*Click here to see slideshow by David C Photography.
Forty years ago, ISKCON made its first mark on the streets of London. The unmistakable sounds of cymbals, saffron and shaven heads charmed and startled Oxford Street in London's West End, reaching the Evening Standard with the headline "Krishna Chant Startles London." Nowadays ISKCON is woven into the fabric of London life, and parades of devotees sharing the Holy Names with shoppers, revelers, business people and international tourists is still very common.
1969 was the year that the late George Harrison of the Beatles produced the chart-topping Hare Krishna Mantra single, and the Hare Krishnas made their first appearance on British television, singing live on Top of the Pops.
Shyamasundar das, who was one of the first Krishna devotees in London and a friend of George Harrison, said: "To many, the Hare Krishnas represented the psychedelic spirit of the sixties, although their philosophy is one of actual abstinence, of non-violence and pure vegetarianism."
Govinda's, one of the first vegetarian restaurants in central London, is still going strong. The first-ever Radha Krishna Deities in ISKCON were in London, and Srila Prabhupada installed Them in Bury Place, the first ISKCON temple in the UK, near the British Museum. In 1979 the temple moved to Soho Street, just off Oxford Street, which is Europe's busiest shopping street.
"As the Member of Parliament for the Cities of London and Westminster, I am looking forward to take part in the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of ISKCON in London," said Mark Field, MP. "The chanting processions of the orange-garbed devotees in Oxford Street have become a welcome and indeed exotic part of the city's multi-cultural landscape. The help that members of the Hare Krishna movement have given to the homeless has been much appreciated, and I hope that they will continue their good work for many years to come."
All glories to Sri Sri Radha Londonisvara and Their dedicated servants -- past, present and future.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
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