Author Archives: Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

A video by Alfred Ford (Ambarisa Das) – great grandson of Henry Ford In October of this year the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) will achieve another historic milestone of progress: the opening of the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing, the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world. Beautifully designed and ornamented, the opening of this grand

The wonderful and enchanting history of the month of Purushottama is a long one that takes the personified Adhik Maas to the highest spiritual realm of Goloka Vrindaban, where she is blessed by Lord Krishna to have 1000 times more benefits to the observer of devotional vows than the month of Damodar. Purushottama Maas comes

Sayana Ekadasi (Shayani Ekadasi) (lit. “sleeping eleventh”) or Maha-ekadasi (lit. “The great eleventh”) or Prathama-ekadasi (lit. “The first eleventh”) or Padma Ekadasi, Devshayani Ekadasi or Devpodhi Ekadasi is the eleventh lunar day (Ekadasi) of the bright fortnight (Shukla paksha) of the Vedic month of Ashadha (June – July). Thus, it is also known as Ashadhi

We are pleased to present the TOVP Prayer, written by H.G. Sriman Kalakantha prabhu, to all devotees. It is an appeal to the Lord to help us all do our part to complete this great and magnificent temple, Srila Prabhupada’s dearmost project, and the new home of our beloved deities at ISKCON World Headquarters in

Dear Devotees, This is a personal appeal from myself (Ambarisa das) and Braja Vilasa prabhu. We are quickly approaching the historic completion and opening of the Nrsimhadeva Wing in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium this Fall. The dome interior, altar, pillars, walls, floors, doors and more will be finished and ready for Sri Sri

The 11th day of Krishna Paksha (Moon’s waning Phase) in the month Ashada (June – July) is observed as Yogini Ekadasi. This year the Ekadasi is observed on June 24 worldwide. It is considered a very auspicious and rewarding day to fulfill one’s wishes and destroy all the sins of a lifetime. This day is

In July 1986, the Deities of Prahlad-Nrsimhadeava were completed in Chennai, India and installed in Sridham Mayapur during a three-day celebration from July 28-30. This year commemorates the 37th Anniversary of that historic occasion. The history leading to that event is extraordinary and full of miracles, as is the history leading to the completion of

For all ISKCON devotees, the completion and opening of the TOVP should be a top priority, as per Srila Prabhupada’s desire and instructions. A major milestone towards that goal is the October opening of the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing, which will be the largest and most opulent Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world. To accomplish this historic

The drama, Arrival of Nrsimhadeva in Mayapur: The Journey from Fear to Shelter, is a play performed by ISKCON Pune devotees in 2020, based on the amazing and miraculous story of the making and arrival of the Prahlad-Nrsimhadeva deities in ISKCON Mayapur. The video of the drama is a production of Radha Kunjabihari Media Services.

“ON MARCH 24, 1984, at 12:20 A.M., thirty-five men armed with weapons and bombs attacked Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, ISKCON’s center in Mayapur, West Bengal. When the dacoits tried to steal the Deities of Srila Prabhupada and Srimati Radharani, the devotees fearlessly challenged the attackers. How could the devotees see Srila Prabhupada and Srimati Radharani

Apara Ekadasi is observed on the 11th day of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight of the moon) in the Vedic month of Jyeshtha. It corresponds to the months of May-June in the Gregorian calendar. It is understood that by observing Apara Ekadasi vrata all the sins of the person will be washed away. This Ekadasi

Mohini Ekadasi vrata, also known as Vaisakha-sukla Ekadasi, is observed in the auspicious Vedic month of Vaishakha. It is one of the most important of the 24 Ekadashi vratas and is observed on the 11th day during the Shukla Paksha or the Full Moon fortnight. This year Mohini Ekadasi is observed on May 1 worldwide

The TOVP Give To Nrsimha 36 Day 3X Matching Fundraiser will be coming to an end on Nrsimha Caturdasi, May 4. In this video Braja Vilasa appeals to all devotees to give during this time for the completion of the Nrsimhadeva Wing, the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world, scheduled to open in October this

