Rupees 51 crore ISKCON temple coming up in Patna

Times Of India: PATNA: International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is building Radha Banke Bihariji temple in the city at a cost of Rs 51 crore. The work on the temple has already been started and almost half of the amount has already been spent for the purpose.

This was revealed by Radha Mohan Das, who came from America, to attend a grand function organized at S K Memorial hall here on Saturday to chalk out a plan to celebrate golden jubilee function of ISKCON in 2016.

Addressing the conference, Das, the main speaker, urged every one to come together and help in the construction of the temple which will actually be an institution. "Patna is my birth place, and I am very much attached to it. I am here to share my spiritual worth, which I have earned through ISKCON. I still go to workplace wear dhoti and all my children are pure vegetarian. They do kirtan every day," he said. He also informed that ISKCON is building the largest Hindu temple at Mayapur, West Bengal, at an estimated cost of Rs500 crore. The initial Rs200 crore has been donated by Alfred Bush Ford, owner of Ford Motors, a vaishnavite and chairman of the new temple project.

Talking in detail about the Patna temple under construction, ISKCON secretary Krishna Kripa Das said the temple would be ready by November next year and will have 84 pillars like Lord Krishna's palace in Vrindavan. "It will cover the area of two acre to accommodate 2,500 people and an auditorium with the capacity of 1,500 people. It will have sixty rooms for worshippers. It will also have a hall where 'Prasad' to thousand people could be served at a time," he said.

He further said the ISKCON members would work to fulfil the dreams the society's founder Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. "They would build temples, organize religious rituals and go on foot march to every corner of Bihar. Their aim is to inspire the youth and inform them about sanatan Vedic tradition and method to bring peace in society. They would also hold health camps and make gates, ghats and parks in the name of their founder," he said.

A large number of life members of ISKCON from Bihar and Jharkhand participated at the function on Saturday. Mishra Bandhu from Vrindavan performed 'kirtan' and 'Prasad' was served to all who were present.

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