Srila Prabhupada’s monument demolished (image by Anjali dasi face-book)
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- Srila Prabhupada’s Monument Demolished
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- Srila Prabhupada in BBSR 1977
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- The mud hut with Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir (right) and Gour Govinda Swami’s samadhi (left)
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- ISKCON Sri Sri Krsna_Balaram Mandir Bhubaneswar India
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- The murti of Srila Prabhupada, who has been brought into safety by the local devotees.
A Desperate Cry for Help
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Monument Demolished
He Stayed There So We Keep It
ISKCON Sri Sri Krsna_Balaram Mandir Bhubaneswar India
Devotees are devastated after Government officials entered the ISKCON Bhubaneswar Temple grounds and destroyed Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhajan Kutir to widen the National Highway. Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda travelled to Bhubaneswar in 1977 to found his 108th and last project. Śrīla Prabhupāda had said, “I will build a temple in Bhubaneswar like Jagannātha’s temple in Purī, because my Western disciples are not allowed to enter that temple. Lord Jagannātha will come and stay in Bhubaneswar, then all my disciples can go there and have His darśana.”
Srila Prabhupada in BBSR 1977
During his visit Śrīla Prabhupāda laid the foundation stone for the Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balaram Mandir on the auspicious occasion of the holy appearance day of Lord Nityanada. Śrīla Prabhupāda stayed for 17 days in the mud hut (pictured below), which was erected on his instruction by his dear disciple Gour Govinda Swami, who lived in the same hut while overseeing the construction of the Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balaram Mandir and where he later was placed in samadhi in 1996.
The mud hut with Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir (right) and Gour Govinda Swami’s samadhi (left)
The Government officials have threatened to come back and demolish also the Samadhi of our most beloved spiritual master Śrī Srimad Gour Govinda Swami.
This is a desperate cry for help from all followers, admirers and disciples of Gour Govinda Swami to all devotees, especially the ISKCON leaders and disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, to stop, with a worldwide uproar, the demolition of this ISKCON monument.
The murti of Srila Prabhupada, who has been brought into safety by the local devotees.
Gour Govinda Swami: Temporary mud hut, still existing.
Gokuldas dasa: It has become eternal.
Gour Govinda Swami: Temporary mud hut. That was when I first came here to occupy the land, just erected it, made a temporary residence, stayed here, and we will construct a building. After construction is finished then that will be demolished. But Prabhupāda came and stayed there. We didn’t demolish it. Look at it now, it is like a monument, Prabhupāda’s monument. He stayed there so we keep it. Sometimes when the government people came and said, “We will demolish this, we will destroy this structure. Why have you built this thing? This is not in line.” In the beginning they came because the land was donated to us, and Prabhupāda came and Prabhupāda sent me here: “Go, stay there. Build a hut, occupy. Then start a centre.” Prabhupāda told me, so I came and I erected that mud hut. I didn’t approach this government authority and get some permission from them, so they came like that. I said, “Alright, if you are powerful government officials, you may do it, but I am staying here. You come and break it, as you like, I am here.” Then they didn’t come. Just threatening, threatening. We are not doing anything for our own enjoyment, own purposes. We are doing everything for Krishna, Krishna’s service, Krishna’s enjoyment. Krishna is there. He is our only protector and maintainer. If Krishna wants, He can break it. If He doesn’t want, nobody can break it. Krishna will give protection, we have this strong faith. They didn’t come. . . . that time they didn’t come.
(More images of this shocking event are available on face book by Anjali dasi)Please everyone contact the persons involved in this humiliation of Srila Prabhupada’s last founded project. Their contact details are below. Please inundate them with so much correspondence/emails that they will not be able to think of anything else but this and how to rectify this enormous sin.
You can go to the web-site of ” National Highways Authority of India”, department of Transport and Highways.
You can go to the minster of the department.
The Chairman of NHAI, New Delhi is Mr. Rajiv Yadav. Mail: rajivyadav@nhai.org
Planning and Information- Mr. Atul kumar. Mail: atulkumar@nhai.org
Land Aquisition dept.- Mr. V.K Sharma. Mail: vksharma@nhai.org
Aditya Kumar Ray who is chief officer at BBSR. Mail:bhu@nhai.org
Mob. +919437000964
Land: 0674-2392720
Mr. A.K Upadhyay, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Govt. of India.
