Archive of Selected News and Photo Galleries of Last Years

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Sridham Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu seen from above the Pushpa Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada. The former parc in Mayapur on the right.


.• Video: The Thakura's Prophecy

The Mayapur temple project as viewed on Google Earth, Jan. 2011. • Video: Temple of the Vedic Planetarium - One Square Foot of "Legacy" • tovp.org

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...Photos by Al Ford on Facebook



Ambarisa (Al Ford) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple in Mayapur, India, March 2010.

• Video: ToVP Tour of Cranes and Levels on Construction Site by Managing Director Sadbhuja Das.

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"Night view from the balcony of the Conch Building. Sridham Mayapur, December 2010" • Watch Video: Simulated 360-degree Temple Flyover

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.• Photos: ToVP Construction work / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

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.(Full Image) .• http://tovp.org/news/


View from the top of the new construction crane. You can see the Lotus Building, designed and built by Srila Prabhupada in the early 1970's, in the upper right hand corner. The Long Building is in the background. The large square in the center of construction is the foundation of the new temple room taking shape, with stainless steel rods of all the supporting colums rising all around it.




A photo (2011) of the construction site of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur, India.
• Watch Video: Magnificent Panoramic Views from different Angles of the Construction Site of the Temple

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"Srila Prabhupada personally performed the foundation ceremony and installed the deity of Ananta Sesa for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. It was about fifty meters from the bhajan-kutir. Mayapur 1972"


.Photo: Prabhupada with his Godbrothers during the foundation ceremony. 03.1972

"On the 5th of March 1977 in Mayapur Srila Prabhupada had the devotees lay a corner stone for the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, about one kilometer into the fields behind Lotus bld." More on: http://mayapurkatha.blogspot.de/2007_02_01_archive.html

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.› Livestream: Mayapur TV




.• ToVP: Photos from the Construction Work of the Tempel in Mayapur

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tovp.org

This Is It !
8.8.2011





- On the website dedicated to the construction of the temple in Mayapur one could read (in 2011): "We have all waited and wondered, and now that time has come when we need to wait no more! What you see here is the final model of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) – official, refined and polished in the particulars department. We have now found the perfect balance of colours, shades, and details (such as extra mosaic artwork, Faberge particulars, etc) allowing for a more distinguished concluding design. So feast your eyes, for this is it!"

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.(Full Image) .(Full Image) - Photo Credit: Alfred Ford

"Birdseye view of Srila Prabhupada's bhajan kutir and main gate, Sridham Mayapur" - Photo: Prabhupada with His Godbrothers during the foundation ceremony. 03.1972

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- The final model of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) in Sri Dham Mayapur - official, refined and polished in the particular departments working on the design.


.• Video: ToVP Project Update 2013

Al Ford writes on his Facebook site: "This is the latest night scene for the TOVP. This will help in the lighting concept and execution. A magical kingdom."


.• www.travelblog.org/West-Bengal/Mayapur • Mayapur TV live and recorded broadcasts

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From Iskcon News: "Perhaps the most amazing experience—in a month full of them—for devotees attending the annual Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur, India this March was seeing the incredible construction progress of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. It was back in 1976 that Srila Prabhupada expressed his desire to build a grand temple that would “attract people of the whole world to Mayapur.” The temple, originally predicted by none other than Lord Nityananda, the most intimate associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was to also include a planetarium within which Prabhupada wanted to construct “a huge, detailed model of the universe as described in the text of the fifth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.”


.• Iskcon News (2 Apr 2011): Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Rises Ahead of Schedule


But Srila Prabhupada passed on from this world without seeing his vision become a reality. Since then, many teams of his disciples have wrestled with the monumental project, with many devotees wondering if they would ever see the temple in their own lifetimes. The TOVP, as it’s nicknamed, took on a kind of mythical quality, a modern Vaishnava legend that many discussed but few could imagine actually becoming a reality. This spring, however, devotees have returned home with an excited message for their friends and colleagues, “I have seen it! It’s really going up!”. They are now working on the superstructure, which is quickly taking shape. Photos on the temple’s official website, TOVP.org/photos, give us some idea of the gigantic scale, and show that three floors of the temple are already under construction, with signs marking the “Utility Floor,” “Pujari Floor,” and “Temple Room Floor.” Continued...

