Our Founder-Acharya
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in 1966. His teachings are the heart of Hare Krishna Mandir, Ahmedabad, and the inspiration behind all it does.
Born in Calcutta in 1896, he was asked by his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, to carry the teachings of Lord Chaitanya to the English-speaking world. At the age of 69 he sailed alone for America, and in the twelve years that followed the chanting of Hare Krishna spread around the globe.
His translations of the Bhagavad-gita, the Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Chaitanya-charitamrita, with his commentaries, brought the wisdom of the Vedas to readers everywhere in clear, simple English. They remain the basis of everything the mandir teaches.
- 69His age when he sailed for America, in 1965
- 1966The year he founded ISKCON, in New York
- 14Times he circled the globe on lecture tours
- 100+Temples, ashramas, schools and farm communities
- 70+Volumes of translation and commentary
- 12Years from his arrival in America to his departure
His life, year by year
From a childhood in Calcutta to a movement that circled the world.
- 1896
Birth in Calcutta
Born on 1 September, the day after Janmashtami, to Gour Mohan De and Rajani De, devotees of Krishna, who named him Abhay Charan.
- 1922
Meeting his spiritual master
Meets Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in Calcutta, who asks him at their very first meeting to spread Lord Chaitanya’s teachings in English.
- 1933
Initiation
Accepts formal initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura at Allahabad.
- 1944
Back to Godhead
Starts Back to Godhead, an English magazine he writes, edits, types and distributes himself.
- 1947
The title “Bhaktivedanta”
The Gaudiya Vaishnava Society honours his learning and devotion with the title “Bhaktivedanta”.
- 1950
Leaving family life
At the age of 54 he retires from married life, to give his time to study and writing. He later moves to the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavan.
- 1959
Sannyasa
Accepts the renounced order of sannyasa, and in Vrindavan begins his translation of and commentary on the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
- 1965
Voyage to America
At 69 he sails from Calcutta aboard the cargo ship Jaladuta, carrying little more than his books, and reaches Boston in September.
- 1966
ISKCON is founded
In July, from a small storefront in New York, he founds the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
- 1967
Ratha-yatra in the West
The first Ratha-yatra festival outside India rolls through the streets of San Francisco.
- 1968
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
Macmillan publishes his Bhagavad-gita As It Is in New York; the complete edition follows in 1972.
- 1972
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
He founds the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to publish his books, which grows into one of the world’s largest publishers of books on India’s spiritual heritage.
- 1975
Krishna-Balarama Mandir
The Krishna-Balarama Mandir opens in Vrindavan, the land of Lord Krishna’s childhood pastimes.
- 1977
Departure in Vrindavan
On 14 November he leaves this world in Vrindavan, having circled the globe fourteen times and given it more than seventy volumes of his books.
The wisdom of the Vedas, in plain English
Srila Prabhupada taught that every living being is an eternal servant of Krishna, and that in this age the simplest way to awaken that love is to chant the holy names: the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
He made those teachings open to everyone through his books: faithful translations of the Sanskrit and Bengali scriptures, each verse with its word-for-word meanings, its translation and his purport. They have since been translated into dozens of languages.
At Hare Krishna Mandir his Bhagavad-gita As It Is and his other books are shared at the temple and across the city, so that their wisdom can reach every home.
His principal books
- Bhagavad-gita As It IsLord Krishna’s teachings to Arjuna, verse by verse
- Srimad-BhagavatamThe ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature
- Sri Chaitanya-charitamritaThe life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
- The Nectar of DevotionA summary study of Srila Rupa Goswami’s Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu
- KRSNA, the Supreme Personality of GodheadLord Krishna’s pastimes, from the Tenth Canto
- Sri IsopanisadEighteen mantras on the Absolute Truth
A movement for the whole world
From a single storefront in New York, Srila Prabhupada built a worldwide society open to everyone, whatever their birth, nationality or background. Before he left in 1977 it had grown to more than a hundred temples, ashramas, schools and farm communities.
He brought the Ratha-yatra festival of Jagannatha Puri to the cities of the West, and made the free distribution of prasadam part of every temple’s life: the seed of the mandir’s Annadaan seva.
Hare Krishna Mandir in Ahmedabad was built to fulfil his vision: a place where anyone can hear the holy name, take prasadam and learn the Bhagavad-gita.
No one within ten miles of a temple should ever go hungry. This temple is a center for cultivating spiritual knowledge, hearing the holy name, and purifying human life.— His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Be a part of his legacy
Srila Prabhupada’s gift is for everyone. Here are three simple ways to receive it.
Read his life
His full biography, with the dates and places of his life, on his page under Acharyas.
Read his biographySing the holy names
Begin at home with the songs of the Vaishnava acharyas, with their words and translations.
Open the songsServe his mission
Give your time to the mandir’s festivals, Annadaan and outreach as a volunteer.
Volunteer with us