01Hare Krishna Hill
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, founded by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York in 1966, carries the bhakti of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu worldwide. Its Bengaluru temple rises on a rocky hillock in Rajajinagar, a modern design joining a Dravida-style gopura with glass and a tall gold-plated flagstaff. Devotees climb a stairway past small shrines and chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra on each step. In the main hall stand Radha-Krishnachandra, and beside them Krishna-Balarama, Srinivasa Govinda and Gaura-Nitai. Janmashtami and the Brahmotsava draw huge crowds.
02Akshaya Patra
In 2000 the temple’s devotees began cooking midday meals for a few schools in Bengaluru. That kitchen grew into the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which serves the government’s school-meal programme in many states. The temple was opened in 1997 by the then President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma. The temple’s prasadam counter and its Sunday feast are part of the city’s routine for many families.
The life of this place
- 1997The temple is opened by President Shankar Dayal Sharma.
- 2000The Akshaya Patra midday-meal kitchen begins here.
On West of Chord Road, Rajajinagar; Mahalakshmi metro station is close by.