Akshaya Tritiya is one of the most important days in the Vedic calendar. It is the appearance day of Lord Parasurama, and also the day that the Ganges descended to the earth. Most devotees know it as the beginning of Candana-yatra, but actually many of Lord Krishna’s other pastimes also took place on this day,

Message from the Chairman Dear Devotees and Friends of the TOVP, Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! About a week ago we launched the Give To Nrsimha 36 Day 3X Matching Fundraiser , from April 30 (Rama Navami) until May 4 (Nrsimha Caturdasi), to raise $5 million for the completion of Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Wing

Varuthini Ekadasi falls in the dark fortnight (Krishna paksha) of the month of Vaisakha. On the day of Varuthini Ekadasi, devotees worship and offer prayers to Lord Vamana the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In the literal sense, Varuthini means ‘protected’ and thus the devotees get protected from various negativities and evils by observing Varuthini Ekadashi.

Ekadasi is the 11th day of the Moon’s lunar phase, and Kamada Ekadasi falls on the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase) in the month of the Chaitra (March-April). This day is also called ‘Chaitra Shukla Ekadasi.’ Kamada ekadasi this year falls during our Give To Nrsimha 36 Day 3X Matching Fundraiser from March 30 (Rama Navami)

The TOVP annual 12 Day Matching Fundraiser is about to begin, offering devotees another opportunity to serve the historic Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, ISKCON’s flagship world project. This year is especially important and crucial to our overall success because we will be completing and opening the Nrsimhadeva Temple in the TOVP, the largest of

The TOVP management is pleased to announce the auspicious Maha Nrsimhadeva Homa during the opening of the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing in October, 2023. This special yajna is planned during the three-day opening of the Nrsimhadeva Wing to create auspiciousness for devotees specifically and all mankind in general. It is a very powerful homa which removes

Papamocani Ekadasi falls on the 11th day of the Krishna Paksha (the waning phase of moon) in the month of Chaitra as per the North Indian calendar. However, in the South Indian calendar this Ekadasi is observed in the Vedic month of Phalgun. In the English calendar this corresponds to the months of March to

The historic Grand Opening of Lord Nrsimhadeva Wing in October, 2023 (date to be announced) is part of the greater TOVP 2024 Marathon to open the temple in 2024. This is a crucial stage towards that goal, and we request all devotees to come together and give their might to complete Lord Nrsimhadeva Wing for

By Michael A. Cremo (Drutakarma Dasa): The Forbidden Archeologist Providing a strong challenge to established academic perception and methodology, Drutakarma Dasa presents the Vaisnava Hindu worldview on the fundamental concepts to the approach to and interpretation of the archaeological record. His presentation is articulate and thorough and the extensive research he has undertaken to support

The Sridham Mayapur Development Foundation has released it’s ISKCON Mayapur Master Plan brochure for the development of Mayapur into a full-fledged city according to Srila Prabhupada’s vision and instructions. The new brochure is available to view and download below as a pdf file or as an online flipbook. Please take this unique opportunity to help

Amalaki-vrata Ekadasi is celebrated in Krishna Paksha (Waxing Phase) in the Phalgun month (February–March). ‘Amalaki’ or ‘Amla’ is the Indian gooseberry, and the tree is celebrated on this day. It is believed that Lord Vishnu resides in this tree, and this occasion also marks the beginning of Holi — Indian festival of colors. This is

From the drone camera of Ajita Caitanya prabhu of the TOVP Construction Department we present a recent TOVP flyover of the entire temple structure, giving us a birds-eye view of this magnificent structure from the outside. This October we will be celebrating the opening of the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing of the temple, and from December,

On February 22, the India-based news website, Firstpost posted an article about the TOVP: Norwegian diplomat shares photo of world’s largest temple; take a look. Included in the article are Twitter and website links to view photos, cgi images and videos of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. The original Twitter photo post of the

In October of 2023 the TOVP will complete and reveal to all, the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world. With over 10,000 sq. ft. of surrounding space and five levels of terraces adorned with paintings and bas-relief art panels depicting the pastimes of Lord Nrsimha and Prahlad Maharaja, this magnificent creation is a miracle in

