Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple

Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire, near Watford, is the largest centre of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement – in the United Kingdom. The iconic mock Tudor mansion was gifted in 1973 by George Harrison, of the Beatles, to His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada – the Hare Krishna guru and ISKCON's founder. ISKCON is part of a distinct tradition called Vaishnavism, which dates back thousands of years and means 'devoted to God'.Embracing the timeless values of 'eternal religion' or Sanatan Dharma – the original name of what is now popularly called Hinduism – Vaishnavism was revitalised in the sixteenth century. ISKCON was founded in New York in 1966 in order to share this ancient Indian tradition and devotional faith with the world. Today this brand of Vaishnava teachings has crossed all geographic borders and proven relevant in addressing humanity’s essential needs. This documentary series of photographs visually captures the life and soul of Bhaktivedanta Manor and those that worshipped, celebrated, worked and lived there in 2004. Radha Mohan das (RMd) is a Krishna devotee who was previously a monk, living at the Manor. He still works as Secretary for their Communications Department. Our collaboration has added a further and intimate dynamic to my previously unpublished photographs.

‘Moments of peace and tranquillity interjected with outbursts of religious fervour against a backdrop of administration and organisation create a juxtaposition of events and emotions captured as they happened With Photography ®’.