ISKCON News | Houston’s ISKCON prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in June 2024

ISKCON of Houston is preparing to celebrate a decade of joy, spirituality, devotion and community spirit with a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha Giridhari and the opening of our temple in 2014. We are delighted to extend a sincere invitation to you. It’s up to you all to join us for this festival on June 8 and 9, 2024.

The History of Houston ISKCON

The first community, led by Hridayananda Goswami and SS Vishnujana Swami, began in 1971 in a house in the Montrose area with images of deities.

In 1974, the community moved to larger facilities on Rosalie Street in downtown Houston, where the deities Sri Sri Nitai Chandra and Sri Sri Chaitanya Chandra (Gaura Nitai deities) were installed. ISKCON of Houston was officially incorporated in 1977 as a nonprofit organization.

Subsequently, in 1979, smaller Gaura Nitai deities, Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Chandra, were also installed. As the congregation grew, the need for more space became apparent, leading to the purchase of the current location on West 34th Street in 1984. Formerly a church, the building was renovated to become the new temple. After the renovation was completed in 1986, our presiding deities, Sri Sri Radha Nila-Madhava, were installed, followed by Sri Sri Giriraj Govardhan in 1989.

In 1992, smaller Radha Krishna deities, Sri Sri Radha Giridhari, were brought to the Houston temple. Gauranga Hall, which served as a cultural center and gathering place, was built in 1996.

Under the guidance and inspiration of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami, the temple management embarked on a monumental project to build a unique temple to better serve the spiritual needs of the community and please Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava. The culmination of this effort was the moving of all the deities, including Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava, to their new abode.

Simultaneously, Sri Sri Radha Giridhari was installed at this time. The grand opening festival in 2014 attracted over 10,000 devotees, marking the inauguration of the new state-of-the-art temple with immense fervor and festivity.

Over the past ten years, the community has expanded with the addition of Govinda’s Vegetarian Kitchen, Goswami Academy (a 12,000 square foot children’s school), a 21-unit apartment complex (opposite the temple) and the great Bhakti Urban. Farm located a few kilometers from the temple.

Over the past decade, we have shared countless moments of devotion, growth, and community spirit. As we reflect on the path that has brought us to this important milestone, we cannot help but feel immense gratitude to each of you who has contributed to the vibrancy and vitality of our temple life. Join us as we come together to honor this special occasion with joyous festivities, uplifting kirtan, enlightening speeches, the Abhisekh of our deities, a boat festival and the warmth of your fellowship. Your presence will make this celebration truly complete.

Join us June 8-9, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday) to rejoice in the divine blessings that have graced our temple over the past ten years and to look forward to an even brighter future. The festival will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. both days. We look forward to sharing this momentous occasion with you all.

For more information about the event, please visit our website. You can also follow our current events and the latest details regarding the anniversary celebration on our Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter accounts.