48th Years of Hare Krishna Movement in London

Everyone enjoys a good celebration. And, with each passing year, there is more and more for the Hare Krishna movement (officially known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON) to rejoice over.

ISKCON's London centre would like to warmly extend an invitation to all to attend its 48th Anniversary event, comprising singing, instrumental, dance, and drama entertainment, a sumptuous vegetarian feast and more on Sunday 26th November.

This spiritual organisation has grown continually since back in 1965, when A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada embarked upon an extremely challenging journey from India to bring to the West timeless spiritual knowledge as revealed in the ancient Vedic scriptures. He overcame many obstacles to become founder and preceptor of the international Hare Krishna movement.

Srila Prabhupada (as he became known) was a charismatic leader who soon gathered a group of devotees and established a temple in New York in 1966, going on to start up a San Francisco centre in 1967. Mindful of London’s pivotal role in forming crossroads between East and West, and well aware of the city’s significance as a diverse cultural ‘melting-pot’, Srila Prabhupada established the London centre in December 1969. It is thanks to his fortitude and great vision that now, over 50 years later, there are more than 1,000 ISKCON centres worldwide and over 100,000 members in the UK alone. In UK, ISKCON is an effective and key part of the society. It caters to people from all kinds of social and cultural backgrounds in terms of intercultural work, enriching spiritual education, food relief, social work and youth development.

The London Temple continues to provide a calm oasis in the heart of the capital to those who may be feeling spiritually disorientated amid the turmoil and tumult of modern-day life in a relentlessly teeming metropolis. Its ‘hidden jewel’ of a Temple Room (just off Oxford Street!) rests securely on the shoulders of Govinda’s, its own vegetarian restaurant and the oldest in London, along with Radha’s Boutique, which sells literature and artefacts to spiritual seekers. This urban spiritual hub serves as a portal to Vrindavan, Lord Krishna’s eternal home and offers sanctuary to people from all walks of life.

We look forward to welcoming you at our annual gala event.

Highlights to include:
- Special oblation and prayer ceremony to our Founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada led by early followers of the movement
- Interview with Mr Goyal (gentleman who donated the deities at our Temple to our Founder)
- Mantra music performance by various artists
- Drama by community members
- Presentations by other special guests
- Vegetarian feast