Latest news with #ISKCON
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Watch: ISKCON devotees chant Hare Krishna outside KFC outlet to protest YouTuber's prank
Days after a British YouTuber received backlash on social media for entering a Govinda's restaurant in London and eating chicken, a video on X showed devotees of the religious body chanting 'Hare Krishna' outside a KFC outlet. According to reports, Govinda's restaurant is linked to an ISKCON temple in London. While the YouTuber, 'Cenzo', has apologised for the prank, X user @bhaktSenapati posted a video online showing ISKCON devotees protesting outside a KFC outlet, reportedly in New York. The post reads, 'They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. Hare Kṛṣṇa.' They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. 🙌 Hare Kṛṣṇa — Senāpati Bhakta (@bhaktSenapati) July 22, 2025 The controversy began after 'Cenzo', an YouTuber entered the ISKCON-run restaurant and consumed KFC while recording the act as a prank. Following backlash, the YouTuber issued a public apology, stating, 'If I had known that the restaurant was with the temple, I would have never filmed that prank and left. I stepped over the line and began to eat chicken in a vegan restaurant which was associated with the Hindu community. My actions were ill-timed and irresponsible.' The man allegedly taunted staff members even after being cautioned, an act that was widely condemned online for being offensive to the spiritual and dietary norms of the ISKCON community. Several netizens replied to the post by Senapati and while some showed their support, others slammed the form of protest. One user wrote, 'what a wonderful way to protest. Though KFC directly didn't do it, an insane customer did. But message delivered.' Another said, 'Great way to engage negative people and influence positively.' A third wrote, 'KFC se order laane wale ki galti thi KFC ki nhi (KFC was not at fault, a person who ordered from KFC was at fault).'
Mint
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
ISKCON responds to YouTuber's chicken prank at group's veg eatery in London: If ‘Gita could be taught at schools….'
After a video of British YouTuber 'Cenzo' eating chicken from KFC inside ISKCON's vegetarian Govinda's Restaurant in London triggered public outrage, ISKCON London has said that if the Hindu holy book 'Gita could be taught at schools and universities', then such 'wanton acts of aggression against innocent persons" would stop. The incident took place last week at the popular pure vegetarian eatery. Cenzo, who is of African descent, entered the restaurant and asked if meat was served. Upon learning that it wasn't, he proceeded to eat his own KFC takeaway chicken meal at a table there. He even offered the chicken meal to nearby patrons and staff. The entire incident was captured on camera, and the video went viral on social media. Soon, Cenzo was removed from the restaurant by the staff. In an official statement released on July 20, ISKCON London said: 'If the truth of the Gita could be taught at the schools and universities then such wanton acts aggression against innocent persons would cease.' 'Every child should know that we are not these temporary material bodies and minds, rather we are eternal spirit souls and servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna,' it said. Calling all living beings 'spiritual sparks' originating in the Supreme source, ISKCON said all lives are sacred and should be respected. It further said: 'We forgive and sincerely pray for the perpetrators of this undignified act, who due to ignorance are probably unaware or simply don't care about the pain they are causing by making such childish videos.' 'May they awaken to the divine consciousness of seeing all living beings as equal on the spiritual platform, to no longer judge and act based upon superficial considerations, to grow to appreciate the beauty of culture, tradition, moral values and the truth of scripture, and to understand that the real peace formula is in loving devotion to the Supreme,' ISKCON London added. Meanwhile, Cenzo issued an apology through a video. He claimed that he was unaware of the restaurant's religious links.
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
'Hare Krishna' chants outside KFC as ISKCON devotees protest YouTuber's video
A video of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) devotees chanting the 'Hare Krishna' mantra outside a KFC outlet has gone viral. This came after a British YouTuber, known as Cenzo, shared a clip of himself eating chicken from a KFC bucket inside Govinda's - ISKCON's popular vegetarian restaurant in London - sparking video, originally posted by Manjari Gopika - an ISCKON devotee based in London - on Instagram, has garnered over millions of views online. advertisement"In this Age of Kali, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord. There is no other way. No other way. No other way," she said in the caption of her video, adding, "This shows that regardless of background, caste, or past habits, including meat-eating, everyone can take shelter of the Holy Name." Take a look at the post here: Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@ viral clip, widely condemned, showed Cenzo deliberately eating chicken inside the restaurant and taunting Govinda's staff, despite being informed that the place follows strict vegetarian and religious dietary practices. The act, recorded as part of a prank video, drew backlash for its disregard toward Hindu sentiments and spiritual response, ISKCON devotees were seen chanting outside a KFC outlet in a peaceful demonstration, even inviting staff to join step was praised online as a 'cool and dignified' response. 'What a wonderful way to protest. Though KFC didn't do anything, the message was delivered loud and clear,' a user commented.'They come to our restaurants to harass us, and we come to uplift their consciousness. Hare Krishna,' an ISKCON follower said on X while sharing the the comments here:Facing severe backlash, Cenzo reportedly issued an apology after removing the video. 'If I had known that the restaurant was linked to the temple, I would have never filmed that prank. I stepped over the line by eating chicken in a vegan restaurant associated with the Hindu community. My actions were ill-timed and irresponsible,' he the apology video here: The incident sparked debates around cultural sensitivity, the ethics of prank content, and the responsibility that comes with a digital platform in multicultural spaces.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
