ISKCON Temple: The Divine Harmony And Utmost Spirituality

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

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.

Suggest Read: ISKCON Temple Delhi: Things To Explore In 2024

History Of ISKCON Temple

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

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

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

How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Chowpatty

Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Chowpatty

1. Girgaon Chowpatty
2. Babulnath Temple
3. Mani Bhavan
4. Marine Drive
5. Hanging Garden

Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Girgaon Chowpatty

1. Hotel Regal Palace
2. Hotel Balwas 
3. Empire Hotel
4. Hotel Ripon Palace
5. Hotel Kemps Corner
6. InterContinental Marine Drive

Mumbai ISKCON Temple Juhu

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

How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Juhu

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

1. Juhu Beach
2. Versova Beach
3. Bandra Bandstand
4. Madh Island

Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Juhu

1. Sun-N-Sand Hotel
2. Ginger Mumbai
3. Hotel Bawa Continentel
4. Novotel Mumbai
5. Hotel Parle International

Mumbai ISKCON Temple Thane

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.

Suggest Read –10 Best Places To Enjoy The Finest Mumbai Street Food

Thane ISKCON Temple Timings

How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Thane

Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Thane

1. Tikuji-Ni-Wadi
2. Suraj Water Park
3. Yeoor waterfall
4. NAMo Garden Central Park
5. Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary

Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Thane

1. Ginger Thane
2. Hotel Mahadev Residency
3. Majestic Court Sarovar Portico
4. Hotel Mourya Residency

Mumbai ISKCON Temple Kharghar

Kharghar ISKCON Temple Timings

How To Reach ISKCON Temple Mumbai, Kharghar

The temple is well connected to the other parts of the city and can be reached easily.

Places To Visit Near ISKCON Temple, Kharghar

1. Pandavkada Waterfall
2. Central Park
3. CIDCO Nature Tourism Centre
4. Durga Mata Waterfall
5. Kharghar Waterfall

Hotels Near ISKCON Temple In Mumbai, Kharghar

1. Courtyard Navi Mumbai
2. Vivanta Navi Mumbai
3. Swagatam Residency
4. Marriott Residency

Other ISKCON Temple

1. Radha Govind Bhavan,  Kandivali
2. Shri Shri Radhagiridhari Mandir, Mira Bhayandar
3. Poisar Hare Krishna Dham, Kandivali
4. ISKCON Bhiwandi