Author Archives: Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

We had to take an extremely early flight on Saturday morning, May 30th, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to get to Toronto, Canada. We were picked up by Subha Vilas prabhu (his wife’s name is Ashalata), a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and father of one of the TOVP Canada Team, Indresh prabhu, in whose home we were

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Day 80 – Arrival in Toronto, Canada appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Gita Nagari, another one of Srila Prabhupada’s original farm communities/temples located in Port Royal, Pennsylvania, is home to the beloved Deities of Visnujana Swami, Sri Sri Radha Damodar. These Deities traveled throughout North America many times in a Greyhound bus converted into a traveling temple, enjoying devotional festivals and the sweet kirtans of Visnujana Swami

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Day 79 – Gita Nagari Retreat Stop appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The month of Purushottama is a highly sacred month and beneficial to making a donation to the TOVP. Lord Krishna in Goloka speaking to Lord Vishnu Who has brought the personified extra month (Adhik Maas) to His realm for shelter:   “An unfortunate ignorant man, who does not perform any japa, does not giveany charity,

The post The Glories of Purushottama Month (Maas) appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

New Vrindaban is famous throughout ISKCON as being Srila Prabhupada’s first farm project, named after the holy dhama. Like other farm projects and temples, it was given the nomenclature “New” to link it to its origin. Srila Prabhupada even said there was no difference between the two, Vrindaban and New Vrindaban. The presiding Deities of

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Days 77-78 – Our Visit to New Vrindaban appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

We have a new beautiful photo of the TOVP which were taken from Ganges right across Prabhupada Ghat.
The post New View of TOVP From Ganges appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

With the announcement by the GBC Chairman, Praghosa das, of 2015 as the Year of the TOVP, and the coming of ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary in 2016, along with the overwhelming success of the current North American TOVP Tour, a new and effective fundraising plan has been devised to collect the required funds for its completion.

The post 9 WAYS OF DEVOTION, 9 LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION – Pledge Your Support for the TOVP Today! appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

In Vrindavan in 2014 we inaugurated the Gratitude Coin program to help fund the TOVP project. Our first presentation was at Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day festival during Kartik. At that time Jayasri mataji and Pratapana prabhu from Sydney, Australia pledged two Platinum coins, a total of $500,000, in the service of the TOVP construction. With

The post Pratapana Prabhu and Jayasri Mataji Pledge $500,000 to the TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Guy rope has been positioned, pulled and secured. Now the new segments are being installed to increase the height of the crane; the 2 segments – 19.5 feet (6 meters) each are to be placed by the end of this week!

The post Tower Crane – New Segments! appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Muted tones of sandstone will be used at the foot of the temple as a symbol of strength, shouldering the weight of the temple. The subtle beauty of the Sandstone will wrap the base of the temple all around, inspiring a contemplative mood in the pilgrims as they view the beautiful carvings along the parikrama.

The post Inspection of Sandstone Work in Jaipur appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

We are now at the final stage of the main dome construction. Preparation works has began for the Kalash and the Chakra! Looking at this image, you can really see how big is the Kalash by comparing the proportions of the people and the Kalash. Standing at 277 feet (84.4 meters) from the ground, it

The post Kalash – Preparation Works has Begun! appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The main dome is almost completed and we are now getting ready to start the Kalash! To carry out the Kalash work, the height of the tower crane must be increased; from the now existing level of 278 feet (85 meters) to 380 feet ( 116 meters). In order to secure the stability of the

The post Anchoring the Tower Crane appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Tuesday, May 19th we departed from New Orleans for Charlotte, North Carolina by airplane. We arrived and spent the rest of the day and evening quietly in the home of our host, Pavitra Gaura prabhu and his family. The next day, Wednesday, May 29th we paid a short visit to the home of Sathish

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Days 69 and 70: Arrival in Charlotte, North Carolina appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The amazing murtis pictured here are mockups of the 8 demigods that will overlook Lord Nrsimhadeva altar, offering prayers as described in Srimad Bhagavatam. The mockups are 2 ft. tall, but the size of the actual murtis when finished will be an astounding 9.8 feet! On the second level of the altar, the railings between

The post Art Department in Action! appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

GRC is an abbreviation for glass fiber-reinforced concrete, the strongest and most environmentally retardant concrete in the world. The TOVP is being constructed of this material, as well as all the architectural elements and decorative items being used on the temple. Now underway on the ISKCON property is the construction of a dedicated GRC workshop

The post Construction of the GRC Concrete Workshop appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

We departed from Boone, North Carolina where the Sadhu Sanga Retreat took place for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday, May 25th, arriving at the home of Gopal Gauranga das and Anandini Radha devi dasi for evening prasadam. From there we went to the home of Shyamsundar das and Radhika Sundari devi dasi who were our hosts

