Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

<p>Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (1 September 1896 &ndash; 14 November 1977) was an Indian Gaudiya Vaishnava guru who founded ISKCON commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement. Members of ISKCON view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a representative and messenger of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.</p><p>Born in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in a Suvarna Banik family he was educated at the Scottish Church College. While working at a small pharmaceutical business he met and became a follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In 1959 after his retirement he left his family to become a sannyasi and started writing commentaries on Vaishnava scriptures. As a traveling Vaishnava monk he became an influential communicator of Gaudiya Vaishnavite theology across India and the Western world through his leadership of ISKCON founded in 1966. He was well regarded by many American religious scholars but criticized by anti-cult groups.</p><p></p>