Please send this information to one and all. And start a big campaigning against the Govt. of India.
Hare Krishna
A humble request to all foreign devotees, please join together at Iskcon BBSR and let preach World wide about the teaching of Srila Gour Govinda Swami Gurudeva. Those who are related to Iskcon BBSR, please help develop that center in various ways, including management. Many local devotees wants the western devotees should always come and participate with Srila Gurudeva’s programme and help the Temple in different ways. Specially Murali Krushna Maharaj should took charge the management of the Temple according to the sacred desire of Srila Gurudeva and help Srila Gurudeva’s service in different ways. Many local devotees are supporting and wanting MK Maharaj should took over as soon as possible. All foreign devotee, those who are related to Iskcon BBSR, Please support him unanimously, encourage him, help him for build a best healthy atmosphere there in the most divine place in BBSR.
Please can photos inside be taken of both Kutirs and video, for archive and for all devotees then posted.
Also was all spirual paranphenilia such as books, pictures etc removed before bulldozed?
Well, here’s a video of the site after it was bulldozed; an interview with Atmaram prabhu …
Greetings everyone…..I must say ignorance is rampant unfortunately in the World. However, because the energy has been put in motion of this destruction, truly, we must not worry about saving from further destruction. The universe is as you are aware built on energies, that said, the energy exerted has to return to it’s origin. The Holly place is within our hearts, and cannot be destroyed unless we are willing and open to destruction. Put love forward! Hope for the best, peace will follow.
I agree Mike….We should be willing and open to the destruction of our personal ambitions for post and prestige and the petty mundane politics; running on in the name of religion…..This is the root of the problem!…..The rest is just the reaction and hopefully; the lesson learned.
Thank you Mike.
Murali Krsna Swami
It is a shame that the govt of India overlooks important sites such as these to fulfill their own ego to make a name for themselves. We all should get together and fight for this noble cause of saving the bhajan kutir of Srila Prabhupada.
There has been a secret cry from the Bhubaneswar temple for Western devotees to go there and assist.
It has just come in, however the person responsible wants to remain anonymous.
YS
NPdasa.
They [Bhubaneswar ISKCON] really need help and input there prabhus and matajis. Anyone who can go, please go there, especially Guru Maharaja followers and well wishers who are sannyasis.
Ys
NPdasa.
I was informed that Bhagavat Maharaja (formerly Bhagavat das, who stayed in BBSR in the early days of the project) is on his way!
Hare Krishna! ys Raghava
That’s good to hear. Someone told me also Sudhadvaita Maharaj was in BBSR, do you know if this is the case? Please keep us informed here or on facebook. Other devotees are wanting to know what is happening. What can we do to help other than sharing the online petition?
The lotus feet of Srila Gurueva is the only shelter
Ys Mahashakti dasi
just look a this video and see by yourself what they can move
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaa1sb_ep1-demenageurs-de-l-extreme-1-3_auto
may be it still time to act before it’s too late and they come crush the samadhi
whatever the cost may be we can ask another delay and collect money to try to move whatever is left before it’s too late ?
What to say more ? It is very sad indeed. Last time I came to BBSR in August 1994, I had heard already of that problem, that the Govt wanted to widen the NH5 and I thought they had reached an agreement later. Why is there was an agreement, things have not been done smoothly. May be devotees could have moved the whole thing a few meters back towards the temple. In the US I have seen movies of how they are able to move huge buildings without breaking them. Of course, that requires money but we had knowledge long beforehand; why it was ignored. I think , we failed dans they won ! we can say this and that now; but we failed !
Who is running this website and who is responsible for the Bhubaneswar project? What notice did you receive before they took this action? What was done about it? Why didn’t we hear about it until now? How can we deal with it from higher levels of authority? What would the goal of a petition be, who would it be addressed to, and who is eligible to sign it to be relevant to the situation?
