PM Modi Releases Commemorative Coin To Honour ISCON Founder Srila Prabhupada

INDIA on Wednesday, September 1 gratefully remembered Kolkata born Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami or Srila Prabhupada born Abhay Charan De who has played an instrumental role in logically intermediating and spreading the thoughts and teachings bequeathed to the nation by Lord Krishna across the globe. Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally released a special commemorative coin of 125 rupees on the 125th birth anniversary and addressed a gathering. He recalled the lifelong dedication of Sri Bhaktivedanta to make Lord Krishna an international immortal cult figure. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness ISKCON commonly known as the “Hare Krishna movement”. ISKCON has translated Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta and other Vedic literature in 89 languages, playing a stellar role in the dissemination of Vedic literature across the world. Swami ji also established over a hundred temples and wrote several books, teaching the path of Bhakti Yoga to the world. Prabhupada, who breathed his last at Vrindavan aged 81 on November 14, 1997, was an alumnus of Kolkata’s elite  Scottish Church College, had left his family with children and pharmaceutical business to start writing commentaries on Vaishnava scriptures. As a traveling Vaishnava monk, he became an influential communicator of Chaitanya Deva founded Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya’s theology through  ISKCON and attracted Westerners. He was criticized by anti-cult groups but was well regarded by religious scholars, such as J. Stillson Judah, Harvey Cox, Larry Shinn and Thomas Hopkins, who praised Bhaktivedanta. He had debunked distorted images and misinterpretations of Lord Krishna and Radha. Edited by PK Chakravarty