Hare Krishna ISKCON Temple Melbourne
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was founded in New York in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and is commonly referred to the world over as the “Hare Krishnas”. One of the important activities of ISKCON throughout the world is to establish temples where devotees of Lord Krishna can assemble to practise bhakti yoga, the science of devotional service to the Lord.
During the 1970s, Srila Prabhupada regularly visited ISKCON Melbourne to give lectures and inspire his many followers who would eagerly await his arrival. On very special occasions he came to install the Deity forms of Lord Krishna so that his devoted students could learn to worship the Lord in His archa-vigraha (Deity form). In 1973, when the temple was still located in Burnett Street, St Kilda (our first location), Srila Prabhupada installed Melbourne’s presiding Deities, Sri Sri Radha Ballabha. Much to everyone’s delight, in May 1975 Srila Prabhupada attended the opening of our current temple at 197 Danks Street, Albert Park, simultaneously installing Deities of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, Sri-Sri Gaura Nitai.
ISKCON Melbourne is still presided over by the same beautiful Deities of Sri Sri Radha Ballabha and Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, along with Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra.
