Hare Krishnacore – An introduction to the most improbable punk subculture ever.
The Hare Krishnas are something of a cultural artifact. Tied to the peace and love flower children of the 1960s, the Krishnas seemed a cultural and spiritual outgrowth of hippies who, having experimented (or continuing to experiment) with drugs, sought some sort of enlightenment unavailable or unattainable via Western religion. In a pre-9/11 world, the Krishnas could be seen as the saffron-robed devotees selling flowers, stickers, and literature at airports (as parodied in the 1980 film Airplane!) In cities throughout the U.S. and Europe, they chanted their familiar chant, offered free vegetarian food (called “prasadam”), and carefully danced in the grey area between cult and “conventional” religion.
Since its development, several famous cultural icons have been tied the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and founder Prabhupada, including Allen Ginsberg, George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde, Boy George, KRS-One, and members of X-Ray Spex. In addition to celebrities, a group of straightedge hardcore kids from the New York area also showed a spiritual interest in the movement’s path towards enlightenment. That path is one that seeks a life of self-realization over sense gratification.
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