About the Festival
A 35-year tradition of unity and devotion
Origins
The Prabhupada Festival was born in the heart of Los Angeles, at New Dwarka Temple — one of the first and most beloved ISKCON temples in the Western world. In the early years of the movement, devotees felt a deep need for a gathering that placed Srila Prabhupada at the absolute center, free from the complexities of institutional life.
What emerged was something rare and beautiful: a festival organized not by any single authority, but by the collective love of Prabhupada's spiritual children. From its humble beginnings, it grew into an annual pilgrimage for devotees across North America and beyond — a weekend where differences dissolve and only gratitude remains.
The festival has always been held in the spirit of Prabhupada's own vision: simple living, high thinking, and the chanting of the Holy Names as the center of all activity.
Our Mission
To Remember and Revere Srila Prabhupada
Every element of the festival — every kirtan, every lecture, every garland offered — is an act of remembrance. We gather to keep alive the memory of the great soul who changed the world.
To Provide Neutral Devotional Space
This festival belongs to no single group or institution. It is a sanctuary where all Vaishnavas are welcome, regardless of their affiliation, to come together under the shelter of Prabhupada.
To Allow Equal Opportunity for Glorification
Every devotee — young or old, new or seasoned — has the opportunity to offer their voice, their skills, and their heart in service to Prabhupada during this festival.
To Revive the Early Hare Krishna Spirit
The simplicity, the joy, the sense of family — the Prabhupada Festival seeks to recapture the spirit that animated the earliest days of the Hare Krishna movement, when everything was new and everything was offered with love.
A 35-Year Legacy
Thirty-five years is more than a number. It is a testament to the enduring power of Srila Prabhupada's legacy. In the span of these three and a half decades, the festival has witnessed the passing of seasons and the turning of generations.
Children who once ran through the temple courtyard, faces painted with tilak, have grown into mothers and fathers who now bring their own children to sit before Prabhupada's murti. Young devotees who once learned the mridanga at this very festival are now the kirtaniyas who lead the chanting.
This unbroken chain of devotion — stretching across thirty-five years — is itself the greatest offering. It is proof that Prabhupada's mission lives on, not merely in institutions, but in the hearts of those who love him.
“I have not come to take anything from you. I have come to give you something — the chanting of the Holy Name of God.”