The worldwide activities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
Govinda's Restaurant Opens in Philadelphia
Philadelphia – Devotees from the ISKCON temple here recently opened Govinda's Restaurant in the heart of the city's nightlife district. Located on famous South Street, next door to one of the largest and most popular New Age bookstores in the eastern United States, Govinda's is likely to become the most prominent vegetarian restaurant in the Philadelphia area.
Head chef Ramanatha-suka dasa, who has many years of experience cooking not only at Hare Krsna temples but also at the Los Angeles Govinda's Restaurant and at the Higher Taste in San Francisco, says, "We have the best location we could want in this city, and our clientele is steadily increasing. We're especially pleased by the favorable comments we've gotten from the professional people who are choosing Govinda's as their lunch spot."
Patrons to Govinda's serve themselves at a buffet whose fare includes a variety of international vegetarian cuisine, all offered to Krsna. In accordance with Srila Prabhupada's directions for Hare Krsna restaurants, diners get all they can eat for one price.
Indian Ambassador Visits Dallas Temple
Dallas, Texas—The Honorable Pratap Kishan Kaul, Indian ambassador to the United States, recently visited the Hare Krsna center here. During his two-hour visit, he appreciated Kalachandji's Restaurant and the magnificent temple of Sri Sri Radha-Kalachandji, known here as "the Palace." He also toured Prabhupada's Memorial Room and a large sanctuary being renovated by the local Indian community.
ISKCON life member Dr. R N. Misra, who presented a copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his wife during their visit to Houston in 1985, coordinated the visit.
News Briefs
* Vegetarian Times magazine recently reviewed ISKCON's women's shelter in Philadelphia, describing it as a unique welfare institution because it is the only vegetarian shelter in the United States. The article explains that "because of the presence of children, the shelter's vegetarian menu had to be approved by the city, and it passed, with flying colors."
* ISKCON Miami Beach's newly renovated Govinda's Restaurant was recently reviewed by Miami Herald staff writer Irene Lacher, who especially appreciated the salad bar, saying it was "one of the better one's we've seen." The restaurant serves Indian, Italian, and American prasadam (vegetarian food offered to Lord Krsna).
* Chanting Hare Krsna devotees in Moscow help set the theme for a new Soviet film. Is It Easy To Be Young? The film documents the youth movement now sweeping the Soviet Union. Hashing between a Soviet rock concert, a courtroom, a military training camp, and a Hare Krsna temple, the film explores how young people deal with negative aspects of Soviet life. It includes scenes of devotees chanting congregationally, worshiping, chanting on their beads, and explaining the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. At least seventeen million people have already seen the film.
* The Dallas Morning News recently ran a cover story about Sunanda dasa, head chef at Kalachandji's Restaurant at the Dallas Hare Krsna temple. A large color photo of Sunanda sitting in the temple appeared on the front page of the paper's Sunday "Food" section. The article describes Sunanda's cooking experience in ISKCON and commends his unique style of Indian cooking. Largely because of Sunanda's expertise, Kalachandji's is a highly rated restaurant in the Dallas area.
* Yudhisthira dasa and Jayanti-devi dasi were recently invited to participate in a Religious Task Force for the Dallas Independent School District. Topics to be discussed by the Task Force include school prayer and First Amendment rights. Baptists, Catholics, Jews, Lutherans, Muslims, and the Dallas-Fort Worth Hindu Society are among the other groups participating.
* Navayogendra Swami recently presented a copy of Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is and a large photograph of Lord Krsna to His Excellency Jag Mohan Malhotra, governor of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Navayogendra Swami, who is spending five months traveling and preaching in this remote Indian state, spoke with the governor about the philosophy of Krsna consciousness and the work of the Hare Krsna movement around the world!