ISKCON of Charlotte
ISKCON of Charlotte, INC is a welcoming spiritual community serving devotees, families, congregations, and neighboring towns across the Charlotte area. The center maintains daily high-standard worship of Lord Jagannath, Baldev, and Subhadra, along with home programs, festivals, kirtans, meditation, and scriptural study.
Our mission is to foster sat-sanga (spiritually based relationships) and teach a Bhakti-centered lifestyle based on the principles and values taught by Srila Prabhupada. We serve the community through free food relief, yoga and meditation, vegetarian and cruelty-free living, educational and interfaith programs, youth volunteering, gardening, character building, and distribution of Vedic literature such as the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. Our goal is to promote compassion, spiritual growth, service, inner peace, and unity for people of all backgrounds.
Our Founder Ācārya : Srila Prabhupāda
Srila Prabhupada was an Indian spiritual teacher and the founder of the popular international Bhakti Yoga Movement known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as “the Hare Krishna movement.”
He was a rare personality who appeared on the earth and dedicated his life to spreading God consciousness, bringing a spiritual dimension to the lives of thousands of followers all over the world.
Born and raised in Kolkata, he met his spiritual inspiration and guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, there. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was married and raised several children before becoming a renunciate monk in his later years. He traveled to America in 1965 (at the age of 69) and established ISKCON in 1966.
One of the world’s most prominent teachers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaishnavite Hinduism based on the teachings of 16th-century Saint Sri Krishna Caitanya, he is especially noted for his determination to share the message of Bhakti Yoga outside of India. He is renowned for his prolific translation of sacred texts and his significant role in the Western counterculture of the 1960s and 70s. Before his death in 1977, at age 81, he circled the globe 14 times on lecture tours, accepting thousands of people on six continents as his disciples.
Followers of ISKCON today look to him as their prominent spiritual guide and inspiration, and his many books serve as a philosophical foundation for understanding and practicing Bhakti Yoga.
Financials
Programs
FOOD FOR LIFE PROGRAM
Food for Life is a program initiated by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to provide free, nutritious meals to those in need. The program was founded in 1974 by Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, in response to the poverty and hunger that he saw in the streets of India.
Today, Food for Life operates in over 60 countries around the world, serving millions of meals each day to those in need. The program operates through a network of volunteers and donors, who provide both financial and in-kind support to help prepare and distribute the meals.
Food for Life meals are vegetarian and are made with high-quality ingredients, such as grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. The program is committed to providing healthy and nutritious food that is free from animal products and harmful additives.
In addition to providing meals, Food for Life also engages in advocacy work and education programs to address the root causes of hunger and poverty. The program works to promote sustainable agriculture, support local food systems, and educate communities about healthy eating and nutrition.
Overall, Food for Life is a powerful example of the ISKCON tradition’s commitment to serving others and alleviating suffering in the world. Through its efforts, the program is making a tangible difference in the lives of millions of people and working to create a world where everyone has access to healthy, nutritious food.
ISKCON of Charlotte Youth Program
ISKCON of Charlotte congregation offers vibrant youth program to cultivate solid value based foundation in their life to be successful and be a valuable asset to the community and country. Following are the goals of this program;
Gaining happiness and self-fulfillment in the life.
Identifying the purpose of life by exploring inner potential such as motivation, tolerance and self-confidence.
Securing youngsters from self-destructive addictions that harm mind and body.
Cutivate soft skills and skills to manage stress and time.
Key activities at glance
Saturday kirtan from 11.00 AM-01.00 PM
Music instruments lesson every Saturday
Shloka classes once every week
Chanting Sessions
Art & Drama
Friday Kirtans
Volunteering + Events
Mantra Meditation
The mind is always busy, restless and cannot be stopped. Meditation and yoga help us rise above the mind’s chatter. What we meditate on now creates our future life.
In fact the very word “Mantra” means that which delivers us (tra) from the mind (man).
Mantra meditation involves the repetition of a mantra (sacred Vedic sound in Sanskrit) in prayer, meditation, or incantation and concentrating the mind on that sound vibration.
There are two types of mantra meditation, Japa and Kirtan. Japa is a quiet and personal meditation where one chants on prayer beads. Kirtan on the other hand is a joyous congregational meditation on the same sound vibration, in a call-and-response style, with pulsating musical instruments.
