Quick Info
| Profession | Spiritual leader of ISKCON |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 10/04/1942 |
| Age | 84 years |
| Birthplace | Portland, Oregon |
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Bio/Wiki
| Birth name | Michael Grant |
|---|
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 5' 4" |
|---|---|
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Bald |
Educational Qualification(s)
| Reed College graduate |
Personal Life
| Religion | Hinduism |
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Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Divorced |
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Family
| Ex-Wife | Janaki | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents |
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| Siblings | Tom Grant (jazz musician) |
Career
| Established ISKCON Communications Office in Los Angeles in 1977 | |
| Published ISKCON World Review starting in 1981 | |
| Authored books including Search for Liberation, Chant and Be Happy, Coming Back, and A Higher Taste | |
| Served on ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) as Minister of Communication from 1984 to 1999 | |
| Emeritus member of the ISKCON GBC | |
| ICJ Advisory Board Member | |
| Professional jazz musician and composer before spiritual leadership | |
| Helped rent the first Hare Krishna temple storefront in New York City in 1966 | |
| Founded the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco in 1967 | |
| Organized the Mantra-Rock Dance event in San Francisco in 1967 | |
| Established ISKCON in England in 1968 with his wife Janaki and other devotees | |
| Took Sannyasa (renounced order of life) in 1982 from Jayapataka Swami | |
| Authored books including Chant and Be Happy: The Story of the Hare Krishna Mantra, Coming Back: The Science of Reincarnation, The Higher Taste: A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet, Divine Nature: A Spiritual Perspective on the Environmental Crisis, Inside the Hare Krishna Movement: An Ancient Eastern Religious Tradition Comes of Age in the Western World, and Miracle on Second Avenue: Hare Krishna Arrives in the West | |
| Wrote musical arrangements for George Harrison's 'The Radha Krsna Temple' album in 1971 | |
| The song 'Hare Krishna Mantra' from the album reached the UK Singles Chart |
Social Media
| https://www.instagram.com/mukunda_goswami/ | |
| https://www.facebook.com/MukundaGoswami |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Mukunda Goswami is an American spiritual leader of ISKCON in England. | |
| 2. Before spiritual leadership, he pursued a career in music after moving to New York from Portland. | |
| 3. In 1966, he became one of the first initiated disciples of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. | |
| 4. Mukunda, along with his ex-wife and friends, helped establish the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco in 1966. | |
| 5. He founded the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco in 1967 and organized the Mantra-Rock Dance event. | |
| 6. In 1968, he went to London to establish ISKCON in England under the guidance of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. | |
| 7. In 1971, he wrote musical arrangements for ‘The Radha Krsna Temple’ album produced by George Harrison. | |
| 8. The song ‘Hare Krishna Mantra’ from the album made it to the UK Singles Chart. | |
| 9. In 1982, he took Sannyasa from Jayapataka Swami. | |
| 10. From 1984 to 1999, Mukunda served as the ISKCON Minister of Communication. | |
| 11. He later moved from San Diego to New Zealand and then to Australia. | |
| 12. In 2015, he suffered a heart attack after a fall and hip surgery. | |
| 13. His devotees organized kirtans for his recovery. | |
| 14. As of 2022, Mukunda remains an ICJ Advisory Board Member. | |
| 15. One of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's earliest Western disciples, initiated in 1966 | |
| 16. Instrumental in arranging early public kirtans and events for Srila Prabhupada in New York and San Francisco | |
| 17. Worked with George Harrison and The Beatles to popularize the Hare Krishna mantra worldwide | |
| 18. Featured in the documentary George Harrison: Living In The Material World | |
| 19. His memoir Miracle on Second Avenue provides a first-hand account of ISKCON's beginnings in the 1960s countercultural movement | |
| 20. Established ISKCON in multiple countries including the United States, England, and India | |
| 21. In October 2015, suffered a hip fracture and underlying heart condition at ISKCON New Govardhana Farm in Australia |