Installation of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram and Sri Sri Radha Krishna on Sri Radhastami at ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, West New Delhi.
By Basu Ghosh Das
( Pictures of the temple opening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13998688@N02/)
On the most auspicious day of Sri Radhastami, September 20, 2007, the transcendental appearance day of Srimati Radharani, ISKCON at Punjabi Bagh in the Western part of New Delhi performed the “pranpratishtha” of Their Lordships Sri Sri Krishna Balaram and Sri Sri Radha Radhika Raman.
Senior ISKCON devotees who attended the Deities installation were ISKCON New Delhi GBC HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj, current ISKCON GBC Chairman HH Bhanu Swami, HH Radharaman Swami, HG Mahaman Prabhu, HG Bhima Prabhu, HG Makhanlal Prabhu, Basu Ghosh Das, HG Bhaktivinode Prabhu, Umapati Prabhu, President of ISKCON Nairobi, Kenya, Srestha Prabhu, Co-President of ISKCON Vrindavan, Sriman Rajasuya Prabhu, TP of ISKCON Ludhiana, Sriman Sakshi Gopal Prabhu, TP of and HG Sarvabhauma Prabhu.
The installation of the Deities was performed by Sriman Shitalanga Gauranga Prabhu of Bangalore and he was assisted by Sriman Sevatulya Das of ISKCON Juhu, Bombay and ISKCON Noida temple President Sriman Vraja Bhakti Vilas Prabhu.
After performing the “pranprathistha” at eight in the morning on Sri Radhastami day, the Deities were brought in front of the altar for a grand abhishek “bathing” ceremony that started at 9:00 AM, after a short lecture, and continued until 11 AM. After dressing the Sri Murties and offering them a grand feast of almost one thousand items, the inaugural arati was performed by HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj and HH Bhanu Swami at 12:45 PM.
Large crowds of pious local residents jammed the temple room and a mandap
(tent) erected just outside the temple during the opening. Various cultural programs like Bharat natyam dances and a dance by students were performed. Ecstatic kirtan was continuously performed by ISKCON Punjabi Bagh devotees and youth forum members in the temple room from 9:00 AM onwards, until 2:00 PM.
Afterwards, a sumptuous feast of prasad, consisting of several “panir” preparations, was served to “one and all”. Almost 10,000 persons came and went from the function and 8,000 plates of prasad were served.
The Deity installation program began on September 16 and continued for four days until Sri Radhastami. Vaasudeva Punyaaha Kalasha staapanam (installing of auspicious vessels), Vaastu homa (fire sacrifice to purify the place), Vaishnava homa (fire sacrifice to great devotees), Shilpi dosha snaanam
(bathing to purify the Sri Murties of carving defects), nethronmilanam
(opening of the eyes), Vandaapaana (offering of auspicious items), Nyasaadi homa (fire sacrifice to the limbs of the Lord), Shyanaadivaasa (laying down of the Sri Murities in purified water), were the main ceremonies performed according to the Pancharaatrika vidhi (directives for Deity installation in Agama shastras).
New Delhi State Government Ministers, including Health Minister Sri Yoganand Shastri and Industries Minister Sri Mangatram Singhal attended the opening ceremony on Sri Radhastami as Chief Guests, on behalf of New Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit, who was unable to be personally present. Both of them spoke very nicely and praised ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada’s contribution to spreading Indian culture worldwide.
ISKCON Founder-Acharya Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had written in a letter to the temple president of ISKCON New Delhi back during 1975 that “I wish to construct a grand temple for Sri Sri Krishna Balaram at New Delhi”.
This letter was an inspiration to HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj, who had already developed the grand ISKCON temple at East of Kailas, to establish another grand temple at New Delhi. In turn, he encouraged and inspired, through a series of meetings, the large congregational group of ISKCON devotees residing in the Punjabi Bagh area to purchase this new property.
And so by this transcendental aspiration Srila Prabhupada’s desire was realized, through the fund raising efforts and donations of these devotees. The present property was purchased for approximately Rupees Three Crore
(Rupees thirty million), three years ago. Nearly one Crore rupees have been spent in renovating the newly designed temple hall.
This property housed an existing building that was utilized as a “function hall” for marriages and other social functions. The property consists of
1,200 sq. yards in total area. The building has three floors in all.
Punjabi Bagh is a prosperous residential area located on the Western side of New Delhi, some 30 kilometers away from ISKCON’s large Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi temple located in the “East of Kailas” area of New Delhi. , Many years ago a small house was donated there to ISKCON, and Surabhi-abhipalayantam Swami resided there for several years and established the worship of the Deities of Sri Sri Radha Radhika Raman in a temporary shed next to the house. That was back during the 1980s. Later on Sriman Vrajendranandan Prabhu was temple president there for five years.
Sriman Varaha Das, the temple President of ISKCON at Punjabi Bagh, along with Co-temple President Rukmini Krishna Prabhu and the temple devotees engaged in much hard work to expand the project.
ISKCON Punjabi Bagh is extremely grateful to Sriman Ram Das Prabhu, of Kenya, for dedicating seven months to supervising the renovation work at the new temple. Also special mention is deserving for Sriman Raghava Pandit Prabhu, the Vice President of ISKCON, East of Kailas, New Delhi, for the hard work he put into the renovation and temple room construction work.
They were supported in fund raising efforts by the Chairman of the ISKCON Punjabi Bagh “JCC” (joint congregational committee) Sriman Vedavyas Prabhu, Sriman Arjuna Hari Prabhu, Sriman Rasapriya Prabhu and his wife Radhika Kripa devi dasi, and a large group of “Pandava sevaks”, who each donated at least Rupees One Lakh or more.
After obtaining this property, artisans from Jaipur, led by Sri Natuji, did extensive decorative relief design artwork on the ceiling and the walls of the what was to become the new “temple room” – the “darshan mandap”. This room was formerly the main function hall, on the front side of the property. The room is 2200 sq. ft. in size.
There is modern tile flooring in the temple room, with 12 chandeliers which make for a very decorative look. There is a very nice sound system as well installed in the temple room, which is fully air conditioned. The Deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram and Garudavahana, all marble, were brought from Jaipur.
ISKCON wishes to thank Sri Ravi, aka Sriman Radha Kinkar Das, an initiated disciple of HH Gopal Krishna Maharaj, who is the Chief Engineer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, for helping obtain approval for naming the road in front of the temple as “Srila Prabhupada Marg” (road).
The Deity inauguration was extensively covered in the local Hindi vernacular print media as well as national TV news networks like “Star TV”.
Everyone is cordially invited to ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, to have darshan of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram and Sri Sri Radha Radhika Raman.
ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Radhika Raman – Krishna Balaram Mandir
41/77, Srila Prabhupada Marg Punjabi Bagh West New Delhi 110 026 Telephones: +91-11-2522-2851