His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, senior sannyasi disciple of ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada, was born in Wisconsin, USA, on April 9, 1949. He joined Srila Prabhupada in 1967 and came to India in 1969. An Indian citizen since 1971, HH Jayapataka Swami is the Governing Body Commissioner of ISKCON Chennai. By his enthusiastic guidance and inspiration he has been nurturing the ISKCON branch here. He is an initiating spiritual master and has hundreds of disciples in Chennai and tens of thousands worldwide. In 2008, he suffered a severe brain stem stroke. His survival and determination to carry on his services to ISKCON and its followers, in spite of physical challenges is a great inspiration to one and all. Jayapataka Swami Guru Maharaj is one of the directors of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium coming up in Sridham Mayapur, West Bengal. He had overseen its development from the time that the land was purchased there. Srila Prabhupada had told him, “I have given you the kingdom of God. Now, develop it”.

His Holiness Bhanu Swami Maharaj is of Japanese descent. He came with Srila Prabhupada to India in 1971. He initially assisted Srila Prabhupada by transtaling his books from English to Japanese. He is one of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) members and has been in Chennai ISKCON since 1985. He heads the Tamil Nadu BBT (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) and oversees the publication of Srila Prabhupada’s books into Tamil. By his enthusiasm all of Srila Prabhupada’s books have been brought out into Tamil including the 18 volume Srimad Bhagavatham and nine volume Chaitanya Charitamrta. He translates into English the Sanskrit and and Bengali works of the previous acharyas and travels all over the world disseminating the gaudiya vaishnav philosophy. He is the inspiration and the brain behind the ISKCON Chennai gorgeous temple. He delivers the Srimad Bhagavatham discourse in the temple every morning while in Chennai and in other places according to invitation. He enthuses devotees to improve their services to the temple as well as to the people of Chennai.

His Grace Sumithra Krishna das is the President of the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple and Center for Spiritual Art and Culture. A student of mathematics, he joined ISKCON at the age of 21. He traveled all over South India spreading the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and hari-nama-sankirtana in cities, towns and villages as part of the Traveling Sankirtana team. In 1992, he was given administrative services and finally appointed as the President in 2004. Under his active leadership the gorgeous Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple was built and opened on April 26, 2012. Besides the administrative services, Sumithra Krishna prabhu (as he is called), is expert in performing Hare Krishna kirtana with the mrdanga. His Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavatham discourses are appreciated for their simplicity and good humour. He keeps upto date with the latest technology and uses them expertly for disseminating bhakti to all. He and his wife Tarini Radha devi are blessed with four children.