Confluence at Pandharpur

This article appeared in the November 2011 issue of the Back to Godhead (India) magazine.

Confluence at Pandharpur

The holy site of Pandharpur unites two powerful Bhakti movements that will spread the holy names of the Lord all over the world.

“Oh, most ISKCON followers are well-off, intelligent city dwellers, the elite, quite different from the simple rural devotees of Lord Viööhala of Pandharpur.” Time and again people have pointed this out to me, often with an accusatory undertone. It’s as if having a predominantly urban following poses a threat to ISKCON’s spiritual credibility. But during my recent trip to Pandharpur, as I reflected on this disturbing perception, I found it gradually replaced by an exhilarating prospect.

From the balcony in my room at the ISKCON Pandharpur guesthouse, I got a panoramic view of Çré Pandharpur Dhäma. Everything one comes to Pandharpur for lay before my eyes to behold and savor.

Kshetreshu teertheshvatha daivasteshu

bhakteshu sarveshva iha vai garishtham

sri pundarikam kila chandrabhaga

sri vitthalaste muni pundarikah

(-- Padma Purāna 32.44)

The best holy place, holy waters, deity, and devotee are Pandharpur, the Chandrabhaga, Lord Viööhala, and Puëòaléka respectively.

The river Bhémä, known here as the Chandrabhaga (“moon’s crescent”) because of its path, flowed from right to left, cutting across a wide expanse of the holy land. Almost directly in front of me and across the river, only two hundred meters from where I stood, rose Pandharpur’s most precious possession: the famous Çré Viööhala Rukmiëé Temple, which houses the ancient Deity of Lord Viööhala. Densely dotting the opposite river bank I saw a multitude of devotees eagerly bathing in the Chandrabhaga’s holy waters.

Pandharpur, situated in the Solapur district of Maharashtra, is Maharashtra’s spiritual capital. The image of Lord Viööhala, with His hands on His waist, standing on a brick, waiting for His devotee, is ingrained in the consciousness of most Maharashtrians. Every year for centuries now, thousands upon thousands of pilgrims from villages all over Maharashtra and from Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, walk to Pandharpur with unflinching faith in Lord Viööhala’s protection as an offering of devotion. During their love-walk (väré), these värkarés immerse themselves in remembering the Lord and chanting His holy names, playing musical instruments like karatalas (hand cymbals) and mådaìgas or other drums to accompany their singing. Leading up to the Äñäòha Çukla and Kärtika Çukla Ekädaçés, devotees walk 15–20 days to take darçana of their Lord Viööhala, who is always eagerly waiting for them. No one seems to mind that approximately a hundred thousand others are vying for their Lord’s darçana too.

What Makes Pandharpur a Dhäma?

The Lord’s place of residence is called a dhäma. A dhäma is also a place where remembrance of the Lord comes naturally. Therefore, places where the Lord or His pure devotees have visited or performed pastimes are dhämas. The Lord also declares in the Padma Puräëa that He resides wherever His devotees are glorifying Him.

nähaà tiñöhämi vaikuëöhe

yoginäà hådayeñu vä

tatra tiñöhämi närada

yatra gäyanti mad-bhaktäù

“I am not in Vaikuëöha nor in the hearts of the yogés. I remain where My devotees engage in glorifying My activities.”

Pandharpur fits all the above definitions of a dhäma. Lord Kåñëa, the emperor of Dvärakä, once came here in search of His beloved wife Rukmiëé, who was upset. While here, He remembered His great devotee Puëòaléka. On reaching Puëòaléka’s house, He saw Puëòaléka serving His Vaisnava parents. Puëòaléka, although overjoyed to see the Lord personally at his door, asked Him to wait on a brick while he finished serving his parents. The Lord, His heart overflowing with love for His devotee, patiently stood on the brick, His hands on His waist, waiting for His devotee to attend to Him. Puëòaléka later requested the Lord to stay in Pandharpur forever and bestow spiritual perfection on anyone who merely took His darçana. Of course, the Lord agreed. In recent times, another great devotee, Tukäräma, visited Pandharpur regularly. He also broadcast the congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names (saìkértana) throughout Maharashtra, so much so that Pandharpur and saìkértana are now inseparable.