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Days 75-76 – Arrival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and TOVP Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The Sadhu Sanga Retreat in Boone, North Carolina is North America’s largest devotee gathering attracting almost 2,000 devotees each year from all across America and Canada for kirtans and lectures by some of ISKCON’s favorite kirtan leaders and senior devotees. We departed from Charlotte, North Carolina by car on Friday, May 22nd for three days

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Day 72-74 – The Sadhu Sanga Retreat appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Thursday, May 21st we spent more time on office and tour related work and then prepared for the TOVP presentation in Pavitra Gaura’s home that evening. The devotee congregation in Charlotte is quite large and there are several Bhakti Vrksha programs going on weekly. Around 50 devotees came and after a puspa abhisheka of

The post TOVP Daily Tour Diary Day 71 – Charlotte, North Carolina TOVP Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

With only one extra day in New Orleans, the many eager devotees there could not get enough association with Jananivas prabhu. On Monday, May 18th we visited the homes of devotees with the Padukas and Sitari for kirtan, Krishna katha and prasadam. For breakfast we went to the home of Satya Gaura das, for lunch

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 68: Visits to Devotee Homes in New Orleans appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Sunday, May 17th, the TOVP North American Tour arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana to visit the ISKCON temple, fondly named mini-Mayapur by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami because of its congregation of Bengali devotees, many from Sridhama Mayapur. We were greeted by a rousing kirtan and brought to the temple room where the Lord’s Padukas

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 67 – Vaisnava Taxi Drivers in New Orleans Pledge Half-a-Million Dollars to the TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Saturday, May 16th we left Bloomington, Illinois for the Chicago temple. However, along the way we paid a surprise visit to His Holiness Radhanath Swami who was staying nearby. Arriving at the temple, we set up our TOVP presentation banners and prepared for the Sunday program. The Chicago temple is a very large building

The post TOVP Tour Diary Day 66: Chicago TOVP Presentation appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Thursday, May 24th we left Phoenix on a flight to Chicago. We planned to drive to our first stop in Bloomington before going to the Chicago temple that evening, but changed our mind and stayed overnight in Chicago due to a late arrival time. The next morning, Friday, May 25th we paid a visit

The post TOVP Tour Diary Days 64 & 65: Departure from Phoenix, Arizona and Arrival in Chicago, Illinois appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

While in and of itself plumbing is not a glorious activity, when used in the Lord’s service it becomes a glorious detail to the TOVP project and an essential and important element in its all-around long-term preservation. Piping work on the temple started last June, 2014 under the guidance of Gammon Construction. Recently, plumbing work

The post TOVP Plumbing System Underway appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Tuesday, May 12th we departed from SanDiego and flew to Phoenix, Arizona. The temple there is presided over by Sri Sri Radha Madhava Hari, Gaur Nitai and Srinathji. We spent the rest of the day catching up with office related work. On the morning of Wednesday, May 13th we visited the landsite of the

The post TOVP Daily Tour Days 62 and 63 – Arrival in Phoenix, Arizona and TOVP Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The TOVP domes are coming up very fast! On the main dome, the 9th and last ring is now 50% completed. The 3rd ring on the planetarium dome is almost finished and for Nrshimha Dev dome, the 3rd ring just commenced!

The post General update on the Domes …

On Monday, May 11th we caught up with office related work and visited two devotee families for prasadam. For breakfast we went to the home of Phanesvari devi dasi and her husband, and in the evening to the home of Bipin Chaturvedi and his family. In the evening we paid a visit to the Shree

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 61 – Visit to Local San Diego Devotees’ Homes and the Shree Temple appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The San Diego temple is also known as New Govardhana Dhama and is presided over by the beautiful Sri Sri Radha Giridhari. Having arrived in San Diego the night before, Sunday, May 10th was a day of some rest and then preparation for the TOVP presentation at the Sunday program that evening. During the Gaura

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 60 – San Diego Temple TOVP Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 9th we arrived in Laguna Beach, California where the Pancha Tattva have resided for over a quarter of a century. With little time available, we quickly got ready for our TOVP presentation as devotees started arriving during the Gaura arati. The Temple President, Tukarama prabhu, introduced the TOVP Team,

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 59 – Arrival in Laguna Beach, California, Home of America’s Pancha Tattva appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Before departing from Las Vegas on the morning of Friday, May 8th we brought Lord Nityananda’s Padukas to the new temple site to bless the project with His causeless mercy for the success of the preaching there. Afterwards, we departed for the Laguna Beach Temple, stopping overnight at the home of Dr. Nanda in Apple

