Mukunda Goswami Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Birth name	Michael Grant [1]Mukunda Goswami - Facebook Note: He took 'Mukunda Goswami' as his Sanskrit name when he became one of his first initiated disciples of ISKCON's A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad in 1966
Profession	Spiritual leader of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness)
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 163 cm in meters- 1.63 m in feet & inches- 5’ 4”
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Bald
Personal Life
Date of Birth	10 April 1942 (Friday)
Age (as of 2022)	80 Years
Birthplace	Portland, Oregon, US
Zodiac sign	Aries
Nationality	American
Hometown	Portland, Oregon
College/University	Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Religion	Hinduism
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Divorced
Family
Ex- wife	Janaki
Parents	Father: Name Not Known (tap dancer)
Siblings	Brother- Tom Grant (jazz musician)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mukunda Goswami

• Mukunda Goswami is an American-origin spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in England which is also known as ISKCON.

• Before becoming a spiritual leader, he was a professional jazz musician. He moved from Portland to New York to pursue a career in music after his graduation.

• In 1965, Michael met the Hare Krishna founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada after which he became a member of the first group of initiated disciples in 1966. There, he received the Sanskrit name, Mukunda Dasa.
  

  Mukunda Goswami with A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

• He was among the most important persons in the early days of the Hare Krishna movement in 1966.
  

  Mukunda Goswami during the early days of the Hare Krishna movement

• Later in 1966, Mukunda, his ex-wife, and some of their friends rented a store in the San Francisco Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood and helped Bhaktivedanta Swami to make the first Hare Krishna temple.

• In 1967, he founded the first Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco and even organized a major music event, the Mantra-Rock Dance.
  

  First Hare Krishna temple in San Francisco by Mukunda Goswami

• In 1968, he and his wife went to London under the guidance of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to establish ISKCON in England.

• In 1971, Mukunda wrote the musical arrangements for the devotional music album ‘The Radha Krsna Temple’ produced by Beatle George Harrison. The album was released on Apple Records in 1971. From the album, the song ‘Hare Krishna Mantra’ gained popularity and featured on the UK Singles Chart.
  

  Mukunda Goswami recording the song with George Harrison

• In 1977, Mukunda established the ISKCON Communications Office in Los Angeles. According to his social media profile, he is a writer, editor, and researcher who has written various publications including Chant and be Happy … The Story of the Hare Krishna Mantra (1982), Coming Back: The Science of Reincarnation (1982), The Higher Taste: A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet (1983), Divine Nature: A Spiritual Perspective on the Environmental Crisis (1995), Inside the Hare Krishna Movement: An Ancient Eastern Religious Tradition Comes of Age in the Western World (2001), and Miracle on Second Avenue: Hare Krishna Arrives in the West (1966).
  

  Poster of Miracle on Second Avenue

• When Mukunda was living in England with his wife, she decided to leave him after which he never got married again. In 1982, he took Sannyasa from the ISKCON religious leader Jayapataka Swami.

• From 1984 to 1999, he was the ISKCON Minister of Communication at the Governing Body Commission.

• Till the 1990s, he lived in San Diego and then moved to New Zealand. Later, he joined the ISKCON New Govardhana community, near Murwillumbah, NSW, Australia.

• On 23 October 2015, Mukunda suffered a heart attack after he slipped in his bathroom and was admitted to the hospital. He fractured a hip and had hip surgery. While he was in the hospital, he suffered from a heart attack. After listening to this news, his devotees organised kirtans in many places for his recovery.

• As of 2022, Mukunda is still an ICJ Advisory Board Member.