George in Holy Vrindavan

 George in the Holy land of Vrindavan with Mukunda Goswami, Shyamasundar prabhu, and other ISKCON devotees:   https://youtube.com/shorts/_rZFgPGtWpw?si=jI96XKpmTYF8UQJo

George Harrison 1943 - 2001 A.D.

                                                                                                                                                                    Sriman George Harrison chanting japa at the holy tomb of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the holy town of Vrindavan, India.

George and the Hare Krishna Movement

There are many rich celebrities in the world. And there are many Hare Krishna devotees in the world. But there are not many devotees among the rich and famous in human society. One such person was George Harrison. With his talent, money, and fame he rendered service to Prabhupada and Krishna and the results were really quite amazing.

George carrying Maha Prasadam

Words from Apple

Everybody is looking for KRISHNA. Some don't realize that they are, but they are.
KRISHNA is GOD, the Source of all that exists, the Cause of all that is, was, or ever will be. As GOD is unlimited HE has many Names. Allah-Buddha-Jehova-Rama: All are KRISHNA, all are ONE.
God is not abstract; He has both the impersonal and the personal aspects to His personality which is SUPREME, ETERNAL, BLISSFUL, and full of KNOWLEDGE. As a single drop of water has the same qualities as an ocean of water, so has our consciousness the qualities of GOD'S consciousness... but through our identification and attachment with material energy (physical body, sense pleasures, material possessions, ego, etc.) our true TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS has been polluted, and like a dirty mirror it is unable to reflect a pure image. With many lives our association with the TEMPORARY has grown. This impermanent body, a bag of bones and flesh, is mistaken for our true self, and we have accepted this temporary condition to be final.
Through all ages, great SAINTS have remained as living proof that this non-temporary, permanent state of GOD CONSCIOUSNESS can be revived in all living Souls. Each soul is potentially divine. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita: "Steady in the Self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogi achieves the highest perfectional stage of happiness in touch with the Supreme Consciousness." (VI,28)
YOGA (a scientific method for GOD (SELF) realization) is the process by which we purify our consciousness, stop further pollution, and arrive at the state of Perfection, full KNOWLEDGE, full BLISS.
If there's a God, I want to see Him. It's pointless to believe in something without proof, and Krishna Consciousness and meditation are methods where you can actually obtain GOD perception. You can actually see God, and Hear Him, play with Him. It might sound crazy, but He is actually there, actually with you.
There are many yogic Paths--Raja, Jnana, Hatha, Kriya, Karma, Bhakti--which are all acclaimed by the MASTERS of each method. SWAMI BHAKTIVEDANTA is as his title says, a BHAKTI Yogi following the path of DEVOTION. By serving GOD through each thought, word, and DEED, and by chanting HIS Holy Names, the devotee quickly develops God-consciousness. By chanting:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna - Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama - Rama Rama, Hare Hare

one inevitably arrives at KRISHNA Consciousness. (The proof of the pudding is in the eating!)
I request that you take advantage of this book KRISHNA, and enter into its understanding. I also request that you make an appointment to meet your God now, through the self liberating process of YOGA (UNION) and GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE (KRISHNA) HARI BOL.
GEORGE HARRISON 31/3/70
Apple Corps Ltd 3 Savile Row, London WI Gerrard
2772/3993 Telex Apcore London

 

George, Patti with photo of Prabhupada.

George with Mukunda Goswami

George with Jayapataka Swami

Bhakta George

                                                                                                                                                                         

George meets some gurukulis (Hare Krishna students).

Bhaktivedanta Manor

Previously known as Piggott's Manor, the property was donated to the Hare Krishna movement in February 1973 by former Beatle George Harrison, after the Radha Krishna Temple in central London had become inadequate to house the growing number of devotees. The donation included 17 acres of land, following which the estate was extended through the acquisition of neighbouring properties. Harrison had a close relationship with ISKCON's founder-acharya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,  and visited him at the Manor on several occasions. "Bhaktivedānta" is Sanskrit for "devotion-Vedanta" – that is, "the Vedanta which is about devotion".   -From Wikipedia

Radha Krishna Temple (Govindam) Record Album

As a director of Apple, Harrison valued the record label as a means to working with acts other than the Beatles. In July 1969,  he invited the devotees to Abbey Road Studios to make a recording of the Maha Mantra for release as a single.  Harrison produced and performed on the song,   for which Mukunda provided the musical arrangement and played mridanga,  and Yamuna and Shyamsundar served as lead vocalists.  Malati, Janaki, Gurudas and others joined in as chorus singers, in addition to playing percussive instruments such as kartal.

Released by Apple Records in August, and credited to Radha Krishna Temple (London), "Hare Krishna Mantra" peaked at number 12 on the UK's national singles chart and was a commercial success around the world. The devotees twice performed the song on BBC-TV's Top of the Pops and played a series of concerts across Europe to meet public demand. Mukunda later said: "We went from street people to celebrity status. Overnight." 

Aided by the association with Harrison,  the single established the ancient mantra in the cultural mainstream, while also attracting many new members to ISKCON's centres.  For the growing London branch, this achievement was accompanied by a more tolerant attitude from a previously wary public. In addition, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava faith, the international popularity of the Temple's recording was viewed as the fulfilment of a prediction by the Hare Krishna movement's sixteenth-century avatar, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who had written: "One day, the chanting of the holy names of God will be heard in every town and village of the world."   -From Wikipedia

Krishna Book

Sriman George Harrison has certainly done an unique service by contributing $19,000 for publishing my Krsna book. When I was in London, he saw me four times and he was very submissive and devout and he was not at all proud of his very well-to-do material position. He has a reputation as a first class musician and he is considered to be rich or as they say one of the richest men in the world. Still he was not at all puffed up, but was humble, meek, polite, and devout. So all these qualities and his service to Krishna will certainly help him in his advancement of Krishna Consciousness. Thus I see that although he is not an initiated disciple, still he has been trying to help us in so many ways. [S.P. Letter to: Bhagavan, Los Angeles, 8 February, 1970]

Srila Prabhupada, Patti Boyd, George Harrison