Bold and
Beautiful, TOVP
An emblem of Srila Prabhupada’s boldness.
Srila Prabhupada founded the International Society
for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) when he was 70 years old and spread it
throughout the world in the next 12 years. He obviously had numerous attractive
qualities, both as a person and as a leader. One that continues to amaze, inspire,
and guide his followers was his sensational boldness.Srila Prabhupada's boldness changed the course of
world history.
When
Prabhupada started his work in the USA in the 1960s,traditional religious institutions no longer held firm sway
on thenewer generations of the western world. Materialism and even outright
hedonism was beginning to capture the hearts of the masses there. The western world was fast moving towards a completely
godless state of existence; the rest of the world would have followed suit
shortly. Prabhupada reintroduced the western world to God - a stunningly
beautiful blue teenage jolly cowherd boy who plays a flute and constantly
engages in delightful pastimes of selfless love and affection with all the
inhabitants, including birds and animals, of His simple rural village named
Vrindavan. In an increasingly materialistic, self-centered, urbanized, and
anti-god western society, this picture of God was a shocking revelation. But Prabhupada's
bold conviction in his message made people start believing in it - to engage in
pure devotional service to God, Krishna. The TOVP is an emblem of Srila Prahbupada’s
boldness.
The Bold Lonely Struggle
One can trace
back Prabhupada's boldness to his first meeting in 1922 with His Divine Grace
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta startled the then
26 year old Gandhian Indian nationalist Abhay Charan De by his bold
proclamation: temporary material situations like the British rule over India
should not impede the preaching of Lord Chaitanya’s spiritual message; only this
message can benefit the world and not any political situation. In an India engulfed
by arousing nationalistic fervor, this was a stunning proposition; but
Prabhupada was convinced.
Prabhupada
later became an initiated disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and imbibed from
him this trait of boldness. Prabhupada was bold in multiple ways - personally,
as a visionary, and as a strategist. In the 1950s, he made the bold decision of
leaving his family to dedicate himself fully to the order of his spiritual
master – to preach Lord Chaitanya’s message in English all over the world. This
period, the 1950s, was Prabhupada’s toughest in terms of food, clothing, and
shelter. Brought up with utmost love and care by his parents and always treated
affectionately by his spiritual master, now Prabhupada found that he was all
alone. Yet he struggled on, shuttling between Vrindavan and Delhi, to raise
funds for, write, and print his “Back To Godhead” fortnightly journal and his
commentary on the first canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. It is impossible to
fathom how this unknown aged man continued on without any fixed source of
money, contacts, institutional backing, or certainty about the future. We can but
bow our heads in the dust of his lotus feet and profusely thank him for his
struggles for bringing us to the path of Krishna Consciousness.
This period
of struggle ended in an unprecedented event in world history – a voyage that
could eventually become as famous as Columbus’s voyage that led to the discovery
of the New World. Columbus brought the western world into light; Prabhupada’s
voyage brought spiritual light to the western world. Prabhupada’s voyage to USA
on the cargo ship Jaladuta and his subsequent success are unparalleled in the
history of Vaishnavism. The voyage was a bold move on multiple counts. One,
traditional Vedic wisdom prohibits one to leave the shores of the holy land of
India. And two, Prabhupada was 69 years old then, with no financial or social
support whatsoever.
Taking on the World
Prabhupada’s
conviction in his mission gradually earned him his first few followers in the
USA. He finally had hands to execute his mission. When all he had was a single
storefront, he painted the vision of an international society. He called it a
society for Krishna Consciousness when no one in the west knew that Krishna is
God. He startled the western world by Hari Nama Sankirtans - street processions
having devotees chanting and dancing to the beats of hand cymbals and drums with
banners of the Holy Name in hand. The biggest and most eye catching street
processions were of course the Lord Jagannath Ratha Yatras which he conducted
in major cities of the world. Perhaps his boldest and most socially noticeable move
was to have devotees publicly and visibly distribute his books in major public
places like airports. His vision was clear – to wake up the people of the world
to Krishna by aggressive propaganda via books and sankirtan.
