The Mayapur Vrindavan Festivals: with Srila Prabhupada (1972-77)

Born in 1949 in Aravade, a village

in Maharashtra, India, Lokanath Swami

came in contact with Srila Prabhupäda

at ISKCON’s first Hare Krsna festival in

Bombay, in 1971 while attending college.

As one of Srila Prabhupada’s first Indian

disciples, he received harinama initiation

in 1972, and served in various positions

at the ISKCON Juhu temple. He was

awarded sannyasa initiation in 1975.

In 1976, on Srila Prabhupada’s order, he organized ISKCON’s

first padayatra which journeyed across India distributing the

message of Krsna. Later, as Padayatra Minister, he expanded

his service worldwide. He served as the temple president of

ISKCON New Delhi from 1978 through the mid-1980’s. Then,

as the Minister for Srila Prabhupada’s Centennial, Lokanath

Swami coordinated a global, four-year campaign that culminated

in ISKCON’s worldwide, grand centennial celebrations of 1996.