GOVERNING BODY COMMITTEE

Madhu Pandit Dasa

Chairman

Madhu Pandit Dasa was born in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu. He became a full-time member of ISKCON in 1981 while doing his M.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT-Bombay. Since then, he has successfully conceived and implemented many large scale public service projects that positively impact millions of people.

He has also worked tirelessly to preserve and promote Indian spirituality, culture and heritage among children and youth for their holistic well-being.

He is the Chairman of the Governing Body Committee of the Hare Krishna Movement and the President of ISKCON Bangalore.

Madhu Pandit Dasa is the Trustee and Chairman of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which has contributed immensely to alleviate classroom hunger and improve ttnt Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and an admired social innovation. He provides visionary guidance for the world’s largest NGO run school meal programme.

He is also the Chairman of Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir and India Heritage Foundation. His stellar contributions have been appreciated through prestigious awards and accolades like Padma Shri, Gandhi Peace Prize, National Award for Child Welfare, Nikkei Asia Prize and Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT-Bombay.

Chanchalapathi Dasa

Vice-Chairman

Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa is the Senior Vice-President of ISKCON, Bangalore and Vice-Chairman of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa (legal name Chandrashekar) was born in 1963 in Bengaluru, India. While an undergraduate student in PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, he became interested in the message and mission of Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON. Later he joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore for a Masters program in Electrical Communication Engineering.

In 1984 he became a full-time dedicated member of ISKCON, Bangalore and soon became the Vice President. He has been involved in the implementation of the various programs of ISKCON, Bangalore and The Akshaya Patra program. He was also involved in the story research, script direction and creative design of the 13 episode (23 minutes each) 3D animated TV serial Little Krishna, which became a prime time show in Nickelodeon Channel in India.

Jai Chaitanya Dasa

Member of the Governing Body

Jai Chaitanya Dasa was born in 1966 in Trivandradrum Kerala. He came in touch with the teachings of Srila Prabhupada while pursuing his undergraduate course in Commerce at the Mahatma Gandhi College, Trivandrum. He joined ISKCON Bangalore in 1984. He has a deep understanding of the Pancharatra system of Deity worship and meticulously introduced this authentic Vedic tradition in the temples of the movement.

Jai Chaitanya Dasa is a pioneer of ISKCON Bangalore’s organic farming and rural development programs. He was the President of the Bio-Dynamic Association of India and Secretary of the Asian Fairtrade Producers Association.

He has strived to establish self-sufficient farm communities by practising sustainable organic agriculture and develop effective marketing strategies for their produce. He envisions a society where every individual can live in harmony with nature in a caring, giving and responsible manner. He is a member of the Governing Body Committee and serves as the Temple President of Hare Krishna Movement, Chennai. He is also the Project Director of the Krishna Lila Theme Park in Bangalore.

Stoka Krishna Swami

Member of the Governing Body

Stoka Krishna Swami was born in 1960 in Mysore, Karnataka. He completed his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from REC Nagpur. He worked as a lecturer in Malnad College of Engineering, Hassan. Before joining ISKCON in 1989, he also worked for Infosys Technologies Ltd. and Tata Boroughs Ltd. He accepted Sanyasa, the renounced order of spiritual life in 2018. He is a respected teacher and speaker on the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness.

Stoka Krishna Swami is a member of Governing Body Committee of the Hare Krishna Movement. He is currently heading the activities of ISKCON Mysore. He is also serving as the Dean of Vaishnava Studies and regularly conducts Vaishnava philosophical courses like Bhakti Shastri for devotees across India.

Amitasana Dasa

Member of the Governing Body

His Grace Amitasana Dasa is the President of Hare Krishna Movement, Mumbai and Governing Council Member of Hare Krishna Movement, India. He is highly experienced in delivering youth oriented spiritual lectures. His week-end seminars and workshops on personality development based on the Vedic wisdom have immensely benefited hundreds of students and young professionals from all over the city.

By attending his sessions, they have been inspired to lead a life of happiness, health and peace of mind, guided by spiritual principles. Under the ‘Life Sublime’ program, he has also provided counselling for several people through one-on-one sessions in order to help them grow spiritually.

His lectures are unique; they are a blend of theoretical knowledge and its practical application in life. He teaches you to implement the philosophy with a humble approach. You can download and listen to his discourses on the Bhagavad-gita. They are available on SoundCloud.

Vasudev Keshav Dasa

Member of the Governing Body

Sri Vasudev Keshav Dasa has been serving the movement as a full-time missionary with ISKCON Bangalore since 1998. He takes care of the Deity department, and offers his guidance for the execution of various departmental services and projects. This includes daily puja, other special ceremonies and rituals performed on the occasions of different festivals over the year at the temple.

Srila Prabhupada taught his disciples the most important aspects of Deity worship. They are cleanliness, punctuality, and offering the Deities admirable costumes and a delicious menu every day. Sri Vasudev Keshav Dasa ensures that a high standard of Deity worship and other rituals are achieved on a day-to-day basis.

He is also the Director of NIVE (National Institute of Value Education), which conducts Values Plus, a program to impart Value Education to students in schools.

Rajiv Lochan Dasa

Member of the Governing Body

Sri Rajiv Lochan Dasa was born in 1972 in Sonepat, Haryana, India. He studied B.Sc. at St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru. He joined ISKCON Bangalore in December 1993. He is currently serving as the Temple President of ISKCON Hubli and heading its activities.

Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa

Member of the Governing Body

Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa was born in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. He is a Gold Medalist in B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering) at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada. After completing M.Tech from IIT-Chennai, he worked in Novell, a multinational IT firm, before joining ISKCON Bangalore in 1997. He has rendered various services ranging from managing the temple administration to training and development of full-time missionaries.

He is currently serving as the Zonal Secretary of the Governing Body Committee and the President of Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad. He initiated the Hare Krishna Charitable Trust, which is extensively feeding the underprivileged sections of society. He is a Trustee of Akshaya Patra and heads its operations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He has set up kitchens in Kandi, Narasingi, Vishakapatnam, Vijayawada and various other locations, thus enabling the Foundation to serve hygienic and nutritious mid-day meals to lakhs of children.

Sri Suvyakta Narasimha Dasa

Member of the Governing Body

Suvyakta Narasimha Dasa was born in 1973 in Moovattupuzha in Kerala. He completed B.E. (Mechanical) from M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology and secured 5th rank in Bangalore University. After graduation, he worked in Lincoln Helios India Ltd. as a Design Engineer. After becoming a full-time missionary of ISKCON Bangalore in 1999, he has been dedicating his skills and expertise for the welfare of society.

Suvyakta Narasimha Dasa successfully designed and operationalised Akshaya Patra’s centralised kitchens in Vrindavan, Lucknow, Jaipur and other locations. He has been instrumental in the setting up of the sprawling Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir campus. He is currently serving as Senior Vice President of Hare Krishna Movement, Chennai and also overseeing the operations of Akshaya Patra in Tamil Nadu.