In his books
he presented Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead along with his Holy
Name, form, qualities, and pastimes. But in many of his conversations with
eminent philosophers and scientists he used a distinct strategy - he challenged
them. Quoting from authoritative Vedic scriptures and applying simple logic, he
questioned and reprimanded those who proclaimed God to be impersonal and denied
His eternal form and abode. He gave the Vedic perspective on the various
western philosophies he came across. And most notably, he exposed the
illogicality and futility of the mechanistic explanation of the cosmos and all
that’s in it. This was a direct challenge to the growing atheistic scientific
worldview. Despite not having a scientific academic background, he boldly
ridiculed atheistic reductionist science based on his simple and firm faith in
the word of scripture. To ensure that this challenge didn’t fizzle away, he
started the Bhaktivedanta Institute as the scientific wing of ISKCON. While the
whole world was glorifying the dazzling advancements in the scientific world,
Prabhupada belittled them as being incapable of solving the real problems of
life – birth, old age, disease, and death.
Prabhupada's
expert application of the principle of yukta vairagya was instrumental in his
spectacular success. Because Srila Prabhupada was a pure devotee, Krishna
was the most tangible reality for him; in fact he was in full realization of
the fact that Krishna is the only independent reality and that all else depends
on Him. Consequently he had the flair of engaging everything in Krishna’s
service. He was the quintessential yukta vairagi. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
characterizes Kåñëa consciousness in this way:
"When one is not attached to anything, but at the same
time accepts everything in relation to Kåñëa, one is rightly situated above
possessiveness. [This is the principle of yukta vairagya]"
(Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.2.255)
Money,
technology, world travel, mass media, public programs - he used them all with
assured confidence. What’s more, he engaged the most unkempt drug addicts on
one hand and attracted sophisticated scientists and professors on the other. It
takes extraordinary ability to engage the most spiritually unqualified and
ignorant in the Lord’s service. And it takes courage. The result was a Hare
Krishna explosion. Hare Krishna became household names, hundreds of youth
became his followers, millions of spiritual books were sold, and a hundred
temples were built. Lord Chaitanya’s movement left the shores of India;
Prabhupada fulfilled the order of his spiritual master.
Succession of Boldness
Srila
Prabhupada expected his followers to have faith in the Holy Name and continue
preaching the message of Lord Chaitanya boldly. Being bold is hard; it takes
courage to take significant and potentially life threatening risks. However,
the tales of Srila Prabhupada’s personal struggles, his life threatening voyage
to the west, and untiring hard work despite advanced old age serve as
continuous inspiration for his sincere followers. Riding on this inspiration,
his followers continue to operate even in remote corners of the globe, in
hostile countries like the Islamic and communist nations, in the hearts of
modern cities, and in many other parts of the world. Many of his disciples and
grand-disciples lead a hectic life full of inconveniences to carry forward his
legacy. This succession of boldness and dedication is one of Srila Prabhupada’s
hallmarks of success; a true leader is one who creates more leaders.
Prabhupada
has also given a life of dignity and confidence to all his followers. Without a
thriving and united community of devotees, it would have been difficult for
devotees to practice devotional life in today’s increasingly godless modern
world. But thanks to ISKCON, devotees in devotional attire are now an
increasingly common site in various parts of the world. This is also due to the
strong scriptural and logical foundation that Prabhupada has provided for all
aspects of a devotee’s life. Now a devotee does not need to be apologetic about
his devotional practices. In fact many times a devotee’s acquaintances look up
to him or her for guidance regarding various aspects of their life.
As a token
of gratitude, to fulfil one of his ardent desires, and as a stunningly courageous
undertaking, Srila Prabhupada’s followers are constructing the magnificent
TOVP.
Bold and Beautiful
The three giant domes of the TOVP will be structurally
complete by the end of 2015. This will include the concreting layer on top of
the steel superstructure of the domes. By then, the entire superstructure of
the temple building including the external brickwork will also be done. The
domes will be layered with vitrified tiles of a unique shade of blue. Tiles of
this color are available nowhere in the world. The NITCO company will specially
manufacture these tiles for the TOVP. These tiles will start arriving at the
site shortly. The MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) work for both
infrastructure and interior needs will start in 2015. For example, lightening
arresters (devices used to protect against the damage caused by lightening)
have arrived on the site. There will be one special lightening arrester on each
of the three domes and 40 others at various places on the site. The
waterproofing is complete. Work on other services like fire-fighting, heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning will also start now. The ground floor of the
building is now leveled; in one way this milestone signifies that the super
structure is now more or less done. On the aesthetic side, the sandstone
carving work will now start.
While
Prabhupada’s personal boldness is seen in his followers, his visionary and
strategic boldness is evident in the TOVP. One of Prabhupada’s preaching strategies
was to just encourage people to come to Mayapur so that their spiritual life
will start. Additionally, one of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s prominent visions
was to see people from different parts of the world throng to Mayapur and
participate in the congregational chanting of the Holy Name. There are multiple
bold elements in the construction of the TOVP which are meant to attract the
people of the world to Mayapur.
