Gaura Purnima and the ToVP, as told by Madhavendra Puri Das

I came into Mayapur in the early evening, via the train from Kolkata. I’d never arrived at this time but the dusty yellow lit scene was only a side thought in my mind. The horns, the calls and the rattle of bicycle wheels seemed insignificant in comparison to the new set of sounds. I gazed out at the huge, concrete and steel structure. The hammers and power tools called out from every floor. I hadn’t been to Mayapur for a few years so the new temple was surely something that captivated me entirely.

We made the long passage around the temple, to our accommodation. My younger brother met me at the gate and was carrying my luggage so that I could simply marvel. He informed me of all the new facilities he had been taking advantage of, which came along with the growth of an international society populating ISKCON Mayapur and the surrounding areas. There were new things to eat, new places to visit and many more human amenities that made staying in the Holy Dham much more comfortable.

A lot of people don’t like the ideas of cities, crowds and construction sites. I must admit that I am usually not a fan. But the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, and the associated hustle and bustle that come along with it, communicates on a different plain; this is the skeletal structure of a spiritual organism which will become the heart of a spiritual society. The bricks and the mortar are being rightfully used for their given purpose. This temple is Sanatana Dharma, the very essential meaning of our being, and it is even more than an inspirational sight to behold. The vision of the Acaryas is soon to manifest in the holy land of Sri Mayapur Dham.