Pandharpur and ISKCON

Saìkértana and ISKCON are also inseparable. ISKCON is the modern-day home of the worldwide saìkértana movement and is popularly known all over the world as the Hare Kåñëa movement after the Hare Kåñëa mantra saìkértana that is its essential activity. While millions know about Pandharpur and many know about ISKCON, few seem to know about ISKCON’s connections with Pandharpur, both historical and contemporary.

To my left, as I looked down from the first floor balcony of the ISKCON Pandharpur guesthouse, I saw a small structure of columns supporting a dome. Beneath the dome, on a raised platform, three pairs of footprints are installed. The soles of Lord Visnu’s lotus feet in each form are marked with distinctive symbols, and these three pairs of footprints depict the symbols on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityänanda, and Lord Viçvarüpa. Viçvarüpa, the elder brother of Lord Caitanya, is an incarnation of Lord Balaräma. He took sannyäsa in Pandharpur after he had traveled all over India. Lord Nityänanda received spiritual initiation from Çré Lakñmépati Tértha in Pandharpur, and Lord Caitanya Himself visited and stayed at Pandharpur during His travels around India. The great Gauòéya Vaiñëava spiritual master Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura sings, gaur ämära, je saba sthäne, karalo bhramaëa raìge, se-saba sthäna heribo ämi, praëayi-bhakata-saìge: “I aspire to see, in the company of loving devotees, all the places visited by Lord Caitanya.” Çréla Prabhupäda writes, “A devotee should make a point of visiting all the places where Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu performed His pastimes. Indeed, pure devotees of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu even want to see the places He simply visited for only hours or minutes.” This is the 500-year-old historical connection between Pandharpur and ISKCON.

Today, under the leadership of His Holiness Lokanätha Swami, ISKCON has a temple in Pandharpur—the Çré Çré Rädhä Paëòharénätha Temple. Çréla Prabhupäda once commented, “Our Lokanätha Swami is just like Saint Tukäräma. The whole of India and specifically Maharashtra is enthused with Kåñëa. Now you have to revive their Kåñëa consciousness. This is Tukäräma’s country, but now they are becoming bad politicians. So revive them by the process of the saìkértana movement. I am very glad that you are preaching village to village and will cover all of Maharashtra.” Today, Lokanätha Swami is the head of ISKCON’s international Padayäträ Ministry. Under his guidance many padayäträs have been organized all over the world. But Lokanātha Swami, with his childhood rooted in varés to Pandharpur, and because his spiritual master likened him to the Tukäräma of ISKCON, has a special place in his heart for Pandharpur.

ISKCON’s Contribution to Pandharpur

Serving the Lord, the devotees, and the dhäma is central to the bhägavata culture the saìkértana movements of both Tukäräma and ISKCON espouse. Lord Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä (18.68–69) that no one is dearer to Him than those who spread the message of the Gétä among devotees. Pandharpur is full of devotees, and ISKCON’s expertise in presenting the Bhagavad-gétä’s message is well-known. In his talks in India and abroad, Lokanätha Swami often speaks about Lord Viööhala. Consequently, many devotees from around the world have started to visit Pandharpur. ISKCON Pandharpur also reaches out to the nearby rural communities, where their programs are attended by the local folk. Lokanätha Swami’s Marathi book Bhü-Vaikuëöha, compiled after a lot of scriptural research, reveals the unique spiritual stature of Pandharpur and weeds out non-scriptural and anti-scriptural misconceptions about the path of pure bhakti that is this dhäma’s very essence.

