About Srila Prabhupada

He was a genuine holy person with enormous integrity and compassion, and he had a powerful impact on those who met him. He never claimed authority and respect for himself; what he said and did was always in the name of Krishna… – Dr. Thomas J. Hopkins.When His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada entered the port of New York City on September 17, 1965, few Americans took notice — but he was not merely another immigrant.

He was on a mission to introduce an ancient religion, which originated in India, into mainstream America.Before Srila Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977, at the age of 81, his mission proved successful.

He had founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and saw it grow into a worldwide confederation of more than 100 temples, ashrams and cultural centers.Srila Prabhupada was born Abhay Charan De on September 1, 1896, to a pious Hindu family in Calcutta. As a youth growing up in British-controlled India, Abhay became involved with Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement to secure independence for his nation.

Abhay became a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in 1933, and resolved to carry out his mentor’s request. Abhay, later known by the honorific A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, spent the next 32 years preparing for his journey to west.In 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, Srila Prabhupada travelled to New York City aboard a cargo ship.The journey was treacherous, and the elderly spiritual teacher suffered two heart attacks aboard ship.