Sweets, paintings, and free stay at the beautiful manor as rewards, Finland’s Krishna community raises funds in a unique way on a crowdfunding platform to purchase a historic building to function as cultural, social, and spiritual center.

Helsinki, Finland — International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Finland secured a 140-year-old manor for rent in February 2014 and are now raising funds on the IndieGoGo crowdfunding platform with a campaign titled ‘A Place to Serve Everyone’.  They aim to purchase the historic building and make it a long term center for self-realization, Vedic study, and spiritual practice.  The city of Helsinki, sympathetic to their cause, offered the Krishna community the option to purchase the manor and its 300-year-old satellite building for €260,000.  The crowdfunding campaign offers support options from €1 to €100,000 and has succeeded in raising over €16,000 since launching on November 7th.  Homemade sweets, a custom painting, and lifetime access to stay at the Manor are among the perks offered for those who donate.

View the ‘A Place to Serve Everyone’ campaign page with a short documentary, photos, and more information: www.indiegogo.com

About ISKCON in Finland

ISKCON is a spiritual organization with roots going back to Indian history some thousands of years.  Its philosophy centers around achieving self-realization through practicing Bhakti yoga, a path of love, devotion, and service.  The first Finnish ISKCON center opened in 1982 and has been operating in rented facilities.  In addition to the daily activities of temple ceremonies, lectures, and meditation, about 100 people attend the weekend programs.  There is an active 200-person community with up to 500 attending festival days, and the Manor’s ashram facilities house some ten monks who volunteer their services as priests, cooks, and teachers.  ISKCON offers a bi-weekly Food For Life program which provides free vegetarian meals in Helsinki.  School groups visit the Manor once a week for classes about Vedic teachings and Hinduism, and the Manor’s monks have been invited to universities to speak on subjects including education, psychology, and philosophy.

Media Contact
Avadhuta Candra Das
Vice President – ISKCON Finland

Malminkylän Kartano
Latokartanontie 11
00700 Helsinki, Finland 

+358 45 263 9563
avadhutacandra@gmail.com