A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Biography
(Founder of ISKCON)
Birthday: September 1, 1896 (Virgo)
Born In: Kolkata
Srila Prabhupada was an Indian spiritual teacher who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Also known as Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he is counted among the most prominent Vedic scholars, translators, and teachers of the modern era. Credited with translating and commenting on over 80 volumes of the Vedas' most important sacred bhakti texts, including the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, he is regarded as the world’s most prominent contemporary authority on bhakti-yoga. Born to a family of devout Vaishnavas, he developed a deep devotion towards Lord Krishna at a young age. So strong was his love for the lord that at the age of five, he single-handedly organized a neighborhood Ratha-yatra festival to glorify Lord Jagannatha! Even while growing up, he was more interested in visiting temples than in playing with other children. He realized the true purpose of his life at the age of 26 when he first met his eternal spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura who instructed him to go to the West and spread Krishna Consciousness in the English language. Even though it would be several years before he could finally travel to the West, once he set foot in the US, there was no looking back. He went on to found the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York City which is today a worldwide confederation of more than 550 centers