The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a peaceful fraternal movement incorporated in 1966 in New York by its founder Acharya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and it is aimed at teaching a simple way of living in harmony with nature and to achieve the ultimate goal of human life. “We shall call our society ISKCON.” Prabhupada playfully coined first the acronym, although many alternative names were proposed by his close associates. The principal place
ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was incorporated in New York City, in the State of New York in the US, on 13 July 1966, around 53 years ago. This first incorporation of ISKCON was executed at Srila Prabhupada’s behest – then known to his followers only as ‘Swamiji’ and to others as A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
The lawyer under whose aegis the fledgling movement was officially instituted was Mr Steven Goldsmith, an attendee at Srila Prabhupada’s Second Avenue lectures.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness has potential as a peaceful extra-governmental force for this kind of change, nationally and internationally. In 1966, Srila Prabhupada included in ISKCON’s articles of incorporation a far-reaching statement of the movement’s purposes. Among them: “To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way of life.”
Srila Prabhupada did not, however, recommend high-pressure lobbying. Instead, he emphasized the
from Back To Godhead Magazine #15-05, 1980 - a brief history of the incorporation of ISKCON
by Satsvarupa Dasa Gosvami
July 11, 1966. 26 Second Avenue, New York City: A few sympathetic, interested people gather in a small downtown storefront to help an Indian swami’s mission by adding their signature to a legal document.
Today, ISKCON has branches all over the world. Millions of lives have been transformed by the Hare Krishna mantra and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita—thanks to the vision
Compiled by Nartaka Gopala dasi
Gopal Prabhu received initiation from Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, July, 1970. He was given sannyasa initiation at some point in the very early seventies, meaning he was among the first devotees to get sannyasa in ISKCON. He was extremely young to enter that ashram, barely 21 or so. He remained in that ashram a few years. I met him for the first time in 2011 when I started working at Radha Jivan Prabhu’s import business where only devotees were employed, and G
As devotees gather in New York City to mark ISKCON’s 60th anniversary, youth from the local community will present an original musical depicting the life and mission of Srila Prabhupada.
The Hare Krishna Musical, written and performed by ISKCON NYC youth, will combine music, drama, and dance to tell the story of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya and the movement he established in New York City in 1966. Radhanath Swami will be among the honored guests attending the performance.
The musical begins promptly
Radhanath Swami: “I was in Vrindavan in 1971, and I was among five or six other people sitting around Srila Prabhupada. He wasn’t my guru then; he was just one of the saints I was coming to visit. And Srila Prabhupada was in Vrindavan for a few days. Somebody asked him, ‘Are you the guru for the whole world?’ He didn’t say anything. I was really very excited with anticipation—what is he going to say? Most people would say, ‘Yes.’ And after he paused for a few minutes, he looked down to the grou
On Instinct, Intuition, Paramātmā, and the Guidance That Moves All Living Beings
Jananivāsa Dāsa
This essay is a condensed version of a longer paper by the same
author, which treats the argument, its scriptural sources, and its
supporting cases in fuller depth.
“Knowledge given by Paramātmā from within the core of the heart
is explained by the modern scientist as intuition. They do not know
wherefrom the intuition is coming. And that is coming from God.”
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Le
By Bhava Bhakti Devi Dasi
ISKCON 26 2nd Avenue celebrated the 60th Anniversary of ISKCON with eight days of spectacular events. The festival ran from the 6th to the 13th of July. Over 20 Srila Prabhupada disciples were present, sharing memories. There were daily harinams to Tompkins Square Park and evening programs with kirtan, memories shared both in person and online, all ending with sumptuous prasadam.
The festivities began with Candrasekhara Swami, Gaur Kumar Dasa, and Yadunath Dasa cutting
By Bhava Bhakti devi dasi
ISKCON 26 2nd Avenue celebrated the 60th Anniversary of ISKCON with eight days of spectacular events. The festival ran from 6th to 13th July, bringing together devotees from around the world. Over 20 disciples of Srila Prabhupada were present, sharing their cherished memories of the movement’s early days. Each day featured harinam to Tompkins Square Park, followed by evening programs filled with kirtan, hea
From Back to Godhead
Why we should surrender to Lord Krishna’s lotus feet.
