The Love Tree

The tree often referred to as the Hare Krishna tree is located within the grounds of Tompkins Square Park. This specific American elm holds a unique place in history as the site where A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada held the first outdoor chanting session of his movement in the Western world. In October 1966, he sat beneath the branches of this tree to lead an open-air kirtan, an event that marked the public beginning of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York City.