Official Statement from ISKCON Communications Ministry, January 15, 2024

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will join in the global celebration of the honor given to Lord Sri Rama via the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Northern India, on January 22, 2024.

ISKCON temples in India will participate in a special month-long celebration in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama, and an historically significant pilgrimage site for Hindus and others.

During the celebration, ISKCON plans to feed 10,000 pilgrims daily, and hold festivals promoting the chanting of God’s names (especially “Hare Krishna” and “Hare Rama”) throughout the holy pilgrimage town. ISKCON will also set up a medical camp and distribute large quantities of spiritual literatures.

Many of ISKCON’s 800 temple communities around the world will also participate in the festivities in various ways—from live telecasts of the Ayodhya inauguration, offerings of sacred lamps, special worship services, extended kirtan (musical chanting) ceremonies, and other events.

Lord Rama is the hero of the well-known epic “Ramayana.” Written by the sage Valmiki, the Ramayana contains nearly 24,000 verses. The Ramayana epic is revered in cultures around the world—including Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, and more—and celebrated through traditional and contemporary art, dance, drama, and music.

“We hope that this inaugural festival marking the legacy of Sri Rama and His teachings on dharma, righteousness, spiritual truth, and morality will inspire people around the world to practice selfless, compassionate acts for the benefit of all people and our entire planet,” said Anuttama Dasa, Minister of ISKCON Communications.

ISKCON is a global Vaishnava Hindu organisation founded in 1965 in New York City by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON promotes the non-sectarian principles of mercy, truthfulness, compassion, and austerity (self-discipline) and seeks to aid in awakening love of God among all people. ISKCON teaches that chanting the names of God, as they are understood in the world’s great religious traditions, will promote peace, cooperation, and spiritual happiness throughout the world.