Conclusion

The conclusion of this study considers ISKCON’s identity in India as a form of religious modernity, grounded in revising religion through refiguring devotees’ relation to family, religion, nation, and culture. ISKCON’s growth in Mumbai as a globalized religious organization demonstrates that local, lived religion in urban India today is intertwined with transnational networks, even alongside rhetorics of traditionalism. Today, this lived religion has expanded into broader realms of engagement in Mumbai and beyond. Second and third generation Indian devotees organize polished kīrtans that draw glamorous audiences in South Bombay, while some temple brahmacaris have attained widespread social media popularity as motivational speakers and lifestyle coaches. These new faces of ISKCON in India are fashioning an urban bhakti for the next generation

Anthropological Studies and Insights · Indian and Buddhist Studies · Philosophy · South Asian Cinema and Culture