PM Modi lauds ISKCON for teaching real meaning of faith, releases commemorative Rs 125 coin

After releasing a special Rs 125 coin to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, also praised ISKCON for spreading the Indian culture across the globe and said that ISKCON has taught the world the real meaning of faith - zeal, enthusiasm, gaiety, and keeping faith in humanity.

While releasing PM Modi said, "Today there are hundreds of ISKCON temples in different countries around the world, and is spreading the Indian culture. ISKCON has told the world that for India, faith means zeal, enthusiasm, to be in high spirits, and faith in humanity."

Recalling the role of ISKCON during natural disasters faced by the country, the Prime Minister said, "I remember when there was an earthquake in Kutch in 2001, how ISKCON had stepped forward to serve the people. Whenever the country experienced any calamity, whether it is the tragedy of Uttarakhand or the devastation of cyclones in Odisha and Bengal, ISKCON has worked as a support for the society."

"India can give the world a lot. The biggest example is our knowledge of yoga. The world can benefit from the sustainable lifestyle of India and the science like Ayurveda," he added.

Notably, PM Modi released the special commemorative Rs 125 coin via video conferencing today. Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy was also present on the occasion. 

For the unversed, Swami Prabhupada had founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement" in 1966.

ISKCON has translated Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta and other Vedic literature into 89 languages, playing a stellar role in the dissemination of Vedic literature across the world. Swami Prabhupada also established over a hundred temples and wrote several books, teaching the path of Bhakti Yoga to the world.