Hare Krishna Temple

Every time we come to this sacred place, we feel so blessed and full of energy.
Chanting Hare Krishna… Hare Rama…

known as ISKCON, «International Society of Krishna Consciousness» Hindus in India have been worshiping Lord Krishna for years. During 60s when people were lost, doing drugs, a 70 year old man, Sri Prabhupad left India and started spreading words about Krishna all over the world. This is where this Organization came into existence.
This organization has different ways of worship ping, sets of rules etc but in the end they all want to get Moksha and be with Lord Krishna! I have been going there for many years. People tell me negative things about this organization but I am go there to worship Lord Krishna. I keep my eyes focused on him and block out everything else. I don’t want to know and I don’t care. I do service there as much as I can!
I eat prasad which is the best! This temple is open to everybody doesn’t matter what color or status. Some people just go there to eat prasad and they are still welcome! After the lecture is over around 6:30pm people sit in the Pujari room which is right next to the main hall. Many sit on the floor and disabled, elderly on the table. There are volunteers to serve the prasad. If you want second, you can approach the table and wait in the line. Don’t serve yourself because you are not «clean» (without gloves). You can bring your own plate, cup, & spoon. You can bring empty container to bring some food home. You can always donate after eating and they are always looking for volunteers to serve prasad. People who serve prasad has much more liberty to take leftovers home. If you want to volunteer, just approach them and let them know.
They love singing and dancing while praying. Sometimes there are good singers sometimes not so good. But when I leave the temple, I am all rejuvenated and full of great spirit!
Please do go to this temple at least once. Make this an excursion. Bring cameras and take pictures. Keep OPEN mind and you will enjoy the whole experience. The best time is Sunday evening 5:30pm onward. 6pm they have lecture on Bhagvad Gita (one of the most sacred book) and around 6:30 they serve pradad. Wear little conservative clothing. Don’t smell like Alcohol. Be ready to take off your shoes in the hall before you enter the main part of temple and be ready to sit on the floor.
BTW: People address this organization as «Hare Krishna temple». The right way to say is, «Krishna temple».
People address, «Hare Krishna people» Nope– The right way to say is, «Krishna devotees»
Hare Krishna is actually a mantra. It almost mean, «Praise Krishna»
The people at the temple when they see each other, they say, «Haribol» meas take the name of Lord and the other party responses, «Hare Krishna» meaning Praise the lord!
If you want to address a woman, use, «Mataji» and a man, «Prabhu» These are proper way to address them.

As Hare Krishna Temple (KT) neophytes, we and our two dining companions entered the South Berkeley ISKCON temple (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) with trepidation. After dutifully removing our shoes in the lobby, the first thing we observed was a bake sale whose proceeds helped «decorate and dress the deities.» This table was situated directly across from a vast table full of literature by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement. And above all of that were various fund-​raising banners, filled in with names next to generous donation amounts, usually ending in a 1 or an 8. The lobby was filled with a cacophony of chanting, emanating from the main temple room.
We were clearly out of our element, and were eventually rescued by Greg Anderson, a past president of the temple, and one of two scientists in the Bhaktivedanta Institute, ISKCON’s academic wing, which focuses mainly on consciousness studies. He regaled us with a detailed history of the Hare Krishna movement, including the seminal role played in the past by the San Francisco temple, which later moved to its current location in Berkeley, after a brief stint in a building in the Mission that had recently been a mortuary (apparently cooking food where cadavers were once cleaved was a bit too much for the staff). He then launched into the finer details of his past chemistry education with Yogi and Karthish, before eventually deciding to give us a tour of the Institute.
On the way to the back of the building, we peeked into the kitchen, observing the massive 233′ containers of rice and sugar. We then stepped into the Institute, which looked like a bunker, with a $ 700, 7″-thick custom-​made door designed to keep out the noise. As nervewrackingly bullet-​proof as it may have been, the door worked admirably, making for a very peaceful place to peruse a surprisingly up-​to-​date and relevant selection of academic journals while waiting for dinner, or the «prasadam» («the mercy of God») to commence.
Yogi’s past culinary experiences at various temples in India had been just short of miraculous. The food, he said, was always exquisite. Greg offered an explanation: «please Krishna, and everyone is pleased.» That is, if the food pleases Krishna, then it pleases all of those who consume it after he blesses it… just as, said Greg, when one waters the roots of a tree, the leaves become healthy. Deep, man. By then we were really looking forward to dinner.
Eventually, the time came, and at least a dozen 5-​gallon «Homer’s All-​Purpose Buckets» containing food were schlepped into the room from the kitchen. This place was certainly taking the «All-​Purpose» literally, and we were led to wonder, are the buckets BPA free? Why does one of them say «detergent» on the side? Pondering these and other questions, we and the other 50 or 60 eclectic patrons dutifully sat down on the floor behind a paper plate and two cups, and within minutes we were all served steaming piles of food. If there’s one thing Indian temples know how to do, it’s to serve food efficiently.
Krishna was indeed pleased.
The food was incredible, with each bite leaving a lingering flavor on the palate that left us craving the next mouthful. The daal was thick, creamy, and perfectly salted. And the aloo ghobi — the eigendish! — had more flavor than we’ve ever encountered, with a hint of heat, flowery notes of spice, and near-​perfect cookitude of both the potatoes and the cauliflower! The unleavened chapati paired nicely with the rest of the dishes, serving as an ample filler.
All of this was paired with a glass of slightly sweet mango juice (clearly the base of most restaurants’ mango lassis), which the friendly assistants decanted just before serving the halva: an exquisite concoction of sweetened cream of wheat with plump golden raisins and pineapple. Just the right sweetness to offset the salt and spice of the other dishes.
In short, the visit was nothing short of spectacular: a good tour guide, no pushy zealots, and food that is absolutely worth writing home about, earning KT the third and final five-​samosa rating in our epic quest for Indian excellence in Berkeley. Mark your calendars: 1 p.m. lunch every day, and 8 (?) p.m. dinner on Sundays. And all of this can be yours for… whatever you feel like paying. You know what that means: a literally unbeatable samosa-​to-​rupee ratio with an upper limit of infinity. How divine!

