Twenty-Five-Year Struggle of ISKCON Bangalore Devotees Culminates in Supreme Court Verdict on ISKCON Bangalore-ISKCON Mumbai Dispute
Date: May 16, 2025
Location: Bangalore/Delhi
The 25-year struggle of ISKCON Bangalore devotees to establish Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya of ISKCON, following his Maha Samadhi, has culminated in a successful Supreme Court verdict. The Supreme Court’s ruling affirms ISKCON Bangalore’s stance: Srila Prabhupada remains the sole Acharya of ISKCON. The Court also decreed that the ISKCON Hare Krishna Hill temple in Bangalore belongs to ISKCON Bangalore society, not ISKCON Mumbai society, and issued an injunction prohibiting ISKCON Mumbai from interfering in ISKCON Bangalore’s affairs.
Synopsis
The dispute between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai began after Srila Prabhupada’s Maha Samadhi in 1977, when some ISKCON leaders claimed to be his successors, contrary to his directive establishing a ritvik initiation system. ISKCON Bangalore, led by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, upheld Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya and resisted the self-appointed guru system. In 2000, ISKCON Mumbai attempted to take control of the Bangalore temple, despite the land being allotted to ISKCON Bangalore in 1988 by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). This sparked a 25-year legal battle, now resolved by the Supreme Court in favor of ISKCON Bangalore.
Statement by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa
Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of ISKCON Bangalore, Founder and Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and Chairman and Mentor of the Global Hare Krishna Movement, stated:
“This internal ISKCON battle was against self-proclaimed gurus who claimed to be successors to Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, without his authorization before his Maha Samadhi. Instead, he established a ritvik system whereby all devotees in ISKCON, at all times, would be direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya. However, the conflict escalated into a property battle when ISKCON Mumbai, managed by these self-proclaimed gurus, attempted in 2000 to expel ISKCON Bangalore devotees from ISKCON for refusing to accept their guruship. ISKCON Mumbai claimed control over ISKCON Bangalore society’s properties.
Today, the 25-year court battle has concluded with the Supreme Court’s verdict affirming that the BDA allotted the temple land to ISKCON Bangalore society in 1988—an independent ISKCON society registered in Bangalore—and that the property and funds to build the temple were raised in Bangalore. ISKCON Mumbai has been injuncted from interfering with ISKCON Bangalore’s management. They can no longer expel the thousands of devotees who accept only Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya of ISKCON.”
Background of the Dispute Between ISKCON Bangalore and ISKCON Mumbai Societies
In 1977, just before Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, attained Maha Samadhi, he established a system of initiation (diksha) through his representatives, called ritviks. Under this system, all future devotees would become direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, ensuring he remained the Acharya of ISKCON.
However, shortly after his Maha Samadhi, some of his ambitious disciples in leadership positions (mostly Westerners) disregarded Srila Prabhupada’s written directives. They declared themselves successor Acharyas, began initiating disciples, and adopted lavish lifestyles—contrary to the simple life Srila Prabhupada had exemplified. These self-proclaimed Acharyas accepted ornamental seats, honorific titles, and composed songs glorifying themselves, actions that deviated from ISKCON’s foundational principles.
When ISKCON devotees worldwide opposed this self-appointed Acharya system, they faced harassment, physical abuse, expulsion from ISKCON temples, and, in one extreme case, murder (Sulochana Das, 1984). In 1999, ISKCON Bangalore devotees, led by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, also resisted this system, facing similar opposition from ISKCON’s international leadership through ISKCON Mumbai society. ISKCON Mumbai attempted to forcibly take over the Hare Krishna Hill temple in Bengaluru, despite the land being allotted to ISKCON Bangalore society by the BDA in 1988. This led to a 25-year legal battle to uphold Srila Prabhupada’s directives within ISKCON.
The Supreme Court’s verdict on May 16, 2025, settles the matter in favour of ISKCON Bangalore, affirming its ownership of the temple and its independence. With this ruling, thousands of devotees worldwide can now practice their faith—accepting Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya of ISKCON—without fear of persecution.
Impact and Growth of ISKCON Bangalore
Over the past 25 years, the ISKCON Bangalore group has expanded to 25 temples in India and 8 abroad, with over 1,000 full-time missionaries (monks) and more than 10,000 congregational devotees practicing from their homes. The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which began from the ISKCON Bangalore temple, now serves 2.3 million children daily across 17 states in India.
Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Senior Vice President of ISKCON Bangalore, President of Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir, Vice Chairman and Co-Mentor of the Global Hare Krishna Movement, and Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, also contributed to this narrative.
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