The most
obvious is its scale. The huge central dome will be the biggest dome in the
world in terms of diameter and only second in terms of height after the Saint
Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Building it was an architectural challenge
which the team of architects has now addressed satisfactorily. While there are other huge temple complexes in
the world like the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, India (180,000 sq. mt.) and the
Angkor Wat in Cambodia, no other temple boasts as large a temple hall as the
TOVP. Under the shelter of the structurally sound central dome, the TOVP temple
hall will be 45000 sq. ft. in area and will hold 10000 pilgrims. Extending Srila
Prabhupada’s application of the yukta viaragya principle, a lot of modern
technology will be employed in this project. For example, the central dome will
be acoustically designed for facilitating discourses within it for the 10000
pilgrims inside it. The decorative coffered ceiling of the central dome is also
another major execution challenge that the team is currently working on. On top
of the central dome, even above the kalash, will be housed a beautiful
Sudarshan Chakra whose diameter will be 4m. A gong will be installed inside the
temple that will be heard as far as the town of Krishnanagar, a straight line
distance of 12km from Mayapur.
Impersonalism
and atheistic science are two streams of thought that Prabhupada repeatedly
attacked in his books and conversations. The TOVP continues that trend.
Building of a grand temple of Lord Krishna focused on elaborate deity worship
and devotional lifestyle directly challenges the impersonal conceptions of the
Absolute Truth; it establishes the Absolute Truth as Sri Krishna – the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the source of everything. Consequently, the TOVP also
rejects the mechanistic atheistic explanations of the cosmos and all that’s in
it. What’s more, it also presents the Vedic view of the structure of the
universe, most notably in the form of the ambitious chandelier that will hang
down from the central dome. This chandelier will be a moving model of the Vedic
explanation of the structure of the universe. To amalgamate the function of a
chandelier (a decorative device of lighting) with the function of a scientific
model of the universe (to explain its different aspects) into one single
electro-mechanical structure is quite a design challenge.
Being aware
of the large amount of money required for building something so grand, just to
attempt it is a statement of utmost faith in Srila Prabhupada’s vision.
Centuries ago wealthy kings used to fund the construction of large temples, but
not today. Today funds are raised by requesting for them from potential donors.
It’s a joint effort by the well-wishers of the project. Even when he did not
have the required funds, Prabhupada had promised Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari of
the Juhu (Bombay) ISKCON Temple that he would build a palace for them; he did.
Similarly, the followers of Srila Prabhupada have promised him the building of
the TOVP; with the cooperation of his worldwide followers, this promise will
soon become a reality.
The
superstructure of the TOVP already looks beautiful from Srila Bhaktivinod
Thakur’s house across the Ganga. The striking blue color of its domes is an
aesthetically bold choice too. The interior and exterior beauty of the TOVP
will capture the hearts of its visitors. But the real beauty of the TOVP lies
in its special place in the history of Gaudiya Vaishnavism; it will make Gaudiya
Vaishnavism prominent on the world’s spiritual map.
An Emblem of Boldness
Srila Prabhupada was the perfect sadhu.
The symptoms of a sädhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and
friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides
by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime.
—Çrémad-Bhägavatam 3.25.21
All
ornaments of a sadhu decorated Srila Prabhupada. He left Vrindavan to give
Krishna to the world because he was not satisfied with just his own liberation
– that was his compassion. He faced so many impediments and so much opposition along
the way but he tolerated it all for the sake of Lord Chaitanya’s mission. This
combination of intense compassion and utmost tolerance was the recipe of his
stunning boldness.
The TOVP
will serve as an emblem of Srila Prabhupada’s boldness for generations to come. ---
Appeared as the Cover Story in the May 2013 issue of Back To Godhead (India)
Pune: ISKCON’s New Vedic Cultural Centre From
a Rented Bungalow to a Grand Palace
Throughout history, Pune
has been one of western India’s most important political centers. It’s the
cultural and spiritual capital of the state of Maharashtra. Thirty years ago
ISKCON had no presence in Pune, but on February 24, 2013, the honorable
President of India inaugurated a gorgeous new ISKCON temple, the New Vedic
Cultural Center (NVCC). It will propagate the timeless message of the ancient sacred
Vedic texts by providing the supporting culture and education using the newest
modern facilities; hence the name NVCC. It is one of the biggest ISKCON temples
in the world — the temple property sprawls over 6 acres, and the maximum
capacity of the temple hall is 3,000 people. ISKCON is a prominent feature of
Pune’s spiritual landscape, and the NVCC could soon become Pune’s most
prominent icon. The journey has been long and sometimes hard, but this is not
the end. The inauguration of the NVCC marks a new beginning in ISKCON Pune’s
history. Perhaps it is a historic moment even for ISKCON at large.
