HISTORY OF ISKCON

by Astro Ved Online Astrology Consultation

ISKCON refers to the temples or institutions related to spreading Krishna consciousness. It is also known as the Hare Krishna movement on the Western side. The Gaudiya Vaishnavas started the movement to spread the teaching of Lord Krishna.

 

The Krishna consciousness focuses on the teaching of Lord Krishna and his Maha Mantra, "Hare Krishna." This is the one sacred mantra that, by reciting regularly, a person can connect to Krishna in the age of Kaliyuga, as mentioned in the Bhagavat Gita. Hence the major goal of ISKCON is to revitalize the bond between humans and God. Connecting with God and remembering him brings peace to a soul; this is the ultimate motive of the Hare Krishna movement. 

 

History of ISKCON

 

The beginning of ISKCON Temple takes us back to around525 years back when Krishna descended on Earth in the form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The avatar descended to Earth to teach people how to become a devotee of Krishna in Kaliyuga.

 

Krishna did this by taking the devotee form himself as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is considered the combined form of Radha and Krishna. He is the one who broadcasted and popularized the sacred Maha Mantra "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare."

 

Then in the year 1965, a representative of the spiritual teachings, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, took place in the Hare Krishna movement and established ISKCON in New York.

 

Journey of ISKCON from Then to Now

 

In 1965, Srila Prabhupada decided to spread the Krishna Consciousness in Western countries. He went on to the holy mission with having Lord Krishna's books and only forty rupees in his pocket.

 

He used to chant the Maha Mantra there there, and soon people started noticing him, and some also joined him to diminish their curiosity. The saint lived in New York till 1966, and there, he used to preach about Bhagavad Gita weekly. In 1966, ISKCON was successfully established in New York.

 

Between 1967 and 1968, more people displayed interest and joined the mission. The increased number of believers established more temples in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and more.

 

After the establishment of the temples, the first Rath-Yatra festival was organized in San Francisco. The Rath-Yatra festival is widely celebrated every year in India, but it is also celebrated in different corners of the world. The Yatra festival is organized at all the ISKCON temples by the devotees.

 

From 1969 to 1973, several temples were established in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Africa, South America, and India. The administration was also established in 1970 to monitor the ISKCON society.

 

By 1977, there were many ISKCON temples created to spread Krishna Consciousness. Many pilgrimage centers were built, including Vrndavana and Mayapur, India.

 

In 1972, Srila Prabhupada established Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and they became one of the biggest publishers of Krishna's books.

 

It is believed that Srila Prabhupada took more than 40-volumes of Krishna literature from Sanskrit and converted them into English during 1966-1977. Many books were translated and printed in more than 50 languages. Some of these famous books are Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana, Lord Krishna's incarnation's history, Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, and more.

 

In 1973, an institute named Bhaktivedanta was opened to spread the Veda teachings. In 1974, ISKCON became a part of a crucial mission where they started a relief program for people in the disaster areas globally and helped them by sending food items.

 

In 1977, the demise of Srila Prabhupada left the devotees alone and devastated. However, the Hare Krishna movement is still in the run, and people are now aware of the ISKCON temples worldwide. There are more than 100 temples, educational communities, centers, and thousands of people as members.

 

In 1989, the Hare Krishna movement took a revolutionary step and sold over one million copies in the country. In the 90s, several websites such as ISKCON, Krishna, and other platforms were launched. Now, there are more than 500 ISKCON centers globally.

Sponsor Ads

• Ad Space Available - Rent it Now!

Created on Mar 16th 2022 02:39. Viewed 126 times.

Comments