By Mukunda Goswami
The government of the city of New York has a good memory. It installed a metal sign glorifying the incident of what was probably the first outdoor mahamantra chant in the West.
The plaque is located in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan, New York City on a cyclone fence that surrounds the elm tree, under which Srila Prabhupada stood, conducting the kirtana.
The metal sign mentions that date of the event, and goes on to read that the poet Allen Ginsberg was present. Signed by the Mayor of New York City, the metal plaque includes the logo of New York’s Park and Recreation Commission. The visitor also reads that Hare Krishna people still visit the location, thus acknowledging the site’s significance.
Second Avenue is also mentioned as being ISKCON’s USA “headquarters.” Also written on the stone tablet are the sixteen words of the mahamanta: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
The site has become a place of pilgrimage for many devotees of ISKCON. Black and white photos of the 1966 early kirtana beneath this tree can be found in many publications, both printed and electronic. Sometimes, even in the 21 st century, devotees hold chanting sessions beneath this tree.