Author Archives: Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

A new artist has joined the TOVP. Straight from the shores of Australia, Bhakti Vardhana das has made the banks of Mother Ganga his new home. The Art Department quickly deployed him to lend his talents in the construction of the TOVP scale model. His current task is building and painting the kailash and its

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Rudyard Kipling wrote, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Perhaps he was exposed to the rich tradition of story-telling in Gaudiya Vaishnavism during his time in India. Indeed, stories are an honored means to understand the pastimes and philosophy of this spiritual practice. What of ISKCON’s history?

A whirling fan offers small relief to the oppressive summer heat of West Bengal. Devotees working on site have accepted the austerity and continue on peacefully with their seva. In between gulps of water and wiping brows, progress on the mold of Gopal Bhatta Goswami punctuates each day with milestones. The process of creating a

Stories of preaching the glories of the TOVP usually conjure images of sannyasis speaking to crowds of devotees, or Ambarisha prabhu addressing rooms full of eager donors. How often does the audience think of Bengali laborers? Interestingly, it is this section of the Mayapur community who are often overlooked. Beyond the glories of artistic creations,

The Art Department has been working a marathon with early mornings and late evenings to progress with sculpting the Six Goswamis. Jananivas and Pankajanghri prabhus were recently into the TOVP to approve the final mood of Gopal Bhatta Goswami’s deity. The next step in this process will be covering it in fiberglass followed by a

TOVP artist, Manju Lakshita Devi Dasi is working on the designs for the altar doors. Check out her beautiful work!

The main altar is being cast! This is where Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Panchatattva and the Guru Parampara will be installed.

Dear Devotees, Hare Krsna, AGTSP! Greetings from Sridham Mayapur.The 2014 Gaura purnima festival has begun and our thoughts and prayers for your well being are at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu because you are a devotee and supporter of Srila Prabhupada’s most ambitious project- the TOVP temple. This year is very special since

Below, the head of the Art Department, Drdha Vrata das answers frequently asked questions. What are your tasks and process? My crew and I have been given the task of making the artwork being designed for ToVP. This means, after the designs are finalized either for deities, dioramas or architectural elements, we get it done

More photos of the second tier of the main dome. The steel is lifted by cranes and then bolted into the first section.

Vilasini dd, Sacitanuja das and Premavavtar Gauranga das discussing contracts with Gammon and MAPEI.

Recently, Mayapur hosted the GBC meetings and the TOVP was given the opportunity to make their annual progress report.

Gopal Krishna Maharaj, Sivarama Swami, Bhakti Charu Swami, Radhanath Swami and Jayapataka Swami speaking about the importance of TOVP construction and raising funds.

The last shipment of pure white marble has arrived from Vietnam.
The standard is incomparable with a pristine finish lacking any dark markings. Girigovardhan Prabhu is supervising the unloading and quality check of the marble. His attention to detail …

With the festival season upon us, there are several visitors coming to Mayapur. Since The TOVP is a focal point, most pilgrims and guests are interested in touring the site. Recently, the project received the esteemed honor to host Manuel Guzman. He joined us from Kuala Lumpur where he serves as the Venezuelan ambassador for

The sun is shining. It’s been a long winter, but warmth is on the horizon. As the season tips toward Spring, so the progress of the main dome is assuming a fresh direction. The second ring of the main dome has begun. This supporting structure is an epic coil of over 200 pieces of steel

An old photo of construction of the Samadhi next to a photo of early stage TOVP construction.

Drawings of the Retirement Village by one of our architects, Bhaktin Elena. Stunning work, the real thing will be even better!

ToVP dome has the greatest height and width of other domes worldwide.