Space Crunch
Thirty years ago, a few
devotees from ISKCON’s Juhu temple started visiting Pune. At that time, someone
helped them to rent an army colonel’s bungalow at the heart of the city. Thus
the Çré Çré Rädhä-Kunjabihäré temple was established in 1982. The temple
activities really took off in 1993, when Gopäla Kåñëa Goswami requested Rädhänätha
Swami to send a team of devotees from Mumbai to Pune. One of these devotees was
Rädheçyäma Däsa, who started serving as the Pune temple president from 1997. He
compiled teachings from Çréla Prabhupada’s books into introductory courses on
the Bhagavad-gétä and gradually
started presenting those courses at colleges. A lot of young men were impressed
by his presentations and many joined the temple full time. This youth outreach
program has expanded manifold and to this day continues to attract intelligent
youth. Meanwhile, Jähnavä Devé Däsé, and later on Jayadeva Däsa and his wife Satyavaté
Devé Däsé, started weekly programs at their home. Many of the current leaders
in Pune are products of these two home programs. Today, the temple boasts a
staggering 150 resident monks. There are also over 4,000 congregation members
closely associated with the temple.
Eventually, a time
came when the space in the temple could no longer satisfy the needs of the
increasing number of devotees and well-wishers. Space was short for the
resident devotees; 150 people stayed in three rooms, many sleeping under the
sky at night. Space was short to serve the large crowds on festivals; the
congregation was growing in size. Space was short to hold grand satsaìga programs when senior devotees, sannyäsés, or disciples of Çréla Prabhupada
came; the temple management hired outside facilities. Most importantly, space
was short for holding cultural and educational outreach programs for newcomers;
the temple was steadily gaining popularity. To serve as the headquarters of the
dynamic and expanding activities of ISKCON Pune, a bigger temple was obviously
a dire necessity.
Fundraising
Dr. Baman Das
Banerjee, an eye surgeon, had been worshipping a gorgeous deity of Lord Bäläjé
at his home for 25 years. When he grew old, he wanted to offer this Deity to
someone who would worship Him properly. Impressed by its Deity worship
standards, he offered the Deity to ISKCON Pune on the condition that a
beautiful temple be built for Him. He also donated property worth Rs. 1.25 crore.
Devotees bought the first piece of land — 75,000 square feet — with the money
obtained by selling this property. Thus, the first funds for the NVCC came from
Lord Bäläjé Himself.
At one time Gopäla Kåñëa
Goswami noted that only a large temple attracts a large number of people. With
this in mind, he set the fundraising goal at Rs. 15 crore. The fundraising
committee mobilized the whole congregation to take part in a massive
fundraising drive. In 2007, even before the bhümi-püjä
(which traditionally marks the start of construction), devotees had raised
a whopping Rs. 4 crores. So much money had never ever been raised before for
any ISKCON project so early in the process. As time progressed, the vision for
the new temple expanded. More land was acquired. By the time of the opening
ceremony, the total expenditure for the temple was Rs. 40 crores.
"We had no previous
experience of fundraising. We are primarily into training and preaching.
However, after a lot of brainstorming we launched the Mark Your Square Feet
scheme,” explains Çré Guru Caraëa Däsa, who led the fundraising efforts. With
the initial 75,000 square foot property and an initial budget of about 15 crore,
the scheme encouraged donors to sponsor the construction of a few square feet
of the temple at the rate of Rs. 2,000 per square foot. Due to years of successful
outreach programs, the Pune temple had a huge number of devotees and well-wishers.
With this support, the Mark Your Square Feet scheme was a triumph.
Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura,
a great spiritual master in the Gauòéya Vaiñëava disciplic succession, had once
gone door to door to collect funds for constructing the beautiful Yogapéöha temple
at the birth place Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He wanted as many people as
possible to get a chance to serve the Lord. Following in his footsteps, about a
thousand devotees actively participated in the fundraising activities for the NVCC.
It took them six years to raise the Rs. 40 crore. Along the way, about 40,000
Pune citizens got connected to the temple. Touched by the devotees’ sincerity
of purpose, many people opened their hearts and donated profusely — both in
kindness and in cash. As a result, many of them have also brought some of the principles
of Kåñëa consciousness into their lives. The fundraising drive added new
stories of heroism to the ISKCON Pune folklore — stories of selflessness, toil,
and accomplishment — to inspire devotees for generations to come.