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.> Photos / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

On the Net: http://tovp.org/en/vedic-science/vedic-planetarium. .TOVP Mayapur
• Latest 3D Animation Model of Vedic Planetarium Temple • Photos on the Web > Video • Youtube Video: Bhajan - 24hr Kirtan - Mukunda Datta in Dallas

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"The Week" Magazine, March 2004 (India)

Man Of The Week
Alfred Ford: Henry Ford's great-grandson wants to build a Rs 600-crore Vedic city in India
By Tapash Ganguly, Mayapur, March 20, 2004


.Alfred Ford (Ambarisa Das)


If Henry Ford left his legacy in motor cars, his great-grandson Alfred Ford is chasing a spiritual dream: to build a Vedic city in India. The only hurdle in his path is a stoic West Bengal government, which is reluctant to be a strategic partner in the Rs 600-crore project. Three London-based firms have submitted designs of the Vedic city, which Alfred Ford has planned for Mayapur in Nadia district. Mayapur, the birthplace of the 16th century Vaishnava saint Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), of which Alfred Ford is a member.

The CPI(M)-led government has reservations about supporting a religious project. And without the government's support Alfred Ford, chairman of Sri Mayapur Project Development Committee that promotes the Vedic township, cannot hope to realise his dream. "According to West Bengal Land Reforms Act, no charitable society can have more than 25 acres," said Bhakti Charu Swamy, a member of the society's governing council. "Iskcon already has 25 acres in Mayapur. The new project needs at least 300 acres. Local landowners are willing to sell, but we cannot buy unless the government becomes a partner in the project." The government, which has spread a red carpet for investors of all kind, could not spare time for Alfred Ford, cousin of William Ford (Jr), chief executive officer of Ford, when he arrived with his Bengali wife, Sharmila, in February. After much lobbying, Finance Minister Dr Asim Dasgupta gave Alfred an appointment but nothing came of it. Two other state governments, however, have evinced keen interest in the project. Orissa has offered 400 acres on the Puri beach, where Sri Chaitanya died at the age of 48. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's adviser Amar Singh has reportedly requested Albert to shift his project to Vrindavan, where Sri Chaitanya spent half his life.

Alfred Ford is a direct disciple of the Iskcon founder, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who died in 1977. "I first met Srila Prabhupada in 1974 and he became my spiritual master the following year," said Alfred, who took the name Ambarish Das and became a vegetarian Hindu. "His books and teachings gave a meaning and purpose to my life." The Vedic city seeks to glorify Mayapur. "We are presenting the Vedic culture as the jewel of India," said Alfred. "We are not going to use this project to convert anyone. We want to present the knowledge of the Vedas in a non-sectarian world-class project. This is spiritual technology presented in a way which is open to everyone." Alfred Ford, a trustee of the Ford Motor Company Fund, had a hand in building the first Hindu temple in Hawaii. He also helped found the Bhaktivedanta Cultural Center in Detroit, a major tourist attraction. He is the founding chairman of Iskcon Foundation and has contributed generously to the Hare Krishna movement. An arts graduate from Tulane University, Alfred started Ramayan Arts Inc., an Indian arts gallery, in 1978. He co-founded Rapport-Net, a tech company which provides communication solutions to corporates.

The Vedic city, as he has planned, will have a 50,000 sq.m cultural and educational complex called Vedic Planetarium, showing the cosmology of ancient India. A botanical garden will surround the planetarium. According to Bhakti Charu Swamy, using both modern and traditional exhibition systems the complex will provide a dynamic uplifting experience to visitors through an exploration of man's relationship with the universe. "It will be different from other cities," said Alfred Ford, who is also lobbying for a Vedic centre in Moscow. "The culture will be based on Vedic philosophy. There will be certain rules to follow for those who want to reside here because we want to keep the atmosphere clean." The design of the Vedic Planetarium has been drawn from the 'sacred architecture', in which the cosmos is revealed through the medium of the building itself. The large scale of the building with its western facade rising over 30 storeys, combined with the elaborate art and sculpture, is expected to attract visitors.

