Key Points

According to an official release, the long-standing dispute between ISKCON-Bangalore and ISKCON-Mumbai began after Srila Prabhupada attained Maha Samadhi in 1977, when some ISKCON leaders claimed to be his successors, contrary to his directive establishing a Ritvik initiation system.

ISKCON-Bangalore, led by Madhu Pandit Dasa, upheld Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya and resisted pressure to conform to the self-appointed guru system.

In 2000, ISKCON-Mumbai attempted to take control of the Bangalore temple, despite the land being allotted to ISKCON-Bangalore in 1988.

This sparked a 25-year legal battle, now concluded by the Supreme Court in favour of ISKCON-Bangalore. ISKCON-Mumbai society has been injuncted not to interfere with the affairs of ISKCON-Bangalore society.

Speaking about the verdict, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON Bangalore, Founder and Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Chairman and Mentor, Global Hare Krishna Movement said, "This internal ISKCON battle was against self-proclaimed gurus who claimed to be successors to Srila Prabhupada, the founder Acharya of ISKCON, without being authorised by Srila Prabhupada before his Maha Samadhi. Rather, he set up a Ritvik system whereby all devotees in ISKCON at all times will be direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya."

"However, it snowballed into a court property battle by ISKCON Mumbai, which is managed by self-proclaimed gurus, when they tried in 2000 to expel the devotees of ISKCON Bangalore from ISKCON because of refusing to accept the guruship of self-proclaimed gurus of ISKCON by claiming that ISKCON Mumbai society controls the properties of ISKCON Bangalore society," he said.

"Today, the 25-year-old court battle has been concluded by the Supreme Court by its verdict that BDA had allotted temple land of ISKCON Bangalore society in 1988, an independent ISKCON society was registered in Bangalore, and the property and funds to build the temple were raised in Bangalore. In essence, ISKCON Mumbai has been injucted from interfering with the management of ISKCON Bangalore. They can no longer expel from ISKCON has thousands of devotees who want to accept only Srila Prabhupada as the sole Acharya of ISKCON," he added.

In 1977, just before Srila Prabhupada (Founder-Acharya of ISKCON) attained Maha Samadhi. He had set up for the future a system of initiation (Diksha) through his representatives called Ritviks.

According to this system, all future devotees initiated will become direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, and he shall remain the Acharya of ISKCON.

But soon after his Maha Samadhi, his ambitious disciples in positions of leadership (mostly Westerners) disobeyed Srila Prabhupada's written directions and claimed to be the successor Acharyas of ISKCON, started initiating (giving Diksha).

These self-proclaimed Acharyas accepted high ornamental seats, received honorific titles, and had songs composed to sing about them, led lavish lifestyles - all contrary to the simple life of Srila Prabhupada had led and taught.

When ISKCON devotees worldwide opposed this self-proclaimed and self-appointed Acharya system, they were harassed, tormented, physically abused, expelled from ISKCON temples, and in one extreme situation, murdered (Sulochana Das, 1984).

In 1999, devotees of ISKCON-Bangalore, led by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, refused to follow this self-proclaimed and self-appointed Acharya system, we too met with such opposition and harassment from ISKCON International leadership through the ISKCON-Mumbai society.

ISKCON-Mumbai tried to take over the Hare Krishna Hill temple in Bangalore forcibly. At that time, the devotees of ISKCON-Bangalore asserted their right as the land in Rajajinagar was allotted to ISKCON-Bangalore society by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 1988.

This led to a court battle that has taken 25 years of struggle to establish the truth of Srila Prabhupada's order in his ISKCON institution. Today's Supreme Court order settles the matter in favour of ISKCON-Bangalore.

With this verdict, thousands of devotees worldwide can peacefully accept Srila Prabhupada as the Acharya in ISKCON and practice their faith, without fear of persecution.

- ANI