Meet our special guests and mentors from
around the world!
Indradyumna Swami has been a traveling monk and spiritual teacher in the Bhakti Yoga tradition for the last 48 years; he is also an author and photographer.
In 1970, Indradyumna Swami met his guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. A year later, he left the USA to facilitate the opening of Bhakti Yoga Centers across Europe to continue the work of his spiritual teacher.
He accepted the renounced order of life, sannyasa, in 1979, at the age of 29 and served as temple president for a few years at the New Mayapur Project in France.
Since 1986, Indradyumna Swami has been spreading the message of Krishna Consciousness throughout the world. In 1990, he coordinated the very first annual Festival of India tour in Poland, a program which he couldn’t have guessed at the time would meet with so much success that it would continue every Summer into the present. In fact, the tour made a successful debut as the “Discover India” tour in the USA in the Fall of 2017.
The festival events on the Baltic Coast, which are attended by between 5,000 to 10,000 people at a time, seek to introduce people to the spiritual tradition of Bhakti Yoga through classical Indian dance performances, theatre presentations based on Vedic texts such as Bhagavad-gita, musical performances, graphic exhibits, stalls with books and handicrafts, and prasadam (sanctified vegetarian food). The tour also has a strong presence at the Polish Woodstock Festival, which attracts over a million people.
Indradyumna Swami has been writing his well-known “Diary of a Traveling Monk” since 1995. The series describes the adventures he experiences and the people he encounters while traveling. When he is not managing festivals, Indradyumna Swami interfaces with many spiritual and political leaders, including the Dalai Lama, the King of the Zulu Nation and the late Nelson Mandela.
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Swami, born in New York in 1965, joined the Hare Krishna movement in Ireland in 1991 after beginning to chant the Hare Krishna Mantra while performing in the Broadway musical "Hair."
Raised in an affluent family valuing education and the arts, he learned sixteen instruments by the time he entered Berklee College of Music in 1982, graduating in 1987 with a degree in Recording Engineering and Production.
Celebrating 30 years in ISKCON, he has held various roles, including ISKCON General Body Commission Deputy and Secretary of the ISKCON Kirtan Ministry, coordinated the Annual International World Holy Name Festival, and facilitated the expansion of the ISKCON Kolkata ashram.
A founding member of the Bhaktivedanta Band, he has performed globally and is now based in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, overseeing the construction of a new recording studio for ISKCON.
Her Grace Krishnarupa Mataji, a respected ISKCON devotee and Australia’s Vaishnavi Minister, connected with India’s spiritual traditions at 13. She joined Melbourne’s temple in 1972, meeting ISKCON Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada during the installation of Sri Sri Radha Ballabha. Initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1974, she attended ISKCON’s first Gaura Purnima festival and served in Mayapur during ISKCON’s early years.
In Sydney, she contributed to ISKCON’s publishing, editing devotional books and key magazines like the Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha 40th and ISKCON 50th Anniversary editions. Since 2013, near New Govardhana, she has focused on empowering Vaishnavis. Appointed Women’s Minister in 2016, she developed workshops, promoted women’s representation, and addressed sensitive community issues.
Her dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s mission and her efforts to support devotees continue to inspire the Vaishnava community.
Patri Das is the Guru of multiple spiritual communities throughout the world, the most prominent of which is the Hare Krishna Dham located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Under his inspiration and guidance, the project has grown to include hospitals, spiritual centers, schools, temples, emergency relief programs, and food distribution programs.
In spite of his many responsibilities, he also travels widely, teaching Eastern philosophy and spirituality throughout Europe, Asia, and America. He has been featured as a guest speaker in many universities and has been invited as a keynote speaker in many multinational companies around the world. He is a TEDx speaker and has been recognized as a sought-after guest on numerous TV shows, interviews, and panel discussions. He guides famous celebrities, influencers, business leaders, government delegates, and heads of state.
HG Smita Kṛṣṇa Das is a traveling kirtaniya whose voice carries the sweetness of Vrindavan. Known for his melodious, heart‑touching chanting, he has led kirtans at major festivals across India and abroad, uplifting audiences with a devotional mood that is both gentle and ecstatic. Whether offering kirtan in the sacred lanes of Vrindavan or energizing thousands at international gatherings, he shares the joy of the Holy Name with sincerity and warmth.
Sharad Bihari Das is a kirtaniya from the sacred 24‑Hour Kirtan Mandali of ISKCON Vrindavan, the legendary kirtan seva revived by Sripad Aindra Prabhu. Immersed in the atmosphere of the Krishna Balaram Mandir, his chanting carries the unmistakable Vrindavan mood — gentle, heartfelt, and deeply meditative. Whether during the quiet hours of the night shift or in festival gatherings abroad, his kirtans draw listeners into the sweetness of the Holy Name. Through his steady service in the Mandali, he helps sustain the continuous flow of hari‑nama that has blessed Vrindavan for decades.