What is ISKCON?
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is a religious organization belonging to the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, a monotheistic tradition within the Vedic or Hindu culture. Philosophically it is based on the Sanskrit texts Bhagavad-gītā and the Bhagavat Purana, or Srimad Bhagavatam. These are the historic texts of the devotional bhakti yoga tradition, which teaches that the ultimate goal for all living beings is to reawaken their love for God, or Lord Krishna, the “all-attractive one”.
- Also known as the Hare Krishna movement, includes five hundred major centers, temples and rural communities, Farm communities, nearly one hundred affilated vegetarian restaurants named Govindas, thousands of namahattas or local meeting groups, many community projects, and millions of congregational members worldwide. Although less than fifty years on the global stage, ISKCON has expanded widely since its founding by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966.
- Members of ISKCON practice bhakti-yoga in their homes and also worship in temples. They also promote bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, through festivals, the performing arts, yoga seminars, public chanting, and the distribution of the society’s literatures. ISKCON members have also opened hospitals, schools, colleges, eco-villages, free food distribution projects, and other institutions as a practical application of the path of devotional yoga.
- ISKCON’s founder, Srila Prabhupada, has drawn appreciation from scholars and religious leaders alike for his remarkable achievement in presenting India’s Vaishnava spiritual culture in a relevant manner to contemporary Western and worldwide audiences.
- Many leading academics have highlighted ISKCON’s authenticity. Diana Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University, describes the movement as “a tradition that commands a respected place in the religious life of humankind.” In the 1980s Dr. A. L. Basham, one of the world’s authorities on Indian history and culture, wrote of ISKCON that, “It arose out of next to nothing in less than twenty years and has become known all over the West. This, I feel, is a sign of the times and an important fact in the history of the Western world.”
https://www.iskcon.org/
About ISKCON Kanpur And Our Projects
The Sri Sri Radha Madhav Mandir, situated in the Tilakwadi area of Kanpur, holds a special significance for the devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. ISKCON Kanpur was started in 1987 and has held and organized spiritual training programs, food distribution, temple worship, spiritual discourses and book distribution to Krishna consciousness activities began in 1986 at a village called Tirthakunde, near Kanpur.
It all started with a small satsang and over a period of time devotees shifted to Tilakwadi in the year 1992 where the temple is existing now. Congregation devotees would gather at weekends and would conduct programs on week days in different places like colleges, temples, homes etc. Since 1997, His Holiness Bhakti Rasamrita Swami Maharaja (DILIP UPPONI) became president of ISKCON kanpur. He started Brahmachari ashram in 1998. Gradually books distribution, house programs, children programs, ratha yatra festival, Gokuldham project, goshala, matchless gifts shop and outreach centers grew significantly. Around 700 devotees gather for every Sunday feast program. In future there is a plan to build a new temple. Currently a new ashram and kitchen is built, which is the 1st phase of our construction.
His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
( Founder of ISKCON )
For millennia the teachings and the rich culture of bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, had been hidden within the borders of India. Today, millions around the globe express their gratitude to Srila Prabhupada for revealing the timeless wisdom of bhakti to a world.
Born as Abhay Charan De on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta, as a young man he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement. In 1922, a meeting with the prominent scholar and spiritual leader, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, proved to be most influential on young Abhay’s future calling.
In 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, Srila Prabhupada begged a free passage and boarded a cargo ship, the Jaladhuta, to New York. The journey proved to be treacherous and he suffered two heart attacks aboard. After 35 days at sea, he first arrived at a lonely Brooklyn pier with just seven dollars in Indian rupees and a crate of his translations of sacred Sanskrit texts.
In July of 1966, Bhaktivedanta Swami established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for the purpose he stated of “checking the imbalance of values in the world and working for real unity and peace”.
In the eleven years that followed, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe 14 times on lecture tours spreading the teachings of Lord Krishna. Men and women from all backgrounds and walks of life came forward to accept his message. With their help, Srila Prabhupada established temples, farm communities, a publishing house, and educational institutions around the world. And, he began what has now become the world’s largest vegetarian food relief program, Hare Krishna Food for Life.
Srila Prabhupada’s most significant contributions, perhaps, are his books. He authored over 70 volumes on the Krishna tradition, which are highly respected by scholars for their authority, depth, fidelity to the tradition, and clarity. Several of his works are used as textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into 76 languages. His most prominent works include: Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the 30-volume Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the 17-volume Sri Caitanya-caritamrita.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977, in the holy town of Vrindavana, surrounded by his loving disciples who carry on his mission today.