The following official statement has been released by Temple of the Vedic Planetarium Chairman Ambarisa Das and Director of Development Braja Vilasa Das:

Dear ISKCON Leaders and Devotees Worldwide:

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

As you all know, we have planned for some time now to shift the Mayapur Deities into the new TOVP temple room by 2022. In the meantime, of course, the COVID -19 Pandemic came on the scene and all construction came to a halt from mid-March to mid-October, 2020, and it is only now that we have restarted the construction in a limited phase-like manner. Also, during this period we have faced and continue to face a significant financial downturn. In light of all these difficulties and serious delays we met with our project management consultant, Cushman & Wakefield, and discussed the matter threadbare. The unanimous and obvious conclusion was that considering all these factors and the quantum of work to be completed, it will not be possible to have the TOVP Opening in 2022. Therefore, we are hereby appraising you that we are postponing the shifting of the Deities and the opening date to 2023, and only somewhat later can we confirm the exact months of the opening.

Even for successfully meeting our new target date of 2023 for the TOVP Opening we are entirely dependent upon the whole ISKCON Society to help us achieve that goal. We, consequently, are looking to each and every ISKCON leader and all the devotees within their Zones to assist us by endeavoring to see that every devotee fulfills their pledge to the TOVP in the quickest possible time.  Additionally, it is imperative for each leader to enthusiastically encourage their temple congregation to pitch in their might. It must be realized that we, just a few of us, have no real capacity to bring up and complete such a monumental and unique project, the personal vision of Srila Prabhupada and the entire Parampara, in isolation and without the full and active support of every leader and devotee in ISKCON.

Likewise, we were planning to hold the Inauguration and Installation of the unique TOVP worshipping pose Murti of Srila Prabhupada in Sridham Mayapur on February 27, 2021. However, given the great unlikelihood that any GBC members or a significant number of devotees will be attending at that time, due to the continuing Covid-19 Pandemic, we have decided to also postpone that event. Nevertheless, we are most eager to have this extremely auspicious and historic Inauguration at the soonest possible time and have rescheduled it for October 2021 during the month of Damodar (date to be announced). 

We humbly request all devotees to please continue with their pledge payments, and whenever possible, to give again. Our fundraising focus for the next year will be the installation of the new Prabhupada murti in the TOVP, and you can now sponsor an abhisheka for that purpose at the TOVP website as indicated below. This will be our worldwide dakshina to our Founder/Acharya, and our combined welcome and greeting to him into the TOVP. This will also provide an important steady stream of income to our current construction work and the payment of existing bills to vendors.

We regret having to make this grave announcement, but under the circumstances, we feel this is the only practical path to follow under the circumstances. We both wish all of you our sincere thanks for your continued support and beg your prayers for the successful opening of the TOVP in 2023.

Your servants,
Ambarisa das –  Chairman
Braja Vilasa das –  Director of Development TOVP