ISKCON Temple: The Magic of Krishna Devotion

Have you ever experienced a tantalising magical aura around you? Have you felt spiritualism blowing in the air, en-wrapping a magical coat around you, making you feel protected and safe like you used to feel in your mother's lap? This is how one describes his or her experience after visiting the ISKCON Temple in Delhi.

Fondly known as the ‘Holy Abode of Lord Krishna’, ISKCON temple is an important religious temple in India. Also a popular tourist attraction in the capital, it is one of the most lavish temples in Delhi.

It is also called as Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir or Hare Krishna Temple. There are eight temples of ISCKON in Delhi, the main being the one located in East of Kailash.

The temple was designed and built by Achyut Kanvinde, who is considered as one of the forefathers of modern Indian architecture. The temple opened in 1998 and since then, it has been preaching the science of Krishna consciousness according to Bhagvad Gita- the spiritual book of Hindus.

About 500 years ago saint named Chaitanya Mahaprabhu introduced a spiritual movement of Hare Krishna that swept India. The devotees of Krishna today worship Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of Lord Krishna for this age, and ISKCON is a continuation of the movement started by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Today, there are ISKCON Temples built across several countries. India itself has more than 35 ISKCON Temples built in different cities like Bengaluru, Patna, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Baroda, Haridwar, Hyderabad, Imphal, Kanpur, Delhi and in many other cities. These temples are famous for religious activities like kirtan, hymns, preaching etc.

Following are the main attractions of ISKCON Temple:

Architecture
The unique architecture of the temple makes it look impressive from outside and celestial from within. It is magical to see the three tall spires brightly after the sunset. In order to reach the main shrine, one has to take a flight of steps.

When observed carefully, one notices that Kanvinde has tried innovative ideas to build this temple rather than following the conventional Vastu Sastras principles of temple construction. For instance, this temple faces west while the temples are generally made facing east.

The spires of the temple are also different from the traditional Hindu temples with round toppings and slits in them. Brown Dholpur stone and white marble has been used in the construction of the temple.

Deities
There are three shrines dedicated to Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram and Gaura-Nitai. The idols are worth-seeing and are beautifully sculpted. Bedecked with heavy jewellery and rich clothes these idols are take care with great delicacy. 24 trained pundits worship these deities abiding strictly by the Hindu ritual and rules. The clothes of the deities are changed twice a day.

Museum
There is a museum in the temple complex that houses stunning paintings and remarkable objects. The great epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana are explained here in an interactive manner using technology, sound and light. A robot show is really worth-watching explaining various religious thoughts and figures.

Nearby Attractions
Lotus Temple (4.5km), India Gate (7.9 km), Qutub Minar (9.4km),  Jama Masjid (12.8km), Red Fort (13 km),  and Jama Masjid (19km) are some of the other attractions of Delhi sightseeing.

Timing
The temple is open on all days from 4:30am to 9pm. The main temple is closed in between 1pm to 4pm. Janmashtami (August-September) is the must-visit time when you can indulge in the high spirits of devotees celebrating Lord Krishna's birthday in the temple.

How to Reach
Nehru Place Metro Station is the nearest metro station to the destination. One can take rickshaw or auto from here to reach the temple.

So soak yourself in the religious mood of Krishna devotion with this soul-cleansing trip to ISKCON Temple.