Appreciate the way they worship

Lots of good memories going to this temple as a family. We have attended dance performances and listened to a number of lectures w/​chanting afterwards. Of course, we have often stayed for the wonderful prasad (blessed food) at the end — so hard to resist. It is great seeing volunteers helping, makes me want to volunteer myself one of these days. Lots of diversity, and everyone is welcome. The devotees seem to be positive and genuinely happy people, which makes me feel a sense of warmth from going there. Only drawbacks I see about this place are:
* its a bit small, but that probably helps minimize distractions/​confusion
* I realize its not the place’s fault, but as the location is in Berkeley, the Sunday feasts in particular tend to attract a lot of the homeless people. While I’m all for everyone getting food and helping out the homeless, one does have to be careful when interacting with them.
We tried to go today (on Christmas day) but were disappointed as they were closed. We were surprised as we remember having gone in prior years on Christmas Day, but maybe we just came at a bad time. Oh well.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Hare Krishna Food is called prasadam and besides being delicious and nutritious, is spiritual food. And in response to Randal: technically speaking you got many things wrong, including the basic ingredients of halva (as served in Krishna temples), and that Krishna temples generally serve south indian food.

Their Sunday feasts are amazing. The people who are serving are lovely and the food is amazing! They basically bless all the food that they serve, and it feels like it too! It’s by donation (zero pressure) and starts around 7pm-​ish every Sunday. Be careful. If you accept all the food they offer you, you might pop!

Hare Krishna Hare Rama

The people here are super nice. The free food they serve Sundays at 8 PM is SOOO TASTY! Hare Krishnaaaa hare krishna hare hare

«five stars» yes baby!
I love the hare krishnas.
they were the very first one to introduce the vedic culture to us here.
and that community are surviving with love from loving people.
they are vegetarians.

