Bhakti carried into a global age.
ISKCON is a modern religious organization within the older Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, a Krishna-centered stream of Hindu devotional life shaped especially by the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
It was incorporated in New York in 1966 by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The movement emphasizes loving devotion to Krishna, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, study of sacred texts, temple worship, vegetarian prasadam and service. Its communities include monks, householders, congregational members and visitors with widely different levels of commitment.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Popularly known as the Hare Krishna movement.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Born Abhay Charan De in Calcutta in 1896, Prabhupada became a disciple of the Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in 1933. His teacher had asked him to share Krishna’s teachings in English.
Meets Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, whose request to teach in English becomes a defining mission.
Travels by cargo ship to New York at age 69, carrying translations of Sanskrit devotional texts.
Incorporates ISKCON and gathers an early community around a Lower East Side storefront.
Travels widely, translates and teaches, and establishes temples, communities and projects on six continents.
Establishes the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to publish his books and other Vaishnava literature.
Remember Krishna. Serve with devotion.
ISKCON teaches that Krishna is the Supreme Person and that each living being is an eternal spiritual self. Bhakti-yoga—the cultivation of loving devotion—is presented as the most direct path of spiritual realization for the present age.
The Hare Krishna mantra
Congregational kirtan and personal japa center spiritual life on the names of Krishna.
Scriptural study
The Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Charitamrita are foundational texts in ISKCON teaching.
Deity worship
Temple worship, offerings, festivals and darshan cultivate attentive, personal devotion to Krishna.
Prasadam
Vegetarian food is prepared and offered to Krishna, then shared as sanctified food.
Satsanga and service
Community, teaching, hospitality and practical service make bhakti a shared discipline.
A disciplined life
Initiated practitioners undertake daily chanting and four regulative principles as formal commitments.
Formal commitments for initiated practitioners
Daily chanting of sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra and abstention from meat, fish and eggs; intoxication; gambling; and illicit sexual activity. Visitors are welcomed without being expected to have adopted these vows.
Global oversight, local responsibility.
The Governing Body Commission, or GBC, is ISKCON’s highest ecclesiastical managing authority. Regional and national bodies support coordination, while local temples are led by temple presidents and their teams.
Sets global direction, spiritual standards and organizational policy.
Supports centers across geographic areas and connects local work to the wider society.
Manage worship, finances, education, events, facilities and congregational life.
ISKCON’s official governance guide states that local temples are financially independent while operating under the ecclesiastical management of the GBC. Programs and visitor experiences therefore vary by center.
Review the official governance structure ↗Temples, homes, farms and communities.
ISKCON’s current global-impact page reports more than 900 centers, alongside restaurants, festivals, rural communities and local devotional groups. Counts can differ across official pages because “center” may include different kinds of projects.
Publishing, food, education and land.
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Founded in 1972, the BBT publishes Vaishnava scriptures and works on bhakti-yoga, especially the writings and translations of Prabhupada.
Official resource ↗Food Yoga International
The network formerly known as Food for Life Global traces its roots to ISKCON food distribution and coordinates plant-based relief projects internationally.
Official resource ↗Schools, courses and institutes
Local centers and ISKCON ministries support scripture study, teacher development, children’s education and structured devotional courses.
Official resource ↗Simple living initiatives
Rural communities explore agriculture, land stewardship and cow protection as expressions of Krishna-centered living.
Official resource ↗One influential voice within a much wider tradition.
ISKCON is not synonymous with all Krishna devotion, all Gaudiya Vaishnavism or Hinduism as a whole. It is a distinct institution and lineage expression within those larger landscapes. Other Krishna traditions may differ in theology, ritual, authority, initiation and interpretation.
This Gokulas profile distinguishes between ISKCON’s own descriptions and independent editorial framing. Current reach and impact figures are organization-reported and may change. Local centers are responsible for confirming schedules, services and visitor policies.