Practical guide
Shops
Where to get a japa mala, the books or what you need for an altar. We only link to shops run by temples and by distributors within the tradition, and we have checked that they exist and what they sell.
Mundo Bhakti sells nothing, has no commercial relationship with these shops and takes no commission on the links. Prices, catalogue and shipping terms are each shop’s own: check them there before you buy.
First: your temple’s shop
Almost every temple has a small shop with books, beads, incense and pictures. It is the best option whenever you can: you see and handle what you buy, they show you how to use it and there is no shipping. Find yours on the temple map or in ISKCON’s worldwide directory.
Online shops
Bhaktivedanta Library Services
A European distributor of devotional books, with a shop in the Belgian Ardennes. A very wide catalogue: books by Prabhupāda and other Vaishnava authors, plus altar pictures, incense, neck beads, musical instruments, music and calendars.
Good to know: It ships from within the European Union, so there are no customs charges inside the EU; check shipping costs on the site itself.
Krishna.com Store
The shop of Krishna.com, the reference site on Krishna consciousness in English. Mostly books, Back to Godhead magazine, calendars and meditation items.
Good to know: It ships from the United States. It makes most sense if you live in North America; from elsewhere, check shipping and customs first.
ISKCON Māyāpur official store
The shop of the Māyāpur temple, the place where Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared. It has the widest range of practice items: tulasī malas, bead bags, neck beads, tilaka, sandalwood, worship items, instruments such as mṛdaṅga and karatālas, clothing and books.
Good to know: It ships from India and charges in rupees or dollars. Before buying, check its shipping page to see whether it delivers to your country, the cost and the timing, and allow for possible customs charges.
Málaga temple shop
The online shop of a Spanish temple, with Prabhupāda’s books in Spanish, neem japa beads, tulasī neck beads, incense, altar pictures and clothing.
Good to know: Useful if you live in Spain or read Spanish; the site is in Spanish.
What to look for where
| If you are looking for | Start with |
|---|---|
| Prabhupāda’s books in English | Your temple, Bhaktivedanta Library Services or the Krishna.com Store. To read free, Recommended books |
| A japa mala to begin with | Your temple, or the Māyāpur store online |
| A bead bag, tilaka, worship items | Your temple or the Māyāpur store |
| Altar pictures, incense | Your temple or Bhaktivedanta Library Services |
| Instruments: mṛdaṅga, karatālas, harmonium | Bhaktivedanta Library Services or the Māyāpur store |
| Books by other Vaishnava authors | Bhaktivedanta Library Services |
Before buying elsewhere
- The “malas” in yoga and homeware shops are usually stone necklaces with a tassel. They work for counting, but they are not the knotted tulasī or neem mala with a head bead that devotees use.
- On large online marketplaces wood is sold as “tulasī” that is not always tulasī. If you cannot check the origin, a temple shop is safer.
- Orders from India or the United States may incur customs charges and tax on arrival, and take weeks.
Know a temple or devotee shop that should be here? Write to us and we will add it once we have checked it.