Yamuna Devi

{{Short description|American religious figure, cookbook author, musician and teacher}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Yamuna Devi

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Joan Agnes Campanella

| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|5|19}}

| birth_place = Butte, Montana

| death_date = {{death date and age|2011|12|20|1942|5|19|df=}}

| death_place =

| nationality =

| other_names =

| occupation = {{hlist|Cookbook author}}

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works = Lord Krishna's Cuisine (1987)
Yamuna's Table (1993)

}}

Yamuna Devi (also {{IAST|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 International Association of Culinary Professionals/Seagram winning cookbook, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. {{cite web

|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-14-fo-1593-story.html

|title=Indian Cookbook Takes Top Award : IACP/Seagram Winner Is Both Thought-Provoking, Vegetarian

|access-date=2025-05-07

|last=Balsley

|first=Betsy

|date=1988-04-14

|work=Los Angeles Times

}}

She was also a senior member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).{{cite book |last1=Bryant |first1=Edwin and Maria Ekstrand |title=The Hare Krishna movement : the postcharismatic fate of a religious transplant |date=2004 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=9780231122566 |location=New York, NY |page=301}}{{cite book |last1=Rochford |first1=E. Burke |title=Hare Krishna Transformed |date=2007 |publisher=New York University Press |isbn=9780814775783 |location=New York, NY |page=128}}

Devi was part of the early 1960s Beat Generation in North Beach, San Francisco{{cite book |last1=Devi |first1=Dinatarini |title=Yamuna Devi : a life of unalloyed devotion |date=2014 |publisher=Unalloyed |location=Alachua, Florida |isbn=978-0-9914350-0-5 |page=16}} before meeting A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York City in 1966; becoming an initiated disciple in 1967.{{cite book |last1=Devi |first1=Dinatarini |title=Yamuna Devi : a life of unalloyed devotion |date=2014 |publisher=Unalloyed |location=Alachua, Florida |isbn=978-0-9914350-0-5 |page=67}}{{cite web |title=Disciples of Srila Prabhupada |url=https://sp.krishna.com/disciples_y |website=Krishna.com |access-date=30 January 2022}} In 1968, together with five other Hare Krishna followers, Yamuna flew to London to establish ISKCON in the United Kingdom.{{cite journal |last1=Oakes |first1=Philip |title=Chanting Does Wonders For New Missionary Group |journal=The Calgary Herald |date=February 1, 1969 |page=25 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Hx6RvaqUy9IC&dat=19690201&printsec=frontpage |access-date=30 January 2022 |location=Calgary, Alberta |language=English |issn=0828-1815}} There, she helped introduce Beatles guitarist George Harrison to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy and practice.{{cite book |last1=Greene |first1=Joshua |title=Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison |date=2006 |publisher=Bantam |location=London |isbn=9780553817966 |page=152 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OKYUwgNIlMC |access-date=30 January 2022}} Yamuna sang co-lead vocals on the 1969 Apple Records "Hare Krishna Mantra" single,{{cite book |last1=Greene |first1=Joshua |title=Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison |date=2006 |publisher=Bantam |location=London |isbn=9780553817966 |page=175 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OKYUwgNIlMC |access-date=30 January 2022}} which reached number 12 in the UK Chart.{{cite web |title=UK Official Charts – Radha Krishna Temple |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13776/radha-krishna-temple/ |website=UK Official Charts |access-date=30 January 2022}} She also sang lead vocals on the 1970 Apple Records "Govinda" single, which reached number 23 in the UK Chart. 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.{{cite journal |last1=Berne |first1=Suzanne |title=Last Morsel: East Meets West |journal=Vegetarian Times |date=November 1993 |issue=195 |page=120 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAgAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA120 |access-date=30 January 2022 |publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc. |language=en |issn=0164-8497}}

She has been cited as an inspiration by figures such as Jahnavi Harrison.{{cite web |title=Jahnavi Harrison's First Album Takes Us On an Introspective Journey |url=https://iskconnews.org/jahnavi-harrisons-first-album-takes-us-on-an-introspective-journey/ |website=ISKCON News |date=14 August 2015 |access-date=30 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=On being a voice in the global kirtan choir: Jahnavi Harrison |url=https://www.hinduamerican.org/blog/on-being-a-voice-in-the-global-kirtan-choir-jahnavi-harrison |website=Hindu American |date=8 October 2021 |access-date=30 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=Episode #13 – Jahnavi Harrison, part 2 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT67DhJ_t6g |website=The Late Morning Program | date=12 January 2019 |access-date=30 January 2022}}