The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Benjamin Zeller

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Transitions at New Goloka, North Carolina

New Goloka temple in Hillsborough, North Carolina, is a microcosm of the shifts in the American religious landscape during the past decades. Part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), or the "Hare Krishnas," the temple began almost two decades ago as a commune for mostly Anglo-American convert members of this American branch of Indian Hinduism. Yet in the past eighteen years, New Goloka has transformed from an isolated outpost of a countercultural religion to a Hindu temple catering to both American "Hare Krishna" converts and also first or second generation Indian-Americans. In this study, I consider the changing demographic dynamics at New Goloka temple and the ensuing shifts in religious practices.

New Goloka Slide Show

Website Links:

New Goloka Temple: http://www.supersoul.com/newgoloka/

Bir Krishna Goswami, New Goloka's spiritual leader: http://www.bkgoswami.com/

Bir Krishna Goswami's photos of New Goloka (includes a slide show of New Goloka's construction): http://www.bkgoswami.com/gayatri/mainpage.html

Kathleen Oehler's 1997 photo-documentary of New Goloka: http://www.ibiblio.org/photo/oehler/

Hindu Society of North Carolina / Hindu Bhavan (2006)

New Goloka Temple (ISKCON of North Carolina) (2006)