During the annual värés to Pandharpur, ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Hospital conducts free medical camps for residents of Pandharpur, and ISKCON’s Food for Life organization distributes free wholesome prasäda to the värkarés. This year ISKCON served around three hundred thousand devotees in these ways. Over the years, the authorities of the Çré Viööhala-Rukmiëé Temple and ISKCON Pandharpur have worked together on many occasions. ISKCON also conducts regular programs inside the Viööhala-Rukmiëé Temple. ISKCON’s regular and significant contributions over the years have not gone unnoticed by the government, either. The Government of Maharashtra wishes to transform Pandharpur into an international destination so that Lord Viööhala’s glories may spread throughout the world. Looking at the amazing transformations ISKCON’s presence has brought in holy places like Mäyäpur and Våëdävana, the government has asked ISKCON to help lead this task. And ISKCON Pandharpur has enthusiastically accepted the government’s request that they arrange for the construction of a bathing ghäta. This ghäta—which will be known as Prabhupäda Ghäta—will be on the ISKCON temple’s side of the river. With lawns, fountains, and other relaxation areas, it promises to make the pilgrims’ visit to Pandharpur convenient, thus making Pandharpur an even more attractive destination.

Confluence at Pandharpur

At first look, the rural devotees of Lord Viööhala, with their modest means and simple ways, seem to have nothing in common with ISKCON’s predominantly urban followers. Those who have given their hearts to the värkarés sometimes find it hard to appreciate ISKCON’s methods. Time and again I have come across people, some genteel, some vehement, who say that ISKCON caters only to the well-educated urban elite. “Why doesn’t ISKCON do something for the rural poor?”

I was stumped when someone first asked me this question. It struck me as odd; as if there is no meeting place between värkarés and urbanite devotees. The apparent conflict is easily resolved in light of how and where these two glorious saìkértana movements started. Tukäräma lived and started preaching the message of love of God in the nondescript Indian village of Dehu, whereas Çréla Prabhupäda was a Calcutta boy and later traveled to the United States to begin his preaching mission in New York City. How can we expect the two movements to have the same kind of followers—at least initially?

But the bhägavata culture makes no distinction between rich and poor among its followers. To judge a spiritual movement based on the bank balance of its adherents instead of on its teachings is material vision. But putting that aside, as ISKCON’s various activities in rural Pandharpur prove, ISKCON doesn’t intend to restrict itself to any particular strata of society. ISKCON’s mission is to spread Krishna’s holy name to every town and village on earth. Since most of India lives in villages, it’s only a matter of time before ISKCON will have more rural followers than urban in India. To realize that day - when the whole world, villager or city-bred, chants the holy name - is the mission of all the sincere followers of Lord Caitanya, Çréla Prabhupäda, and ISKCON.

ISKCON in Pandharpur symbolizes the confluence of two great bhakti traditions, one rural and one urban. The proposed Prabhupäda Ghäöa promises to be the site where the two bhakti currents will mingle and embrace each other. Then the combined force of these two great currents will wash away materialistic standpoints that allow us to think one current is holier than the other. Both are holy.

Looking down from my vantage point, a balcony in the ISKCON Pandharpur guesthouse, I saw in my mind’s eye thousands of devotees carpeting the near bank of the Chandrabhaga at the place where Prabhupäda Ghäöa will soon appear, and many others eagerly dipping into the sacred and refreshing waters.

After a confluence, there is no clear distinction between the constituent currents. Similarly, in the current of bhakti that will now flow from Pandharpur, it will be hard to distinguish between the rural and the urban currents; they will unite and flow together with great force and reverberate the holy names of Lord Viööhala in roaring saìkértana.

A Hare Krishna Composition by Cousins

The Rising Moon of Mayapur

The following article appeared in the October 2011 issue of the Back to Godhead (India) magazine as the cover story.

The Rising Moon of Mäyäpur

In a little-known village of Bengal on the banks of the river Ganga, an extraordinary temple is coming up. From here, the flood of Lord Caitanya’s mercy will inundate the entire world.

