Vrindavan’s Krishna-Balarama temple 40th anniversary is coming up in 2015. In preparation for the event, devotees at ISKCON Vrindavan are compiling a history of the temple in three parts:

1. Srila Prabhupada’s struggle to establish the Krishna Balarama temple.

2. The grand opening and Prabhupada’s instructions for the temple.

3. Development of the temple after Prabhupada’s disappearance.

Focus will be on personal memories and the impact the temple has had both individually and globally. The editors ask anyone, even if they were not personally present with Prabhupada in Vrindavan, to share your experiences how the Krishna Balaram temple has helped them advance in devotional service.

The book will be a mosaic of everyone’s experiences, creating an offering of love at the lotus feet Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Krishna Balaram, Radha Shyamasundara and Lalita Visakha. It will be a combined expression of gratitude to Prabhupada for his efforts to establish the temple. Its theme centers around one of the last purports of Srimad Bhagavatam (10.13.50) spoken by Prabhupada in Vrindavan:

“A pure devotee has no desires. Therefore Sanatana Gosvami comments that because the desires of devotees whose attention is fixed on Krishna have already been fulfilled, the Lord’s sidelong glances create variegated desires in relation to Krishna and devotional service. In the material world, desire is a product of rajo-guna and tamo-guna, but desire in the spiritual world gives rise to a variety of everlasting transcendental service. Thus the word svakarthanam refers to eagerness to serve Krishna. In Vrindavan there is a place where there was no temple, but a devotee desired, ‘Let there be a temple and seva, devotional service.’ Therefore, what was once an empty corner has now become a place of pilgrimage. Such are the desires of a devotee.”

Please send your memories and appreciations either typed or in audio format to the following email: VrindavanMemories@pamho.net. If you visit Vrindavan, contact the editors so they can interview you or arrange that you give a class to describe your memories with Prabhupada.