Yamuna Devi
American religious figure, cookbook author, musician and teacher / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yamuna Devi (also Yamunā Devī Dāsī; 19 May 1942 – 20 December 2011), born Joan Agnes Campanella in Butte, Montana was an American cookbook author, best known for her 1987 James Beard Foundation Award winning cookbook, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. She was also a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).[1][2]
Yamuna Devi | |
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Born | Joan Agnes Campanella (1942-05-19)May 19, 1942 |
Died | December 20, 2011(2011-12-20) (aged 69) |
Occupation |
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Notable work | The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking (1987) |
Devi was part of the early 1960s Beat Generation in North Beach, San Francisco[3] before meeting A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York City in 1966; becoming an initiated disciple in 1967.[4][5] In 1968, together with five other Hare Krishna followers, Yamuna flew to London to establish ISKCON in the United Kingdom.[6] There, she helped introduce Beatles guitarist George Harrison to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy and practice.[7] Yamuna sang co-lead vocals on the 1969 Apple Records "Hare Krishna Mantra" single,[8] which reached number 12 in the UK Chart.[9] She also sang lead vocals on the 1970 Apple Records "Govinda" single, which reached number 23 in the UK Chart.[9] Both appeared on The Radha Krsna Temple album.
From 1970 to 1974 she lived and travelled in India with Srila Prabhupada as part of the World Sankirtan Party.[10]
She has been cited as an inspiration by figures such as Jahnavi Harrison.[11][12][13]