A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was born in India in 1896. In 1966, in the USA he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as the Hare Krishna Movement. His aim was to promote Krishna Consciousness throughout the world.

In the next eleven years Srila Prabhupada wrote over 50 books. His works include Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the multi-volume Indian classic Srimad-Bhagavatam, Caitanya-caritamrta, Nectar of Devotion, and Krishna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead – to mention few. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world’s largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy.

Despite his heavy literary schedule, Srila Prabhupada continued to tour the world to benefit the people with the message of Krishna. In just twelve years, despite his advanced age, he circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. He departed this world on November 14 1977.

In the short time he spent in the west, he preached continuously, established 108 temples, wrote more than sixty volumes of transcendental literature, initiated five thousand disciples, founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, began a scientific academy (the Bhaktivedanta Institute) and other trusts related to International Society for Krishna Consciousness.