Inauguration by the
President of India
The NVCC
construction progressed at a steady pace. In one special instance, even animals
did their part, undoubtedly inspired by the Lord. Without the devotees’
knowledge, one of the contractors had used substandard material for the false
ceiling inside the temple hall. Monkeys came and played on the temple roof. Their
running and jumping on the rooftop broke the false ceiling, exposing the
contractor’s error. No one had ever seen the monkeys before, and no has ever
seen them since. Perhaps they were sent by the Lord. Thus, by the combined
efforts of the fundraisers, the donors, the construction crew, the residents of
Pune (both human and animal), and the mercy of the Lord, the temple was ready
for inauguration on February 23–24, 2013, on the auspicious day of Nityänanda
Trayodaçé.
On Gopäla Kåñëa
Goswami’s request, the President of India, Çré Pranab Mukherjee, agreed to
inaugurate the NVCC. This raised the profile of the inauguration event to great
heights. It also added tremendous pressure on the NVCC team, since getting the
President to any event is full of uncertainties. But, by the Lord’s mercy, the
inauguration went well. The Governor of Maharashtra, K. Shankarnaraya, a
minister of Maharashtra, Harshawardhan Patil, the Mayor of Pune, Vaishali
Bankar, and Bollywood film star Hema Malini were also present.
In his speech, the
President spoke about ISKCON and Çréla Prabhupada in glowing words. His speech
was repeatedly broadcast on TV channels and must have increased many people’s
appreciation for ISKCON. He said, “...
If anyone notes the progress of the ISKCON movement, he will simply be struck
by the enormity of the velocity with which the movement has caught up. If time
is ripe for an idea, nothing can stop it. This principle can be applied to Çréla
Prabhupada’s movement. ... He dedicated his life to spreading the eternal
message of humanity — the teachings of the Bhagavad-gétä,
the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and the Gauòéya
Vaiñëava-sampradäya. … We are deeply appreciative of the contributions made by
this great movement. This magnificent center in the city of culture will
dedicate itself to the cause of humanity not by increasing strife, confrontation, and conflict, but by increasing
peace, harmony, love, and compassion.”
Gopäla Kåñëa Goswami
reflects, “The President’s visit was a historic event in all of ISKCON and will
attract thousands of visitors to this temple. It will enhance preaching to a
great degree. Çréla Prabhupäda and Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura wanted
to invite such big prominent leaders in society to draw the attention of the
public.”
The previous day,
the gorgeous Deities of Their Lordships Çré Çré Rädhä-Våndävanacandra, Çré Çré
Gaura-Nitäi, and Çré Çré Jagannätha, Baladeva, and Subhadrä were installed by a
spiritually and emotionally surcharged präëa-pratiñöhä ceremony. In this
ceremony, senior devotees request Their Lordships to manifest Themselves
through the Deities. Accompanied by rousing kértanas and elaborate abhiñeka
ceremony (bathing the Lords by water and other auspicious liquids), devotees
welcomed the Lords into Their magnificent new home. Many senior devotees,
including the GBCs for ISKCON Pune, were present to provide their invaluable
association to all present.
Meanwhile, about 40,000
devotees from all over India, and some even from abroad, had come to enthusiastically
participate in the inauguration festivities. Also in attendance were a huge
number of Pune citizens, for whom a number of stalls were set up to present
various aspects of Kåñëa consciousness. The visitors also had the option of
hearing talks given by various senior devotees; these talks were aired live on
local television.
Wonderful NVCC
The campus of the NVCC
occupies 6 acres. As soon as one enters the complex, a wide expanse of green
lawn meets the eye. Beyond that rises the magnificent Çré Çré Rädhä-Våndävanacandra
temple, extending from right to left. The temple has three tall spires similar
to the spires of the Jagannätha temple in Puré. The outside walls of the temple,
marble and red sandstone, are white and pink. To the left of the lawn is a building
in modern style that holds the Brahmacari Ashram for the 150 resident devotees
and a prasäda hall for 3,000 people. In the future, this building will
also contain other facilities like seminar halls, classrooms, and so on. Also
planned for the NVCC complex are a guest house and a Govinda’s restaurant. To
the right of the lawn, on top of a hill behind the main temple, is the temple
of Lord Bäläjé, reminiscent of Lord Bäläjé’s residence on the Tirumala Hills in
Tirupati. It is in the traditional South Indian style, using unpolished gray
granite.