The world’s great spiritual traditions are all but lost. All that remains of them are a few sincere followers and a few grand monuments. Millions visit these monuments, not usually to enhance their spirituality but because of the monuments’ architectural and historical significance. The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ToVP) aims at nothing less than making wholesome, authentic spiritual life again appealing to people. Combining modern technology, ancient science, timeless wisdom, and pulsating culture, the very creation of the ToVP will fulfill fascinating prophecies. Will it indeed flood the world with sublime love of God?

The Mäyäpur Connection

The ToVP is rising on the banks of the Ganges in the holy town of Mäyäpur, West Bengal, India. Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, father of the modern-day Kåñëa consciousness movement, narrates in his Navadvépa-dhäma-mähätmya how Lord Nityänanda spoke to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé about the future of Mäyäpur. Lord Nityänanda prophesized: “When our Lord Caitanya disappears, by His desire, the Ganges will swell. The Ganges water will almost cover Mäyäpur for a hundred years, and then the water will recede. Then, by the Lord’s desire, Māyāpur will again be manifest, and the devotees will build temples of the Lord. One exceedingly wonderful temple (adbhuta-mandira) will appear—from which Gauräìga’s eternal service will be preached around the world.”

Mäyäpur is ISKCON’s international headquarters; Çréla Prabhupäda chose it as such because it’s the place where Lord Caitanya appeared. Lord Caitanya, who is Kåñëa Himself in a golden form, appeared in Mäyäpur a little over five hundred years ago with the mission to flood the world with the highest love of God—a love that had rarely been revealed to this world before. He spread the Hare Kåñëa mantra throughout India, and prophesized that one of His commanders-in-chief would one day spread the same holy name to every town and village in the world. In 1965, at almost seventy years old, Çréla Prabhupäda arrived in the USA. Within twelve spectacular years he inspired the founding of 108 temples in cities around the globe. Now thirty-five years later, ISKCON continues to spread Lord Caitanya’s mission, with the goal of fulfilling the prediction that  Kåñëa’s name will be heard in every town and village. Today, ISKCON has about five hundred temples, farm communities, restaurants, and schools. But while all of these are ISKCON temples, this upcoming ToVP in Mäyäpur will undoubtedly be “the” ISKCON temple.

It’s significant that Çréla Prabhupäda chose Mäyäpur as ISKCON’s international headquarters. Even today Mäyäpur is not overly connected with the rest of the world; he didn’t choose it for the material facilities it could provide. Rather, Çréla Prabhupäda well knew the incomparable spiritual significance of Mäyäpur. Here Lord Caitanya first revealed his superexcellent presentation of Vaiñëavism: Gauòéya Vaiñëavism. Mäyäpur is the highest seat of Gauòéya Vaiñëavism, just as Vatican City is the highest seat for Roman Catholics and Mecca serves in the same capacity for Muslims. Now with the construction of the magnificent ToVP, Gauòéya Vaiñëavism will be prominent on the world’s spiritual map. Millions from all walks of life will be attracted to the sublime philosophy and culture that built it.

Temple or Planetarium?

The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium—the name itself arouses interest. Çréla Prabhupäda had a clear vision—one he expressed on many occasions—for the ToVP. He wanted “a unique Vedic Planetarium to present the Vedic perspective of life, including a gigantic display of the material and spiritual worlds, which could be viewed by visitors from different levels as they traveled through the planetarium.” Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to use something startling and state-of-the-art to attract people from around the world to Mäyäpur. Once they arrived, their spiritual journey would begin and they would be given the chance to practice Kåñëa consciousness, if only for a few days, ushering auspiciousness into their lives.

Aside from the presentation itself, Çréla Prabhupäda recognized the hold modern atheistic science has on most people. He wanted to challenge the mechanistic understanding of the universe. To educate people in the principles of Vedic cosmology is a crucial aim of the ToVP. Cosmology studies the origin, purpose, structure, and function of the universe, and Vedic cosmology gives extensive information not only about the structure of the phenomenal universe as we see it, but about its source, purpose, and the subtle laws that govern it.

