International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

ISKCON (the Hare Krishna movement) is the Gaudiya Vaishnava organization founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York in 1966, which carried Chaitanya’s kirtan-based bhakti to the world in one generation.

Overview

Prabhupada (1896–1977), a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, sailed to America at 69 (1965) and registered ISKCON in New York (1966); the movement grew through temple communities, the Hare Krishna mantra’s street presence, and the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam translations distributed worldwide.

Core teachings

Gaudiya Vaishnava doctrine: Krishna as the supreme personality of Godhead; bhakti-yoga as the age’s prescribed path (sankirtan above all); the regulated devotional life (four regulative principles), guru-parampara fidelity (Bhaktisiddhanta’s line), and prasadam distribution.

Practice and work

Temple worship and arati; harinama and kirtan outreach; prasadam distribution (Food for Life among the world’s largest vegetarian relief programs); farm communities (New Vrindaban and others); the BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) as the movement’s publishing engine.

Modern status

Hundreds of temples in 90+ countries; headquartered in Mayapur (the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium project); leadership passed to the Governing Body Commission after Prabhupada’s death; scholarly study of the movement is extensive.

Verification notes

• Founding (1966) and the Gaudiya doctrinal frame are documented.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).