LONDON, Nov 29: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the UK is celebrating a “full circle moment” of acquiring its original temple site in London at an auction this week.
The historic building at 7 Bury Place in the Bloomsbury area of central London traces its roots to 1968, when ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada sent three American couples to establish a mission in the UK.
It was eventually secured with the help of supporters such as Beatle George Harrison, who co-signed the original lease, and it went on to serve as the base for ISKCON’s early work in the UK.
“This is a full-circle moment,” said Praghosa Das, from ISKCON UK’s Governing Body Commission (GBC).
“To reacquire 7 Bury Place is to reclaim our spiritual birthplace in the UK. Our hope is to transform it once again into a living, breathing centre of Krishna consciousness, an ISKCON tirtha, place of pilgrimage for devotees who have only read about ISKCON’s heritage and the pioneering work of the original devotees who established Krishna consciousness in the UK,” Das said in a statement.
The auction on Tuesday saw the five-storey building near the British Museum going under the hammer in favour of ISKCON UK for around 1.16 million pounds. The building, being used as an office space, had once been a focal point for ISKCON’s emerging presence in the UK.
“It was here, in December 1969, that A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON’s Founder–Acarya, formally inaugurated London’s first Radha-Krishna temple and installed Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara. The ISKCON London congregation later moved to its current location on Soho Street, always remembering its origins at 7 Bury Place,” ISKCON UK said.
According to the organisation’s history, Shyamsundar and Malati were among the couples who landed in London to scope out their UK base. To gain wider recognition for their message, Shyamsundar had the idea of meeting the Beatles and asking them to introduce the Hare Krishna mantra, or Maha Mantra, into their songs.
George Harrison, the Beatle most interested in Indian philosophy and culture, eventually became involved and produced ‘The Radha Krishna Temple’ album with the ISKCON devotees in 1970.
He later went on to gift the Bhaktivedanta Manor, which continues to serve as a vibrant ISKCON temple in Watford, on the outskirts of London.
“With the reacquisition of 7 Bury Place, ISKCON London now has a fresh opportunity to honour its past while expanding its presence in the heart of the city. As plans take shape, the building is poised to become a vibrant hub for outreach, education, and devotional culture, further strengthening ISKCON’s mission in London for generations to come,” the organisation stated. (PTI)
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