ISKCON Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Bengaluru is one of the most visited places in the city today. The temple has, over the years, been recognized as one of the renowned ISKCON centers in the world due to its architectural splendour and the efforts to bring about a spiritual uplift in the society through its various spiritual activities.
The magnificent temple complex, one of the largest ISKCON temples in the world stands on Hare Krishna Hill, a seven-acre hillock in Rajajinagar. It displays a beautiful blend of traditional temple architecture and the modern style of construction. The temple was dedicated to the service of humanity following its inauguration on May 31, 1997.
The spacious main temple hall has a beautiful gold plated altar, attractive interior designs and ceiling with huge paintings depicting the pastimes of Lord Krishna with His devotees.
The Deities
The presiding Deities of the temple are Sri Radha Krishnachandra, Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Nitai Gauranga (Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) situated in the main temple.
There are also two smaller shrines before the main temple for the worship of Sri Srinivasa Govinda and Sri Prahlada Narasimha. There are also Deities of Garudadeva and Hanuman on either side at the entrance of the Narasimha shrine. Everyday thousands of devotees from various parts of India and other countries visit the temple to seek the blessings of Their Lordships.
Special features of the temple
- Hari-nama mantapa which provides a unique opportunity to chant Hare Krishna maha-mantra 108 times before having darshan of Their Lordships.
- An Annadana Hall where free delicious lunch prasadam is served to the devotees visiting the temple.
- Distribution of the books of Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-acharya of ISKCON, which contain the essence of Vedic knowledge, highlighting the science of Bhakti-yoga
- An interesting diorama in the lecture hall portraying the theme of soul changing bodies.
- A Goshala with 25 cows, well maintained by a team of three trained dairymen.
- A beautiful pond with colorful fountains for conducting teppotsava (boat-ride of Their Lordships) on the occasion of some festivals.
- Dakshinakriti, an exhibition and sale of handicrafts in the Vedic tradition.
- A video show of Little Krishna, a popular animated series produced by ISKCON Bangalore on the childhood pastimes of Krishna.
- Prasadam Counters which sell delicious prasadam – sweets, savories, and baked items of south and north Indian varieties, juice, milk, etc.
- Free prasadam also is served to all the visitors to the temple.
- The Higher Taste Restaurant serves pure, sattvik food with extraordinary quality.
- A guest house with modern amenities.
- Dwarakapuri Hall and Mathura Hall where any religious/social ceremonies or corporate meetings or seminars can be conducted.
Deity worship and Festivals
Besides daily worship of the Deities at regular intervals and a shayana pallakki utsava every night, special abhisheka is performed to Sri Prahlada Narasimha and Sri Srinivasa Govinda at 5:30 am on every Saturday and Friday respectively.
Sunday’s Srimad-Bhagavatam class is conducted at 8:45 am in five languages and delectable breakfast prasadam is served to all the devotees attending the program.
Major festivals celebrated at the temple include Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Brahmotsava, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Ratha Yatra and Govardhana Puja.
Special activities of the temple
Hare Krishna Chanters Club: This is an initiative of ISKCON Bangalore to spread the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra extensively among the people in the society. The Chanters Club was launched in September 2014. Anyone who is committed to chant the Hare Krishna mantra for a minimum of 108 times daily can become a member of this club. The club conducts various programs like sankirtan festival, seminar, japa workshops, etc., on a regular basis to support, guide and train the members on the practice of chanting the mantra.
Values Plus: Launched in 2009, this program takes the help of a team of highly qualified mentors to impart value education to school students. The primary objective is to transform children into cultured and civilized citizens with a good foundation of moral, cultural and spiritual values.
CES (Cultural Education Services): CES was started in 2001 with the aim of enhancing life skills and values in children from LKG to class 10 through culture-centric activities. Some of these activities include Culture Camp during summer vacation, Heritage Fest (inter-school cultural competitions), Sri Krishna Contest (written quiz competition), Goloka Shades (coloring competition), and Gita Quiz (quiz competition based on Bhagavad-gita).
FOLK (Friends Of Lord Krishna): FOLK provides a great opportunity for the youth to study the spiritual wisdom contained in the ancient scriptures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and apply it in their lives. Started in 1997, this program gives a spiritual dimension to the lives of youngsters who on weekends attend many sessions of different levels, filled with a variety of activities.
Krishna Ashraya: Krishna Ashraya is a home-based program conducted at various locations in Bengaluru. The participants of this program attend classes on Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam as per the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and learn the practices of spiritual life. They also make certain spiritual commitments in different levels to make gradual progress as devotees of Krishna.
Krishna Kalakshetra: The Krishna Kalakshetra department organizes various cultural programs, mainly music and dance, during the major festivals celebrated in the temple. Both renowned and budding artists get an opportunity to perform on such occasions for the pleasure of the Lord. Besides this, every week bhajans and musical concerts are held in the Lord’s service.
Publications: Two monthly magazines – Bhaktivedanta Darshana (Kannada) and Krishna Voice (English) are published by ISKCON Bangalore. These magazines contain articles on spiritual subjects as per the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and also news and events related to the temple.
Organic farming: ISKCON Bangalore has set up a Model Organic and Self-sustainable Farm at Mahadevapura village of Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district. This project is based on organic farming, self-sustainability, spiritual training and social welfare.
How to reach
The temple complex is located about 5-6 km from central bus station/railway station from where plenty of city buses are available to this place. Alight at Mahalakshmi layout entrance stop and from there it is a five-minute walk to the temple. The temple is just 2 km away from Yeshwantpur railway station and it is around 32 km from Bangalore International Airport. If you come by Metro Rail alight at Mahalakshmi station and from there it is a five-minute walk to the temple.
Darshan Timings
Everyday Morning
4:15 am to 5:00 am
Monday to Friday
7:15 am to 1:00 pm
4:15 pm to 8:15 pm
Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays
7:15 am to 8:15 pm