Iskcon Temple

With more than 400 temples globally and 140 temples in India, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON is one of the largest and popular religious organizations in the world. The organization has its reach in almost every continent on Earth. ISKCON is known for its spirituality, mindfulness and marvelous religious structures.

Among its many temples in India, one can find a beautiful ISKCON Temple in the city of Hyderabad. Located in the central region of Nampally, the main deity of the ISKCON temple is Lord Krishna alongside idols of Sri Radha-Mohana, Sri Jagannatha Baladeva-Subhadra, and Sri Gauri-Nitai.

The temple is a marvel with modern architecture and lush green gardens around it. The temple also houses many water-fountains that make the temple more magnificent and enigmatic. One will always hear the hymn of “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” in various corners of the temple.

The temple authorities organize devotional and religious lectures in the halls of the temple and teach the preaching of Lord Krishna. Alongside the lectures, the authorities organize Pujas daily with some special programs on Sunday to attract more and more devotees to the temple.

ISKCON temple is the epicenter of cultural and spiritual well-being and various social activities for the local people residing in the temple. The authorities sent the residents of the temples to various corporate centers and institutes to teach various spiritualization techniques. The aim of the people of ISKCON is to raise the importance of spiritualization in oneself and learn the true value of life.

The best time to visit ISKCON Temple is during the winter season as the climate in Hyderabad during the winter season is mild and cold.

There are special aartis and puja that happen in the temple. The timings of all the aartis and puja are as follows:

4.30 AM - Mangla Aarti

5 AM - Tulasi- Puja

6.30 AM - Srimad Bhagavatam Discourse

7.30 AM - Sringar Darshan

7.45 AM - Guru Puja

12.30 PM - Raj Bhoga Aarti

4.30 PM - USthapana Aarti

7 PM - Sandhya Aarti

8.30 PM - Shayana Aarti

Also, the main temple remains closed from 1 PM to 4 PM and from 9 PM to 4.30 AM.

Location:

History of ISKCON Temple

The history of the ideology of ISKCON dates back to the early 15th century, to the times of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is considered as an incarnation of Lord Krishna by the devotees of ISKCON. The ideology of Gaudiya Bhagavata Vaishnavas, which is the school of thought of ISKCON was widely spread by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the regions of West Bengal and Orissa. He laid the foundation of the widespread of this ideology through the practice of Sankirtan, which invited people from all the caste and creed to worship Lord Krishna. 

Lately, in 1969 Swami Prabhupada brought this ideology to the west after he went to New York. Slowly, his movement gained an international shape with more and more people learning about the teachings. George Harrison, a member of the very popular Rock Band ‘The Beatles’ made various musical tracks about the ideology of Krishna with the followers of Hare Krishna.

After gaining momentum in the west, the ideology of ISKCON spread in various cities across India. More and more followers of Lord Krishna joined the movement and in a span of around 54 years, there are around 600 ISKCON centers globally which include temples and educational centers.

Tips for visiting ISKCON Temple

The ISKCON Temple is around 27 km from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and is easily accessible by road. 

By Bus: There are many buses that run from the airport to the temple. The ride takes around 50 mins and covers some important suburbs of the city. 

By Cab/Taxi: There are private cabs and taxis that run between the airport and the temple. It takes around 30-35 minutes for the ride and is comparatively expensive to the bus journey.