ISKCON!

ISKCON practices Vaishnavism, or dedication to God (Krishna) in His Supreme Personal aspect of Sri Sri Radha Krishna, as taught by the Vedas and Vedic texts such as the Bhagavad-Geeta and Shrimad Bhagavatam. In 1965, at the age of 69, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada boarded the steamship ‘Jaladuta’ from Mumbai on his way to United States. At an age when most people think of retiring Srila Prabhupada undertook this arduous journey to fulfil the mission of Lord Caitanya and follow the instruction of his spiritual master Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur to carry the message of Bhagavad Geeta and Srimad Bhagavatam to Western world. In early 70’s when Juhu was considered a remote and obscure part of the city, to envision a temple rising here was beyond anyone’s imagination. However, fighting against many odds Srila Prabhupada acquired the Juhu property (which is presently Hare Krishna Land) and promised Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Deities who were then housed in small shack “My dear Sir, please remain here, and I shall build a beautiful temple for You”. Srila Prabhupada requested his disciples to construct a silver and teakwood simhasana for Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari on a marble altar and Their temple should have marble domes more than a hundred feet high. Today the magnificent temple complex is one of the most visited in the country. It is a spiritual oasis in the dry and demanding material life of the financial and commercial capital of India. Opened in 1978, the complex includes a spacious marble temple, a recently renovated auditorium, a huge restaurant, and a twin towered seven-storey guest house where visitors can stay and participate in the daily spiritual programs of the temple. My first visit to this holy temple was in 2022 with an electrifying urge to witness the beauty of ISKCON with my naked eyes. As I entered ISKCON, I observed that the temple was ornamented with real flowers. The aroma of those flowers was scattered all around. That aroma instantly made me grin. Further, I removed my shoes and put them at a rack which was made for it in the premises. I visited around 7p.m. i.e., during the aarti time. I went to the priest and asked them about the aartis and bhajans which would be sung here. As answered by him, six aartis are offered to the deities everyday which are Mangala Aarti, Dhoop Aarti, Raj Bhoga Aarti, Usthapana Aarti, Sandhya Aarti and Sayana Aarti. He also told me that they change the attires of the idols everyday and give them a new look after aarti in the morning. Soon, the aarti started. There were all RadhaKrishna bhakts around me dancing with high esteem in their hearts for Lord Krishna and Radha. The aarti happened for about half an hour. My heart and soul was so pleased to hear those bhajans. On completion of the aarti, I roamed around the temple and witnessed all beautiful idols of RadhaKrishna, Yashoda Maiya and their Kanhaiya and many other. The place which caught my attention the most was a small and sweet veranda before the main temple. There were a few huge trees on which people were tying threads and praying the lord. Few steps were also built there to sit. On its right side, prasadam was being distributed. There was halwa in prasadam. I grabbed a plate of prasadam and sat in the veranda to eat it. A few people were singing folklores of lord Krishna like Krishna and the butter thief, Serpent, Govardhan Hill and such others. Eating prasadam whilst hearing those folklores was a treat for my ears along with my tastebuds. I nearly sat for 1 hour in that veranda. That place was too restful to be true. Then I decided to wander more. I found a few bookstalls where one can find aa books related to Radhakrishna and Krishna bhakti. Inside, there was a huge lounge to sit and eat. After having the whole tour of the inside of the temple, I went outside. There were a few food stalls. There was a huge variety of food but the thing I didn’t like was that the prices were too high. One last time I went for the darshan of lord before leaving. My mind was too calm now after visiting such a serene and heavenly place. I would highly recommend visiting ISKCON to everyone out there!