I have been looking for a temple experience that replicates the one we have back in India and I must say this temple came closest to the experience we have there
I am not a religious person but I do like reading the geetha, praying in a congregation and enjoying my prashad after the pooja.
I found my experience meeting all the above.
From an appearance point of you, this Isckon temple is neither grand or sparkly as the one in Bangalore, India. There, the Dieties are displayed in such grandeur that many of us of the faith think is against what is said in our scriptures. The movement has also been very controversial for commercializing Hinduism and forcing conversions like the missionaries. However, the temple is popular for its efficient management of donations especially through the mid day meal program they run called the Akshaya patra. You will have to note that unlike here, education is not free in India even in public schools (read Government run) and since most of the poor can’t even have a meal many children are deprived of basic education. The Isckon temple started the mid day meal system in Southern India which feeds more 1.5 million children today
. They also have donations where we can sponsor a students entire education from primary education to high school for a small sum of 1500 rupees (approx 30 dollars). From an impact perspective alone, it’s a wonderful case study for making dreams a reality through education. Hence, I respect this congregation for their contribution to education back in India.
Here in Berkeley though, the temple building is old and dilapidated requiring repair. The congregation lacks funds and is going to charge a nominal amount of 3 dollars for the meal they offer after the Sunday feast. In order to cut costs, they will not be serving free meals on any other day. But purely from an experience of peace and connecting with your soul point of you, the temple still invites you with its faith and simplicity. The congregation had a small group of regulars (only my husband and me were the first time visitors) who sang together, prayed together, discussed the Gita for a good hour and finally ate together.
The food is simple– rice, pooris, a subzi of potatoes, a dal and a sweet porridge with juice. Sattvic in preparation and true to nature.
In comparison the sunnyvale hindu temple looks like an extension of the grocery store next door, the venkateshwara temple again in sunnyvale is a home converted into a different rooms worshiping multiple dieties. No Pooja or prashad just request for donations.
The Livermore temple is the only other temple in the bay area that came close to how it felt to go to a temple back in India. But even there due to it’s popularity, the priests are hurried in their prayers during festivals.

it’s free. how can you give three or four stars to something that’s a gift. It’s so spoiled.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING:
Sunday Feast happens every Sunday of the month at every ISKCON temple. The dinner is served once the lecture and chanting are complete. Supper time seems to vary according to the city and the season.
ISKCON temples thrive well in cities where there is a large community of ethnic Indian families to support the Vaisnava temple as laypeople. The Ashram consists of nearby housing where both Indian and White-​American devotees live as monks or in apartments and houses with families. The celibate devotees wear «safron» peach, while the married devotees wear white Indian clothing. The devotional male draped garment is called a dhoti. In cities with smaller Indian communities, like Laguna Beach, CA, a small obligatory donation might be asked to attend Sunday Feast.
The standard meal at a thriving temple will always have the following dishes: Rice – basmati rice prepared with butter, milk, and spices; Sabji – a milder vegetarian curry; Rhoti – a whole-​wheat flat bread; Halva – a sweet dessert paste made from sesame butter and sugar; Sweet Rice – a watery rice pudding with milk and spices; Juice – some seasonal blend of fruit juices and sugar, sometimes with hibiscus tea. There is often a soupy indian bean dish as well. The food is usually much less spicy than the Indian food you find in restaurants and reflects a South Indian pallet.
It is improper to serve yourself. However, volunteering to serve others is appreciated. The floor is cleared after Kirtan (chanting and dancing), and disposable dinnerware is handed out when you take a seat on the floor in rows. Some seating in chairs is provided for elderly and disabled. Devotees and volunteers go down the rows with 5-​gallon buckets to server each dish. You can get seconds or late arrivals at the buffet table. Bringing your own dinnerware is appreciated, but never suggested. Usually, people who bring there own tupperwear or stainless indian kits are taking food home for later.
The intention of Sunday Feast is not to feed hungry people, but rather that each participant «feeds the deities» through his own body. The food is called Prashadam, which means gift. It is believed among devotees that in the case of poisoning, or other mishap in cooking, that Prasadam can do ho harm because it has been blessed. This is why some devotees may take offense when you suggest that dairy foods are unhealthy. The gods apparently enjoy sweet offerings, so there is always plenty of dessert, regardless of the amount of rice prepared.
If the Sunday Feast falls on the date of Ekadasi (a monthly fasting from grains and bean foods), all rice and bean dishes are replaced with non-​grain starches, like tapioca beads.
The basic beliefs of the ISKCON movement are:
1) We must end the chain of reincarnations by Self-​Relization and graduating to the next planet.
2) The method of Self-​Relization is Bhakti Yoga, chanting the name of God.
It is impolite to wear black to a temple. Women should have shoulders and knees covered. Do not wear anything containing a deity or a chant below the waist (watch out for those Sanskrit scarves).
A donation basket comes around. They are looking for both small donations, like $ 5, and for sponsorship for upcoming events.
NON-​TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS:
Among the non-​devotional attendees of the Sunday Feast, you will find the fringe of society; Radical Faeries, Senior Hippies, Trustafarians, Foil-​Hat people. This is the most enjoyable part. Default urban homeless are rare, because you are required to remove your shoes in respect of the temple, and homeless people never remove anything.
Female devotees do not participate in Kirtan. In agreement with the Kama Sutra, women do not devote directly to God, but to a man who is devoted (I bet you thought the Kama Sutra was an illustrated sex guide). This is a modest traditional Indian society, and the women sit or stand in the back of the temple, while the Devotee men, and uninitiated women and men dance and chant.
Though you may feel some guilt because of your upbringing, it is not impolite to show up just in time for the meal. Processing the food for the deities by eating it is a noble job. You don’t have to show up for the lecture. Many laypeople and uninitiated do just that.
The Berkeley ISKCON Temple has had a history of controversy. They currently manage no Website, and the official ISCON sites might redirect Web traffic somewhere else. Look it up.
Sikhs are especially welcome at Sunday Feast.
The lecture is for members of the community, and for the curious. This is the only ‘recruitment’ portion of the day’s festivities. During the lecture, and the meal, you will hear Devotees using Indian terms, sometimes as euphemisms, like «Lakshmi» for money.
ALTOGETHER:
Enjoy the food. It’s vegetarian, but never Vegan. Enjoy the company. Bring your own dinnerware if you want to save paper. Ask questions. Be polite.

