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Hans India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
SC verdict on ISKCON brings down curtains on 25-yr struggle of devotees
Bengaluru: The Supreme Court verdict on the ISKCON temple here has ended a long battle against 'self-proclaimed gurus,' and devotees' struggle to establish Srila Prabhupada as the Acharya of ISKCON, post his Maha Samadhi, ISKCON Bengaluru said on Friday. The apex court held that the Hare Krishna temple in Bengaluru belongs to the ISKCON Society in the city. It allowed the plea of ISKCON Bengaluru challenging a Karnataka High Court order that ruled in favour of ISKCON Mumbai over control of the iconic Hare Krishna temple and educational complex in this city. In a statement, Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON Bengaluru, said, 'This internal ISKCON battle was against self-proclaimed gurus who claimed to be successors to Srila Prabhupada, the founder Acharya of ISKCON, without being authorised by Srila Prabhupada before his Maha Samadhi.' 'Rather, he set up a Ritvik system whereby all devotees in ISKCON at all times will be direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada,' he added. Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, established a system of initiation (Diksha) in 1977, shortly before he attained Maha Samadhi. Known as the Ritvik system, initiations would be conducted through his appointed representatives. As per this arrangement, all future devotees would become direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, who would continue to remain the Acharya of ISKCON. He alleged those in ISKCON Mumbai, in the year 2000, tried to expel the devotees of ISKCON Bengaluru because they refused to accept the 'guruship' of self-proclaimed gurus of ISKCON, claiming that ISKCON Mumbai society controls the properties of ISKCON Bengaluru society,' Dasa said. 'Today, the 25-year-old court battle has been concluded by the Supreme Court by its verdict that BDA had allotted temple land of ISKCON Bangalore society--an independent ISKCON society registered in Bengaluru, in 1988 sand the property and funds to build the temple were raised in Bengaluru,' he said. 'In essence, ISKCON Mumbai has been injuncted from interfering with the management of ISKCON Bengaluru. They can no longer expel from ISKCON, thousands of devotees who want to accept only Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya of ISKCON,' he added. ISKCON Bengaluru had moved the top court on June 2, 2011, challenging the high court's verdict of May 23, 2011. In the plea, ISKCON Bengaluru, represented by its office-bearer Kodandarama Dasa, contested the high court judgment that overturned a 2009 order of a local court in Bengaluru. The trial court had earlier ruled in favour of ISKCON Bengaluru, recognising its legal title and granting a permanent injunction against ISKCON Mumbai. However, the high court reversed this ruling and upheld a counterclaim by ISKCON Mumbai, effectively granting them control over the temple.
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Won ISKCON's long fight for Prabhupada's legacy, says temple president Madhu Pandit Dasa
BENGALURU: After the Supreme Court ordered that the famous Hare Krishna Hill temple in Rajajinagar belongs solely to the ISKCON-Bangalore Society and not to ISKCON-Mumbai, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON-Bangalore, said the internal ISKCON battle was never just about property — it was a long fight to uphold the spiritual legacy of Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of ISKCON. 'They can no longer expel thousands of devotees who wish to accept only Srila Prabhupada as the sole acharya of ISKCON,' he said, reiterating that Prabhupada had set up a Ritvik system where all devotees would remain his disciples even after his passing. The Supreme Court's verdict on Friday marks the end of a 24-year legal and ideological battle between the ISKCON societies of Bengaluru and Mumbai. The apex court upheld ISKCON-Bangalore's independent legal identity and confirmed that the temple land had been allotted to it by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 1988. The court also barred ISKCON-Mumbai from interfering in the administration or affairs of the Bangalore society. What triggered the dispute was the question of spiritual succession within ISKCON after Srila Prabhupada's Maha Samadhi in 1977. ISKCON-Bangalore has long opposed the idea of self-appointed successors or 'gurus' leading the organisation. According to them, Srila Prabhupada had clearly outlined a Ritvik initiation system, under which he would remain the sole initiating spiritual master for all time, with representatives performing ceremonies on his behalf.
