THE UNIVERSE HAD NO CREATOR”
ASSERTS STEPHEN HAWKING IN NEW BOOK

bbc.co.uk / seerpress.com - Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking believes that the universe had no creator. In his view, the emergence of all the objects can be explained by the laws of nature. He has explained this in his new book, ‘The Grand Design’. “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing,” say the scientists. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to … set the Universe going.” In addition, Hawking has one other leading argument. In 1992 he had done a great discovery. It was for the first time, when scientists were able to detect planets outside the solar system. According to physics, this fact shows that our Earth is not as unique as it was thought in the twentieth century. And so, divine decree has nothing to do with the creation of universe. Hawking’s book ‘The Grand Design’ which he has coauthored with the fellow physicist Leonard Mlodinow, an American scholar, will be published by Bantam Press on September 9. Some of its excerpts have been published by The Times.

The book is devoted to a single physical theory on which Albert Einstein worked during the last thirty years of his life. It may be noted that the British physicist Stephen Hawking is considered to be one of the most eminent scientists of our times. He got the world fame particularly because of his work on black holes. In recent decades, he is suffering from a severe illness but the physicist is also actively engaged in the popularization of science. A book he published in 1988, “A Brief History of Time” was a bestseller. He had previously argued that belief in a creator was not incompatible with science - but in this new book, he concludes that the Big Bang was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics.


Although Professor Hawkings is a very famous scientist, he can not reach God by means of his mental speculations. But, a bona fide spiritual master can transmit the transcendental knowledge of the Vedas, first uttered by God to Brahma (the creator of this particular universe). Just by sitting at the feet of the guru, serving him and surrender unto him, we have the chance to understand what we are, what is this universe, what is God, and what is our relationship with Him.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam ... a certain section says, “There is God. Surely He exists.” Others say, “No, there is no God, He never existed.” This quarrel is useless; still it will continue. In a particular section this argument will have no end. Those who have no eyes will be unable to see the sun. They will say there is no sun (mattah para-nistat amsa-lokam). This misconception will continue for those who deny the existence of both the soul and the Supreme soul. For those who have direct experience, however, there is no question: it exists! But for the owl section who cannot admit the existence of the sun, the sun does not exist. It is something like that. Our own realization of a thing will be the greatest proof of its existence: vastu-tattva-jnana haya krpate. ... Some see, some cannot see. In the same place, one can see, another cannot. Those to whom Krishna wishes to reveal himself can see him; others cannot.

Śrīla Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Mahārāja :
“Sri Guru & His Grace”
Chapter Nine: “Nama Guru and Mantra Guru”
Section: “Self-effulgent and Self-evident”
http://bvml.org/SBRSM/index.htm
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library

240 VICTIMS OF MASS RAPE IN CONGO

MASS RAPE VICTIMS IN CONGO RAID
INCREASED - MORE THAN 240 - SAYS UN

UGANDA (nytimes.com) - The number of rape victims from a four-day rebel attack in eastern Congo a month ago has risen to more than 240 and will likely go higher, aid officials said Thursday. Some 240 women, girls and babies may have been raped after rebels recently seized a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN says. Giorgio Trombatore, a director of the aid group International Medical Corps, said investigators working in eastern Congo’s North Kivu Province had so far “counted 242 cases individually, one by one.” On July 30, hundreds of members of Rwandan and Congolese rebel groups occupied villages in the Walikale region of North Kivu, assaulting their victims in groups of two to six. Countering reports from the area that some victims were male infants, Mr. Trombatore said that all were female and that the youngest was 16 years old and the oldest 75.
Thousands of women, and hundreds of men, have been sexually assaulted by the various armed groups warring in eastern Congo.

Officials with the aid group have said that the rebels - members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and the Mai Mai - left the villages on Aug. 3, and that later that day a local administrator alerted aid organizations in the area to the mass rapes. Rebels from the same groups were suspected of attacking workers with the International Medical Corps on Wednesday after the workers landed by helicopter in Walikale, forcing the aid workers to escape into the surrounding forest. Mr. Trombatore said Thursday that all the aid workers had been rescued and were safe. United Nations officials have said the peacekeepers did not know about the rapes until Aug. 12.

International Medical Corps, informed about the attacks' full scale of women who had been taken away, kidnapped, taken into the forest and raped there. Many of the incidents involved multiple perpetrators. Very few cases are reported because there is a risk that victims are stigmatized by their families and abandoned by their husbands.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

As long as he is in the grip of the modes of passion and ignorance, a man will yearn to associate with women, eat meat, and drink liquor. He does not wait to hear the Vedas command him before he does these things. The purpose of the Vedas is this: As long as a man is not situated in the mode of goodness, a man will not be able to renounce killing animals, drinking liquor, and yearning for the touch of a woman. It is to curb these propensities that the scriptures prescribe association with a woman in marriage, killing animals in sacrifice, and drinking liquor at certain ceremonies. In these ways a man’s indulgence in these things is curtailed, and at the end he becomes able to renounce them completely. That is the purpose of the Vedas. ... However, men in the mode of goodness should not perform such activities. To be violent to others is the way of the animals.

