ISKCON Temple Pune: Address, Timings, How to Reach

ISKCON Temple Pune, formally the New Vedic Cultural Center housing Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra, stands as the largest temple in the entire city — a six-acre marble complex on the Katraj-Kondhwa Road that took seven years and roughly ₹40 crore to build before opening its doors in 2013. Rising against a backdrop of green hills in the comparatively uncongested Kondhwa area, this ISKCON centre has become a major devotional and cultural landmark for Pune’s Krishna devotees. If you’re planning a visit, here’s a complete guide to the temple’s address, daily schedule, and how to reach it.

ISKCON Pune Overview

Pune’s Largest Temple, Built From the Ground Up

Unlike temples that grow around an older, smaller shrine, ISKCON NVCC Pune was purpose-built as a large-scale cultural and spiritual centre, funded jointly by ISKCON Pune Camp (the city’s older, smaller ISKCON temple on Tarapore Road) and devotee contributions. The seven years of construction went into a complex that today includes a prayer hall with richly decorated deities, gift shops selling deity items and souvenirs from Vraja, and enough open space around the temple to comfortably host large festival gatherings.

Daily Darshan and Aarti Schedule

The temple’s day is structured around a set of aartis and darshan windows, with separate viewing schedules for its different deities.

For Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra, Gaur Nitai, and Jagannath-Baldev-Subhadra:

• Mangala Aarti – around 4:30–5:30 AM, the temple’s opening ritual
• Sringara Aarti and Guru Puja – around 7:30–8:00 AM
• Srimad Bhagavatam Discourse (in English) – around 8:00–9:00 AM
• Live/general darshan – continues through the late morning, roughly 8:30 AM to 11:55 AM
• Raj-bhog Offering – around 12:30–1:10 PM, closing the morning session
• Darshan closed – roughly 1:10 PM to 4:30 PM
• Evening darshan remains open – around 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
• Gaura Sandhya Aarti – around 7:00–8:00 PM
• Last darshan of the day – around 8:30–8:45 PM
• Deities’ rest / temple fully closed – 9:45 PM to 4:30 AM

A few practical notes:

• The temple observes a separate, slightly offset darshan schedule for Sri Balaji, so if you’re specifically visiting for that deity, check the exact timing window before arriving.
• Free breakfast and lunch prasadam are served at certain hours at the older Camp location — if that’s part of your plan, confirm current serving times with temple staff.
• Weekday mornings before 8 AM tend to be considerably quieter than weekend and festival crowds.
• Timings can shift around major festivals, particularly Janmashtami, which draws Pune’s largest ISKCON gathering of the year.

How to Reach ISKCON Temple Pune

By Road:

• The temple sits on Katraj-Kondhwa Road in Kondhwa Budruk, reachable via Kondhwa Road, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road, or the Mumbai Highway route via Pandharpur Road.
• Taxis and app-based cabs are readily available throughout Pune and can reach the temple in roughly half an hour from most central areas.

By Train:

• Pune Junction is the main railway station, about 10.3 km from the temple, roughly a 35-minute journey by road.
• Sasvad Road and Ghorpuri stations are also relatively close alternatives depending on your route into the city.

By Bus:

• Several PMPML bus routes — including 188, 209, 291, and 140A — stop within walking distance of the temple, with Shatrunjay Mandir being the closest stop at around a 7-minute walk.
• There’s no single direct bus route from central Pune Station to the temple, so a combination of bus plus a short walk, or a direct cab, tends to be more practical.

By Air:

• Pune International Airport is around 19.3 km away, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai is the nearest major international gateway for those flying in from farther afield.

A Note on Pune’s Two ISKCON Temples

Pune is home to two ISKCON-affiliated locations, and it helps to know the difference before you head out:

• ISKCON NVCC (Katraj-Kondhwa Road) – the larger, newer temple complex covered in this guide, opened in 2013
• ISKCON Pune Camp (Tarapore Road) – the older, original city temple near Dastur Boys School, which also runs its own darshan and aarti schedule and funded part of the NVCC’s construction

If you’re specifically after the larger, six-acre temple with its green-hill backdrop, make sure to mention “Katraj-Kondhwa” or “NVCC” to your driver rather than just “ISKCON Pune.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Are ISKCON NVCC and ISKCON Pune Camp the same temple?

No, they’re two separate but connected ISKCON centres in Pune — NVCC on Katraj-Kondhwa Road is the larger, newer complex, while the Camp temple on Tarapore Road is the older, original site that helped fund the newer one’s construction.

Q2. What is the best time of year to visit the temple?

October to April is generally considered the most comfortable window, avoiding Pune’s hottest and wettest months.

Q3. Is public transport a reliable way to reach the temple, or is a cab better?

While a few PMPML bus routes stop near the temple, there’s no single direct route from central Pune, so a cab or auto tends to be more convenient unless you’re already familiar with the local bus network.

Q4. Does the temple serve free meals to visitors?

Free breakfast and lunch prasadam are offered at certain times, particularly at the Camp location — it’s best to confirm exact serving hours with temple staff, since these can vary.