Why most of ISKCON temples have restaurants in temple area ? asked by non devotee person.

Hk,

pamho:agtsp;

One person visits ISKCON temple sometimes asked me why ISKCON keep restaurant in temple is it business ?

i tried my best to told him reason: in order to attract people who doesn't want to visit temple.

> but he said you are making business.

please list all reasons (some Authenticate reasons also expected)

is there any scriptural reference where it is mention we can open side business in temple area.

mostly in india temple doesn't have restaurants therefore he was saying i understand.

> why in iskcon food rates are higher compare to other temple ?, he asked

(I don't know it is true or false anyway please consider your govindas restaurant rates are normal as compare to local restaurants rates ?) in my area it is matching with local restaurant rates.

My comment: I love to go to Govindas restaurant regularly, spiritaully prasad can't be compare to money.just need information to pacify that person.

ys,

nilesh

These are quotes from a chapter 'Restaurants' in the book 'Srila Prabhupada Siksamrta'. I don't know about current ideas, but these are quotes from Srila Prabhupada, dates given:

In New York there are so many restaurants and all of them are full with customers so I thought like that you should also start a restaurantsupplying new palatable dishes and they would like them surely. There
are about three hundred item of good vegetable preparations and if they
are introduced in America it will be recorded in the history of America.
People will forget meat eating. I do not say that cent percent people
in America will be vegetarian but I am sure that at least the higher
section will turn to be vegetarian if they get such nice vegetable
dishes. Why not introduce this new thing in America and help my mission
also at the same time. It will be very profitable business and I wish
that you may earn your fortune and help my mission at one stroke.- from SP letter to Sally, Nov. 13, 1965

Regarding the idea of Prasadam restaurant, I am advocating it since very beginning. If you can manage such Prasadam eating place and the templeat one place it will super-excellent. I shall personally assist you in
this affair because I like this idea very much. Our chanting is medicine
and our Prasadam is the diet for curing material disease. - from SP letter to Dayananda Oct. 18, 1968

The restaurant proposal is very nice. It should be very neat and clean and in the center column there should be Guru Gauranga altar. Everythingprepared should be offered and kept on a table and the customer or
guest should come and take prasadam on a plate to his full satisfaction.
He can sit at table with chair. The items of prasadam you already know;
kachori, Luglu, Samosa, sweet balls, simply wonderful, vegetables,
chutneys, puspana, halava, etc; The ingredients are easily available. As
other things are available, you can increase your menu. And any party
who pays more than $5.00 can be presented with a small book like Easy
Journey, or Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure, and a copy of our
magazine. And if possible, continually tapes should be played of
kirtanas and songs and record albums also. - from SP letter to Bhagavan July 7, 1971

In each restaurant there should be the picture of Lord Caitanya, and the foods should be offered and distributed to the respected customers. There should also be a tape recorder playing the sankirtana in mild voice. - SP letter to Batu Gopala Aug. 16, 1974

...if possible open a restaurant in the city for attracting people. You can prepare samosas, kacoris, rasgullas, sweetballs: In Honolulu they aredoing nicely, this restaurant. - from SP letter to Jagadisa Nov. 20, 1975

I am glad to know that a restaurant has been started. In Hawaii you may have seen that the restaurant is very successful. Now that boy's moneywill be used properly. Instead of maintaining a slaughterhouse, he is
paying for prasadam distribution. Very good. But we should not waste
time encouraging vegetarianism as opposed to meat eating. We want to
encourage prasadam taking and that is automatically vegetarian.- from SP letter to Trusta Krsna Jan. 9 1976

Regarding the Prasadam restaurant, if you start this, you should do it only in the temple. Not in another place. People there know about outtemple; it is old enough. So if they come at noontime to take Prasadam,
that is very nice. - from SP letter to Jayapataka Niv. 26 1969

Concerning the idea of having a restaurant with the temple, if the temple and restaurant are mixed then it is not a good idea. However, ifthe restaurant is completely separate entrance and the activities of the
restaurant do not mix with the temple at all, then it is possible,
otherwise not.- from SP letter to Jayatirtha June 24, 1976

From the farms we should get sufficient foodstuffs and these can be sent to be used at our restaurants. Along with the restaurants there canbe "Bhaktivedanta Reading Room where all my books can be kept and
people can come and sit comfortably and read. The people will like these
restaurants and reading rooms. They will take them as non-sectarian.

