ISKCON
Mayapur
Campus
Sri Sri Radha Madhava temple
complex
On the left side of the main temple room is a
murti of ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, Srila
Prabhupada in hisVyasasana. On the right
side, on the main altar are the presiding
deities: the beautiful larger than life size Sri
Sri Radha Madhava, surrounded by Their
Ashta-sakhis (eight principal gopi friends) —
Sri Lalita, Sri Champakalata, Sri Chitra, Sri
Tungavidya, Sri Vishaka, Sri Indulekha, Sri
Rangadevi and Sri Sudevi, along with
Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Giri-Govardhana.
The small Radha Madhava Deities in the altar
goes out in procession during Ratha-yatra and
other festivals like Jhulana-yatra (swing
festival) or boat festival. These Deities also
come out in procession on a chariot every
Saturday after Sandhya-arati during winter
from the beginning of the Kartika (Damodara)
month till Gaura-purnima.
In the center of
the temple is the
merciful deity of
Lord
Nrisimhadeva.
This rare form
of Nrisimhadeva
is known as
“Sthanu-
Nrisimha” and
this is the only
place where this
particular form
of Nrisimhadeva is known to be worshipped.
With bent knees and in great anger with
reddish eyes, He is ready to spring out of the
pillar to attack the demons and protect His
devotees. The Deity was installed here in 1986
after the temple was attacked by dacoits.
The third altar (past Lord Nrisimhadeva),
adjacent to the main temple hall is the Sri Sri
Pancha-tattva temple. The most attractive
and magnificent larger than life dieties of Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with His associates Sri
Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acharya, Sri
Gadhadhara Pandita and Sri Srivasa Thakura
were installed in 2004, which was a
remarkable event in the history of ISKCON.
Chaitanya Exhibition is an area located inside
the temple where Lord Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu’s pastimes are beatifully painted
and depicted on the walls in the form of bas-
reliefs. A dramatic narration of the Lord’s
divine pastimes in Bengali is played through
an audio system. There are 4 devotees serving
here. This exhibition is open from 10am to
1pm and from 4pm to 6pm.
On the second floor of the Lotus building are
two rooms (currently Room 18) that were used
by Srila Prabhupada as his personal quarters
in 1976-77. These rooms have been
maintained as when His Divine Grace was
present. The first room was Srila
Prabhupada’s darsana room and in the next
room, Srila Prabhupada’s personal Deity of
Sri Mayapur-chandra and the imprint of Srila
Prabhupada’s lotus feet are there. In the
darsana room, a larger than than life size
murti of Srila Prabhupada is present and
behind this murti is a display of his personal
belongings and books. On his right is a
display of his books that have been translated
into many languages.
Timings of some of the prominent daily events
here are:
Mangala-arati: 4:30am (closes at
5:00am)
Darsana-arati: 7:00am
Srila Prabhupada Guru-puja: 7:30am
Class on Srimad-Bhagavatam (English
and Bengali separately): 8:00am
Bhoga-arati: 12 noon (temple closes at
1:00pm and reopens at 4:00pm)
Sandhya-arati: 6:30pm
Class on Bhagavad-gita (Bengali):
7:45pm (temple closes at 8:30pm)
Srila Prabhupada’s Pushpa
Samadhi Mandir
The
magnificient
memorial
shrine of
Srila
Prabhupada
is the largest
of its kind in
India. The
tall majestic
marble dome
dominates
the skyline
and shines
beautifully in
the golden
rays of the sun at sunrise and sunset. The
garland which adorned His Divine Grace
while placing him in Samadhi has been
brought and laid down in the Pushpa
Samadhi Mandir. A larger than life size brass
murti of Srila Prabhupada has been installed
and worshipped here. The Samadhi Mandir’s
gardens are very beautiful and extensive.
They never fail to attract the attention of all
guests. Upstairs, inside the Samadhi, a large
diorama display depicts Srila Prabhupada’s
life and struggles to establish ISKCON and its
preaching mission. Outside, the walls are
decorated with terra-cotta displays of
Krishna’s pastimes from the Srimad-
Bhagavatam. A large auditorium is in the
basement with facility for stage lighting. It is
equipped with a sound system and seminars,
festivals, ISKCON film shows and cultural
programs take place here.
The Samadhi Mandir is open for general
guests from 7:30am to 1 p.m. and 3:30pm to
8:30am
Timings of some of the prominent aratis are:
Srila Prabhupada arati: 4:00am
Srila Prabhupada Guru Puja : 7:30am
Bhoga-arati : 12:15pm
Sandhya-arati : 6:00pm
Srila Prabhupada’s Bhajan
Kutir
When you walk in through the “main gate”,
on the immediate left is the straw hut where
Srila Prabhupada stayed from 1972 to 1976
while the first main building (the Lotus
Building) was built. A 24 hour kirtana takes
place here following Srila Prabhupada’s
instruction that there be continous chanting of
the holy name in the dhama. On the left side
are Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara, large
neemwood Deities who traveled throughout
India on Pada-yatra. These Deities also come
out in procession on a chariot every Saturday
after Sandhya-arati during winter from the
beginning of the Kartika (Damodara) month
till Gaura-purnima.
Srila Prabhupada first lived in a small hut
near the campus’s main gate. That was the
first structure built in ISKCON Sri Mayapur. It
is still being maintained today according to
Srila Prabhupada’s desire. He instructed
devotees to perform Harinama Kirtana 24
hours a day throughout the year in Sri
Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada’s hut became the
place of nonstop Harinama Kirtana in 1990
during Gaura Purnima. Since then the singing
of Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare
Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare has continued unremittingly
despite huge floods during the years 1999,
2000 and 2006.
In this service take part 16 devotees. There
are 8 shifts of 3 hrs each. 4 groups of 3
devotees each take part in each shift, once
during the day and once at night. The
department is determined to continue this 24
hour Harinam Kirtana eternally and please
Srila Prabhupada by this service.
Mondir 