Kailash Model

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 supporting structures. The model of the kailash is first made from a mixture of fiberglass and plaster which is poured into a mold. Once hardened, it is ready to be painted and attached to the rest of the fixture.

Bhakti Vardhana, a name bequeathed to him by Srila Prabhupada, comes from a formidable lineage of ISKCON artists. His father, Ram Prasad das, spent decades doing dedicated seva for the BBT. Many of his paintings are featured in ISKCON books. His depiction of Paramatma graces the covers of some, such as The Science of Self-realization. Bhakti’s uncle, Bhaskara das, is the manager of the TOVP Art & Research Department. He is the creative force behind much of the project’s design and finishes, constantly generating new ideas.

Pioneered and pursued by Paravata Muni das, this model plays an integral role in visualizing the super-structure and the components of the temple, such as the domes, which will rest upon it. This allows artists, engineers and architects to foresee potential obstacles as well as adjust visual ornamentation. It is an encompassing undertaking, fortunately both Parvata and Bhakti enthusiastically execute the seva.