British YouTuber apologises for eating chicken inside ISKCON London restaurant
British YouTuber 'Cenzo' released an apology after a video of him eating chicken inside Govinda's, a vegetarian restaurant run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in London, sparked massive outrage on social media. The video shows Cenzo, who is of African descent, entering the premises and asking the staff if meat was served. On being informed that the eatery only offers vegetarian food, he pulled out a box of chicken and began eating inside the restaurant. Visibly unsettling, the British YouTuber can be seen offering the non-vegetarian food to the staff and patrons, making everyone around uncomfortable. On being asked to leave, he continued eating, prompting the security to remove him from the premises. The act drew widespread condemnation on social media. Many users questioned the motive behind it, with some describing it as an intentional insult to Hindu dietary and religious values. 'I stepped over the line,' admits London YouTuber after receiving backlash After receiving backlash for his 'prank', Cenzo admitted that he was visiting all the vegan restaurants in the area as a part of a video series for his YouTube channel. 'If I had known that the restaurant was with the temple, I would have never filmed that prank and left,' he said. He said that he contacted the restaurant and planned a visit to apologise in person for his actions. The power of social media on full display- British influencer Cenzo has issued a public apology to the Hindu community and ISKCON after facing massive backlash for his prank at the temple's restaurant in London, where he ate chicken. And to those who told me to, 'just ignore it'… — Meru (@MeruBhaiya) July 22, 2025 The YouTuber acknowledged that his actions were 'ill-timed and irresponsible' and, upon researching the Hindu community, he realised that his 'prank' deeply offended their values. 'They believe in no violence and peaceful behaviours towards animals and people. My actions came off as offensive to the community, and I would like to offer heartfelt, sincere apologies,' he said. 'God knows what they must be going through, seeing themselves all over social media over something that I would call a joke, but in reality, it was not a joke,' he added. 'We forgive and sincerely pray for the perpetrators': ISKCON ISKCON released a statement saying that it has forgiven the 'perpetrators of this undignified act' and sincerely prays for them. 'We forgive and sincerely pray for the perpetrators of this undignified act, who, due to ignorance, are probably unaware or simply don't care about the pain they are causing by making such childish videos,' the statement read. Official statement from ISKCON London due to recent social media influencer incident at Govinda's Restaurant, Soho Street, London. — ISKCON London Radha-Krishna Temple (@iskconlondon) July 21, 2025 Devotees chant 'Hare Krishna' outside KFC Following the incident, a clip of devotees chanting 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' outside a KFC outlet is taking the internet by storm, with netizens calling it the 'coolest revenge'. The caption of the video read, 'They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness.' The devotees can be seen spreading the message of choosing consciousness over rage in response to Cenzo's 'prank'. They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. 🙌 Hare Kṛṣṇa — Senāpati Bhakta (@bhaktSenapati) July 22, 2025 ISKCON, a global spiritual organisation founded in 1966 by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, promotes Krishna consciousness and a vegetarian lifestyle based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic scriptures. Its restaurants, including Govinda's, serve only pure vegetarian meals as part of its religious observance.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Watch: ISKCON Devotees Chant 'Hare Krishna' Outside KFC In Response To YouTuber's Prank Video
A controversy erupted after a video surfaced online showing a young African-British man eating chicken inside ISKCON's Govinda restaurant in London, a well-known pure vegetarian eatery. The clip quickly went viral, drawing widespread criticism on social media. The man later issued an apology, claiming he was unaware of the restaurant's religious significance and admitted the prank was in poor taste. Despite the apology, internet users slammed the act as disrespectful and labelled it racist for disregarding the establishment's spiritual ethos. Now, just days after the incident, another video is making waves online - this time showing ISKCON devotees standing outside a KFC outlet, chanting "Hare Rama Hare Krishna". The moment, shared on X, is being dubbed by users as the "coolest revenge." "They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness," the caption of the post read. Watch the video below: They come to our restaurants to harass us, & we come to uplift their consciousness. 🙌 Hare Kṛṣṇa — Senāpati Bhakta (@bhaktSenapati) July 22, 2025 The clip shows ISKCON devotees chanting the lord's name as a response to the man's act and spreading the message of choosing consciousness over rage. Separately, ISKCON released an official statement addressing the incident. "We forgive and sincerely pray for the perpetrators of this undignified act, who, due to ignorance, are probably unaware or simply don't care about the pain they are causing by making such childish videos," the statement read. Official statement from ISKCON London due to recent social media influencer incident at Govinda's Restaurant, Soho Street, London. — ISKCON London Radha-Krishna Temple (@iskconlondon) July 21, 2025 The African-British man has been identified as YouTuber 'Cenzo'. In his apology, Cenzo claimed he was unaware of the restaurant's religious links, despite being seen near the ISKCON temple just minutes before entering Govinda's. He admitted the act was a misguided attempt at humour and has since removed the video. ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a spiritual organisation founded in 1966 by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and the ancient Vedic scriptures of India. ISKCON's primary focus is on promoting Krishna consciousness, a devotion-based practice that emphasises love, compassion, and self-realisation. The latest incident triggered discussions about the responsibilities of content creators, cultural respect in multicultural societies, and the impact of prank culture on community harmony.