Rasikananda Dasa
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami on Srila Prabhupada’s Mud Hut in Bhubaneshwar
Oct. 11, 1989 Darshan with devotees
Srila Gour Govinda Swami: Ah, that’s my revered spiritual master (Srila Prabhupada’s) mercy, yes. That’s his mercy, that’s his causeless mercy. Anyhow, he was so merciful, he came here (Bbsr, Orissa). Stayed here 17, days in that room. He gave me a chance to serve. He’s so merciful.
There was nothing here, it was all jungle. Only this mud hut. …Still Srila Prabhupada stayed here. He didn’t stay in any guest house arranged for him. Srila Prabhupada told, “No, I’ll stay here. Only I require this electricity”; for his dictaphone, nothing else. He was so happy here. I don’t know how he got happiness here. I have nothing, I have no money, I had no men, nothing. Still he was so happy staying here. My humble service he accepted. Anyhow, he’s so merciful.
And he established a center here in spite of all objections of his senior disciples (at that time). This is mercy. And he gave me many important instructions, he whispered into my ears in that room (mud hut). Not recorded. Every word was recorded at that time, the tape recorder was always on, you see?, but he drove out even his secretary, get out, get out. Just whispered in my ear. He gave me so many instructions. Why he is so merciful to me I don’t know. What I’ve done for him? I have not done anything for him. Still I am carrying out his order best as I can.
I always feel the presence of my spiritual master. I never feel myself separated from him, therefore I feel myself secure. And every day, I could remember when I am staying here (in Prabhupada’s mud hut).
I am not staying in that main Temple building, I am staying here in this mud hut next to Srila Prabhupada. My Guru Maharaja stayed here, and I feel his presence. How can you say that the Guru disappears?…So we keep this thatched house, As It Is, we never, just some remoderning may be there but, thatching must be there, because he stayed here in this house. Tirtha! This is tirtha.
Yes, isn’t it?… Prabhupada was here, he stayed here therefore it is a tirtha; a place of pilgrimage, his merciful dust is here, Prabhupada’s dust, isn’t it? …..
Thanks Maharaja! Wonderful …
ys Raghava Pandit das
there are sites like “http://www.petitions.in/” which can be used to set up a petition that can then be sent to devotees all over the world to electronically sign. Whoever is heading up this can pls give this some consideration,
ys,
Vrsabhanu das (Sridham Mayapur)
Dear everyone,
We need a massive campaign:
Save Gurudeva’s Samadhi NOW!!!
YS NPdasa.
I just called one phone number mentioned above: (Mr Aditya Kumar Ray who is chief officer at BBSR. Land: 0674-2392720), he told me that he was not competent in this matter, that I should go to the land acquisition officer, Mr Janakinath Mishra: landline: 0674-2557492) I have not yet been able to reach him, an answering machine was saying that it was busy, had to call again after some time….
they are very good at that, it’s called passing the buck
Mr Janakinath Mishra’s mobile number is 09437276117
All Glories to Sri Guru and Gouranga! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! I was there in 1977 staying in a farm house. We traveled with Srila Prabhupada from the Kumbhamela and Mayapur to see the newly acquired land Gour Govinda Brahmacari was presenting. Srila Prabhupada stayed in the mud hut. We were all impressed with his humility and ability to accept what ever Krishna provides. He set the standard for all of us to make an effort to follow. This mud hut represents the surrender and sacrifice of both our Dearly Beloved A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as well as his dear most disciple Gour Govinda Maharaj. They were both willing to do the needful to spread the glories of the Lord, even if it meant personal simplicity and living according to ancient traditions.
Only 500 years ago, India was one of the richest nations on Earth, She remains rich even today in culinary, musical, archictectual, with silks and fine artistry. She has historically attracted many in search of such of her finery. The standard of life while seemly simple is replete with spiritually induced artistry offered to the Lord. India should never be ashamed of it’s ancient simple beauty for there is a modest grandeur that secretly every man and women craves.
