WALK AGAINST HUNGER

It’s Saturday morning and, at Oxford Street’s most frenzied end, regular weekend shopping fever is all set to rise in its usual frenetic fashion.

But any shopper who can manage to peel their eyes off the array of enticing shop-fronts just long enough to glance briefly sideways down a small (but perfectly formed) side-street leading to leafy Soho Square cannot fail to notice an animated crowd buzzing around London’s Radha Krishna Temple. It’s a vibrant orange-coloured urban spiritual oasis that is rather surprisingly (but well-) situated in this short (but sweet) thoroughfare known as Soho Street, just a stone’s throw off Europe’s busiest shopping boulevard.

Urban Spiritual Oasis

Dozens of enthusiasts are swarming here like bees around a honey-pot to claim T-shirts, water-bottles, plus wristbands from outdoor tables and to bag themselves breakfast from a food-van. But they don’t exactly look like they’re about to step out onto the main drag in pursuit of a bargain.

If not to shop, then what is our mission? Well, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (known as Srila Prabhupada), the sage who brought Krishna Consciousness from India to the West in the 1960s, always believed that bustling London was one of the most important places in the world as a capital centre. He established the Hare Krishna movement here because he felt it was a truly international metropolis. You can reach the whole world from Oxford Street. So what better point on planet earth for us to set off from now, 24^th September 2022, on our 10-mile quest to ‘Walk Against Hunger’.

Bottles waiting to be Bagged

Because Srila Prabhupada, having witnessed a child in India scrabbling through a rubbish-pile for food, decreed that no-one within a 10-mile radius of a Hare Krishna temple (anywhere in the world) should go hungry. To this day, devotees don’t refuse anyone their specially sanctified food (prasadam). Nor have they ever failed to provide it.

During covid, Food for All, the faith group’s overarching food charity, together with its affiliate Food for Life, became the largest meal supplier in the capital. It was also one of the very few services to continuously feed the homeless, vulnerable adults and low income families throughout successive social restriction periods.

Food for Life

Lawrence, a regular guest of London Food for Life, says:

“I have enjoyed the mobile food distribution from Hare Krishna for several years. It’s tasty, filling, nutritious, and there’s enough for everyone. As I have no access to preparing food myself I depend very much on free food outreaches. The Hare Krishna’s food tastes better than most. I often feel the desire to ask for a second helping. The people who distribute the food are very nice and easy to speak to. I have met one or two good people from my eating Krishna foods.” He adds “I am also a big fan of George Harrison”.

Back in blissfully unsuspecting pre-pandemic days (remember those?), Food for Life served food made at Soho Street temple’s in-house vegetarian restaurant Govinda’s. When this popular meat-free eatery inevitably had to lock down, Food for All took smaller Food for Life under its wing and allowed us food-distribution volunteers to prepare meals in its vast subterranean premises known as Krishna Castle.

Subterranean Magic at Krishna Castle

Coming out of covid, Food for All, In March 2022, courageously set up camp in Ukraine to deliver sustenance to war victims and refugees. However, this heart (and belly-) warming tale has taken an unexpected twist. Because post-pandemic, Krishna Castle is no more. Food for All has itself been made homeless and needs to quickly find itself another fortress.

So now it’s Food for Life’s turn to help out brave and fearless Food for All.

Encouraged by the success of Food for Life’s previous fund-raising walk in 2019, (the proceeds of which purchased the UK’s first fully electric food-distribution van), chief organiser Rajiv and his dedicated band of volunteers have been working meticulously to ensure that today’s efforts will go a considerable way towards securing new kitchen and storage space.

So, let’s get this show on the road….

UK’s First All-electric Food Van

We will follow a carefully thought-out trail that is not just a pathway peppered with iconic London landmarks. It’s a route with a real story to relate and some formative Hare Krishna history will unfold before us.

“This is a great idea” says Alex of London, a keen fund-raiser, who was one of the first to sign up for today’s event with her 6-year-old son Zen. “I love fund-raising days. They are so much fun. It’s brings awareness to such an amazing cause.”

Our first port of call is a seemingly ordinary, yet somehow still beguiling, building on nearby Betterton Street (just off of Drury Lane, famous for its association with London’s Theatreland). It’s intriguingly labelled The Poetry Society.

Home to Verse

As well as being (presumably) brim-full of modern-day rhymes, this red-brick home to verse harbours pivotal Hare Krishna history. Back in the late 1960s, Shyamasundar dasa, one of Prabhubada’s six American pioneers, began to meticulously carve deities named Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra under this very roof. Srila Prabhupada instructed him to “make the deities so beautiful that everyone will be attracted to them.”