There are many mantras, but of all, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is particularly recommended as a means of deliverance for this age.
hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate
“The sixteen words of the Hare Krsna Mahamantra are especially meant for counteracting the sins of age of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of this age there is no alternative but to chant the Hare Krsna Mahamantra. After searching through all the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Kåñëa.” (Kali-Santarana Upanisad 5-6)
The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is made up of three words – Hare, Krishna, and Rama:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare – the beautiful energy of the Lord
Krishna – the all attractive one
Rama – the one who gives happiness to all
These simple yet profound words help attune our consciousness to the treasure of spiritual happiness that already exists in our hearts.
The Maha Mantra descends from the spiritual world – “Golokera prema dhana harinam sankirtana”. This chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha -mantra. It is automatic, from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification. In a more advanced stage, of course, one is not expected to commit offenses on the grounds of spiritual understanding. (Srila Prabhupada – Founder Acarya of ISKCON)
Sunday Feast Program
The ISKCON Sunday Feast, traditionally known as the Sunday Love Feast, is a weekly spiritual, cultural, and community gathering open to people of all backgrounds. The program was established by ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, in 1966. In the earliest gatherings, Srila Prabhupada personally invited guests, prepared and served vegetarian meals, led chanting and dancing, and spoke on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. What began as a small weekly gathering has since become one of ISKCON’s longest-running community programs and is now held at ISKCON temples and centers around the world.
The Sunday Feast provides a welcoming environment where families, children, students, newcomers, and longtime practitioners can come together for kirtan, meditation, spiritual discussion, worship, fellowship, and sanctified vegetarian food. A typical program includes congregational kirtan—the singing of sacred mantras accompanied by traditional musical instruments—followed by a discussion or class based on texts such as the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad Bhagavatam. Participants may also attend arati, a traditional worship ceremony in which prayers, music, lamps, incense, flowers, and other offerings are presented before the Deities. The program concludes with a vegetarian or vegan meal known as prasadam, food that has first been prepared and offered in devotion.
The Sunday Feast is intended not only as a religious service but also as a community open house. Visitors are welcome to participate according to their own comfort level, whether that means joining the singing and dancing, listening to the philosophical discussion, asking questions, observing the worship ceremony, sharing a meal, volunteering, or simply meeting members of the community. ISKCON describes the program as an opportunity for people to experience the philosophy, lifestyle, and culture of Bhakti Yoga, the spiritual path centered on developing love of God through devotion and service.
The activities of the Sunday Feast reflect the core practices of Bhakti Yoga: mantra meditation, congregational chanting, study of sacred literature, association with others seeking spiritual growth, service to others, and sharing sanctified vegetarian food. These practices are intended to encourage qualities such as compassion, self-discipline, gratitude, peacefulness, service, and respect for all living beings. ISKCON describes Bhakti Yoga as a devotional tradition in which chanting, study of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, spiritual association, and sanctified vegetarian food all play important roles.
For ISKCON of Charlotte, the Sunday Feast is an important part of its broader community outreach. Charlotte's community developed from small home-based Bhakti Vriksha gatherings into a network of programs serving families throughout the Charlotte region. Current reporting from ISKCON News notes that Sunday Feast programs are held across different neighborhoods, while larger festivals are hosted in larger venues and can attract hundreds or even thousands of participants.
The Charlotte Sunday program has traditionally included melodious kirtan, spiritual discourse from the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad Bhagavatam, Gaura Arati, and a prasadam feast. Beyond the weekly gathering, the community also conducts Bhakti Vriksha programs, spiritual education, book distribution, public chanting, festivals, youth activities, food distribution, and other forms of community service.
Through the Sunday Feast, ISKCON seeks to provide a regular place where people can connect with one another, experience devotional music and meditation, explore timeless spiritual teachings, enjoy wholesome vegetarian food, volunteer, and develop meaningful community relationships. No previous knowledge of ISKCON or Bhakti Yoga is required. The program serves both those seeking deeper spiritual practice and members of the wider community who simply want to experience an uplifting cultural gathering, learn about meditation and devotional traditions, or share a meal with others.
At its heart, the Sunday Feast embodies a simple idea that has continued since Srila Prabhupada began the program in 1966: bring people together through spiritual wisdom, joyful chanting, loving service, fellowship, and prasadam.