The
main temple hall is on the first floor. Upon entering, you’re spellbound by
beauty. The eyes dart from one feature to another, anxious to take everything
in and yet eager to see every tiny detail. The flooring is pure white marble,
the same as used in the Taj Mahal. The flooring has multiple inlays — marble
patterns using natural sandstone. The biggest inlay is 30 feet in diameter, one
of the biggest in all the ISKCON temples in the world. Each flower in those
inlays is specially designed. The walls are decorated with gorgeous paintings
and murals, one side from gaura-lélä
and the other from kåñëa-lélä. Balconies
run along both walls. The ceiling has 13 domes. The underside of the biggest
dome is painted with Rädhä, Kåñëa, and the añöa-sakhés, while the other 12 domes
are painted with images of the mahäjanas, one each. Several peacock-shaped
chandeliers from China are suspended from the ceiling. The huge altar area is
made using onyx marble, one of the best in the world. It’s known for its
delightful translucence and softness. The intricate woodwork near the altar
depicts the different incarnations of the Lord. Opposite the altar, at the
other end of the hall, is a mürti of Çréla
Prabhupäda.
All the lighting for
the temple hall, including the chandeliers, is provided by LEDs. This rare
setup saves a lot of power. The domes use color-changing LEDs so they can be lit
up in different colors to create a variety of moods. The marble keeps the
temperature cool inside. A sophisticated system of ventilators and wind
turbines installed in the big dome ensures that hot air is sucked out and
natural air circulates though the hall. The hall is equipped with the best
audio-visual setup, with four projection screens. Aesthetically pleasing
sound-diffusing and sound-absorbing material ensures great acoustics. These and
many more delightful features make the hall the most welcoming place on earth.
And yet all this
beauty cannot match the beauty of the masters of the temple — the Deities. Çré
Çré Rädhä-Våndävanacandra and Çré Çré Gaura-Nitäi were carved in Jaipur. The devotees
very carefully decided exactly how the Deities should look, researching the
prominent features of other ISKCON Deities. For Lord Våndävanacandra, they
wanted His face to resemble the face of Lord Mädhava in Mäyäpur and His hands
to resemble the hands of Lord Gopénätha at Chowpatty, Mumbai. They wanted Rädhäräëé’s
features to be a mix of the features of the Rädhäräëé Deities in ISKCON’s Mäyäpur
and Våndävana temples. They wanted Gaura-Nitäi’s hands to resemble those of the
Gaura-Nitäi Deities in South Africa. The Jagannätha-Baladeva-Sudhadrä Deities came
from Puré. The smiling face of Lord Våndävanacandra and the graceful pose and
merciful mood of Gaura-Nitai are enrapturing. The beauty of Their Lordships
can’t be described in words, but after seeing Them there is no doubt that
nothing and no one can be anywhere near as beautiful as They. The original
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Çré Rädhä-Våndävanacandra, resides in the
NVCC, eager to bestow His unlimited blessings to the residents of Pune.
A New Beginning
The inauguration of the NVCC marks the
beginning of a new chapter in ISKCON Pune’s history. Rädheçyäma Däsa summarizes
his vision for the project: “The NVCC will be a flourishing project where
children, students, working people, families, senior citizens, all will have
friends. They will also have satisfyingcultural, educational, religious, and spiritual engagements. The
soothingspiritual
ambience with state-of-the-art interiors will bring great inner peace,homelike atmosphere, and ever-expanding
happiness to all visitors in such a way that nobody will feel like leaving.”
Not only will the NVCC continue to expand the current temple activities, it
will also venture into new and innovative ways of spreading Kåñëa consciousness.
For example, the multipurpose hall at NVCC will be used for dramas, art, music,
dance, debates, and so on, all to attract thousands to learn Kåñëa consciousness
through entertaining presentations. The NVCC will become a center for training
devotees from all parts of the world. It will also start rural outreach
programs to take the message to villages around Pune. This is but a glimpse
into the future of the NVCC.
The
NVCC is an offering of love from the devotees of Pune to Çréla Prabhupäda and
Çré Kåñëa. It’s a testament to how the temple residents and the congregation
worked together to achieve grand results for Kåñëa. It’s a story of
cooperation, perseverance, and faith. At this joyous juncture, pregnant with
grand possibilities, let’s all rejoice in this remarkable success story in the
glorious mission of Çréla Prabhupäda's ISKCON.
