Hare Krishnas in Tompkins Square Park, ca. 1966. On October 9, 1966, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his followers gathered in Tompkins Square Park, sat under the large, long-standing, American elm tree near the center of park and held the first outdoor chanting session outside of India. For more than two hours, Prabhupada and his disciples in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness repeated their 16-word mantra in front of a gathering crowd. This event is considered the founding of the Hare Krishna religion in the United States and devotees still visit the tree as a significant location in their history and community.