"The city will sustain itself from pilgrim and tourist revenue as well as cottage industries," said Alfred, who is in his forties. "The government can help by developing the infrastructure. Waterways, as well as rail and road systems in the region, can be developed. Such a project will enhance the image of West Bengal in the business and tourism world." A complex of hotels, restaurants and retail establishments as well as museums, theatres and other recreational facilities are also being planned. The Ganga and the Jalangi will be developed with water-based recreation activities in mind. "Service components of the project will generate direct employment and an industrial park will be developed to promote food processing, handicrafts and textiles," said Bhakti Charu Swamy. Nadia, which is widely regarded as the vegetable garden of West Bengal, is also famous for its handwoven Tant saris. "Besides, a technology park will be created for information technology businesses such as Web design and development and software development." Before conceiving the project, Alfred and his team collected data on pilgrim centres in India. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with their temple towns, attract a third of domestic tourists and Uttar Pradesh, with pilgrim centres for Hindus and Muslims, attracts 30 per cent.

Pilgrimage tourism is on the rise worldwide and interest in India's spiritual heritage is surging. "Mayapur commands a significant percentage of domestic and foreign tourism in West Bengal," said Shankarshan Netai, general manager of Iskcon Center, Mayapur. "In 2002 over 13 lakh people visited Iskcon Center." The number will grow manifold when the Vedic city is completed. According to Bhakti Charu Swamy, Alfred Ford will come down from Florida, where he lives with his wife and two daughters on a 200-acre farm, this October to finalise the details. By then, it will be clear whether West Bengal's loss would be Orissa's gain. If that happens Alfred Ford and his wife, whom he first met at the Iskcon temple in Melbourne, would be the saddest. "We would like to retire to the tranquillity and spiritual atmosphere of Mayapur," Alfred Ford told 'The Week'. Now, everything hinges on the government's decision

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Indianweekender.co.nz

.• Video: Gaura Purnima Festival Inauguration, Mayapur 2011


(Excerpt from the article) Gaura-Purnima is a Vaisnava festival that occurs usually in March celebrating the divine appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the confidential incarnation of Lord Krishna. Gaura Purnima means "Golden Full Moon", a reference to the golden complexion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. His followers spend this festival fasting and chanting congregationally, then at moonrise a feast is enjoyed by all. In Navadvip, where Mahaprabhu appeared more than 522 years ago, the festival is preceded by a parikrama around all the places where He performed His pastimes.

Sri Chaitanya is the Kali-yuga avatara, and He descended for the purpose of establishing the yuga dharma, which in this age is the chanting of Lord Krishna's names. He appeared in the guise of a devotee to perfectly show how the process of devotion should be followed and applied. It is something like a teacher drawing on the black board "A B C". We should not think the teacher is himself learning the alphabets, but he is doing it to show us how to write properly. In the Sama Veda, the Lord states: tathaham krita-sannyaso bhu-girbano “vatarisye tire lakanandayah punah punar ishvara-prarthitah sa-parivaro niralambo nirdhuteh kali-kalmasha-kavalita-janavalambanaya. "To deliver the people devoured by the sins of Kali-yuga, I will, accompanied by My associates, descend to the earth in a place by the Ganges shore. I will be a brahmana avadhuta sannyasi. Again and again I will chant the holy names of the Lord."


.• Mayapur.com > Mayapur TV Channel


The inner purpose of Sri Chaitanya's incarnation was to experience the devotional love that Radharani has for Krishna. He wanted to experience the process of bhakti from the side of the devotee. In other ages, the Lord incarnates along with His weapons for destroying the demons, but in Kali yuga He shows special mercy to the demons by delivering them with nama-sankirtana. In the Kali-yuga there are practically only demons on this earth, so if the Lord were to kill the demons there would be nobody left. Instead He chose to kill the demoniac tendency within the heart of the demons by giving them Krishna bhakti.

