On Thursday, April 14th, in conjunction with the auspicious appearance day of Lord Ramachandra, the new U.S. TOVP office celebrated its Grand Opening in Gainesville, Florida. The new office is located in a house donated exclusively for TOVP use by Ambarisa prabhu and will serve as the communications and fundraising headquarters. The celebration also coincides with the formation of the new U.S. non-profit, TOVP Foundation Inc., whose Chairman is Sesa das, also the newly appointed Chairman of the GBC.
The function was attended by several local senior devotees including Sesa das, Alachua Temple President, Mukhya devi dasi, Kirtiraja das, Ramanya das, and several others, along with Ambarisa and Svaha prabhus and TOVP Director of Development and Fundraising, Vraja Vilas das, who came all the way from Mayapur to help organize the opening of the new office.
The Grand Opening schedule included kirtan and greeting of devotees, Sankalpa and Rakshabandhan, a full fire yajna, Purnahuti, coconut breaking, official ribbon cutting and prasadam. These auspicious yajnas were performed for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada, the previous acharyas and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to invoke their blessings and mercy for the successful execution of the TOVP seva not only in the U.S. but all over the world.
It is imperative that within the next several years all ISKCON devotees focus on this project and make it their personal sankalpa to see that the TOVP Grand Opening scheduled for Gaur Purnima 2022 is achieved. For such an important and historic endeavor as this we will individually and collectively be benefited, and will also witness the remarkable effects the TOVP will have on the peoples of the entire world.
“If you build this temple Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur will personally come and take you back to Godhead” – Srila Prabhupada
“This temple is already built. If you don’t do the work someone else will come and take the credit. So you do it and get the credit” – Srila Prabhupada
Please view the video and photos of the event included with this article. For further information about donating in the U.S. or to re-start your previously made pledge go to: https://tovp.org/donate/