Very open and friendly. Respectful of everyone. Reminds me of my temple in Laguna Beach.

I loved this Hare Krishna Hindu temple. I heard about it from the owner of the vegetarian restaurant, Govinda, in Eugene OR. So glad that I finally came here for the Pooja and dinner of kitchari, dahl, paneer curry, and watermelon. I ate the watermelon first because fruit gets digested quicker. Then everything else. Finally the prasadam which was shira and raisins. So delicious! I liked that the menu was vegetarian and that there was no cruelty to animals. So much better than the Buddhist temple in Palo Alto that has a crab fest (never hear of Buddhists killing a living being before...I used to volunteer at a Buddhist kitchen in the Atlanta area and meat or seafood were never, ever on the menu at the World Peace Cafe Kitchen in Sandy Springs. The next time, I come here, I'm going to bring a couple of $20 bills to make a donation. Truly enjoyed this spiritual experience. A real boost to my mental health and happiness in very trying times (wildfire smoke and the pandemic). Overall though, God has been very kind. read more

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Hari Bol! I spent over three years abroad in India over eight winters. Much of this time was spent doing intensive studies of yoga & meditation yet also traveled quite extensively around the subcontinent of India. Although my time there will always be a part of me I'm feeling more rooted these days making the Bay Area my home. One thing I miss about my time abroad in India was the experience of going to temples there. So it is nice to have a temple experience right here at the Krishna temple in Berkeley. The best time to experience going to the Krishna temple is Sundays when there is an Arati & Kirtan at 5pm followed by a Bhagavad Gita talk at 6pm followed by the Prasadam Feast at 7pm & concluding w/ another Arati & Kirtan after the Prasadam Feast at 7:30pm. The temple closes at 9pm. If you don't know your Bhajans from your Govinda, don't worry. Simply show up for the Prasadam Feast at 7pm & experience the Arati & Kirtan after which involves chanting & dancing. There are even instruments that you can use to participate. The Prasadam Feast is quite lovely. It is a $3 suggested donation & is a nourishing sattvic wholesome vegetarian meal. No eggs are used yet there might be dairy in some of the dishes so be sure to inquiry w/ the food servers asking whether or not the food has dairy if you want a vegan meal. There is rice, dhal, curry, poori, & mango juice. It varies week to week yet the curry is either aloo gobi or potatoes w/ cauliflower & sometimes might include paneer which is cheese & sometimes not so be sure to inquiry if you want vegan. This is probably the most affordable & nourishing food you will find for just $3 in the SF Bay Area. Definitely worth experiencing at least once. There are also numerous festivals that occur here worth checking out as well. Radhe Radhe! read more

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"five stars" yes baby!! I love the hare krishnas. they were the very first one to introduce the vedic culture to us here. and that community are surviving with love from loving people. they are vegetarians. read more

Beautiful temple and very nice devotees. My fiancé and I frequent the New Dvaraka Hare Krishna/ISKCON temple in LA we are from but have visited here many times in the last few weeks as we have been visiting the area. Prasadam is served here 3 times daily to assist the homeless community so it is good to donate as one can to temples that do so much good for the community so we donate cash and or food each visit. The temple is older and not as fancy as ours in LA but so beautiful nonetheless with a peaceful energy especially on slower days. Sunday's are very busy as with most temples but Darshan here is always a wonderful blessing. read more

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Every time we come to this sacred place, we feel so blessed and full of energy. Chanting Hare Krishna........Hare Rama.... read more

Hare Krishna Temple - Hindu Temples Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hare Krishna, if you want to transform yourself and bring a brighter light glowing from within or have a new sense of self and self mastery - then this is the place. I have been at this temple numerous years for prayers and have tremendously enjoyed the spiritual atmosphere. I also love to bring my son and wife to it whenever I can. The number of brilliant people who are either devotees at the temple or visiting for prayer - is truly remarkable. There is a lot of love and devotion to be found at this temple. People from the temple also sing the name of the lord in a variety of places such as Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Santa Monica. Sing the name of the lord and you shall be free. Thank you lord for this temple and the majestic people. Love. Always. Hari Bol. read more

