About ISKCON

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement, includes five hundred major centers, temples and rural communities, nearly one hundred affilated vegetarian restaurants, thousands of namahattas or local meeting groups, a wide variety of community projects, and millions of congregational members worldwide. Although less than fifty years on the global stage, ISKCON has expanded widely since its founding by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966.

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About Loknath Swami Maharaj

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He was born in 1949, in the village of Aravade in Maharashtra India, HH Lokanath Swami (born Raghunath Patil) always had an ambition to dedicate his life to serving people, his country and humanity. Bereft of resources, he did not know where to begin. It was while studying Chemistry in Bombay that his life was irrevocably changed. He daily attended the first 10 day Cross Maidan Pandal Festival in 1971 organised by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and his Western disciples. Although Lokanath Swami did not personally meet Srila Prabhupada at this festival, His Divine Grace’s spiritually elevating discourses and the energetic kirtana by the devotees stole his heart.

As per Srila Prabhupada’s wishes, in 1996 Lokanath Swami was appointed as ISKCON Minister for Srila Prabhupada Centennial. He co-ordinated a global campaign. This magnificent Centennial celebrations achieved unprecedented success in terms of the number of Srila Prabhupada’s books distributed, plates of prasada served and festivals conducted worldwide. Lokanath Swami travels regularly throughout India, preaching mostly in Maharashtra. For the past forty years he has travelled and preached in the major cities and towns and remotest villages of Maharashtra guiding their development and spiritual upliftment. He regularly travels to Europe, Africa and Asia sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga.

Lokanath Swami has worked on establishing many temples – ISKCON Aravade, ISKCON Nagpur, ISKCON Amravati, ISKCON Noida, ISKCON Pandharpur, ISKCON Solapur, to name a few. He is well known for his inspiring lectures and kirtanas. In 2006, he took over the World Holy Name Project which is an initiative to increase the events and activities that people can participate in to spread the holy name on this planet. The basic purpose of this World Holy Name Festival is to spread the message of Lord Krishna as well as to impart the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

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