Seen by Vaisnavas (followers of Lord Vishna), including the Hare Krishna's as the Supreme Being.  Krishna is the same God worshipped in the Bible, the Koran, and any bona fide scripture

ISHTADEVATA

The divine manifestation that one chooses to worship as Supreme Deity.  To worship Krishna is to worship God, but to worship Him in His most attractive form.  The  Hare Krishna's find this is both easier and more satisfying than the worship of God in other forms.  The Vedic scriptures state Krishna is the supreme name and form of God. Krishna means "all attractive." We accept Krishna as the supreme being. 

KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS

The system by which a devotee becomes consious of his or her true spiritual nature as a servant of Krishna. 

Where does the Hare Krishna religion originate?

Krishna consciousness has its roots in the Vedic scriptures of India. According to the Vedas, the spiritual culture practiced by Hare Krishna devotees was once spread all over the world. In recent years archeologists and anthropologists have unearthed artifacts and histories that reveal a past connection to the Vedic culture in many parts of the world. 

Krishna as featured in the famous Mahabarat and the chariot-driver of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita is considered in Hindusim to be the only "poorna avatara" - the full and complete incarnation of the Godhead.  Thus every aspect of Krishna Avatar and His deeds are pregnant with deep mystical symbolism indicating the highest truth.  The incarnation of Krishna represents the descent of the Infinite Brahma to the material world.

Arjuna  is the hero of the Bhagavad Gita in which he is guided by the Avatar Krishna.  Arjuna is the spiritual warrior Archetype and the Bhagavad Gita is the code book for the spiritual interaction between man and the manifestation of the supreme personality of Godhead.

Lord Caityana Mahaprabhu Avatar

Lord Caitanya is revealed as an avatar (incarnation) of God/Krishna in the Vedic scriptures, and He appeared in this world in Mayapura, north of Calcautta, Bengal, India, in the year 1486 A.D. His mission was to deliver the downtrodden souls of the Kali-yuga age by introducing the chanting of the holy names of God.

Although appearing in a male form, He displayed the highest sentiments of love for God by accepting the mood of the supreme Goddess, known as Radhika. This divine combination of supreme God and supreme Goddess in the form of Lord Caitanya is considered to be among the most confidential teachings of Vedic literature.

He was part of a tradition of Vaishnavism, devotion to Vishnu or Krishna, which had its roots in the Bhagavad Gita.  He is the founder of Krishna Bhakti - the practice of devotion and devotional service, the system practised by the Hare Krishna devotees.

"Hare Krishna" refers to the Sanskrit prayer we sing (the maha-mantra, or "great chant for deliverance") and also to our group. Since we are often seen chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, we are referred to as the "Hare Krishnas."

What are you singing when we see you on the street?

We mostly sing the Hare Krishna mantra, composed of names of God: Hare (pronounced ha-ray) 

Hare (pronounced ha-ray) Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The Hare Krishna mantra is composed of three Sanskrit words: Krishna, Rama and Hare. Krsna and Rama are both names for God. Krishna means "the all-attractive," and Rama means "the supreme pleasure." "O Lord, O energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your loving service." By chanting Hare Krishna we become purified of material conditioning and become reinstated in our normal eternal position.  By singing the names of God, we associate with Him and gradually become purified. Anyone who hears this glorification of God also gets spiritual benefit. Thus the purpose of the Hare Krishna prayer is to awaken us to our eternal nature as servants and lovers of Krishna.

The Beatle George Harrison had a close relationship with the Krishna Consciousness movement affirmed in the record "My Sweet Lord" in which the "maha mantra" - the great chant - became known to the world when it topped the charts in the late 1960's.

Mantra

Sonic structure of power.  A sacred formula whose sound contains a great amount of energy,  and possessing divine power.  Its repetition grants equilibrium and peace of mind.  Considered by the Hare Krishnas to have the most potency in this time of Kali Yuga.

The founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).and considered to be the first guru of all devotees.  He brought the Krishna Conscious concept from India to America arriving in New York on 19th September 1965 following the tradition of service to his spiritual master, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami.  Srila Prabhupada came to the United States from India in 1965 to introduce the Western world to bhakti-yoga, which features the chanting of Hare Krishna as its main spiritual practice. Prabhupada represents a lineage of teachers dating back into antiquity, but which was revitalized 500 years ago by the incarnation of God named Lord Chaitanya.

Eventually he appointed gurus from the very Americans he came to preach to,  to carry on with his work .  These first generation sons of Prabhupada (as he was affectionately called) came from all walks of life, inspired to carry on with Lord Caitanya's missionary spirit to love and worship Krishna and to continue the practice of kirtana, of chanting the names of the Lord to an accompaniment of percussion and dancing.

