Radha-Krishna Temple (also spelled Radha-Krsna Temple) has served as the UK headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) since the late 1960s. It was founded in 1968 at Bury Place, Bloomsbury, London, by six devotees from San Francisco’s Radha-Krishna Temple.
These devotees were sent by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, ISKCON’s founder-acharya, to establish a base in the United Kingdom. The temple gained significant attention when George Harrison of the Beatles publicly associated himself with Krishna consciousness, greatly boosting the movement’s visibility in the West.
The initial group of devotees—Mukunda, Shyamsundar, Malati, Janaki, Gurudas, and Yamuna—played key roles in ISKCON’s development in the UK.
Notably, Mukunda, Shyamsundar, and Malati went on to hold senior positions in the organization. The temple devotees collaborated with George Harrison to produce devotional music, including the hit single "Hare Krishna Mantra" in 1969 and the track "Govinda" in 1971, released on the Beatles’ Apple record label. These recordings helped popularize the Maha Mantra and ISKCON’s message throughout the Western world.
With Harrison’s financial support, ISKCON was able to purchase a permanent central London property at Bury Place. However, legal challenges eventually led the group to move its city temple to Soho Square in 1979. They had already expanded into the countryside with the acquisition of Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, further establishing ISKCON’s presence in the UK.
The temple's roots trace back to Prabhupada's desire to spread Gaudiya Vaishnavism globally, including to England, due to his background as a native Indian raised under British rule.
The original six devotees brought diverse experiences to the mission: Shyamsundar, formerly Sam Speerstra, was a Fulbright Scholar and professional skier; Mukunda Das (formerly Michael Grant) had a background in music, performing with jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders; and Gurudas was previously involved in civil rights activism with Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama.
Together, these early pioneers laid the foundation for a thriving ISKCON presence in the UK, establishing the Radha-Krishna Temple in London as a spiritual and cultural landmark.
Address:
10 Soho St, London W1D 3DL, United Kingdom
Phone:
+442 074 373 662
