KUMBHA: The Festival of Immortality

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.