The essential scripture for the movement, the famous 5,000-year-old Bhagavad Gita, spoken by Lord Krishna, God Himself, explains that religious principles, although beginningless, are revived periodically by Him or His authorized representative only, the purpose remaining the same, although due to time, culture and circumstances, the details emphasized may vary.

The final instruction of Lord Krishna in the Gita is that everyone should surrender unto Him only and make Him the ultimate goal of life. 

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has written elaborate English commentaries on Bhagavad-Gita and other sacred Vedic scriptures which have been translated into almost every language.  Prabhupada, being a bonafide "guru" directly in the line of Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, does not distort the Gita's clear message of devotional theism. He therefore wrote "Bhagavad-Gita as it is". Hence his writings, which have astounded literary communities worldwide, are used as standard textbooks in numerous educational institutions.

His Holiness Bhakti-Tirtha Swami Krishnapada, the founder and director of the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology, was born into a pious family in Cleveland, Ohio with the name John E. Favors. In his early years, he appeared regularly on television as a child evangelist. As a young man, he became a leader in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement. Later, he served as president of the student council at Princeton University, from which he graduated with a degree in psychology. He served as an international coordinator of the Seventh Pan African Congress, and in 1990 he was coronated as a high chief in Warri, Nigeria in recognition of his outstanding missionary work in developing self-sufficient farm communities there.

His Holiness has been consulted internationally for his unique insight and expertise in politics, African studies, Indology and international law. After graduating from Princeton, Bhakti-Tirtha Swami served as an assistant coordinator for penal reform programs in the state of New Jersey's Office of the Public Defender, and directed several drug abuse clinics in other areas of the United States. He also worked as a political campaign manager and was a special consultant for Educational Testing Services in New Jersey. He gained international recognition as a representative of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust for his outstanding work with scholars of then-communist countries.

In the United States, Bhakti-Tirtha Swami is the founder and director of the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology and director of the International Committee for Urban Spiritual Development. A specialist in international relations and conflict resolution, Bhakti-Tirtha Swami travels around the world consulting with influential leaders. His visits to South Africa have included highly publicized meetings with then-President Nelson Mandela, where they have shared their visions and strategies for world peace.

Bhakti-Tirhta Swami's books have been acclaimed around the world for their universal appeal and their straightforward, insightful treatment of issues that face us on the global, national, community, family and individual levels. He shares with us his own practical applications of "spiritual solutions for material problems" from several different angles and teaches us to address the roots of issues and interactions without being deceived or distracted by the temporary and external pitfalls that so often cause us to fall short of our goals.

It's called tilak. Of all the things that may be different about a devotee of Krishna, like a shaved head, dhoti (the men's robes), sari, or even the philosophy, the tilak is especially noticeable. Tilak is made with sacred clay from a holy place in India, and it marks the body as a temple. It is worn to remind the wearer, and everyone else, that within this body resides the individual soul, and the Supreme Soul as well. The body is holy and should be used to serve God's purpose. The body should be used for spiritual pursuits, and must not be defiled by unholy foods, thoughts, or actions. Wearing tilak is considered an act of devotion, as it purifies both the person wearing it, and those who see it.

What are those beads you wear on your neck?

The neck beads are meant to remind the person wearing them and everyone else that we are all servants of God, or Krishna. The beads are made from Tulasi wood. The Tulasi plant is considered very important for helping our spiritual advancement. Although Tulasi appears in the material world as a plant, she is a great servant of God. By wearing Tulasi beads we please Krishna and quietly announce the glories of Tulasi and of pure devotees in general.

ARATI IN THE CAPE TOWN TEMPLE

The temple is a place to especially remember God and deepen our relationship with Him. It's a holy place to develop community with others through glorifying God and increasing our understanding of spiritual knowledge.

Our temples are open to the public. Although services are held throughout the day, most visitors come for the special Sunday program, the "Sunday Feast."

A typical Sunday Feast program consists of a formal ceremony called arati in which deities (forms of Krishna) are worshipped to the accompaniment of sacred songs sung by the congregation. This is followed by a lecture on the Vedic scriptures. At some temples there might be a play or more singing. The festival always includes a vegetarian feast of delicious food that has been prepared for and offered to the Lord.

The most important reason we refraining from eating meat is Krishna's instruction to us in the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. He requests us to offer Him everything we do, including our eating. He asks us to offer Him with love and devotion, "a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water." Because Krishna doesn't ask for meat products, we don't offer Him any. Since the true aim of life is to please God and reestablish our love for Him, we don't want to displease Him. 

This festival has its roots in ancient India but is know observed in a number of international cities such as New York, London, Sydney and Durban.

Co-ordinating the festival is a major event, especially since it receives in excess of 300 000 visitors. The committee in charges has to ensure that it is able to gather enough food to feed the hungry crowds.

The Durban Festival of Chariots is one of the most successful in the world, no doubt due to the ease of being linked to the worldwide web.