The International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is the
best-known organization of the religious movement popularly
known as Hare Krishna. It is a
sect of
Vaishnava[?]
Hinduism which practices
bhakti yoga[?] in the worship of Lord
Krishna, the eighth
avatar of the god
Vishnu and, according to ISKCON beliefs, his highest
form ("the supreme personality of Godhead").
The practice of
bhakti yoga[?] (literally, "path of devotion") dates
back to the teachings of
Caitanya Mahaprabhu in present-day
Bangladesh in the
1500s. It was revived in the
20th century in
India, and introduced to the Western world by
Prabhupada A.C. Bhaktivedanta, who incorporated ISKCON
in
New York in
1966 and subsequently published translations of the
Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures in English and other
Western languages.
The nickname "Hare Krishnas"
for devotees of this movement comes from the maha-mantra
(great chant) they recite, which begins with those words.
They are more appropriately referred to as Krishna
devotees. Krishna devotees wearing saffron robes
are celibate monks.
ISKCON has absorbed many
western influences and maintains
mandirs (temples) in more countries of the world than
any other
Hindu
sect. Unlike other branches of Hinduism, it is actively
evangelical, seeking converts throughout the world.
