Dignitaries on the Dais- Left to right (audience perspective): HG Varada Krishna Das ( Temple President – ISKCON HBR Layout), HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami (Zonal Supervisor & ISKCON Coimbatore Temple President), Honourable Member of Parliament Sri Tejasvi Surya, Honourable Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, HG Narahari Chaitanya Das (Temple President – ISKCON South Bengaluru), HH Jayapataka Swami (GBC), HH Bhanu Swami (GBC), HH Bhakti Prachar Parivrajak Swami (Chairman – ISKCON BMV, Regional Secretary for UP, India).

ISKCON held the inauguration ceremony of Sri Sri Radha Vinoda Temple & Cultural Centre (ICC) in Bengaluru on October 1st, 2023. The auspicious opening was presided over by GBC HH Jayapataka Swami, GBC HH Bhanu Swami, Zonal Supervisor HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami, HH Bhakti Prachar Parivrajak Swami, HG Narahari Chaitanya Das – ICC Temple President, HG Varada Krishna Das, and other senior devotees. Dignitaries in attendance included Sri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Honorable Governor of Karnataka & Sri Tejasvi Surya, the Honorable Member of Parliament & National President of BJP Yuva Morcha.

The ICC houses the shrines of Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev & Srimati Subhadra Mai, Sri Sri Gaura Sundara Nityananda Natavara at Kumaraswamy Layout, Bangalore. A separate altar has been dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, where his murti is installed. A large hall was designed for devotees to comfortably have the darshan of their Lordships. The campus also provides spiritual and cultural education for children, youth, and families. A Multipurpose Cultural Hall is also dedicated for lectures, kirtans, festivals, conventions, and other functions.

The ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Vinoda Mandir & Cultural Centre will serve the needs of the people of South Bengaluru and its surroundings by providing devotional opportunities for them to showcase their devotional talents and by launching courses on shastra and scriptural learnings, cultural modules, & other programs to the public. It will also promote social progress by teaching spiritual solutions to society’s myriad of problems, including war, poverty, environmental degradation, and racial and sectarian strife.

The Vedic temple opening ceremony started on 27th September and continued to 1st October 2023. The Vedic rituals of deity installation were led by the Deity Ministry headed by Sheetalanga Das & Seva Atula Das along with other priests, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of September 2023. It is estimated that 2,000-3,000 devotees from all over Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and nearby places participated in the temple’s inaugural festival. There were book tables with publications of ISKCON BBT, HH Bhanu Swami & HH Bhakti Vikasa Swami, and stalls with devotional paraphernalia for the devotees & visitors. Over 12,000 plates of prasadam were distributed throughout the day among the devotees attending the festival.

The inauguration ceremony consisted of:
– Introduction and garlanding the guests on the dais.
– Invocation by the Girls forum of ISKCON South Bengaluru
– Address by HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami
– Address by the Member of Parliament Sri Tejasvi Surya
– Address by HH Jayapataka Swami
– Address by the Honourable Governor of Karnataka Sri Thawar Chand Gehlot
– Vote of thanks by Srinidhi Govind Das

The Temple Complex will also house a Vedic library to provide free and easy access to the teachings of Krishna consciousness, as presented by Srila Prabhupada. The library will contain a vast collection of books, articles, audio and video recordings, and other resources on a wide range of topics that will help people learn about and experience Krishna consciousness or those simply looking for a place to find spiritual inspiration. The temple plans to expand its preaching activities over a 5 km radius.

The inauguration of the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Vinoda Mandir & Cultural Centre in South Bengaluru is a significant milestone for the propagation of the Krishna Consciousness Movement in India & around the globe. ICC will serve as a place for devotees to worship, learn, and grow in their spiritual practice. It will also be a place for the public to learn about the Krishna Conscious philosophy and culture, which will be open to anyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or any other factor.

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