The fundamental concept pervading Vedic cosmology is that everything and everyone has a relationship with and dependence on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa, the source of the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the manifested worlds. The Vedic Planetarium and Science Center will attractively present this profound understanding. It will also offer solid scientific arguments that underpin the concepts of Intelligent Design. And of course, the ToVP will continue to challenge and counter popular atheistic claims about human ancestry by showing through evidence and logic that life cannot come from matter and that humans could not have evolved from apes.

The ToVP’s aim is the aim of any true temple: to attract people to Kåñëa (God) and to educate them about Him. Five hundred years ago Mäyäpur and the nearby town of Navadvépa were centers of learning in logic, philosophy, and spirituality. Today, Mäyäpur hosts primary school students as well as adults taking advanced courses in Vaiñëava philosophy and practice. Mäyäpur’s leaders are already planning to build a university. Along with an academic education, however, future Mäyäpur students will also  experience a practical lifestyle centered on devotion to God. The ToVP will be the hub of this spiritual education.

Thus even with the emphasis on the Vedic Planetarium, the ToVP is most definitely a temple and not a planetarium. It’s a temple with a difference, the first of its kind, the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Grand and Exquisite

The ToVP is the biggest Vedic temple being built in the last 1000 years. Çréla Prabhupäda is the original ToVP architect. In his letters and conversations he had clearly outlined its key features. The temple is coming up honoring all those instructions.

In July 1976, Çréla Prabhupäda expressed his preference for the outer design of the temple. While visiting Washington, he instructed his disciples Yadubara Däsa and Viçäkhä Devé Däsé to take detailed photos of the US Capitol building, which would serve as a prototype for the ToVP. The most prominent external feature of the ToVP will thus be its three towering domes. Based on Prabhupäda’s various instructions, the tallest and central dome, more than 300 feet tall, will house three sets of deities. The leftmost set will be of the disciplic succession, the venerable line of spiritual masters in which Çréla Prabhupäda has come. In the center will be the effulgent and huge Païca-tattva deities: Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityänanda, Çré Advaita, Çré Gadadhara, and Çré Çrévasa, who are already being worshipped today in the present Mäyäpur temple. And on their right will be the gorgeous Çré Çré Rädhä-Mädhava and Their eight principal cowherd girl friends. The combined presence of all these deities on the 140-foot wide ToVP altar will offer a Deity darçana unmatched in this world.

The huge temple space around the central deities will be big enough to hold 10,000 devotees. The high ceiling of the dome will remind visitors of the greatness of God and inspire humility and submissiveness. Hanging inside the central dome will be a chandelier with a difference: a moving 3-D model of the structure of the universe as described in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Visitors will be able to study the structure of the universe from multiple levels. At each level will be galleries and exhibits to explain the various aspects of the universe, along with its purpose. The highest level will take visitors on a tour to the spiritual world.

The central dome walls would be of the best of marble ornamented by gold inlays. The magical and expensive onyx marble, which is known for its translucence and delicacy, will adorn the altar. The central dome will be flanked on either side by two smaller domes. The dome on the right will house the deity of Lord Nåsiàha. Its interiors will be South Indian style and dominated by black. The dome on the left will house the Vedic Planetarium. The temple would implement green architecture; a state-of-the-art natural air flow system will ventilate the huge central and right domes without using air-conditioners. In contrast, the Vedic Planetarium, consisting of multiple floors, seminar halls, etc. will be fully air conditioned.

