Swami Bagh Temple

About

Swamibagh Temple is a leading Vaishnava sanctuary in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and a major centre of devotion to Lord Krishna in the country. The Temple and its adjoining ashram are administered by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, known as ISKCON, the global Vaishnava movement tracing its lineage through the Gaudiya tradition of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Swamibagh complex serves as the principal Dhaka headquarters of ISKCON, gathering devotees for daily morning and evening worship, the singing of kirtan, the recitation of the Bhagavad Gita and the celebration of the great Vaishnava festivals. Krishna in his form as the divine cowherd is the focal deity, accompanied by Srimati Radharani, in whose loving devotion Gaudiya Vaishnavism finds its supreme model.

Each year the Jagannath Rath Yatra of Dhaka begins from Swamibagh Temple, when the wooden chariots bearing Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra are drawn through the city to the historic Maa Dhakeshwari National Temple. This procession draws thousands of Hindu devotees and is one of the most visible expressions of Hindu communal life in the capital.

Around the Temple a wider ecosystem of devotional service, vegetarian kitchens, study programmes and youth activity supports the Vaishnava community. Swamibagh has become a centre not only of religious life but of communal continuity for Bangladeshi Hindus.

Significance

Swamibagh Temple is the foremost ISKCON sanctuary in Bangladesh and a focal point of Krishna devotion in Dhaka. As the starting point of the annual Rath Yatra, it gives public expression to the city's Hindu heritage and gathers a vibrant community in the worship and remembrance of the Lord.