Why should anyone work at a place where meat is served? Are there no other jobs? There is never any good reason for this. There is nounusual circumstance for eating where meat is served. Such places should
be avoided altogether.- from SP letter to Subhavilasa March 16, 1977

Replies

RAO RAGHAVENDRAN GOVINDA January 2, 2011 at 6:43pm

hk please also reply why do devotee put lacs of rupees into the balaji hundi withiut even asking for recipt and u will know get the answer why free food is served to thousands anonmyous devotees, in ISKCON the philosophy give the best prasadam is given to devotees but also caters to devotees to come to the restaurant to carry them home
bhaktin carol January 2, 2011 at 6:23am

These are quotes from a chapter 'Restaurants' in the book 'Srila Prabhupada Siksamrta'. I don't know about current ideas, but these are quotes from Srila Prabhupada, dates given:

In New York there are so many restaurants and all of them are full with customers so I thought like that you should also start a restaurantsupplying new palatable dishes and they would like them surely. There
are about three hundred item of good vegetable preparations and if they
are introduced in America it will be recorded in the history of America.
People will forget meat eating. I do not say that cent percent people
in America will be vegetarian but I am sure that at least the higher
section will turn to be vegetarian if they get such nice vegetable
dishes. Why not introduce this new thing in America and help my mission
also at the same time. It will be very profitable business and I wish
that you may earn your fortune and help my mission at one stroke.- from SP letter to Sally, Nov. 13, 1965

Regarding the idea of Prasadam restaurant, I am advocating it since very beginning. If you can manage such Prasadam eating place and the templeat one place it will super-excellent. I shall personally assist you in
this affair because I like this idea very much. Our chanting is medicine
and our Prasadam is the diet for curing material disease. - from SP letter to Dayananda Oct. 18, 1968

The restaurant proposal is very nice. It should be very neat and clean and in the center column there should be Guru Gauranga altar. Everythingprepared should be offered and kept on a table and the customer or
guest should come and take prasadam on a plate to his full satisfaction.
He can sit at table with chair. The items of prasadam you already know;
kachori, Luglu, Samosa, sweet balls, simply wonderful, vegetables,
chutneys, puspana, halava, etc; The ingredients are easily available. As
other things are available, you can increase your menu. And any party
who pays more than $5.00 can be presented with a small book like Easy
Journey, or Krishna, the Reservoir of Pleasure, and a copy of our
magazine. And if possible, continually tapes should be played of
kirtanas and songs and record albums also. - from SP letter to Bhagavan July 7, 1971

In each restaurant there should be the picture of Lord Caitanya, and the foods should be offered and distributed to the respected customers. There should also be a tape recorder playing the sankirtana in mild voice. - SP letter to Batu Gopala Aug. 16, 1974

...if possible open a restaurant in the city for attracting people. You can prepare samosas, kacoris, rasgullas, sweetballs: In Honolulu they aredoing nicely, this restaurant. - from SP letter to Jagadisa Nov. 20, 1975

I am glad to know that a restaurant has been started. In Hawaii you may have seen that the restaurant is very successful. Now that boy's moneywill be used properly. Instead of maintaining a slaughterhouse, he is
paying for prasadam distribution. Very good. But we should not waste
time encouraging vegetarianism as opposed to meat eating. We want to
encourage prasadam taking and that is automatically vegetarian.- from SP letter to Trusta Krsna Jan. 9 1976

Regarding the Prasadam restaurant, if you start this, you should do it only in the temple. Not in another place. People there know about outtemple; it is old enough. So if they come at noontime to take Prasadam,
that is very nice. - from SP letter to Jayapataka Niv. 26 1969

Concerning the idea of having a restaurant with the temple, if the temple and restaurant are mixed then it is not a good idea. However, ifthe restaurant is completely separate entrance and the activities of the
restaurant do not mix with the temple at all, then it is possible,
otherwise not.- from SP letter to Jayatirtha June 24, 1976

From the farms we should get sufficient foodstuffs and these can be sent to be used at our restaurants. Along with the restaurants there canbe "Bhaktivedanta Reading Room where all my books can be kept and
people can come and sit comfortably and read. The people will like these
restaurants and reading rooms. They will take them as non-sectarian.

Why should anyone work at a place where meat is served? Are there no other jobs? There is never any good reason for this. There is nounusual circumstance for eating where meat is served. Such places should
be avoided altogether.- from SP letter to Subhavilasa March 16, 1977
Man January 1, 2011 at 1:48pm

Jai Shri Krishna..

This is just my thought.. I personally would prefer to eat from Iskcon Restaurant because then it definitely would be prasadam thats being offered. Its important that Vaishnav eat only Prasadam. Rates might be higher according to the ingredients and costs involved in running the restaurant successfully. I imagine they must be serving hundreds if not thousands of people daily!

This reply was deleted.