//
Photo: Wiki31user, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is a modern Hindu temple and planetarium complex under construction since 2009 in Mayapur, West Bengal, India. Serving as the global headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the temple is of particular significance to followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a tradition associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The complex includes the Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, one of the main temples within the premises, which is dedicated to the worship of the Pancha Tattva deities, Radha Madhava along with the Ashta-sakhis, and Narasimha. Upon completion, it will be the largest religious monument in the world, with its opening scheduled for 2027. The project chair is Alfred Brush Ford, also known as Ambarish Das, a great-grandson of Henry Ford and an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The magnificent 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 him 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.
A cowshed which takes care of more than 200 cows and bulls. A veterinary doctor performs timely health checks. Goshala also sells health products derived from the cow such as ghee, yoghurt, go-ark (distilled cow urine) and others.