Mukunda Goswami

Spiritual leader of ISKCON

American Portland, Oregon

Quick Info

ProfessionSpiritual leader of ISKCON
NationalityAmerican
Date of Birth10/04/1942
Age84 years
BirthplacePortland, Oregon

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Bio/Wiki

Birth nameMichael Grant

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 4"
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBald

Educational Qualification(s)

Reed College graduate

Personal Life

ReligionHinduism

Relationships & More

Marital StatusDivorced

Family

Ex-WifeJanaki
Parents
FatherName
SiblingsTom 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

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
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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