Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind Inaugurates ISKCON Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple

Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Hon’ble President of India, inaugurated ISKCON Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple and cultural complex in a Lokarpana ceremony on June 14, 2022, in Bangalore. He was accompanied by the First Lady Smt. Savita Kovind. This project is a tribute to Srila Prabhupada in commemoration of his 125th birth anniversary. 

Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basavaraj Bommai, and Hon’ble MLA Shri Krishnappa were also present at the event. Following the Lokarpana, dignitaries visited the shrines of Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda and other deities in the temple.

Hon’ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the gathering and said, “ISKCON Bangalore has made a positive difference in the lives of lakhs of people for the last 25 years. I congratulate Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa on the occasion of Lokarpana of ISKCON Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple. Due to his spiritual strength and exemplary leadership, many of Srila Prabhupada’s desires are being fulfilled. The exquisite deity of Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda is a replica of Lord Balaji. The same Lord has now descended on this Vaikuntha Hill in Bangalore to receive our worship and bestow His blessings. My best wishes to the dedicated members of ISKCON Bangalore to increase their humanitarian interventions in the coming years.”

 

Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, remarked, “This temple is a fitting tribute to the glorious legacy of Srila Prabhupada on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary. I am confident that Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple and cultural complex will systematically channel people’s energies to facilitate a positive transformation in society.”

Shri Basavaraj Bommai, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, said, “Bhakti movement means change within and change for all. This movement is a unique contribution of India to the world. ISKCON Bangalore is providing a great heavenly abode to the world, especially India, to develop our consciousness and meet the Lord through the Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda temple. My Government always stood by all the humanitarian activities of ISKCON Bangalore and will continue to do so in the coming years.”

 

Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON Bangalore, expressed gratitude to the President of India for dedicating the temple and cultural complex to society. He also thanked other dignitaries for their gracious presence. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “ISKCON Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple has been inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s desire to build a grand temple like Tirumala. This centre will attract devotees and pilgrims from different parts of the country. There will be amenities for a large number of people to have comfortable darshan, and the Nitya Annadana hall will serve meals to all visitors. The campus will also provide spiritual and cultural education for children, youth and families. We are committed to serving all sections of society through this grand temple. I thank all the donors, patrons and well-wishers of ISKCON Bangalore who have solidly stood behind us for over four decades in our service to humanity.”

The temple will be conducting elaborate ceremonies and sacred rituals according to Vedic traditions in the coming weeks. Hence, the campus will be fully open to the public from August 1, 2022.

Overview of the Temple

In commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary of  Srila Prabhupada, this stone temple is constructed as per traditional shilpa shastras in the  Dravidian style of architecture. The design and aesthetics, including the seven doors to the  sanctum, are inspired by the famous Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple in Tirumala. The  deity of Lord Srinivasa is nearly the same height and has been named Sri Rajadhiraja 

Govinda, which means He is the King of kings. This project is conceived and executed by the devotees of ISKCON Bangalore in pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s desire to build a grand  temple like Tirumala. 

Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple is surrounded by the shrines of Sri Sudarshana Narasimha, Sri Mahalakshmi, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha, Bhakta Hanuman and Garuda deva. A separate shrine has been constructed for Srila Prabhupada, where his achala shila murti, a black stone deity, is installed. This has been done for the first time in the history of ISKCON.

A large queuing hall will be available where about 5,000 devotees can wait comfortably to have the darshan of the Lord. A large Nitya Annadana hall will benefit all the pilgrims through free meals. The campus will also provide spiritual and cultural education for children, youth and families.

Sri Rajadhiraja Govinda Temple and cultural complex is a unique amalgamation of tradition and modernity that is poised to become a prominent spiritual landmark in Karnataka, attracting visitors from all over India. This temple was constructed due to the generous contributions of donors and patrons of Bangalore.

The prana pratishta (installation) of the deities has been conducted strictly as per agama shastras by the senior and learned priests of Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Srirangam and Sri Rajagopala Swamy Temple, Mannargudi. The Vedic ceremonies will continue till the end of July. Hence, the temple will be fully open to the public from August 1, 2022.