We should be careful in our quest for so called progress that we do not lose the ancient ways and traditions. They are served us for thousands of years being stewards of the splendor of the land. Perhaps our new fangled sky scraper building may liter the landscapes in thousands of years. We should look to the mud huts, our roots and honor the simplicity of the ancients for the Earth is still beautiful having passed through their hands. What will we be guilty of leaving behind for our children and grandchildren. Will we leave the world a better place to live in or a world littered with cement?
I love India with all my heart and it grieves me to think that plastic and cement are littering the landscapes and the holy rivers are polluted and clogged. We should think, what will be the effect of this breaking and building in 500 years?
All Glories to His Divine Grace A.C, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
Yours in Srila Prabhupada’ s seva, Kusha devi dasi
please read how this mataji fought off the perpetrators when they came to demolish srila prabhupada’s temporary temple in juhu, mumbai. If a WOMAN can fight like that, what happened to all the MEN in iskcon bhubaneshwar?
“……My head and shoulder and leg where they lifted me hurt for a long time but we were all happy because Srila Prabhupad said the Bombay devotees passed the test…..”
http://www.narasimhalila.com/juhu.html
Thank you for sharing that story Dina prabhuji. Very nice indeed!
We should take this as an example.
Yls Manju
I have managed to send an email to the Joint Secretary of President Shri Barun Mitra and drop a call to him [ phone no 24638676 / email add : barunmitra@rb.nic.in]. Also drop a call and email to the Capt Sunil Kashinath Vidhate , Military Secretary [ phone no 23016956 / email add: dmsp@rb.nic.in ] and Smt Vijay Tahkur Singh, the Joint Secretary-cum-Social Secretary to the President [ email add : jsvs@rb.nic.in ] .
Let pray to Guru and Gauranga.
Rgds
Narenthiran
please read how this mataji fought off the perpetrators when they came to demolish srila prabhupada’s temporary temple in juhu, mumbai. If a WOMAN can fight like that, what happened to all the MEN in iskcon bhubaneshwar?
http://narasimhalila.com/juhu.html
Correct Dina-ji,
What is happening there?
We need a campaign:
Save The Samadhi NOW!!!
YS,
NPdasa.
World wide devotees (related to Isk, bbsr) must come to BBSR immediately and personally know what is the real fact and do the needful practically in that spot
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=10768 – article from iskcon bbsr here.
I hope someone in authority will organize an online petition right away so that signatures can be collected from the worldwide community of followers of vaishnavism & srila prabhupada.
hare krishna! pamho agtsgnsg! agtsp!
why are we hearing about this only AFTER it has happened??!!??!!??!! what a failure to serve our revered founder acharya!
Dear prabhus,
I have just sent an email to the four gentleman concerned from the Indian Govt. about the destruction on the holy site of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir and the imminent [I hope that it does not happen] heinous attack on the holy, very holy samadhi site of Srila Gour Govinda Swami.
Prabhus,
Do something quickly. Very quickly.
This looks very serious.
your servant,
Rama Ishvara dasa.
Dear Prabhus and Guru-bhais,
Hare Krsna! All glories to Srila Gurudeva and Srila Prabhupada.
Jai Sri Guru and Gauranga. Jai Sri Sri Krsna Balarama.
I have received the very sad and disturbing news and photos of the demolition of Srila Prabhupada’s Temple and Bhajan Kutir at Bbsr. I like all of you, are shocked and outraged over this terrible, offensive and inauspicious occurrence committed against our Srila Prabhupada; the Founder Acarya of ISKCON. I can’t even begin to fathom how much pain this has caused and is causing to our Gurudeva; Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja.
I have been in contact with some devotees and we are trying from our side to see what, if anything, we can do to be of service to you and ISKCON Bhubaneshwar at this very disturbing time. Please let us know how we can be of help.
Also, from your side, I think it would be very helpful for the Temple Leaders to write down and send out a brief history of the events dealing with the National Highway issue and what has lead up to this final act of desecration at the Krishan Balarama Mandir in Bbsr.
I think it would also be helpful if the Bbsr Temple Management gave us a practical guideline as to what needs to be done and by whom to deal with this issue locally and internationally. This must come first if we want to mobilize a proper and effective response to their great sin.
