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SRILA PRABHUPADA

Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness
( ISKCON )

Divine Journey

More About

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.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was a leader in the Gaudiya Vaishnava community.

At their very first meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta asked Abhay to bring the teachings of Lord Krishna to the English-speaking 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.

Deeply moved by his devotion and wisdom, Abhay became a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in 1933, and resolved to carry out his mentor’s request.

Abhay, later known by the honorific Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, spent the next 32 years preparing for his journey west and publishing his Back to Godhead magazine.

The Hidden Wisdom Of

Bhakti - Yoga

The Gaudiya Vaishnava Tradition & The Divine Instruction

Srila Prabhupada's Early Life & Calling

Dedication & Preparation For The West

Journey To The West

In 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, Srila Prabhupada begged a free passage and boarded a cargo ship, the Jaladuta, 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.

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Establishing The Mission In New York

Arrival In New York

Srila Prabhupada begins his

mission in New York

Kirtan in Tompkins Square Park

Leads devotional chants in the park

Renting a storefront

Rents a space in New York’s Lower East Side to use as a temple

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Class In Lofts

He conducts Bhagavad Gita

classes in lofts

Attracting Students

His message resonated with the young people

Establishing ISKCON

July of 1966, Bhaktivedanta Swami established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Global Expansion

Circled the globe ...

14 times in 11 years

Attracted men & women from ...

7 Continents

Volumes on Krishna Tradition ...

70 +

Divine literatures translated into ...

76 + Languages

Divine Ventures

Matchless Gifts

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.

With the desire to nourish the roots of Krishna consciousness in its home, Srila Prabhupada returned to India several times, where he sparked a revival in the Vaishnava tradition. In India, he opened dozens of temples, including large centres in the holy towns of Vrindavan and Mayapur.