ISKCON Temple: The Divine Harmony And Utmost Spirituality
Well, there are some questions that even Google cannot answer and therapies are expensive. We are living in an era where every other person is depressed. Some are depressed because they do not have a job, some are depressed because they have a lot of work at their job and some are depressed for some other reason.
Amidst everything, many have disconnected from the spiritual aspects of life. Although there are many places where you can find serenity, the question is whether you are serene internally.
Like the musk deer that tirelessly chases the fragrance, unaware that it emanates from within, we too often seek peace without realizing it already resides within us. One such place that will not just strengthen your religious beliefs but will also make you peaceful internally and spiritually aware is the ISKCON Temple.
Do they have a crash course or something? Nope, life doesn’t have a crash course, nor do ISKCON people. So, let’s get on a spiritual journey with ISKCON Temples in Mumbai and strengthen the spiritual bliss.
About ISKCON Temple
The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is commonly known as the Hare Krishna Movement which was founded in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON follows Gaudiya-Vaishnava which is as old as the 16th century. Gaudiya Vaishnava is a part of Vaishnavasm that was inspired by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Krishna.
ISKCON practices Bhakti Yoga by worshipping Shri Krishna. This helps an individual stay connected with spirituality and religious bliss. The Krishna consciousness is speared with lectures on the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana and they are simplified with the use of these lessons in the daily life of an individual.
Started with limited funding but the sheer resilience of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada made ISKCON a global organisation serving millions of people and spreading Krishna Consciousness worldwide.
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History Of ISKCON Temple
ISKCON is the branch of Gaudiya-Vaishnava which dates back to the 16th century. It was established by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the year 1966. However, the journey to build an organisation like ISKCON was not easy for Swami Prabhupada.
The original name of Swami Prabhupada was Abhay Charan De, he completed his education at Scottish Church College, but to support the non-corporation movement he rejected his graduation degree.
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati who was the guru of Swami Prabhupada suggested he go to the West and since his English was good he could preach about Krishna Conciseness in English.
Abhay Charan De took up sannyasa in 1959 and became Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he then started his plan to travel to America to fulfil his master’s wish to spread Krishna consciousness in the West. At the age of 69, he started his first journey to America which took 35 days to reach. During his voyage journey in the cargo ship, he got two heart attacks and still survived.
After getting down at New York he started his journey of preaching Krishna Consciousness to the people in the west. Before going to the elite class people he thought about changing the Hippies of America. Hippies had defied America and it was a major problem. Illicit sex, doing drugs, not bathing for months, etc had formed an image of the hippies.
Determined Prabhupada, started preaching Bhagawad Gita to them and started feeding them with whatever he had. Slowly and steadily these hippies started joining and became the disciples of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Leaving the old life on the streets of America they started chanting the name of Shri Krishna and became Spiritually connected to the divine powers.
If we talk about the history of ISKCON Templethen it was founded in New York in 1966. In between 1966-1968, many became disciples of Swami Prabhupada. He later inaugurated the first-ever ISKCON Temple in cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Montreal, and New Mexico.
Between 1969 and 1973, several temples were inaugurated in Canada, Europe, Mexico, Africa, South America, and India. A supervisory body was also established in the year 1970 to supervise society’s overall growth.
Fun Fact: Steve Jobs in one of his speeches said that he used to walk 5 miles a week to Hare Krishna Temple (ISKCON Temple) to get free food. He used to love it.
ISKCON Temple In Mumbai
Apart from ISKCON temples in Ahmedabad and ISKCON Temple in Delhi, there are multiple ISKCON Temples in Mumbai. These temples are built in Dravidian style with beautiful idols of Shri Radha Rani, Shri Krishna, and Balarama. Let’s explore some of the famous ISKCON Temples in Mumbai.
ISKCON Temples have become a part of the city culture, you can find many ISKCON Temples in Mumbai.
Following are some of the famous ISKCON Temples in Mumbai to visit
Mumbai ISKCON Temple Chowpatty
Located in South Mumbai Near Marine Drive, this ISKCON Temple in Mumbai is one of the most beautiful Temples in Mumbai. This two-storey building has beautiful Vedic—Dravidian architecture. The main sanctum of the temple is on the first floor where you can see beautiful marble idols of Shri Radha and Shri Krishna gopies and Balarama.
The best time to visit this temple is during aarti or kirtan which will elevate your experience also every Sunday from 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm Bhagawat Gita lecture happens where the meaning of one shloka is explained in detail. There is a small garden to pray and meditate known as Vrindavan. The lush green garden has the mellow voice of peacock crowing and wailing which will make you feel that you are in the forest amidst the chaos of the city.
Chowpatty ISKCON Temple Timings
The ISKCON Temple is open on all days from 05:30 am to 09:05 pm with breaks after regular an interval of time.
How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Chowpatty
The nearest railway station to reach ISKCON Temple Chowpatty is Charni Road. Located near Giragaon Chowpatty it has well-connected roads. You can reach ISKCON Temple Chowpatty from other parts of the city.
Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Chowpatty
- Girgaon Chowpatty
- Babulnath Temple
- Mani Bhavan
- Marine Drive
- Hanging Garden
Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Girgaon Chowpatty
- Hotel Regal Palace
- Hotel Balwas
- Empire Hotel
- Hotel Ripon Palace
- Hotel Kemps Corner
- InterContinental Marine Drive
Mumbai ISKCON Temple Juhu
The most famous ISKCON Temple in Mumbai is in Juhu. This magnificent temple is beautifully architected with white marble. While entering the temple there is a big shoe stand to keep your shoes and a place to wash your feet. Entering the main arena or the hall of ISKCON Juhu you can see beautiful marble idols of Sri Sri Radha Rasabihariji (center), Sri Sri Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman (to your left), and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai (to your right)
The courtyard of the temple has a Tulsi Plant and two other trees which are centuries old. Alongside the main temple hall are many dioramas reflecting several incidents from Ramayan and Mahabharat.
Juhu ISKCON Temple Timings
The Juhu ISKCON Temple Timings are from 04:00 am to 01:00 pm and then it resumes back at 04:15 to 09:00 pm. It is open on all days.
How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Juhu
The nearest railway station to reach ISKCON Temple Juhu is Andheri Railway Station. From here you can either take a rickshaw or a bus whatever is comfortable. The distance from Andheri Railway station to ISKCON temple Juhu is 3.2 km.
If you are coming by metro then the nearest metro station is Juhu Metro Station which is around 2.7 km from the temple.
Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Juhu
- Juhu Beach
- Versova Beach
- Bandra Bandstand
- Madh Island
Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Juhu
- Sun-N-Sand Hotel
- Ginger Mumbai
- Hotel Bawa Continentel
- Novotel Mumbai
- Hotel Parle International
Mumbai ISKCON Temple Thane
Located in the Piramal society of Thane, this ISKCON temple in Mumbai is one such magnificent beauty that is spread over 4000 sq ft. The architecture of this magnificent temple is inspired by the grand temples in Gujarat and Rajasthan. This temple has intricate carvings on the outer and the inner wall of the temple making it look more vibrant.
You could spot various incidents of Mahabharat on the outer wall carving. The dome of the temple also has some intricate designs which make it look beautiful. On all the sides of the temple, you will find the shlokas of Bhagawad Gita. Inside the main sanctum of the temple, there are idols of Shri Krishna and Maa Radha.
Just outside the temple is the lush green garden where you can spot different kinds of flowers and plants. This small garden also has miniature statues of Shri Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman.
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Thane ISKCON Temple Timings
The Thane ISKCON Temple timing is from 04:30 am to 09:00 pm with regular intervals of breaks. It is open on all days.
How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Thane
Located in the Piramal Vaikhunth ISKCON Temple in Thane is well connected with the other parts of the city. The nearest Railway station is Thane Railway Station which is around 5.5 km from ISKCON Temple Mumbai. From here you can take an Auto rickshaw.
Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Thane
- Tikuji-Ni-Wadi
- Suraj Water Park
- Yeoor waterfall
- NAMo Garden Central Park
- Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary
Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Thane
- Ginger Thane
- Hotel Mahadev Residency
- Majestic Court Sarovar Portico
- Hotel Mourya Residency
Mumbai ISKCON Temple Kharghar
This magnificent temple at Kharghar is a simple architectural temple. Another temple building is yet to be constructed. The inner walls of the temple have numerous photographs of Lord Krishna and Radha Rani in different forms. The main sanctum of the temple has small idols of Radha, Krishna, and Balaram inside it. Just in front of it is the building of the new ISKCON Temple under construction.
Kharghar ISKCON Temple Timings
The temple opens at 10:00 am and closes at 09:00 pm. It is open on all days.
How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Kharghar
The ISKCON Temple at Kharghar is around 4.5 km from Kharghar Railway Station. You can take a rickshaw from the railway station to reach the Temple.
The temple is well connected to the other parts of the city and can be reached easily.
Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Kharghar
- Pandavkada Waterfall
- Central Park
- CIDCO Nature Tourism Centre
- Durga Mata Waterfall
- Kharghar Waterfall
Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Kharghar
- Courtyard Navi Mumbai
- Vivanta Navi Mumbai
- Swagatam Residency
- Marriott Residency
Other ISKCON Temple
Other ISKCON Temples in Mumbai include
- Radha Govind Bhavan, Kandivali
- Shri Shri Radhagiridhari Mandir, Mira Bhayandar
- Poisar Hare Krishna Dham, Kandivali
- ISKCON Bhiwandi
Is food free in Iskcon Temple Mumbai?
Yes. The Prashadam is free, the Prashadam they offer is without onion and garlic, following the Vaishana way of living.
Who is the head of Iskcon Juhu?
Braj Hari Das is the head of ISKCON Juhu
Which ISKCON Temple is famous in Mumbai?
The most famous temple in Mumbai is in Juhu also known as Sri Sri Radha Rasabihariji Temple followed by Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple at Girgaon Chowpatty.