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 58 – Onward to Apple Valley, California appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Thursday, May 7th, we paid a visit to the home of Doyal Nitai das and Priya Kumari devi dasi for lunch prasadam. Then in the evening we made our way to the Krishna Lounge with the Padukas and Sitari to give darshan to the devotee community. Around 40 devotees and guests attended the program

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 57 – Las Vegas Darshan and Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Wednesday, May 6th, we departed from Los Angeles for Las Vegas, Nevada, also known as Sin City, stopping briefly for prasadam at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Agarwal. Las Vegas is a community of devotees that is growing and in the process of renovating a building into a new temple. We arrived late

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 56 – Departure from Los Angeles and Arrival in Las Vegas with Harinama appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Monday and Tuesday, May 4th and 5th, the TOVP along with the Padukas and Sitari visited the homes of a few families for darshan and prasadam. These included the home of Suresh Krishna das and Sundari Gopika devi dasi and were accompanied by Amani Gaura Hari das and Shastra Krt das.

The post TOVP Daily Tour Days 54 and 55 – The Padukas and TOVP Team Visit Local Los Angeles Devotees appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Saturday, May 2nd, we celebrated Nrsimha Caturdasi at the Los Angeles New Dwaraka Temple. The TOVP presentation began in the evening and gradually the temple began to fill up with devotees. A water abhisheka and puspa abhisheka of the Padukas and Sitari took place during the arati. Svavas prabhu then introduced the TOVP Team

The post TOVP Daily Tour Days 52 and 53 – Nrsimha Caturdasi and the Sunday Feast TOVP Presentations at New Dwaraka Dhama appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

New Dwaraka is the North American ISKCON Headquarters and home to Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarakadisha. It is also one of the original temples opened during Srila Prabhupada’s presence and the place of many of his pastimes, including the famous morning walks along Venice Beach. Under the able leadership of Svavas prabhu, who is also the

The post TOVP Daily Tour Days 50 and 51 – Arrival in Los Angeles, New Dwaraka Dhama appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The making of the acharya murtis is a procedure that requires several steps: Step 1 First, a clay model of the acharya is made based on shastric descriptions and certain known poses that distinguish him from the other acharyas. Step 2 Second, a plaster mold is created using a custom, in-house mixture of sand, cement

The post The Making of the Acharyas appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Sunday, May 17th, the TOVP North American Tour arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana to visit the ISKCON temple, fondly named mini-Mayapur by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami because of its congregation of Bengali devotees, many from Sridhama Mayapur. We were greeted by a rousing kirtan and brought to the temple room where the Lord’s Padukas

The post Vaisnava Taxi Drivers in New Orleans Pledge Half-a-Million Dollars to TOVP appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Wednesday, April 29th, on the auspicious day of Rohini ekadasi, a special home program was arranged by Giridhari das, a disciple of Radhanath Maharaja who lives in Singapore, for several wealthy Indian friends of his from Silicon Valley. He flew all the way from Singapore for the occasion. After some initial informal talks and

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 49 – Afternoon Home Program and TOVP Presentation at ISKCON Silicon Valley (ISV) appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Tuesday evening, April 28th, Jananivas, Samik Rsi and Sunanda prabhus attended a program at the home of Sanatan Sundaram, Gandharvika Radha and their daughter Priya Kishori. The small home was packed with devotees enthusiastically chanting and dancing while the Padukas and Sitari were bathed, offered arati, and adorned with flowers. The 3 TOVP Team

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 48 – Ecstatic Evening Program at the Home of Sanatana Sundaram and His Family appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The San Jose Temple (ISV) is home to some of the biggest book distribution scores in North America. This dedicated team of grhastha devotees living outside the temple, under the inspiration and guidance of His Grace Vaisesika prabhu, distributes almost as many books as some of North America’s full-time book distributors. On the weekend before

The post TOVP Daily Tour Day 47 – Arrival in San Jose, ISKCON Silicon Valley (ISV), and home program at Hansa Priya Mataji’s Home appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The day following Portland, Sunday, April 26th, we caught an early flight to nearby Boise, Idaho where another growing congregation of devotees is developing under the leadership of Anantarupa das. However, while going through the airport security Lord Nityananda decided to give his darshan to a security officer who opened the Lord’s carrying case and

The post TOVP Tour Diary Day 46 – Arrival in Boise, Idaho And TOVP Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

On Saturday, April 25th we left Vancouver on a short flight to Portland, Oregon, to bless a small, budding community of devotees under the guidance and care of Jaisacinandana Das with the mercy of Lord Nityananda. 75 devotees attended the TOVP program presented by Radha Jivan and Jananivas prabhus, along with kirtan and darshan of

The post TOVP Tour Diary Day 45 – Arrival in Portland, Oregon And TOVP Program appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.