Eye-Catching Trio

It was not just Shyamasundar’s careful carpentry but also the San Francisco six’s deeply devotional life-style that transformed the confines of No. 22 Betterton Street from a cosy (if basic) communal home into a sacrosanct haven. You could say that seminal UK Krishna Consciousness took on shape alongside Shyamasundar’s eye-arresting trio. The Jagannath trinity would soon be joined by Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Londonisvara, a resplendent deity pair who were donated by Mr Goyal, an Indian gentleman who was himself trying to secure Radha-Krishna deities for a Hindu centre in East London. Divinities such as these were real UK rarities in those days. But their Lordships were very much here to stay and they preside in London to this present day.

Presiding in London

We move up Drury Lane, paying particular attention in passing to No. 182, which, in the late 1960s, was a counter-cultural hub of art, theatre, film and music called The Arts Lab. The six initiates made many influential friends and contacts here and they regularly led popular chanting sessions. John Lennon and Yoko Ono visited this venue, as did DJ John Peel, who interviewed the devotees on BBC radio, helpfully raising the movement’s profile.

In 1969 the devotees moved out of Betterton Street to a tall narrow building in front of the British Museum, namely 7 Bury Place. George Harrison was their rent guarantor. Mick Jagger paid for beams to hold up the ceiling while construction went on in the temple room. George generously bought the marble slab that the Deities were installed upon. This became the first official UK Hare Krishna temple. These days the five-storey edifice houses a dental practice and it’s our next destination (although none of us necessarily needs a check-up right now).

Then and Now at 7 Bury Place

NB In 1977 the temple moved from Bury Place to 9-10 Soho Street, the address we just launched our ‘Walk Against Hunger’ mission from. Once upon a time, these premises accommodated a nightclub, so to install a bona fide place of worship there was quite a change in tack.

But back to the here and now, and who wouldn’t be drawn from Bury Place towards the lush, atmospheric squares of Bloomsbury that have reliably been bringing rural ambience into the metropolis’ chaotic urban surroundings for centuries. Prabhupada was no exception, and in the late 60s / early 70s, these peaceful verdant spaces served as exclusive stomping ground for him and his disciples.

So we continue towards Bloomsbury’s Russell Square, following faithfully in the footsteps of the mystical master who regularly took his dedicated troupe on spiritually illuminating morning walks here.  

We can’t linger for too long though (no, not even in search of enlightenment). Our next stop is beckoning and its Bloomsbury’s Red Lion Square, where, in Conway Hall, the ground-breaking guru gave his first open lectures in the UK. Prabhupada’s crusade had found its public voice.

The Subtle Dimensions of Bloomsbury

First Public Voice

We manage to produce a pretty strong vocal sound too. As we deftly hit our mapped-out roads we are buoyed along by waves of tireless congregational chanting, music, dancing and singing courtesy of temple stalwarts who look like they have stamina reserves to stay the entire course.

A Swami like no Other

Bridge over Troubled Water

There’s not only sacred music to sustain us. We side-step at St Paul’s Cathedral and cross the Thames via the Millennium Bridge to reach our trail’s half-way point at the Tate Modern gallery, where we are served fruits, sweets, water and juice.

Staying the Course

Now fortified for the return leg of our journey, we can start to think seriously about gravitating back to base. But not without taking in more memorable milestones along the way.

Turning Point

We reach as far as Tower Bridge, then turn to follow the Southbank, crossing back over the water via the Golden Jubilee Bridges. In due course, we intrepid wanderers alight upon Trafalgar Square, where, in 1968, the original six aficionados aired their first public harinama (chanting) session, drawing considerable attention in doing so. London had never seen or heard anything quite like this!

Along the Southbank

In fact, in 1973, Nelson on his column had a serious rival for centre stage when Prabhupada pitched up next to him in an ornate festival (Rath) cart and commanded the attention of the entire square.

Now safely back in Soho, we pass Trident Studios on St Anne’s Alley, where the devotees met up with George Harrison and Billy Preston to record the Hare Krishna mantra.

We slip onto Soho Square, where Paul McCartney’s office building stands tall, as an immaculately maintained monument to continuity. Sir Paul assisted in the recording and mixing of the unique Radha Krishna Temple album, released in 1971. Now 80 years old, the legendary musician can still be seen in the immediate vicinity from time to time…

Still Around – Sir Paul McCartney in 2022

Having seen our expedition through to its conclusion, we are now back at Radha Krishna Temple, all safe and sound, and very hungry for a huge and delicious plate of hot prasadam.

“It was well worth coming into London for,” says Rashmi of Radlett “a beautiful, blissful and spiritual experience, exploring around the famous landmarks of this majestic city with lovely devotees, learning more about our inspirational founder, Srila Prabhupada, and helping a worthy cause like Food for Life.”

It’s been a truly exhilarating day and fun all the way, but with our nation experiencing a cost-of-living crisis while the number of rough sleepers only increases, let’s hope that every single step we have taken can put (at least) one hot meal into someone’s hungry mouth.

To donate, please visit

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/walkagainsthunger22