What is known as the ‘bhajan kutir’ in ISKCON Mayapur is the first structure built on the property, renovated from a dilapidated old house that existed there when the property was purchased in 1971. It was also the original ‘temple’, functioning as chota Radha Madhava’s first place of worship when They arrived in Mayapur in 1972, and also served as Srila Prabhupada’s residence at the time until the Lotus Building was constructed in 1973.
The kutir was built by Acyutananda Swami in 1971 on the order of Srila Prabhupada, who personally instructed him about the materials to use and the manpower to hire. Acyutananda Swami oversaw the design, construction and finances. When Prabhupada arrived in Mayapur and saw the finished kutir he happily remarked, “It shall be called Acyutananda Cottage.”
His Holiness Jayapataka Swami recalls a most prophetic and important event:
“The story regarding the straw house or bhajan kutir, as it was later called, and the TOVP really requires to be seen as well as heard because of Prabhupada’s arm gesture. In June, 1973 Prabhupada was in Mayapur and was staying in the Lotus building. That building was erected at the backmost border of our ISKCON land. The bhajan kutir was at the front border of the land next to Bhaktisiddhanta road. The empty land between consisted of many paddy or rice fields. It was all just empty flat fields where Prabhupada had planned for the main temple to be constructed.
“During a morning walk, Prabhupada and I were standing in front of the straw house. I turned to him and said, ‘Should we demolish this since we don’t use it anymore?’ Prabhupada was quiet for a moment and then he said, ‘No, let the people see – this is what we were’, and then with a grand swing of his right arm he pointed up to his right and said, ‘and this is what we have become’. And, of course, as we now know he was pointing directly to where the TOVP stands today.”
From Prabhupada Lilamrta by Satsvarupa Goswami:
The monsoons came, and the Ganges spilled over her banks, flooding the entire ISKCON Mayapur property. Acyutananda Swami had renovated a straw and bamboo hut where Prabhupada was soon to stay, but the waters rose until Acyutananda Swami had to live in the bamboo rafters. He wrote Prabhupada that had it not been for Bhaktisiddhanta Road the damage would have been extensive. Prabhupada replied, “Yes, we were saved by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Road. We shall always expect to be saved by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada. Always pray to his lotus feet. Whatever success we have had in preaching Lord Caitanya’s mission all over the world is only due to his mercy.”
The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP), Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, will soon be opened to the world. The transformation from “what we were” to “what we have become” has become a reality, and the desire and vision of Srila Prabhupada and our acharyas shall be fulfilled by their followers who have made it possible for this iconic and historic structure to manifest, by their mercy.
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