Ananda Sambada
The Temples
HDG Srila Gour Govinda Swami was instructed to remain at Bhubaneswar and build a beautiful temple there. With total dedication despite facing many obstacles he followed his beloved Guru Maharaja’s instructions, and the spectacular Krsna Balaram Temple is the result. On this page we also have information about other temples in Orissa connected to His Divine Grace.
HDG SRILA PRABHUPADA’S LAST-FOUNDED PROJECT,
THE STUNNING SRI SRI KRSNA-BALARAMA TEMPLE AT BHUBANESWAR
THE STUNNING SRI SRI KRSNA-BALARAMA TEMPLE AT BHUBANESWAR
In 1975 Srila Prabhupada instructed his dear disciple Gour Govinda Swami to build a beautiful temple in the Orissan state capital of Bhubaneswar, and told him that he himself would come to lay the foundation stone. On January the 18th, 1977 Srila Prabhupada stayed on the Iskcon property for 17 days or so, in a small mud hut with a thatched roof, that Gour Govinda Swami had himself built.
On the occasion of Lord Nityananda's holy appearance day festival, 2nd February, Srila Prabhupada laid the foundation stone for the temple he predicted would be one of the best Iskcon temples in the world. Even though it was in an out-of-the-way place - a patch cleared from the jungle - Srila Prabhupada also said that the temple would one day be at the centre of Bhubaneswar city. This was his 108th temple, and also, the final temple he founded.
As this was Srila Prabhupada's last founded Temple project, he left all of his mercy in this place.
Around fourteen years later, on Lord Nityananda's appearance day in 1991, the temple was opened, and the deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama, Jagannath Baladeva Subhadra, and Gour Nitai installed in a spectacular ceremony, which was attended by devotees from all over the world.
Even though a nice new room was made for him in the Temple building, Srila Gour Govinda Swami refused to move there, and continued to live in the mud hut with a thatched roof that he built for his beloved Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada, until he himself left this world in 1996. His Divine Grace was placed into samadhi in this same mud hut.
Some years ago, under the influence of the Age of Kali, the government destroyed the most sacred building that was both Srila Prabhupada's bhajan kutir and Srila Gurudeva's samadhi, to widen their road. After the devastation, Srila Gurudeva's samadhi had to be moved, and can now be found in his Smriti Mandir, on the left side of the main temple.
Please visit the temple website: www.iskconbhubaneswar.in
Bhubaneswar Temple YouTube channel www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEVM4LJdiBj43PyWfcuRdg
THE WORLD FAMOUS TEMPLE OF SRI SRI RADHA-GOPALJIU, AT GADEI GIRI
The story of Gopaljiu is quite extraordinary, and can be read in full in the book "Gopaljiu, the Beloved Deity of Gour Govinda Swami" by Gopaljiu Publications. The deity of Gopaljiu has lived in the village of Gadei giri, where he has been worshipped for many hundreds of years by Gour Govinda Swami's ancestors. As a child, Maharaja would spend his time worshipping Gopaljiu, making garlands for him and playing with him.
The temple we see today was established on the old temple property and lands which were donated to Srila Gour Govinda Swami (who immediately registered everything in Iskcon's name) in 1993. On 17th January 1994, Srila Gour Govinda Swami laid the foundation stone for Gopaljiu's new temple, along with the deity of Ananta sesh. The temple was opened in 1999, on the 22nd of January.
On 17 January 1994 at the ground-breaking ceremony for Sri Sri Radha Gopaljiu's new temple in Gadeigiri, our revered spiritual master Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja commented,
"Why are we building a temple here? Because this place is a tāpa-bhūmi, a place of austerities. This is a very special place. By doing only a little sādhana or bhajan here, one can get great benefit in his spiritual life. The kīrtana and austerities of this place brought Gopal from Vrindavan. This place will kill the demoniac nature. Ravana was a most powerful demon, but he was always afraid of tāpa-śakti, the power of austerities. Therefore he told his followers that they could go to every place to the north except for Vedapuri (now modern Pondicherry in South India), because that place would kill the demoniac nature. So this Gadeigiri, the place of Gopal, is a place of saṁskāra and sādhana. Everyone should accept this place as their own and let their life be successful."
SRI SRI RAMA-GOVINDA MANDIR, ISKCON BRAHMAPURA (BERHAMPUR)
The Temple is currently under construction, though beautiful deities of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda and Sita, Rama, Laksmana and Hanuman are already installed in a small temple room on the site. Managerially, this temple is an extension project of Iskcon Gadei giri, under the charge of Sri Caitanya Candra Maharaja.
H.D.G. Srila Gour Govinda Swami, in 1995 when the land was given to him, predicted that this Temple will become more successful than the Sri Sri Krsna Balarama Temple at Bhubaneswar (of which H.D.G. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said would be one of the most successful temples in ISKCON).
