However, that is about to change.<\/p>\n
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After years of struggles of various types, including having to overcome a\u00a0number of legal hurdles, ISKCON has inaugurated the beginning of a grand\u00a0project at Jagannath Puri by performing the bhumi puja and installation of\u00a0Ananta Shesha on the 18 acre ISKCON project land in a grand ceremony that\u00a0was attended by thousands of devotees who participate in an annual three day\u00a0Puri Parikrama (circumambulation of Jagannath Puri) organized by Bhakti
\nPurushottam Swami, ISKCON’s Governing Body Commissioner for much of Eastern\u00a0India, including his native Odhisha (formerly \u201cOrissa\u201d).<\/p>\n
Seven to eight thousand devotees, mainly from Bengal and Orissa, but also\u00a0from other parts of India and abroad attended this years Puri Parikrama.\u00a0Teachers and students of the Bhaktivedanta Academy at Sridham Mayapur\u00a0performed the bhumi puja rituals. Headed by the Academy Dean\u00a0Pritivardhana Das, the boys performed homas to satisfy Lord Jagannath.
\nLater on Krishna Chaitanya Das assisted Lokanath Swami in the installation\u00a0of the Deity of Ananta Shesha, the expansion of Lord Vishnu who is the\u00a0supporting power holding up the universe, in the ground where the foundation\u00a0of the Radha Krishna temple will be constructed.<\/p>\n
Twelve ISKCON sannyasis attended the bhumi puja, i.e. Jayapataka Swami,\u00a0Lokanath Swami, Subhag Swami, Bhakti Purushottam Swami, Bhakti Vishrambha\u00a0Madhava Swami, Bhakti Gaur Narayan Swami. Gauranga Prem Swami, Bhakti\u00a0Nityananda Swami, Rama Govinda Swami, Prabodhananda Saraswati Swami, Bhakti\u00a0Ashray Vaishnav Swami, and Bhakti Priyam Gadadhar Swami.<\/p>\n
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Several senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada attended the program, i.e.\u00a0Turiya Das, Pankajanghri Das, Mayapur Chandra Das, Bhaktarupa Das, Basu\u00a0Ghosh Das, Shakitmati Devi Dasi, Kusha Devi Dasi and Shubhangi Devi Dasi.\u00a0Senior ISKCON devotees Braja Hari Das, Bhadra Charu Das, Aravindaksha\u00a0Govinda Das Madhavananda Das, and Vanamali Das were in attendance.<\/p>\n
Bhakti Purushottam Swami spoke and described to the assembled devotees about\u00a0the glories of Lord Jagannath’s Mahaprasadam. He explained in great detail\u00a0why the Lord’s prasadam is offered to the Deity of Vimala (Durgadevi) after\u00a0being offered to Lord Jagannath.<\/p>\n
Devakinandan Das, the Chairman of the Puri Project Committee, which has been\u00a0mandated by the ISKCON Governing Body Commission as the zonal authority for\u00a0the Puri Project, addressed the crowd in both Hindi and English and\u00a0encouraged them to support the project. Bhadra Charu Das translated his\u00a0speech into Bengali and Oriya.<\/p>\n
Jayapataka Swami and other senior devotees on the stage released the large\u00a0version of the Project brochure – a separate pamphlet was also released –\u00a0detailing the various aspects of the proposed project. Jayapataka Maharaj\u00a0himself told the crowd that Srila Prabhupada had a desire to construct a\u00a0large temple and project at Puri and now that desire of his will be\u00a0fulfilled. And guests pledged almost a million rupees (Rupees ten lakhs)\u00a0towards the project on the spot.<\/p>\n
The Puri project itself is situated on 18 acres of land at Sipasirubuli, on\u00a0the Southwestern side of the town. Some of the features of the ISKCON Puri\u00a0Project, the estimated cost of which will be approximately Rupees one\u00a0hundred crore (fifteen million US dollars) are:<\/p>\n
o Grand Radha Krishna Temple
\no Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Museum
\no Lord Jagannath Lila Museum
\no Library
\no Amphitheater and auditorium
\no Amusement park for children
\no Govinda’s restaurant
\no International Guest house
\no Ayurvedic Clinic and Yoga center
\no Inmate ashram & prasadam hall
\no Convention hall
\no Bhakta nivas (residence for devotees) – 500 units
\no Vedic school
\no Dharmashala (low cost residence for pilgrims)
\no Vaishnav market area<\/p>\n
Detalied project plans can been seen on the internet at the Project website:
\nwww. puriiskcon.com.<\/p>\n
Those who are interested to donate for the project or donate for a residence\u00a0in the bhakti nivas, where one, two, and three bedroom\/hall\/kitchen\u00a0facilities are to be constructed may contact Puri Project Director and Temple\u00a0President Vanamali Das via e-mail at <puriiskcon@gmail.com>, or\u00a0<vanamali.jps@pamho.net>, or contact him over the phone: +91-94370-65008.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the ISKCON Puri Project is already operating a guest house to\u00a0facilitate ISKCON devotees and life patrons.<\/p>\n
The ISKCON Puri Project guest house is situated in a new building located\u00a0just off the main Chakratirtha Road, behind the Purushottam Vatika on road\u00a0near the Urban Hatt to Railway station road. Nearby the Puri Railway\u00a0station, which is only half a kilometer from the guest house.<\/p>\n
Eighteen rooms are available, and all rooms have split air conditioners, and\u00a0wi-fi internet. All the rooms have attached bath rooms with hot water.<\/p>\n
The project has already begun a Govinda’s Restaurant. This fully air\u00a0conditioned restaurant, is situated on the main Chakratirtha Road at Banki\u00a0Mohan, not far from the Mayfair Hotel, and the Subhash Bose Statue.\u00a0Govinda’s runs on \u201calacarte\u201d system. Life Patrons can avail 20% discount at\u00a0Govinda’s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jagannath Puri is one of the four holy \u201cdhamas\u201d, sacred places of\u00a0pilgrimage, described in the Puranas and is visited by thousands of Hindus\u00a0on a daily basis. The Brahma and Skanda Puranas mention that city of Puri\u00a0itself was built-in ancient times by Raja Indradyumna. It is most famous\u00a0today for the ancient temple of Lord Jagannath, His […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":732,"featured_media":91840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,41,12],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-91839","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-festivals-culture","8":"category-hello-india","9":"category-religion-spirituality"},"yoast_head":"\n