Śrīla Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thākura :
“Jaiva-dharma” (“The Universal Religion”)
Chapter Ten: “Nitya-dharma O Itihasa”
“Eternal Religion and History”
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library
http://bvml.org/SBTP/index.htm

JANMASHTAMI: THE DAY OF THE LITTLE LORD

YESTERDAY KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI FESTIVAL
WAS CELEBRATED ACROSS INDIA WITH FERVOUR

http://timesofindia - Yesterday was Krishna Janmashtami (the day that marks the birth of Lord Krishna). The auspicious festival of Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna is being celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm. Temples in Delhi were decorated with flowers and colourful lights on the occasion. Special security arrangements have been made at temples including the Birla Mandir, Jhandewalan, Chhattarpur and the Gauri Shankar Mandir. In Uttar Pradesh, the festival is being celebrated with enthusiasm, peace and gaiety. In Patna, the city’s famous Mahavir temple geared itself up for the Janmashtami celebrations that started at 6 am and continued beyond midnight. The temple there was decorated with flowers and the idols of Lord Krishna were bathed and offered new clothes. “Prasad” was distributed among 500-odd “bhaktas” who had gathered to sing “bhajans” and “kirtans” there yesterday evening. Schoolchildren posing as Sri Krishna and Radha attended the programme. While school children had a field day dressing up like little Radhas and Krishnas, temple staff and devotees got together for some serious preparations for the festival, eagerly waiting to wish the Lord. Many kids celebrated by cutting cakes and distributing toffees.

The temples, especially those at Mathura and Vrindavan and many temples in several cities of the state have been decorated for the occasion. At the Bankey Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, the Krishna Janma Bhoomi and Dwarakadhish Temple in Mathura, the festival is celebrated at night. Devotees perform the ‘Mangla Darshan’ at midnight. Adequate security arrangements have been made in Mathura. The railways have announced the plying of seven special trains for devotees coming to Mathura to celebrate Janmashtami.


Krishna has many other names according to the country, culture, and language of different peoples. To the Jews He is Yahweh, to the Christians He is Jehovah, to the Muslims He is Allah. Sometimes God appears in this world just to show the people His original, eternal form. Sometimes He appears in other forms according to the requirements of His pastimes.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

“More than 5,100 years ago, Krishna appeared in His original, transcendental form just to please His devotees, annihilate the miscreants, and reestablish the principles of religion.” ... The date of Krishna’s birth is traditionally given as 5.201 of Bhadra Krishna Astami, or 3.226 BC (or 3.227 BC, depends if we consider the year 0 or not). “Bhadra” is the name of a month (corresponds roughly to July-August; Vedic calendar is luni-solar), “krishna” here specifically denotes the dark part of a month (waning moon) and “astami” means “8th day”. If you download and calculate the Vedic calendar for your location you can see when Janmastami (“Krishna’s birth day”: janma - birth, astami - 8th day) occurs so that you can take part in its celebration with us in one of our centers. The peak of the celebration is midnight when Krishna appeared.

Vedic Knowledge On Line :
“Who is Krishna? - Questions about Krishna”
VEDA - Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Krishna.com
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/bhaktiyoga/vaisnavism.htm

CHEFS AT TESTICLE COOKING COMPETITION

SERBIANS CHOW DOWN TESTICLES AT
WORLD TESTICLE COOKING CHAMPIONSHIP

www.thefrisky.com/post - Teams of chefs in Serbia have been serving up their best testicle-based dishes as part of the World Testicle Cooking Championship. The event, amazingly now in its seventh year, see gonad gourmets creating the best meals they can from boar, kangaroo and donkey balls. Testicles are supposedly rich in testosterone and some believe that they’re good for a man’s libido. Some of the dishes produced at the festival included testi pizza and testicles in bechamel sauce, but last year’s winner was bull testicle goulash. The event was organized by chef Ljubomir Erovic, who wrote a whole book on the subject of cooking with balls. He says, “This festival is all about fun, food and bravery.” The recipes feature bull, boar, camel, ostrich and kangaroo balls. They call them “white kidneys” in Serbia and “Rocky Mountain oysters” over here, presumably to trick people into unknowingly eating the things.

Delightful dishes on offer at the freaky food festival this year included testicle pizza and the ever-popular goulash style bulls’ testicles. Visitors taste a selection of the meals before a judging panel decides on which ones really stand out. The festival also has a “ballsy” awards ceremony, where they award people for acts of bravery. One of this year’s winners was Barack Obama because, according to Erovic, “He’s the bravest man in the world ... Obama took over the world at the most difficult economic and political times. He showed he has balls.” The other prize went to American pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger who last year glided a passenger jet into the Hudson river in New York rather than risk crashing in a densely populated area trying to reach an airport.


Eating meat is not for human beings, much worse is to eat the genitals of animals. Besides consuming these kinds of things with the intention of increasing their sexual appetite, accompanied by much alcochol and also doing it with a competitive spirit, shows very clearly that those who participated in this content are totally under the influence of the mode of ignorance.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The demoniac mentality is described here. The demons have no satiation for their lust. They will go on increasing and increasing their insatiable desires for material enjoyment. Although they are always full of anxieties on account of accepting nonpermanent things, they still continue to engage in such activities out of illusion. They have no knowledge and cannot tell that they are heading the wrong way. ... The result is that they become more and more attracted to two things – sex enjoyment and accumulation of material wealth. ... Such demoniac people are only attracted by wine, women, gambling and meat-eating; those are their aśuci, unclean habits. Induced by pride and false prestige, they create some principles of religion which are not approved by the Vedic injunctions. Although such demoniac people are most abominable in the world, by artificial means the world creates a false honor for them. Although they are gliding toward hell, they consider themselves very much advanced.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“The Bhagavad-gītā As It Is”
Purport in Chapter 16 – Verse 10
“The Divine And Demoniac Natures”