The towering domes will be visible from miles away. The temple will be situated within beautiful landscaping with water bodies, fountains, and lawns. The massive size will awaken visitors to the temple’s immense significance. The outside walls would be in various exquisite shades of blue, white, and gold. The best marble to clad the outer walls will come directly from the quarries of Turkey. True to its purpose of being a world temple, its architecture would be an eclectic blend, borrowing heavily from Vedic and non-Vedic styles of sacred architecture. The main entrance would be like that of a classic Vedic temple with pillars and a courtyard. The magnificent domes would in robin-egg blue and would be reminiscent to the famous Faberge eggs designed by the famous Russian jewelry firm, House of Faberge. Faberge eggs are elaborate jewel-encrusted eggs, typically miniature. Along the same lines, the ToVP domes would be elaborately ornamented with weavings of gold. Above the entrance to the central dome would be an astronomical clock similar to the famous Prague Astronomical Clock. Eight staircase towers all around the structure would lend delightful symmetry. At night, the play of light would create another breathtaking scene. Apart from these major features, there will be innumerable finer aspects that will lend unprecedented beauty to this magnificent temple.

The Rising Moon of Mäyäpur

Çréla Prabhupäda requested his disciple Ambaréña Däsa (Alfred Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford) to help finance the ToVP. Taking this instruction as his very life, Ambaréña Däsa is personally financing a major portion of the total expenses. The temple construction started in 2009 and is well under way. Çréla Prabhupäda talked about the ToVP most with another disciple, Bhavänanda Däsa, who was involved for many years with the early development of the Mäyäpur temple. He now serves as the Creative Director for the ToVP. Ñaòbhuja Däsa, a 22-year Mäyäpur veteran and Project Coordinator for the completion of Çréla Prabhupäda’s Puñpa Samädhi, is now heading the ToVP project as the Project Director. Working under him are Puëòarékäkña Govinda Däsa as the Site Project Coordinator and Viläsiné Devé Däsé as the Consultant Coordinator coordinating all architects and drawings.

Gammon India, one of the largest physical infrastructure construction companies in India, is building the temple. Mr. Vibhuti Choudhary is acting as the consultant. The plan is for the superstructure to be complete within the next three years. If possible, even the Deities will be moved to Their grand new location. The completion of the external decorative work will take some years beyond to complete. 2016 is the 50^th anniversary of ISKCON. The ToVP team’s desire is to present this grand temple to Çréla Prabhupäda in 2016 as a token of love and immense gratitude for the unfathomable gift of Kåñëa Consciousness that he has given the world.

Çréla Prabhupäda said that the ToVP already exists; Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura saw it. Whatever the Lord desires automatically becomes manifest by His icchä-çakti (the power of His desire). Now, what remains is to put the bricks and cement, and steel and paint, all in their place. Çréla Prabhupäda explained that Kåñëa showed Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukñetra that He had already killed Arjuna’s enemies. Arjuna still had to fire his arrows and become the instrument for the killing. Similarly, whoever will help in physically building the ToVP will become famous as an instrument of the Lord in fulfilling His most cherished desire—of spreading His message in every town and village.

Çréla Prabhupäda made Mäyäpur the center of ISKCON. The ToVP touches the life of every ISKCON friend and member in a way unlike any other ISKCON temple. It is the root of the ISKCON tree. By watering this root, one will feel more strongly connected to the mission of the Lord. From this root the highest spiritual nourishment will reach all devotional branches all over the world.

Çréla Prabhupäda named the present Mäyäpur temple complex “Çré Mäyäpur Chandrodaya Mandir”. The word candra means “moon” and refers to the effulgent moon of Lord Caitanya. The word candrodaya can be split as either chandra-doyä or candra-udaya. The former refers to the doyä (mercy) of Lord Caitanya, and the latter to the udaya (rise) of Lord Caitanya’s mission. About the ToVP, Çréla Prabhupäda had once said, “The plans and contemplations are going on in different phases; now when Caitanya Mahäprabhu will be pleased it will be taken up.” That time has come. With the rise of the ToVP, the resplendent moon of Lord Caitanya will ascend further and bathe the world with the most pleasing moonlight of love of God.