As you know, I have undergone some recent back surgery and I am trying to recover and rehabilitate from that while in the USA. Regardless of that, please let us know what you need from us to help in this very sad and disturbing matter. I plan to come to Bbsr in the beginning of October after programs in Moscow and Russia and would like to attend the Orissan Padayatra at kartika. If you need me earlier, please let me know.
Thank you for your continued service and commitment at ISKCON Bbsr and please keep us up to date on the on-going battle to protect Srila Prabhupada’s Temple and the prestige of his beloved ISKCON Mandir in Bhubaneshwar.
Your lowly servant and brother,
Murali Krsna Swami
Dear everyone:
If this was a Mosque or Church in India would they do the same???
I don’t think so!!!
They would be too scared.
Why haven’t the devotees in Bhubaneswar chained themselves to the building [samadhi/bhajna-kutir] in front of the bulldozers? Why aren’t there mass demonstrations right out front of the temple?
What is going on actually. Luckily someone rang our godbrother Sachinandana dasa and he stopped the demolition of the samadhi of our beloved Gurudeva!!!
Where are all those devotees that just read out offerings for Srila Prabhupada just one or two days ago and observed his Vyasa-puja in Orissa, Bhubaneswar.
Where are the leaders of Orissa ISKCON and Gour Narayana Swami, what are they doing???
BABA!!!
Gurudeva [HDG Gour Govinda Swami] said that they also wanted to come and knock down the building in the early days [quoted above] but he was prepared to stay in the hut whilst they were trying to knock it down…! It was now a spiritual treasure as Srila Prabhupada had stayed there for 17 days.
This is a monument, spiritual monument!!!
Everyone should start petitioning their local Indian Embassy/High Commission in whatever country they live in. And the Orissa Government can now pay for a very nice building to be put up on that very spot to Glorify Srila Prabhupada and for our Gurudevas Samadhi.
What did Srila Prabhupada say about our Guru Maharaja: He was a devotee from his birth, and Krsna has sent him…!
I really hope and pray that the devotees in Orissa get this one together.
Your lowly servant,
Nimai Pandit dasa.
A petition would be appropriate also, if someone could draw it up and send it out to all the devotees, get as many signatures as possible, and send it or take it to the Central Government officials in Delhi, or whoever it is that needs to get the message.
The Orissa TV channel (OTV) said they were looking into it, but they may not bother. At the time of these events it was Janmastami and the temple always has to cater to the literally thousands of outside people observing the festival the day before devotees observe Janmastami. It is a huge task to put on these festivals and manage the crowds. Times of India (Bhubaneswar edition) ran a short story saying how Isckon Bhubaneswar held Janmastami and lots of people came, but never mentioned the drama going on around the temple. The people in Bhubaneswar are used to seeing buildings demolished, and sometimes even small temples. Who remembers that huge Hanuman temple with Orange Hanuman, on the left side of the highway almost at CRP? That Hanuman lay in pieces on the ground for weeks. It was shocking to see. Every year almost, the BMC would come along the side roads and demolish every shop that wasn’t legal, and often it was your local subji shop or fruit shop or mechanics shop. It was always very shocking to see mounts of rubble all along the road and people’s livelihood gone. You could feel how people would be traumatised for a few days, then slowly but surely a shaky tin and bamboo building would be up and running again because they need to earn some money. The last time some brahmacari devotees in Bhubaneswar protested the lack of work on the water pipes and the temple kept being flooded every rainy season, and many times they were wading around in knee-deep water and a couple of times water entered Gurudeva’s samadhi and was threatening Prabhupada’s kuti, some of them went to jail for holding up the traffic on the highway outside the front of the temple, and for fighting with the baton-weilding police. I remember it was 7pm, a big rain came just as Candan Yatra was about to begin.
Your servant,
Mahashakti Dasi
Very good idea Maha! We need a volunteer who is capable of doing this. Is there anyone out there who can help with a petition?
I feel Sachinandan prabhu should represent us and Sadhika mataji has experience with petitions and that sort of thing.
They should do it.
Save the Samadhi Now!!!
YS
NPdasa.