The kirtanas are always among the most participatory and energetic of the Krishna temples I’ve been to.
The food was amazing — served hot and with smiles. Delicious vegetable dishes, fried flat breads, vegetable soup, rice and nectar drink.
Very low pressure — no one asked me to do anything, only if I wanted a second helpings.

this was my first experience with the hare krishna faith and it wasn’t as cult-​like, join-​us-​now as everyone chalks it up to be. when we first came in i was immediately reminded of satsang or a class lecture from a sivananda ashram. it was very comforting! then a crazy lady came in and interrupted the speech. she was wearing a beanie, sunglasses, a shirt rolled up to her boobs, and huge baggy pants. she also had one very blue hand… she nearly walked into the speaker until a lady from the sidelines kindly asked her to roll down her shirt and leave.
when we sat down to eat i was already worried about the ghee content in the food. after asking about 5 different people, the lady two people down from me went to ask the chef. everything had ghee in it so we could only drink juice. (no jonestown jokes!) but the juice was delicious! then i got into a conversation with the helpful lady and she was really sweet. she said that even though cow’s milk is a huge part of their culture because of the supposed spiritual tissues it builds in the brain, she admired my choices and complimented me on my well-​balanced life. she never seemed forceful of beliefs or made me feel uncomfortable. the lady right next to me, on the other hand, seemed pretty offended that i wouldn’t eat the food and made some kind of rude comments. the nice lady apologized for her and i just ignored her.
the kirtan was awesome! i got a tambourine and danced a lot. there was only one chant and it wasn’t as upbeat or involved as the sivananda chants but i really enjoyed myself. my friends wanted to leave right before arati so i was kinda bummed because i love to hear the different versions but i enjoyed myself overall.
they even told me that they’re looking into more vegan options and that next time i come in i can call ahead for a separate meal. such nice people!

for the past eight years, i have wandered up and down stuart street at least weekly, wandering by the krishna temple and occasionally sitting on the benches.
for the past eight years, i have heard people talk about the wonderful vegetarian meals served on sunday evenings.
for the past eight years, i have avoided all possible contact with actual hare krishnas, not because i am an asshole, but because i avoid everyone.
okay, so maybe i am an asshole.
i was walking down the street a few afternoons ago, bummed out because of boyfriend troubles, when a man standing outside invited me to come in. i hesitated. he continued talking, eventually convincing me. he showed me around, gave me some literature, offered me some food, and invited me to go into the actual temple. i could hear chanting and bells and so i declined, saying i didn’t want to interrupt anything. the truth is: i felt underdressed. he told me it would be fine, invited me to take off my shoes, and we walked in.
i stood there for a while, barefoot, and then i started sobbing.
i attribute that to recent boyfriend troubles more than anything, but it was pretty overwhelming despite that. the sounds of chanting & drums. the overpowering incense and dinner smells. the sight of beautiful statues & flowers & paintings.
i walked out still sniffling, about ten minutes later. the man who’d invited me offered me some slices of apple, i took & ate them, promising to come back, and maybe i will.
a note: apparently you can eat meals here for free anytime, but i’m not suggesting you try to take advantage of that.

They do a free dinner every Sunday that starts at 7pm, and you don’t have to sit through any chants or anything. They lay down rows of dot matrix paper along the floor as placemats, give you a paper plate and plastic silverware, and then bring out lots of tasty, veggie friendly food in these large twenty gallon buckets. It mostly consisted of a lot of lentil and rice dishes, as well as a yogurt dessert and orchata-​like juice drink. It’s an interesting scene. There are a lot of punk kids.