As Hare Krishna Temple (KT) neophytes, we and our two dining companions entered the South Berkeley ISKCON temple (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) with trepidation. After dutifully removing our shoes in the lobby, the first thing we observed was a bake sale whose proceeds helped "decorate and dress the deities." This table was situated directly across from a vast table full of literature by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement. And above all of that were various fund-raising banners, filled in with names next to generous donation amounts, usually ending in a 1 or an 8. The lobby was filled with a cacophony of chanting, emanating from the main temple room. We were clearly out of our element, and were eventually rescued by Greg Anderson, a past president of the temple, and one of two scientists in the Bhaktivedanta Institute, ISKCON's academic wing, which focuses mainly on consciousness studies. He regaled us with a detailed history of the Hare Krishna movement, including the seminal role played in the past by the San Francisco temple, which later moved to its current location in Berkeley, after a brief stint in a building in the Mission that had recently been a mortuary (apparently cooking food where cadavers were once cleaved was a bit too much for the staff). He then launched into the finer details of his past chemistry education with Yogi and Karthish, before eventually deciding to give us a tour of the Institute. On the way to the back of the building, we peeked into the kitchen, observing the massive 233' containers of rice and sugar. We then stepped into the Institute, which looked like a bunker, with a $700, 7"-thick custom-made door designed to keep out the noise. As nervewrackingly bullet-proof as it may have been, the door worked admirably, making for a very peaceful place to peruse a surprisingly up-to-date and relevant selection of academic journals while waiting for dinner, or the "prasadam" ("the mercy of God") to commence. Yogi's past culinary experiences at various temples in India had been just short of miraculous. The food, he said, was always exquisite. Greg offered an explanation: "please Krishna, and everyone is pleased." That is, if the food pleases Krishna, then it pleases all of those who consume it after he blesses it...just as, said Greg, when one waters the roots of a tree, the leaves become healthy. Deep, man. By then we were really looking forward to dinner. Eventually, the time came, and at least a dozen 5-gallon "Homer's All-Purpose Buckets" containing food were schlepped into the room from the kitchen. This place was certainly taking the "All-Purpose" literally, and we were led to wonder, are the buckets BPA free? Why does one of them say "detergent" on the side? Pondering these and other questions, we and the other 50 or 60 eclectic patrons dutifully sat down on the floor behind a paper plate and two cups, and within minutes we were all served steaming piles of food. If there's one thing Indian temples know how to do, it's to serve food efficiently. Krishna was indeed pleased. The food was incredible, with each bite leaving a lingering flavor on the palate that left us craving the next mouthful. The daal was thick, creamy, and perfectly salted. And the aloo ghobi -- the eigendish! -- had more flavor than we've ever encountered, with a hint of heat, flowery notes of spice, and near-perfect cookitude of both the potatoes and the cauliflower! The unleavened chapati paired nicely with the rest of the dishes, serving as an ample filler. All of this was paired with a glass of slightly sweet mango juice (clearly the base of most restaurants' mango lassis), which the friendly assistants decanted just before serving the halva: an exquisite concoction of sweetened cream of wheat with plump golden raisins and pineapple. Just the right sweetness to offset the salt and spice of the other dishes. In short, the visit was nothing short of spectacular: a good tour guide, no pushy zealots, and food that is absolutely worth writing home about, earning KT the third and final five-samosa rating in our epic quest for Indian excellence in Berkeley. Mark your calendars: 1 p.m. lunch every day, and 8 (?) p.m. dinner on Sundays. And all of this can be yours for...whatever you feel like paying. You know what that means: a literally unbeatable samosa-to-rupee ratio with an upper limit of infinity. How divine! read more

I like it when they walk around the neighborhood at night singing and chanting. I am not a believer in their religion, but I love their freedom of choice and enjoyment of life. Continue to express yourselves people of God. read more

They do a free dinner every Sunday that starts at 7pm, and you don't have to sit through any chants or anything. They lay down rows of dot matrix paper along the floor as placemats, give you a paper plate and plastic silverware, and then bring out lots of tasty, veggie friendly food in these large twenty gallon buckets. It mostly consisted of a lot of lentil and rice dishes, as well as a yogurt dessert and orchata-like juice drink. It's an interesting scene. There are a lot of punk kids. read more

I have been looking for a temple experience that replicates the one we have back in India and I must say this temple came closest to the experience we have there I am not a religious person but I do like reading the geetha, praying in a congregation and enjoying my prashad after the pooja. I found my experience meeting all the above. From an appearance point of you, this Isckon temple is neither grand or sparkly as the one in Bangalore, India. There, the Dieties are displayed in such grandeur that many of us of the faith think is against what is said in our scriptures. The movement has also been very controversial for commercializing Hinduism and forcing conversions like the missionaries.However, the temple is popular for its efficient management of donations especially through the mid day meal program they run called the Akshaya patra. You will have to note that unlike here, education is not free in India even in public schools(read Government run) and since most of the poor can't even have a meal many children are deprived of basic education. The Isckon temple started the mid day meal system in Southern India which feeds more 1.5 million children today http://www.akshayapatra.org/history. They also have donations where we can sponsor a students entire education from primary education to high school for a small sum of 1500 rupees(approx 30 dollars). From an impact perspective alone, it's a wonderful case study for making dreams a reality through education. Hence, I respect this congregation for their contribution to education back in India. Here in Berkeley though, the temple building is old and dilapidated requiring repair. The congregation lacks funds and is going to charge a nominal amount of 3 dollars for the meal they offer after the Sunday feast. In order to cut costs, they will not be serving free meals on any other day. But purely from an experience of peace and connecting with your soul point of you, the temple still invites you with its faith and simplicity. The congregation had a small group of regulars (only my husband and me were the first time visitors) who sang together, prayed together, discussed the Gita for a good hour and finally ate together. The food is simple- rice, pooris, a subzi of potatoes, a dal and a sweet porridge with juice. Sattvic in preparation and true to nature. In comparison the sunnyvale hindu temple looks like an extension of the grocery store next door, the venkateshwara temple again in sunnyvale is a home converted into a different rooms worshiping multiple dieties. No Pooja or prashad just request for donations. The Livermore temple is the only other temple in the bay area that came close to how it felt to go to a temple back in India. But even there due to it's popularity, the priests are hurried in their prayers during festivals. read more

