Radhanath Swami (IAST: Rādhānātha Svāmī) (born 7 December 1950)[1] is an American Hindu Gaudiya Vaishnava guru, community-builder, activist, and author.

[2] He is the inspiration behind ISKCON's free midday meal for 1.2 million school kids across India,[3] and he has been instrumental in founding the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai.

[16] In the summer of 1968, a sense of adventure led him to hitchhike journey to California.,[17][16] where he spent the nights on the beaches and visited the then-hippie mecca of Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco.

[17] In the summer of 1970, after the end of his first year in college, Richard attended a rock festival on Randalls Island that included performances by Jimi Hendrix and other famous musicians and bands of the time.

[27] In Athens, Richard and Gary first made their living by donating blood, and then, together with a Swiss violinist and French guitarist, playing music and collecting alms on the street.

As Richard had developed an interest in Islam, he parted with his friends and stayed for a few days in Mashhad, an important place of pilgrimage for Shia Muslims.

[31] Upon arrival in Kandahar, Richard met a blind boy who spent long hours singing songs about the love of God on the street.

[37] In his 1980s interview to Larry D. Shinn, Radhanath Swami recounted that he found a secluded spot on the banks of the Ganges and chanted "Hare Krishna" and other mantras for eight to ten hours a day.

[17] There he met a sadhu, at whose request he threw all his western clothes in the waters of the Ganges, and received in return a simple garment of a Hindu ascetic.

[34] Richard began to practice severe austerities: Every day for a month, from sunrise to sunset, he meditated sitting on a rock in the middle of the Ganges.

[17] Upon arrival in Bombay, Richard saw a poster announcing a series of festivals by the American Hare Krishna devotees and their spiritual master A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

[40] Listening to a lecture of the Hare Krishna guru, Richard concluded that the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy was the most perfect and that Prabhupada was a person, who truly loved God.

[38] Richard wanted to go back to India, but Prabhupada asked him to stay in America and assist in the development of the New Vrindaban community, under the guidance of Kirtanananda Swami.

[40] Convinced by the philosophy outlined in the books and personal examples of those living in the New Vrindaban community, Richard finally decided to accept Prabhupada as his guru.

[48] In 1995–2010, Radhanath Swami led ISKCON in Maharashtra (1995-2010), Goa (2002-2010), Daman and Diu (2002-2010), West Virginia (1995-2007), Ohio (1998-2007 ), Kentucky (1998-2007), Italy (2002–present) and Belgaum (1995-2010).

[58] In Radha Gopinath Temple in Mumbai, the program spans diverse aspects such as cultural education and school for children, an orphanage, youth preaching, marriage board, care for monks as well as the elderly, counselling for the householders, credit organization, hospital, farm, annual pilgrimages, drama festivals and ISKCON Food Relief Foundation.

The temple also leads a trip to Govardhan Farm, a tropical fruit and bamboo nursery in the Caribbean, advocating for "spiritually healthy" recreation.

[60] Inspired by Radhanath Swami and others, it operates the Indian Government's Midday Meal Scheme meant to improve both nutrition and literacy among school-going children.

The program offers a "different menu every day and simple protein-rich food [...] cooked innovatively along with seasonal vegetables for a wholesome meal",[60] and has been credited with improving attendance in schools.

[63] Although launched for primary and secondary schools, on account of its success, the program has been extended to post-graduate students,[64] hospital patients[65][66] and NTR canteens.

[73] Emerging from the Radha Gopinath Temple congregation, the Bhaktivedanta Hospital has become a flagship center for holistic health and spiritual care in Mumbai.

[56] What started as a dream to provide quality healthcare at affordable cost by a few fresh medical graduates way back in 1986, transformed into the present-day state-of-the-art 150-bed multi-speciality hospital by Sri Chaitanya Welfare Charitable Trust.

[79][80] As of 2014, it also includes four ultramodern operation theaters, a 16-bed ICU,[74] 120 consulting specialists and 360 medical and paramedical staff – about half of which are initiated Hare Krishna followers.

It has medically-equipped mobile vans to attend to eye care, cancer and maternity issues in remote sections of society;[78] on the same lines, it also established the Hamrapur Community Healthcare Center in Wada Taluka, Maharashtra in association with Lions Club.

[86] In addition, the Bhaktivedanta Hospice Center serves those who desire to spend their last days in the holy site of Vrindavan with good medical care.

[93] Spread over 75 acres of pristine farmland at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountain in the Wada district of Maharashtra, Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV) is a "model farm community and retreat center highlighting the importance of spiritual ecology: the need for us [humans] to live in harmony with ourselves, nature and the sacred".

[94][95] Inspired by Radhanath Swami, with its humble beginnings in 2003, GEV was officially inaugurated in 2011, in the presence of Nana Saheb Patil, Ex-secretary of the Agricultural Ministry for the Government of Maharashtra.

[96][97] To bring about holistic, sustainable ecological changes, GEV puts great emphasis on community initiatives such as integrated water conservation and protection, Wadi program, women empowerment, rural health care, food for life, biodiversity park, Vedic culture and educational center and animal shelters.

[98] GEV specializes in symbiotic recycling and strives to offer sustainable solutions for community living in issues related to food, water, energy and waste management.

[137][138] Renowned yoga teacher, B. K. S. Iyengar and Madhva sect spiritual leader Vishvesha Teertha of Pejavara Matha also met him and appreciated his work.