The day has come. The suspense is over. After over a year of correspondence, negotiations and near failure, the blue marble has finally been ordered. There are only three countries in the world which have this color marble, and Bolivia holds the jewel of them all. Understandably, such a rarity is in high demand but

In each stage of the TOVP’s construction, only the top quality materials are selected. The goal of which is to ensure the sturdiness of the temple for years to come. The project has entered a new phase of construction beginning the new contract for laying the brick on the walls and on the floors. Maintaining

Mayapur is livening up as devotees fill the campus from around the world. With courses, kirtans and kathaa in plenty, the community is enjoying the influx of visitors and residents. The offices at the TOVP have also benefited from the inspirational association of some of ISKCON’s leaders. HH Sivarama Swami recently visited the TOVP and

The TOVP has already received much acclaim and recognition for its grandeur and size. However, a picture is worth a thousand words. Our staff photographer took a trip to Navadwip and took photos showcasing the view of the temple from across the Ganga. Captured from a distance, these pictures underscore how formidably the super structure

This week, Hari Sauri Prabhu and Sridhama dasa of TOVP Planetarium and Exhibits team left for a tour of the US and Europe to attend conventions and visit planetarium service providers. Their first port is Jena, a historical town in Germany. This one thousand year old town with a lot of history houses the headquarters

Recent pictures capture the progress of construction on two important parts of the new temple. They showcase the headway being made in the South West corner. The staircase tower is moving forward as the shuttering of form work is being done. The next layer is concrete with the following layer will being the blue tiles.

Diversity is one of the greatest strengths for the human work force. The TOVP has a team of 6 architects, who come together under one banner. The etymology of this team spirit cascades from the team of 3 directors, who remind us of the higher purpose – vision of our founder acharya, Srila Prabhupada, and

The super structure is rising from Mayapur’s golden dust as the momentum of construction steadily continues. The time for considering finishing work has arrived and research is being done to identify suppliers of needed items. One such company is Nitco Limited. Established in Bombay in 1953, it has grown into one of India’s largest manufacturers

The TOVP attracts people from around the world who would like to offer their talents and expertise to the project. The latest gentleman to join the team is American artist, Edward Breathitt. A native of Kentucky, Mr. Breathitt is now based in New Delhi where he runs his own business creating beautiful art for public

This past month has been eventful at the TOVP. There have been meetings with managers, architects, engineers, pujaris and artists, all coming together to make critical decisions about designs and construction. Each department brought their own unique perspective. One of the most discussed topics were the altars. Placement of the deities and murtis were visualized

Our head of Research and Development, Parvata Muni Das, has been steadily working in his workshop for the past several months. His project? A small scale model of the TOVP. His current focus is building a model of the main altar. The purpose of this time-consuming endeavor is to give the art department a visual

This photo from the Ganga showcases what the finished TOVP will look in the natural surroundings of Mayapur. Its size compared to Prabhupada’s samadhi is astounding.

Recently our head architect, Vilasini devi dasi, gave a presentation about the TOVP in Bahrain. The following is an account of her experience with the inclusion of her power point slides. TOVP Presentation in ISKCON Bahrain – A Report While I was making my plan to visit my sister in Bahrain, I received a call

The progress of the main dome and that of the art department’s projects are often the focal points of discussion at the TOVP. However, there are several other aspects of construction and planning equally significant to the poignancy of the architectural and landscaping arrangements. Last summer the TOVP began a nursery near the Jagannath mandir.

Despite the wild weather Mayapur has been hosting, the construction of the TOVP has not halted. The dedicated staff make their way each morning to the site and main offices of the project, often times braving sheets of rain and fierce winds. While it is clear the storm season has begun, it does come as

Our head architect from Pune was recently in Mayapur for some meetings with the TOVP staff. Below is an account of her time here and the progress she made with the Art Department. Every 10am in Pune, I open my window peering as far as I can into the construction and design of TOVP as

The Art Department has been actively expanding over the recent months. The images from the drawings are coming to life as sculptors and masons shape their masterpieces on the temple site. The most exciting endeavor has been the recent development of one of the elephants at the main entrance to the temple. There will be

One devotee’s account of how he was inspired to donate to the TOVP I came in touch with Krishna Consciousness in 2004 when I joined the Government Polytechnic College in Coimbatore. An ISKCON temple was near my college. I very much got inspiration from the lectures of HH Bhakti Vinode Swami Maharaj, who was at

What have we done in 2012? The Inspiration As the clocks tick and calendars turn pages, the verdict of Lord Nityananda manifests into a tangible reality. Weaving the thread between then and now is Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to our beloved Ambarisa Prabhu, who has laudably carried it in his heart for over 30 onerous years.