There are many things that I greatly appreciate about this temple. The most obvious and external reason is the fact that they provide a great space for residents of the bay area to come every single Sunday and get a healthy free vegetarian dinner, and a night of great cultural music with a stimulating Bhagavad Gita class. The more confidential reason that I love this place is the all around friendly people and the beautiful philosophy that they teach. They are dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of genuine seekers and people from all walks of life. All are welcome here no matter what race, gender, or background. Hare Krishna! read more

this was my first experience with the hare krishna faith and it wasn't as cult-like, join-us-now as everyone chalks it up to be. when we first came in i was immediately reminded of satsang or a class lecture from a sivananda ashram. it was very comforting! then a crazy lady came in and interrupted the speech. she was wearing a beanie, sunglasses, a shirt rolled up to her boobs, and huge baggy pants. she also had one very blue hand... she nearly walked into the speaker until a lady from the sidelines kindly asked her to roll down her shirt and leave. when we sat down to eat i was already worried about the ghee content in the food. after asking about 5 different people, the lady two people down from me went to ask the chef. everything had ghee in it so we could only drink juice. (no jonestown jokes!) but the juice was delicious! then i got into a conversation with the helpful lady and she was really sweet. she said that even though cow's milk is a huge part of their culture because of the supposed spiritual tissues it builds in the brain, she admired my choices and complimented me on my well-balanced life. she never seemed forceful of beliefs or made me feel uncomfortable. the lady right next to me, on the other hand, seemed pretty offended that i wouldn't eat the food and made some kind of rude comments. the nice lady apologized for her and i just ignored her. the kirtan was awesome! i got a tambourine and danced a lot. there was only one chant and it wasn't as upbeat or involved as the sivananda chants but i really enjoyed myself. my friends wanted to leave right before arati so i was kinda bummed because i love to hear the different versions but i enjoyed myself overall. they even told me that they're looking into more vegan options and that next time i come in i can call ahead for a separate meal. such nice people! read more

The people here are super nice. The free food they serve Sundays at 8 PM is SOOO TASTY! Hare Krishnaaaa hare krishna hare hare

Hare Krishna Food is called prasadam and besides being delicious and nutritious, is spiritual food. And in response to Randal: technically speaking you got many things wrong, including the basic ingredients of halva (as served in Krishna temples), and that Krishna temples generally serve south indian food. read more

The kirtanas are always among the most participatory and energetic of the Krishna temples I've been to. The food was amazing - served hot and with smiles. Delicious vegetable dishes, fried flat breads, vegetable soup, rice and nectar drink. Very low pressure - no one asked me to do anything, only if I wanted a second helpings. read more

Lots of good memories going to this temple as a family. We have attended dance performances and listened to a number of lectures w/chanting afterwards. Of course, we have often stayed for the wonderful prasad (blessed food) at the end - so hard to resist. It is great seeing volunteers helping, makes me want to volunteer myself one of these days. Lots of diversity, and everyone is welcome. The devotees seem to be positive and genuinely happy people, which makes me feel a sense of warmth from going there. Only drawbacks I see about this place are: * its a bit small, but that probably helps minimize distractions/confusion * I realize its not the place's fault, but as the location is in Berkeley, the Sunday feasts in particular tend to attract a lot of the homeless people. While I'm all for everyone getting food and helping out the homeless, one does have to be careful when interacting with them. We tried to go today (on Christmas day) but were disappointed as they were closed. We were surprised as we remember having gone in prior years on Christmas Day, but maybe we just came at a bad time. Oh well. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare! Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! read more

Their Sunday feasts are amazing. The people who are serving are lovely and the food is amazing! They basically bless all the food that they serve, and it feels like it too! It's by donation(zero pressure) and starts around 7pm-ish every Sunday. Be careful. If you accept all the food they offer you, you might pop! read more

something about this temple which is special,the vibration,mental peace and serene.