(There are two Iskcon temples in Brahmapura/Berhampur. This is the one established by our Guru Maharaja)
SRILA GURUDEVA’S SACRED APPEARANCE PLACE AT SRI JAGANNATHPURA
At Jagannathpur village, in the Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa, around 30 minutes drive from Gadei giri Temple, a temple is being constructed at Srila Gurudeva's most sacred appearance place, on the site that was also Guru Maharaja’s old house. It is located in a small street near to Jagannathpur high school.
The devotee architect, and devoted follower disciple of our beloved Guru Maharaja, Sri Satyasenan Gangadharan, is in charge of the project. (Sadly, on the 24th of April, 2024, 'Senan prabhu' passed away.)
ISKCON JANTARIBOL, KAMAKHYA NAGAR, TEMPLE
Sri Sri Gour Nityananda Paramarthika Sevashrama is a spiritual oasis founded by Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Gurudeva in the early nineteen eighties.
Around sixty years ago, one day a wandering sadhu stopped to practice his mid-day sadhana at this place, which at the time was just a forested mountainside. He told the local villagers that in the future a maha-purusha would come and establish an amazing temple here, and make this whole area 'bright'. At this site, Srila Gour Govinda Swami established a temple, which was his first founded project, and this was the place where he gave his first initiations, on Rama Navami (31st March) in 1985. He initiated many of his early disciples and followers from that village and the surrounding area. Srila Gurudeva spent time there on many occasions, and preached extensively in the area, often travelling on the back of his disciple Bhanu prabhu's bicycle. At a point in history when there were politics at Bhubaneswar Temple (before Guru Maharaja and his disciples were in charge), he would stay in that peaceful village preaching center, where he was very peaceful and could happily and freely preach, undisturbed.Guru Maharaja expressed a desire that when he would become elderly he wanted to stay and do bhajan here.
Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Patitapabana Jagannatha are on the altar, along with murtis of Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Gurudeva. The Temple was officially opened by HH Bhakti Swarupa Damodara Swami and The Gajapati King of Puri, His Royal Highness Maharaja Dibyasingha Dev.
A while later, HH Murali Krsna Maharaja, along with his followers, further developed the site as a service to our beloved Srila Gurudeva, spending more than half a million dollars to complete the magnificent temple room, prashadam hall, two storey guest house, brahmacari ashram, boundary walls and other infrastructure. Maharaja also bought adjacent lands for agriculture and for possible future expansion.
SRI SRI RADHA MADHAVA AT ISKCON PATTAMUNDAI
Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, who were originally worshipped by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, and rediscovered thirty odd years ago by Professor Fakir Mohan Das prabhu, are currently being worshipped here at the Iskcon centre near Pattamundai, under the most able care of His Holiness Haladhara Swami.
THE TEMPLE AT BAHANAGA
Bahanaga is another extension project of the Gadei giri Temple, under the management of Sri Caitanya Candra Maharaja. On the Temple altar, deities of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath, Jagannath Baladeva and Sudhadra, and Gour-Nitai spend Their time.
Five devotees are currently based at this Temple, which is in a town called Bahanaga, close to the major city of Northern Odisha, Balasore Town, which itself is situated a little more than half way between Bhubaneswar and Calcutta.
The Temple was established around the year 2000.
THE BEAUTIFUL SRI DANDA-BHANGA ASHRAM – MAHAPRABHU’S LILA STHANA
www.youtube.com/user/DandabhangaDham
This beautiful Ashram, inspired by Srila Gour Govinda Swami and founded by one of his closest disciples, HG Sacinandana prabhu, is at the spot of Sriman Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s danda bhanga lila – where Sri Nityananda Rama broke Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa danda.
danda-bhanga-lila ei parama gambhira
sei bujhe dunhara pade yanra bhakti dhira
This Dandabhanga pastime, of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda Prabhu, is supremely deep, supremely grave and supremely hidden. Only to him, who is unflinchingly surrendered and soberly fixed at the Divine Lotus Feet of the two Lords, in his heart of hearts, can the immeasurable glories of this great eternal pastime be revealed. - Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya Lila, Ch-5, text-158
(Danda Bhanga ashram is currently not under ISKCON GBC management)
PUSHPA SAMADHI IN SRI MAYAPUR DHAMA
SHARANAGATI BHAVAN
SRILA GURUDEVA'S HOUSE IN SRI MAYAPUR DHAMA
Sharanagati Bhavan is an Ashram run by the Iskcon Bhubaneswar Temple for devotees in Sri Mayapur dhama. It was inaugurated in 2005, and was largely the inspiration of both H.H. Haladhara Swami and Nalini devi dasi. Maharaja personlly stayed on site for a year or so supervising the construction of both Guru Maharaja's Pushpa Samadhi on the Iskcon Temple property, and Sharanagati Bhavan. It is situated in Gaura Nagar, just a few mintes walk from the Iskcon Temple compound.
