Mayapur Academy, a school to train devotees in deity worship, was inaugurated on 7 December in Mayapur. Jayapataka Swami and Jayadvaita Swami inaugurated the Mayapur Academy classrooms and the course in the Chaitanya Bhavan complex.

The Academy has separate rooms for deity dressing with sets of deities to train in different aspects of deity dressing, deity cooking classrooms with kitchen wares, two classrooms and a library. Academy director and ISKCON Deity Worship Minister Nrsimha Kavaca dasa thanked the efforts of all the well-wishers, especially Jayapataka Swami, Jananivasa, Pankajhangri and Dayaram dasa.

The Academy has taken shape over the years by generous support from the Mayapur Deity department and Jayapataka Swami. In his inaugural speech Jayapataka Swami remarked that it is Srila Prabhupada’s desire that Mayapur should be the headquarters of ISKCON and Mayapur should be the standard. With the opening of Mayapur Academy, devotees from all parts of the world could come to Mayapur and train to become first-class brahmanas under the guidance of two dedicated servants of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, Jananivasa Prabhu and Pankajanghri Prabhu. Jayapataka Swami wished all the students success and a nice stay in Mayapur.

Jananivasa Prabhu said that when Srila Prabhupada was asked in Mayapur in the 1970s how a city could be developed in the middle of rice fields, he remarked that if Madhava, the husband of the goddess of fortune, was served nicely money would be no problem. It is evident now that the Mayapur Project is ever increasing, and the goal of the Mayapur Academy is indeed to teach devotees how to serve the Lord nicely. He also urged all the leaders of the society to send their devotees to get trained in the art of deity worship.

Pankajanghri Prabhu spoke on the importance of samskaras, which deepen the cultural aspect of ISKCON. Students at Mayapur Academy will learn about the samskaras from Ananda Tirtha Prabhu, a Mayapur gurukula-trained student.

Jayadvaita Maharaj, Hari Sauri, Sitala mataji, Pankajhangri, and Sankarshan also spoke at the inauguration. Hari Sauri has sponsored prasadam for the students throughout the entire course. Nandakishore conducted the proceedings of the festival.

Eighteen students have been registered for this year’s course which will run till February 24.

If you wish to know more about Mayapur Academy and course details contact Mayapur.Academy@pamho.net