In West Bengal, in a little-known village on the bank of the Ganges, an extraordinary temple is taking shape.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), or the Hare Krishna movement, is gradually being recognized all over the world as an authentic spiritual tradition with roots in ancient Vedic scripture and culture. Throughout history, the great spiritual traditions of the world have gifted mankind many grand monuments that serve as lasting, inspiring reminders of the glorious traditions they represent. The upcoming Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ToVP) will be one such monument, representing ISKCON in particular and Gaudiya Vaishnavism in general. Combining modern technology, ancient science, timeless wisdom, and lively culture, the ToVP promises to be a popular spiritual destination.
The Mayapur Connection
The ToVP is rising on the banks of the Ganges in the holy town of Mayapur, West Bengal, India. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the father of the modern-day Krishna consciousness movement, narrates in his Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya how Lord Nityananda spoke to Srila Jiva Goswami (both contemporary devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) about the future of Mayapur. Lord Nityananda prophesized: "When our Lord Chaitanya leaves this world, by His desire the Ganges will swell. Its water will almost cover Mayapur for a hundred years, and then the water will recede. Then, by the Lord's desire, Mayapur will again be manifest, and the devotees will build temples of the Lord. One exceedingly wonderful temple (adbhuta-mandira) will appear from which Lord Chaitanya's eternal service will be preached around the world."
Because Mayapur is where Lord Chaitanya appeared, Srila Prabhupada chose it as ISKCON's international headquarters. Lord Chaitanya, who is Krishna Himself in a golden form, appeared in Mayapur a little over five hundred years ago with the mission to flood the world with the highest love of God, a love rarely revealed. He spread the Hare Krishna mantra throughout India and prophesized that one of His "commanders" (senapati-bhakta) would one day deliver the holy names to every town and village in the world. In 1965, at seventy years of age, Srila Prabhupada arrived in the USA. Within twelve years, he inspired the founding of 108 temples in cities around the globe. Now, forty-seven years later, ISKCON continues to spread Lord Chaitanya's mission with the goal of fulfilling His prediction. ISKCON has about five hundred temples, farm communities, restaurants, and schools, and the number is growing.
It's significant that Srila Prabhupada chose Mayapur as ISKCON's international headquarters. Even today Mayapur is not well connected with the rest of the world; he didn't choose it for its material assets. Rather, he well knew the incomparable spiritual significance of Mayapur. Here Lord Chaitanya first revealed his superexcellent presentation of Vaishnavism: Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Mayapur is the highest seat of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. With the construction of the magnificent ToVP, Gaudiya Vaishnavism could become a well-known spiritual tradition all over the world, attracting millions from all walks of life to its sublime philosophy and culture.
Temple or Planetarium?
In Mayapur, Lord Chaitanya started His sankirtana movement of the congregational chanting of the holy names. The main activities of the Mayapur ISKCON temple, on whose campus the ToVP is being built, center onsankirtana and gorgeous deity worship. Whoever visits Mayapur, for whatever reason, gets a chance to experience and practice Krishna consciousness, thus ushering auspiciousness into the visitor's life.
Srila Prabhupada had a clear vision for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, one he often expressed. He wanted a unique Vedic planetarium to present the Vedic perspective of life, including a gigantic display of the material and spiritual worlds that visitors could view from different levels as they traveled through the planetarium. He wanted something startling and state-of-the-art to attract people from around the world to Mayapur.
Srila Prabhupada 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 and structure of the universe, and Vedic cosmology goes further, giving extensive information about its purpose and the subtle laws that govern it.
A fundamental concept pervades Vedic cosmology: Everything and everyone has a relationship with, and depends on, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, 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 provide scientific evidence that supports the idea that there is a supreme conscious intelligent being, Krishna, who is responsible for the order and complexity we observe in the universe. And the ToVP will challenge 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.
Five hundred years ago Mayapur was a center of learning in logic, philosophy, and theology. Today, ISKCON Mayapur hosts primary-school students as well as adults taking advanced courses in Vaishnava philosophy and practice. Mayapur's leaders, headed by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, plan to build a university. Along with an academic education, Mayapur students also experience a practical way of life centered on devotion to God. The ToVP will be the hub of this spiritual education.