ISKCON, " International Society of Krishna Consciousness" Hindus in India have been worshiping Lord Krishna for years. During 60s when people were lost, a 70 year old Bengali man, Sri Prabhupad left India with "Dhoti" and a "Shawl" on his shoulder and started spreading words about Lord Krishna all over the world. This is where this Organization came into existence. This organization has different ways of worship, sets of basic rules similar to Jesus, Thou shalt not steal, kill, no alcohol, no illicit sex, in the end the primary purpose is to get "Moksha". I have been going there for many years. I am originally from India and this is my perspective. Whenever there is a big organization, there will be be some negativity but I am there to be with Lord Krishna so I tend to block them out, focus on my main purpose, try to absorb good, and leave the temple all rejuvenated!!! The "prasad" is one of the best part of the temple visit and it attracts lot of people from all over! This temple is open to everybody doesn't matter what color or status. You can be rich or from the street, you are welcome to the temple! Whoever eats this prasad is blessed! You dont have to bow down to the deities or attend any temple activity, you can straight go to the "Pujari" room and eat Prasad! ***Sunday Evening**** is the major day where the event is happening. The evening starts with "Aarti",(around 5pm onward) singing prayer & dancing.Please check out the "Aarti" time on google for Sundays because it changes depending on the season. After the Aarti is over, the lecture on "Bhagvad Gita" starts for about 45 minutes. Bhagvad Gita is a sacred book! After the lecture is over around 6:30pm people sit in the Pujari room which is right next to the main hall. Many sit on the floor. Disabled and elderly sit on the table. There are volunteers to serve the prasad. I love serving prasad. It brings so much joy for me to serve these delicious prasad to everyone. There is so much gratitude in people's eyes when I serve food in their plate! Once I am done serving, I am almost full from so much love & gratitude that I hardly want to eat. I just want to run to the main hall and start chanting which is also one of the best part of the evening. Let me get back on the track: During "Love Feast" eating prasad, If you want second helping, you can approach the table and wait in the line. Don't serve yourself because you are not "clean" (without gloves). You can bring your own plate, cup, & spoon. You can bring empty container to bring some food home. You can donate some money while eating prasad but it is not mandatory. You can also volunteer and contribute in anyway you can in the temple. Let me share you a secret:) People who serve prasad has much more liberty to take leftovers home. If you want to volunteer, just approach the table and let them know.I will be there too. I take prasad home because my neighbors, my friends, my son love it. The more you share, you are spreading goodness!! The "Krishna devotees" love singing and dancing while praying. Sometimes there are good singers sometimes not so good. When I started going to the temple, I would simply chant and stay on the side (traditional Indian way) but as I got into more devotion and chanting, I started to let myself go and immerse completely where I started dancing. I stopped caring what people will think about me because I am dancing for Lord Krishna. If you google and find information on him. Lord Krishna is a lover, he have had many "Gopis" who loved him tremendously as much he loved them. Whenever he would play flute, everyone would leave whatever they are doing and find him, dance around him in pure ecstasy! Lord Krishna's lovers, "Gopis" always dressed up beautifully by wearing colorful saris, jewelries & make up to please him. I am one of his gopika:) When I go to temple, I want to please Krishna so I try to dress up beautifully. Please do go to this temple at least once in your life time. Bring cameras and take pictures. Keep OPEN mind and you will enjoy the whole experience. If you can wear little conservative clothing that is great.Be ready to take off your shoes in the entrance on the left side before you enter the main part of temple. Be ready to sit on the floor. BTW: People address this organization as "Hare Krishna temple". The right way to say is, " Krishna temple". People say, " Hare Krishna people" Nope- The right way to say is, "Krishna devotees" "Hare Krishna" is actually a mantra. It almost mean, " Praise Krishna" The people at the temple say when they see each other (kind of a greeting), " Haribol" means take the name of the Lord. Other party responses, "Hare Krishna" meaning Praise the lord! You can address a woman, use, " Mataji" and a man, " Prabhu" These are proper way to address them. Hope you have a great visit at the temple. If you ever have any question, please do message me or find me there, or go to the book store on the right side by the entrance. read more

Appreciate the way they worship. They also have Srimad Bhagavatam classes (Thursday) 7:00 PM. Temple is open 4:30 AM to 1:00 PM and 4:15 ON to 9:00 PM. Weekday it closes around 8:30 PM. All volunteers here are very welcoming and helpful. They celebrate everything in a huge way. Hare Krishna!! read more

This free food is prasadam (which mean food that has been offerred to God). This is not a restaurant. The temple has been there for a long time and is open to everyone without any discrimination. For years they have been having this feast on Sundays, and they make their best effort to make tasty and healthy vegetarian food. Its just like many churches in this area that has open lunch after the service. Not fair to rate it anything less than 5 or make fun of it. read more