ANNUALANNUAL REPORTREPORT 2017-182017-18 In the service of Sri Radha Krishnachandra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare FOUNDER-ACHARYA OF ISKCON Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare SEVEN PURPOSES OF ISKCON Ÿ To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to the society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world. Ÿ To propagate a consciousness of Krishna as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. Ÿ To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, and thus to develop the idea, within the members, and humanity, at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna). Ÿ To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement of congregational chanting of the Holy Name of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Ÿ To erect for the members, and for the society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna. Ÿ To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life. Ÿ W i t h a v i e w t o w a r d s a c h i e v i n g t h e aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 02 Founder Acharya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness CONTENTS President’s Message . 4 Srila Prabhupada . 5 Message . 6 Shilanyas . 7 Honourary Doctorate Conferred . 9 Annual Overview: Sri Radha Krishna Temple. .10 Distribution of the holy name: Harinama . 11 Harinama Chanters Club . .12 Nitya Annadana Seva. .13 Sri Radha Krishna Temple Pilgrim Center . 14 Sri Radha Krishna Temple Festivals . 16 Distribution of transcendental literature . 19 Fund raising initiatives . 20 Five years at a glance. 21 Youth development initiatives. 22 Cultural - Education Services . 24 Krishnashraya . 26 Support from other trusts to ISKCON temple at Hare Krishna Hill . 27 Go Seva . 28 ISKCON Bangalore's E-Presence. 29 Dignitaries who received the Lord's blessings. 31 We love Radha Krishna Temple . 35 Media coverage . 36 The Akshaya Patra Foundation . 38 Annual Overview: other centers. 39 Core Objectives . 43 Organization Structure . 45 Organization Chart . 46 GBC's Report . 47 Society Governance . 52 Financial Statements . 57 03 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hare Krishna! Today, the world is at the pinnacle of progress in science and technology, which have taken humanity to great heights of material achievements. We are far more prosperous than at any time in the recorded history of mankind. But surprisingly and on the contrary, this materialistic progress and lifestyle have resulted in dissatisfied individuals, unprecedented greed, reckless consumption of precious natural resources, ecological imbalance, thus resulting in large-scale ecological disasters. The recent massive floods in Kerala is a case in point. How do we address these problems? Srila Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, has proposed an alternative lifestyle that is filled with purpose and balance. Today’s education system is based on the western thought of consumerism, which aims at only artha and kama, without the balancing act of dharma, moksha and Bhagavad prema. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to establish cultural centres that present Vedic wisdom and culture in a most appropriate manner for attracting modern minds. This will arrest the imbalances in the current society. In this regard, on 2nd April 2017, we have performed the Shilanyas or Bhumi Puja ceremony in Mysuru. This ceremony was conducted in the presence of His Excellency Honourable Governor of Karnataka Sri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, Her Highness Dr. Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and many other dignitaries. We propose to set up a grand Nava Brindavan Dham ISKCON Mysuru cultural complex. It aims to influence and transform a large number of people to change their values towards voluntary simplicity of lifestyle. Mysuru is renowned for its cultural heritage; our project aims to be part of the rich heritage. In an initiative to recognise, nurture and build talent among marginalised families, Great India Talent School was inaugurated in Tripura. This school will provide textbooks, notebooks, uniform and mid-day meals to the children on an entirely free of cost (100% FOC) basis. This program is run by devotees of ISKCON Bangalore through the Great India Talent Foundation. We are hopeful that with more support from society, we will expand the reach of this initiative throughout the country. Further, this year, considering the ever-expanding reach of Bangalore city, it was felt that we celebrate Sri Krishna Janmashtami in one more location, besides the celebrations in our existing three branches in the city. Thus we have celebrated Sri Krishna Janmashtami in Palace Grounds. Despite heavy rains, around 11,000 visitors took part in the celebrations. Taking advantage of the additional infrastructure at Palace Grounds, our devotees brought in variety to celebrate Janmashtami. The construction of Rajadiraja Sri Srinivasa Govinda Temple is going on at the upcoming cultural complex at Vasanthapura, Bangalore. On completion, this temple will be the first of its kind, wherein such a heavy structure made of stone is on the first floor. The temple will resemble the most famous temple at Thirumala and the stapathi is also from Thirumala Devasthanam. There will be Kalyanotsavam and Annadanam halls on the ground floor of the temple. I appeal to the donors and patrons of the Society to generously contribute to this cause. I invoke the blessings of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra upon all stakeholders of ISKCON Bangalore who always support our humble efforts to take spirituality to all. May Lord Krishna bless us all. Madhu Pandit Dasa President 04 SRILA PRABHUPADA His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, who is popularly known as Srila Prabhupada, stands out distinctly among great personalities for connecting souls world wide to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna in bhakti. In 1932, Srila Prabhupada became a formally initiated disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instructed Srila Prabhupada to preach the message of Lord Krishna to all: “You try to preach whatever you have learned from me to the English speaking people of the world. That will be good for you and for the people to whom you preach. That is my instruction to you.” Taking this instruction as his life and soul, Srila Prabhupada started translation of Vedic literatures like Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam to English. Although he had no funds or any immediate support for this endeavour, Srila Prabhupada continued to render these translations meticulously. He started the publication of a monthly magazine called Back to Godhead in English in 1944. Despite setbacks in his effort to spread the mission of his spiritual master in India, he went ahead to carry out his work in the West. In 1965, Srila Prabhupada sailed to America in a cargo ship having just forty rupees in hand and a few of his works in print, with the objective to preach to the English-speaking people, the Absolute Truth. What followed is the unfathomable growth of Vaishnavism and Lord Krishna worship in the West. Srila Prabhupada, the 32nd bonafide spiritual master in the line of Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Vaishnavism, translated and wrote purports to 8,172 verses of Srimad Bhagavatam, 700 verses of Bhagavad-gita and 11,555 verses of Chaitanya-charitamrita. He started a monthly magazine Back to Godhead which crossed at one point a distribution of more than one million copies a month. This magazine is now translated and printed in over thirty languages and distributed in different parts of the world. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust was established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace and soon became the world’s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. He published a total of 160 books. In the last few years of his presence in this material world, he lived in Vrindavana and engaged in deep devotional contemplation and in 1977 he left his material body but he still exists in his books and instructions, guiding his disciples and taking them back to Godhead. In short, Srila Prabhupada built a house in which the whole world can live together and develop inquisitiveness towards the real purpose of life. By his mercy, this blinded, fast-paced material world got vision and direction. This movement has given an opportunity to everyone to take up the chanting of the holy names of Lord Krishna, which is the recommended process for spiritual liberation in this age. Lord Chaitanya said, “All over the world, in every town and village, this Harinama sankirtana will spread.” And that is being achieved by Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Srila Prabhupada is truly a great ambassador of India’s heritage and has fulfilled the prophecy of Lord Chaitanya. In all of Srila Prabhupada’s writings and talks, the outpouring of a pure devotee for the love of his Lord Krishna is evident. It is this pure love for God expressed by him that has touched thousands of souls and inspired them to look beyond mere material existence, to a life of higher consciousness. 05 MESSAGE Recently, we had an opportunity to visit ISKCON temple of Bengaluru, and we express our pleasure regarding the creative initiatives of the institution. We are proud to inform that Srila Bhakti Vedanta Prabhupada is a close follower of Madhva tradition and Tattvavada. Following objectives of ISKCON made an impression on us: 1.