THE CITY would witness foreign admirers of Lord Krishna during the three-day inauguration ceremony of newly built temple by ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness) beginning from February 9, as over 2000 devotees from countries including USA, UK, Spain, France and South Africa are flocking to Ujjain.
Temple head Bhakticharu Maharaj told reporters on Tuesday that over Rs 5 crore have already been spent on the temple construction. The temple would have idols of Maharshi Sandipani, Lord Radha- Manmohan, Krishna-Balram and Gaura-Nitai. The temple constructed in Bharatpuri area has been completed in a record time of ten months.
Dignitaries including Alfred Ford, owner of the Ford Motor Car Company, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Industry Minister Babulal Gaur and former chief minister Digvijay Singh would also join the ceremony on February 11.
Maharaj said ISKCON has planned to undertake several social services and spiritual activities in Ujjain. Bhakticharu Ji Maharaj said projects of ISKCON to be initiated in Ujjain have been hindered due to frequent change in government and bureaucrats.
ISKCON had asked for some 350 acres of land on the banks of River Kshipra with the then chief minister Uma Bharti and her government had taken up the matter promptly with chief secretary B K Saha himself visiting Ujjain to speed up the allocation.
{{/usCountry}}ISKCON had asked for some 350 acres of land on the banks of River Kshipra with the then chief minister Uma Bharti and her government had taken up the matter promptly with chief secretary B K Saha himself visiting Ujjain to speed up the allocation.
{{/usCountry}}But the matter was put into cold storage later. Swamiji said transfer of Industry Secretary Vishwapati Tripathi who was looking after the matter also resulted in the delay. He also admitted that enough efforts were not made to pursue the issue with the government.
He said ISKCON has come to Ujjain not to gain anything but to spread the message of Lord Krishna. The institute wishes to set up food based industry, cowshed, hospital, personality development centre, art studio, nature cure centre, children’s theme park, Information Technology park, mid-day meal scheme and herbal agriculture in the region.
ISKCON forgets Uma Bharti
EVER SINCE her expulsion from the Bhartiya Janata Party, it was not just the party workers who have left Uma behind but even the ISKCON people have not sent an invitation to Uma Bharti under whose tenure the institute had registered its entry in the temple town. When asked about Uma Bharti, Bhakticharuji admitted that they have forgotten to invite Uma to the ceremony.