There is a nice description in Caitanya Caritamrita. Lord Krishna thought in Goloka, "I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age; nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord in the form of Lord Gauranga. By accepting the role of a devotee, I shall make the whole world dance in ecstasy, and thus realize the four mellows of loving devotional service. “In this way, I shall teach devotional service to others by personally practicing it, for whatever a great personality does, common people will follow. Of course, My plenary portions can establish the religious principles for each age, but only I can bestow the kind of loving devotional service which is performed by the residents of Vraja." More...


.(full) • Photos: Gaura Purnima in Moscow 2011

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Alligator.org

Gainesville Meditation Guide: at the Hare Krishna House
Robert Imfeld, Avenue Contributing Writer, 17.3.2011


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Every day, the Hare Krishnas chant a melodic meditation and serve food to students in UF’s Plaza of the Americas. A decent number of students usually line up — especially on Spaghetti Wednesdays — but no one seems to know much about the people who serve the vegetarian-friendly fare. An hour and a half before the sun rises, the Hare Krishnas gather for meditation, called japa, in the temple of the Krishna House, just off campus on Northwest 14th Street. They recite their mantra with the help of Japa Mala beads, a strand of beads — not unlike the rosary — that helps devotees keep track of their chanting.

Each strand has 108 beads, one for each time they chant to Krishna, and they do it 16 times. That means every morning, they recite the mantra 1,728 times. They believe the god Krishna and his name are one and the same. “When you chant Hare Krishna, you’re actually associating with God through his name,” said Caitanya, a devotee who’s been chanting for 19 years. They also serve Krishna through cooking and cleaning. They devote themselves so stringently because they believe the material energies of the world cover the spiritual soul, effectively blocking them from being one with Krishna. They have their sights set on a higher plane. “If you want to really feel free in the material world, you refrain from activities that bind you to the material world,” Caitanya said.

They use the material energy in his service to prevent becoming entangled in the material life. The van they use, for example, is used to serve Krishna food to other people instead of being used as, say, a way to get to a party. And because the food is served with love and devotion, it’s karma-free, as the side of the van reads. Even if you don’t wish to wake at 4 a.m. to chant, Caitanya said non-devotees can still reap the benefits of the Krishna beliefs. “We just encourage people to chant the holy name and take Krishna lunch,” she said. “By doing that, the purification of the heart happens, and then, automatically, everything else that doesn’t help them in their spiritual life melts away.”

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Spread ripples of love
Shri Shri Anandamurti,
Mar 19, 2011,



Spread ripples of love (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)


Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu once visited Vrindavan, where he observed the Holi festival. After his return to Bengal, he pondered deeply and decided to introduce the festival but in a different form. It came to be known as Dolyatra. What is the significance of Dolyatra? Winter is over, and people are active once again. They plan to do so many things for the benefit of society. Similarly, when they think of Krishna, their minds are filled with joy. The very thought of Krishna produces ripples of joy in people's minds, and these vibrations of joy also produce a corresponding vibration in Krishna's mind. They think, "Oh Krishna, i love you – but you also love me, that i know." In this way the ripples of joy in their own minds also create vibrations of joy in His mind.

Shri Chaitanya said to his followers, "Go to the Krishna temple on that day, and apply red powder and red colour to Krishna. Then you should play with the red powder and colour amongst yourselves." And those who gave red powder and colour to others would also feed them with malpoa, the delectable sweet. So it is neither Holi festival nor Phaguya – it is the Dolyatra of Shri Krishna. In the days of Mahaprabhu, the prevailing rule was to seek the prior permission of the person to whom you were going to give the red powder. If that person gave permission, then only could you smear him with coloured powder, and then treat them to malpoa.

In Sanskrit there are two similar words: varna and raga. Though the meanings are approximately the same, they are not completely synonymous. Varna means colour, what is called rang in Bengali. But the word varna does not indicate the colour which will colour other objects as well; an object has its own colour but its colour may not necessarily dye other ob jects. But the word raìga means that particular colour which can dye other objects also. So the inner spirit of the science of colour in Vaishnavi Tantra is this – that each and every expression of this universe has its own rhythm, its own vibration, its o wn sound, and its own colour, and thus it has its own form as well. And as it has its own sound, it has a particular sweetness of its own.