The ToVP's aim is the aim of any true temple: to attract people to God and educate them about Him. Thus, even with the emphasis on the Vedic planetarium, the ToVP is most definitely a temple—a temple with a difference, the first of its kind: the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
Grand and Exquisite
The ToVP will be the largest Vedic temple built in the last thousand years. Srila Prabhupada is the original ToVP architect. In letters and conversations, he clearly outlined its key features. In July 1976 he expressed his preference for the outer design of the temple. While visiting Washington, D.C., he instructed his disciples Yaduvara Dasa and Vishakha Devi Dasi 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. In consideration of Prabhupada's various instructions, the highest and central dome, more than three hundred feet tall, will house three sets of deities. On the left will be the disciplic succession of spiritual masters in which Srila Prabhupada came. In the center will be huge, effulgent Panca-tattva deities: Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Adwaita, Sri Gadadhara, and Sri Srivasa, who are already being worshiped today in the present Mayapur temple. And on the right will be the gorgeous Sri Sri Radha-Madhava and Their intimate servants the eight principal gopis(cowherd girls). The combined presence of all these deities on the 140-foot-wide ToVP altar will offer a deity darshana (viewing) unmatched in the world.
The huge temple space around the central deities will hold ten thousand devotees. The high ceiling of the dome will remind visitors of the greatness of God and inspire humility and submission to Him. 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 Srimad-Bhagavatam.Visitors will be able to study 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 of the spiritual world.
The inside walls of the central dome will be of the best marble, ornamented with gold inlays. Onyx, known for its translucence and delicacy, will adorn the altar. Two smaller domes will flank the central dome. The dome on the right will house the deity of Lord Nrisimha. Its interiors will be South Indian style and dominated by black. The dome on the left will house the Vedic Planetarium. The temple will use green architecture. For example, a state-of-the-art system for natural airflow will ventilate the central and right domes. In contrast, the Vedic Planetarium, consisting of multiple floors and seminar halls, will be fully air-conditioned.
The towering domes will be visible from miles away. Beautiful landscaping, with lawns, fountains, and ponds, will surround the temple. The massive size of the complex will awaken visitors to the temple's immense significance. The outside walls will be clad in various exquisite shades of blue, white, and gold marble of the highest quality, from the quarries of Turkey. True to its purpose of being a world temple, its architecture will be an eclectic blend of Vedic and non-Vedic styles of sacred architecture. The main entrance will be like that of a classic Vedic temple with pillars and a courtyard. The domes will be elaborately ornamented with weavings of gold. An astronomical clock similar to the famous Prague Astronomical Clock will sit above the entrance to the central dome. Eight staircase towers all around the structure will lend delightful symmetry. At night, the play of light will create another breathtaking scene. Apart from these major features, innumerable finer aspects will lend unprecedented beauty to this magnificent temple.
An Inspired Team
Srila Prabhupada requested his disciple Ambarisha Dasa (Alfred Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford) to help build the ToVP. Taking this instruction as his very life, Ambarisha Dasa is covering a major portion of the cost. The temple construction started in 2009 and is well under way. Srila Prabhupada talked about the ToVP most with his disciple Bhavananda Dasa, who was involved for many years with the early development of the current Mayapur temple. He now serves as the creative director for the ToVP. Íadbhuja Dasa, a 22-year Mayapur veteran and project coordinator for the completion of Srila Prabhupada's Pushpa Samadhi in Mayapur, is now project director for the ToVP. Working under him are Pundarikaksha Govinda Dasa as the site project coordinator and Vilasini Devi Dasi as the consultant coordinator for architects.
Gammon India, one of the largest construction companies in India, is building the temple. Mr. Vibhuti Choudhary is the consultant. The plan is for the superstructure to be complete within the next three years, with the possibility that the deities could move in at that time. The completion of the external decorative work will take some years. As a token of love and immense gratitude for the unfathomable gift of Krishna consciousness Srila Prabhupada gave to the world, the ToVP team desires to present this grand temple to him in 2016, the fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada said that the ToVP already exists—Bhaktivinoda Thakura saw it. Whatever the Lord desires will manifest. What remains is to put the bricks and cement and steel and paint in their place. Srila Prabhupada explained that Krishna showed Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra that He had already killed Arjuna's enemies and Arjuna only had to fire his arrows and become an instrument for the victory. Similarly, whoever helps build the ToVP will become an instrument of the Lord in fulfilling His cherished desire to see His message spread everywhere in the world.
Srila Prabhupada named the present Mayapur temple complex "Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir." Chandrodaya means "rising moon," indicating that the moon of Lord Chaitanya's mercy will rise in Mayapur and spread around the world. Srila Prabhupada once said in reference to the ToVP, "The plans and contemplations are going on in different phases; now when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will be pleased, it will be taken up." That time has come. With the rise of the ToVP, the resplendent moon of Lord Chaitanya will ascend further and bathe the world with the most pleasing moonlight of love of God.