For Gaura Purnima and Nityananda Trayodasi 2022 the TOVP published two inspiring and informative free online flipbooks detailing the history of the making, arrival and installation of our beloved Mayapur Pancha Tattva Deities. We present them here again this year in observance of the 2023 Gaura Purnima Festival for devotees to read and relish. As

With the coming historic opening of the completed Nrsimhadeva Temple in the TOVP this October, slated to be the largest Nrsimhadeva Temple in the world, we would like to request devotees to pray to Lord Nrsimha to remove all obstacles to our success. With that in mind we are pleased to offer the link below

According to the Vedic calendar, Vijaya Ekadasi falls on the 11th day of the month of Phalgun during the Krishna paksha (dark fortnight), waning phase of the Moon. The significance of Vijaya Ekadashi has been described in the several Vedic scriptures. The term ‘Vijaya’ in literal meaning signifies victory. Observance of Vijaya Ekadashi and it’s

“The installation of Lord Nrsimhadeva lasted three days July 28-30, 1986. I remember feeling apprehensive that perhaps the installation was too simple. The grave warnings of the Sankaracarya of Kanchipuram had deeply impressed me. But my mind was soon appeased by the loud, dynamic kirtana. Sankirtana-yajna, the chanting of Hare Krsna, the only true opulence

‘Gata-varsha’ (The Last Year) is an editorial written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura for Sajjana Tosani, Vol.12, Issue 1 in 1900. The Thakura reviews the spiritual achievements made during the last year, and predicts that in future, people from all nations will come to the birthplace of Mahaprabhu. He also mentions his son, Siddhanta Sarasvati in

Vaishnava Jaya (Bhaimi) Ekadasi is an important fasting ritual observed on the 11th day during the Shukla Paksha (the bright fortnight of moon) in the month of Madhava in the Vaishnava calendar. This observance falls somewhere between the months of January to February in the Gregorian calendar. Jaya Ekadasi is also popularly called as Bhaimi

Sat-tila Ekadasi is also known as Trisprisha Ekadasi. This Ekadasi occurs in the dark fortnight of the month of Magha (January/February). The glories of Sat-tila Ekadasi are narrated in the Bhavisyottara Purana in a conversation between the sage Dalbhya and Pulastya muni. This is the first Ekadasi of the year 2023. It is an auspicious

The TOVP 2024 Marathon is underway to open Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Wing in October, 2023 and thereafter the TOVP during a three-month-long festival from December, 2024 until Gaura Purnima, March, 2025. One unique sponsorship opportunity are three specially designed Medallions as part of our ‘WE RUN, YOU WIN’ Marathon. Designed after the Olympics medallion, these beautiful

The TOVP Fundraising Department is pleased to announce the Doors of the Dhama Campaign to fund the production of sixteen doors surrounding the Nrsimhadeva altar. The entire Nrsimhadeva Wing and altar is scheduled to open in October, 2023. Set within specially designed glass frames with decorative marble borders are sixteen 9’/3m x 11’/4m Burma teakwood

As we enter the year 2023, His Grace Braja Vilasa prabhu, TOVP Co-Chairman, gives an inspiring appeal to help complete the TOVP and reach the next milestones to achieve that goal. In October, 2023 the completed Nrsimhadeva Wing and altar will open. The Grand Opening of the TOVP will be celebrated during a three-month-long festival

The TOVP management is pleased to announce that from February 12-16, 2023 the ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) will have their annual seminars in the TOVP. Braja Vilasa, TOVP Co-Chairman and ILS Committee Member stresses the importance of these meetings for ISKCON leaders, and invites all devotees with leadership positions to attend this important sanga and

Putrada Ekadasi falls on the 11th lunar day of the fortnight of the waxing moon in the Vedic month of Pausha (December/January). This day is also known as Pausha Putrada Ekadashi, to differentiate it from the other Putrada Ekadashi in the month of Shravana (July/August), which is also called Shravana Putrada Ekadasi. This is the

Dear Devotees and Friends of the TOVP, Hare Krishna! Please accept our obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! First, thank you to all the devotees who have supported our efforts over the years. We are forever and eternally indebted to you. The year 2022 comes to a close, opening the door to the beginnings of