Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, also known as the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium or ISKCON Mayapur, stands as a significant Gaudiya Vaishnava temple and serves as the headquarters of ISKCON. Nestled in Mayapur, West Bengal, India, this temple pays homage to the Hindu deities Radha Madhava. The temple’s inception dates back to 2010 when construction efforts commenced.
With its colossal size, it aspires to be the largest and one of the tallest temples globally. While it originally aimed for a completion date in 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately caused delays, potentially pushing the inauguration to late 2023.
The vision behind Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir draws inspiration from the founder of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, and the architectural design of the United States Capitol building. In July 1976, Srila Prabhupada expressed his preference for the temple’s exterior style, spurring the ISKCON authorities into action for its construction.
Financing the temple’s realization, a budget of $100 million has been allocated, with substantial funding from Alfred Ford, the grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company.
The timeline for the temple’s completion has witnessed setbacks. Initially slated for 2016, construction delays thwarted this target. Further complications emerged due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presently, the temple’s doors are expected to open for visitors between the months of July and August 2023.
Blending both eastern and western architectural elements, the temple’s height soars to 113 meters. Upon full completion, it will claim the title of the world’s largest religious monument and the largest temple globally, securing the second spot in terms of height among temples or religious edifices. The grand inauguration is tentatively anticipated in 2024.
Managing Director of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, Sadabhuja Das, highlights the fusion of cultural influences within the temple’s design. The imported marble, sourced from Vietnam and India, enhances the temple’s unique appearance. Spanning a vast area, the pujari floor spans 2.5 acres, while the temple floor boasts a diameter of 60 meters. Notably, the temple is adorned with 20-meter-long Vedic chandeliers.
Accommodating up to 10,000 devotees on each floor, the temple enables them to engage in prayer, song, and dance before Lord Krishna, upholding ISKCON’s cherished traditions. Dressed in Blue Bolivian Marble, imported from Vietnam and obtained from India, the temple’s aesthetic carries Western undertones. A considerable investment of Rs. 500 crores has been channeled into construction, utilizing over 2 crore kgs of cement to date.
Central to the temple’s purpose is the dissemination of Vedic culture through an authoritative platform and materialized science. This endeavor resonates with Acharya Prabhupada’s vision of a structure that would illuminate Vedic knowledge, making Mayapur, the birthplace of Vaishnava Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the chosen site for this remarkable temple.
Here are some famous Iskcon Temple
Offering a glimpse into the world of exceptional ISKCON Temples in India, each radiating its own distinctive significance and magnetizing devotees and enthusiasts from around the world:
- Sri Sri Radha Banke Bihariji Temple, Patna: The Grand ISKCON Temple Built At A Cost of 100 Crores in Patna.
- Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra Temple, Bangalore: The Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra Temple stands as one of the world’s largest Krishna-Hindu temples, gracing Bangalore in Karnataka, India.
- Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra Temple, Pune: The ISKCON New Vedic Cultural Center (NVCC) in Pune, India, is a prominent Gaudiya Vaishnavism temple dedicated to Lord Radha Krishna.
- Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, Chennai: A Gaudiya Vaishnavism temple in Chennai, India is called the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, also referred to as the ISKCON Temple Chennai. The temple honors the Hindu gods Radha and Krishna.
- Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, Delhi: ISKCON Delhi, renowned as Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, stands as a revered Vaishnav temple dedicated to Lord Krishna and Radharani.
- Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir (ISKCON Vrindavan): Stands as one of the most significant ISKCON temples worldwide. Located in Vrindavan’s Raman Reti area, this temple carries immense importance for International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) devotees.