India GOHare Krishna in India: ISKCON temples, Krishna's land and how to visit
ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, was founded in New York in 1966 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and India is where it is rooted: its world headquarters is in Mayapur in West Bengal, and one of its most significant centres stands in Vrindavan, in the land of Krishna's childhood. This collection links the major temples across the country with the places they point to: Vrindavan, Mathura and Govardhan.
ISKCON temples, Krishna's birthplace, and the sacred land of Vrindavan: the complete Vaishnava trail across India.
Every place in the collection on the India GO map.
Open in India GOWhat the movement is
ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition that goes back to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal: devotion (bhakti) to Krishna, expressed above all through chanting his names. The heart of the practice is the maha-mantra, first found in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad, which ISKCON chants as: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. Krishna and Rama are names of God; Hare is read as a call to Hara, the divine energy, identified with Radha. Through Prabhupada's movement the mantra became widely known outside India from the 1960s.
For a visitor, an ISKCON temple is easy to enter: entry is free, shoes come off at the door, modest dress is expected, and anyone may join the kirtan, the call-and-response singing, without knowing a word. Many temples open with mangala arati, the first offering of light, at about 4:30 and close for a few hours around midday.
The temples, from north to south
Krishna-Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan
Opened in 1975 and one of ISKCON's most significant centres. Prabhupada lived his last years here: his rooms are kept as they were, and his samadhi shrine and a museum of the movement's history stand on the campus. The prasad hall feeds hundreds of people a day, and the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust shop sells Vaishnava books in dozens of languages. Full guide: ISKCON Vrindavan.
Mayapur, West Bengal
The world headquarters, a campus of temples, residences and schools. Mangala arati is at 4:30, lunch prasad at 12:00 and the evening arati at 18:30. From Kolkata, trains to Nabadwip Dham take about 2–3 hours, and the last stretch is a river crossing (as checked on 5 August 2026).
Delhi and Chandigarh
ISKCON Delhi at East of Kailash, near the Lotus Temple, is a good introduction: evening kirtan, a vegetarian restaurant and a bookshop. In Chandigarh, the Sri Sri Radha Madhav temple in Sector 36B is at its best at the evening arati and closes roughly 12:45–16:15.
Mumbai and Pune
ISKCON Juhu, a project Prabhupada oversaw in the 1970s, has the deities Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari on a golden altar beyond a checkered marble floor. A few hours from the city, the Govardhan Ecovillage, founded by Radhanath Swami, combines farming and retreats. In Pune, the New Vedic Cultural Centre in Kondhwa has twin sanctums for Radha-Krishna and Venkateswara and runs from about 4:30 to 20:45.
Bengaluru and Tirupati
ISKCON Bangalore on Hare Krishna Hill in Rajajinagar, inaugurated in 1997 and run by the separately registered ISKCON Society Bangalore, mixes South Indian temple forms with modern architecture; visitors walk a 108-step path while chanting and receive free prasad. In Tirupati, the ISKCON temple below the Tirumala hills has morning and evening aratis, kirtans and an on-site restaurant.
Krishna's land: Vrindavan, Mathura, Govardhan
The temples point to one landscape. Mathura is Krishna's birthplace, Vrindavan the country of his childhood, 12 km away, and Govardhan the hill he is said to have lifted on one finger to shelter Braj from a storm. Nobody climbs Govardhan: the hill itself is worshipped, and the way to honour it is the 21 km parikrama around it, five to seven hours on foot.
Not every Hare Krishna temple belongs to the same organisation. Chandrodaya Mandir in Vrindavan, whose main tower is still under construction, is built by the Hare Krishna Movement led by ISKCON Society Bangalore, the society that also runs the Bengaluru temple. In May 2025 India's Supreme Court held that this society is legally independent of ISKCON Mumbai. For temple-by-temple detail, see Krishna temples in Vrindavan.
Festivals worth planning around
Janmashtami, Krishna's birthday, falls on 25–26 August 2027 and is the year's biggest night in ISKCON temples; in Braj see Janmashtami in Vrindavan. Gaura Purnima, the birthday of Chaitanya and Mayapur's great festival, is on 22 March 2027. In Vrindavan, the Kartik month runs from 27 October to 24 November 2026 (provisional dates).
❓ FAQ
What does "Hare Krishna" mean?
Krishna is a name of God; Hare is read as a call to Hara, the divine energy identified with Radha. Together the words open the maha-mantra that ISKCON devotees chant.
Which is the most famous ISKCON temple in India?
ISKCON's two key places in India are the world headquarters in Mayapur and the Krishna-Balaram Mandir in Vrindavan, where Prabhupada lived and his samadhi stands.
How many ISKCON temples are there?
ISKCON reports more than 800 temples and centres worldwide, from large complexes to small city temples.
Can non-devotees visit ISKCON temples?
Yes. Entry is free and open to all; take off your shoes, dress modestly and check the midday closure before you go.