r/ISKCON

Hare Krishna to everyone here🙏

My bua ji is 83, pure vegetarian and never had any alcohol though out her life. We never bonded much but she indeed looks like a pure soul. Her health is not at all good and doctors have said that she might go into coma or lose her life, chances of living are nearly 0. I asked my cousins do naam jap as much as they can in her room but idk if they would follow it,

So is there any possibility where I can go and put tulsi maharani on her neck? Or is it not allowed somehow and I would be committing a sin?

Hari Bol and thankyou in advance

I’ve visited several ISKCON temples over the years, including Mayapur as a child, and later Mumbai and Vrindavan, and always loved their energy.

More recently, as I’ve started exploring Krishna consciousness more seriously, I’ve been visiting a smaller ISKCON temple in North America. What I love most is the balance between peaceful worship and incredibly participatory kirtans. Everyone sings, dances, claps and joins in. That collective spirit is something I’ve come to associate deeply with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and sankirtana.

So I was excited to visit ISKCON Bangalore recently. I loved having darshan of Krishna, but otherwise left surprisingly disappointed and, more importantly, spiritually conflicted.

A few things particularly stayed with me:
1. The kirtan didn’t feel participatory. A group was singing near the entrance, but I didn’t experience the collective singing and dancing I’ve experienced elsewhere. It almost felt like loud background music.

2. The amount of commercial activity surprised me. Large areas were dedicated to food, books, handicrafts and shops. I understand that a large institution needs revenue, but it made the overall experience feel less devotional than I’d expected.

3. The VIP/donor distinction made me uncomfortable. Devotees who were sitting closer to Krishna were moved back before the kirtan, and the area was barricaded for VIPs. There also seemed to be different queues and access based on membership or donor status.

4. One small incident particularly bothered me. An elderly person asked for a chair while 30+ empty chairs were stacked nearby. An administrator initially refused because they were reserved for paid members, before eventually giving him one.

My struggle isn’t really about whether this is a “good” or “bad” temple. It’s about reconciling what I experienced with what has been drawing me towards Krishna consciousness in the first place: the accessibility of bhakti, participatory sankirtana, and the sense that our material distinctions become less important before Krishna.

So I’d genuinely appreciate guidance from more experienced devotees. Am I confusing the imperfections of a large religious institution with Krishna consciousness itself? Is there a spiritual perspective I’m missing? Or is it reasonable for a devotee to feel uncomfortable when institutional practices seem at odds with the principles of bhakti?

I’d especially appreciate hearing from devotees who have personally visited ISKCON Bangalore, because there may well be context behind what I saw that I don’t understand.

P.S. I’m relatively new to this path and am not trying to attack the temple or diminish the experience of people who find Krishna there. If anything, it bothered me precisely because Krishna consciousness has started to mean something to me.

Greetings. I am looking for ISKCON books in Urdu. I have the Bhagavad Gita as it is in Urdu but have not been able to find the other books in Urdu. Is there somewhere where I can find the books?

Hey Everyone,
Had nothing to do this weekend and found spiritual event of Bhagavad Gita at Iskcon. I am thinking to attend one, has anyone done it ? reviews ?