At the junction of two ages, amidst two immense armies arrayed on the battlefield at Kurukshetra, Arjuna scans his foes and becomes confused. When Krishna expounds eternal dharma to enlighten him, Arjuna addresses Krishna as pavitram paramam: “the purest of the pure.” (Bhagavad-gita 10.12) Arjuna adds, “All the great sages . . . confirm this about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.”
Apart from the Bhagavad
On July 13th, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is marking its 60th Anniversary. It was 60 years ago today that documents were filed in the city of New York, in the United States of America, by which His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) incorporated his fledgling society.
At the time of its original founding, ISKCON, what Prabhupada almost humorously named an “International Society,” consisted of one small storefront temple in New York City
Sixty years after Srila Prabhupada established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York City, ISKCON North America is inviting devotees and friends to return to the movement’s birthplace for a special three-day celebration honoring its past, present, and future. The “Origins” 60th Anniversary Weekend, scheduled for July 31–August 2, 2026, will feature five events across the city, including a gala, a pilgrimage tour, a sunset kirtan cruise, a public festival, and a commemor
As ISKCON marks its 60th anniversary in 2026, projects preserving the movement’s living history have taken on renewed significance. Among the most important is the long-running Prabhupada Memories project, which has released several new videos over the past few weeks on its popular YouTube channel. With over three hours of new content, the videos feature the personal recollections of disciples whose lives were transformed through their association with ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace
By Madhusudana Visnu Das
Few months ago, we received a call from a monk belonging to Swaminarayana sect in Gujarat. He expressed the desire to learn Bhagavad Gita As It Is. It was quite a surprise for us. On inquiring from him the purpose behind his request, he informed us that their chief-guru had written in their sacred literature called siksha-patri, the manual of good instructions, that every sincere seeker should study Bhagavad-gita very nicely. Since, he had heard from many people that IS
As the latest headlines and news reports from around the world become more disturbing for us all, it’s quite natural to wonder just where the joy of life has gone for so many people. The pressing threats of world war, terrorist attacks and a host of other menacing perils hang ominously above our heads as we go about our daily activities, hoping against hope that somehow everything will work out all right. Yet deep in our hearts we know that something might happen at a moment’s notice which can p
Hare Krsna Dear Devotees,
Pls accept our prostrated obeisances at your holy feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Sri Guru, and Sri Gauranga.
On the auspicious holy occasion of Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi, an app has been launched which is a facility replete with many features to hear Srila Prabhupada’s lectures. Pls kindly go through the below msg and install the app, if you would like to.
Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
“He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the devotee lives with him.”
— Sr
The School for Rupanugas continues its mission of offering spiritually enriching educational opportunities to devotees worldwide. As part of the ongoing observances marking 50 years since the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada and 60 years of ISKCON, we are pleased to introduce our upcoming Srila Prabhupada Introductory Course, a thoughtfully designed program aimed at helping devotees understand and appreciate the life, mood, mission, and teachings of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
This cours
From Back to Godhead
In many places in his books Srila Prabhupada describes the wonders of prasadam, food prepared with devotion and offered to Krishna. Prabhupada discusses such merits of prasadam as how it effectively immunizes one against the contamination of the material nature, how it frees one from becoming a ghost after death, and even how it is considered ecstatic nectar from the lips of Lord Krishna. In the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila, 4.93, purport) Srila Prabhupada writes:
Th
By Giriraja Swami
Srila Prabhupada expressed his appreciation for his father in his dedication to his book Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “To My Father, Gour Mohan De (1849-1930) A pure devotee of Krsna, who raised me as a Krsna conscious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mrdanga. He gave me Radha-Krsna vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannatha ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I
