Ambarisa and the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

[suchandra 1]

August 26, 2008 <!-- by Giridhari Das -->

 

Giridhari's Blog - http://pandavas.wordpress.com

 

Ambarisa and the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

 

In response to Tattvavit and Janaki Rama Prabhus’ effort to have a GBC resolution to change the design of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (ToVP), Sriman Ambarisa wrote a heartfelt response, which you can read here.

My first impression on reading his response was of empathy. I put myself in his shoes and felt the exasperation and impatience of having spent millions (!!!) of US dollars on a project that turned out to be unusable, and now another several hundred thousands US dollars, to again hear cries for change. I completely identified with his message of “hey, look, this is what we’re doing, and if you don’t like it, find someone else to do it!”. I personally feel that I would have walked off the program several hundreds of thousands of dollars ago. So, in the end, my respect and appreciation for his service increased even more.

Having said that, he did seem to open a window of opportunity for some change on the design, in regards to exterior facade, dome shapes, etc. (though he seemed quite adamant in not changing the structural aspect or footprint of the design, which, I believe, will influence the GBC to NOT request a significant change of the design, despite popular appeals).

So, I pray that Krishna grant him and his team the extra patience and insight to at least re-design the exterior of the current project, taking into consideration public opinion. After all, there is no such thing as serving Prabhupada, if you don’t also satisfy Prabhupada’s servants. People from all around the world, from GBC’s to bhaktas, from scholars to simple folks, are requesting a change of the design. To ignore this, seems to me, to risk staining the herculean task Sriman Ambarisa has taken on.

What kinds of change? Well, for one, many people have remarked that the current domes look very “mosque-ish”. Prabhupada did not approve of this. Here is the exact reference from Vedabase:

“My Dear Kirtanananda,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated January 20th. and February first along with your enclosed plans of the Radha Govindaji Temple in New Vrindaban. From these plans everything seems to be in order except the domes are making the temple look like a mosque.

Therefore you please eliminate these domes and consult the Mayapur plan which can be obtained by writing Calcutta for design of the domes. “

- Letter to: Kirtanananda – Sydney 18 February, 1973

I thus suggest that Ambarisa Prabhu and his team take seriously the popular outcry for change and accommodate it in their service, within the boundaries of their patience and the reality on the ground. They should propose new exterior designs, show it to the public, ask for their opinions, etc. A website could be set up, where the public could vote on different design choices created by his team. They could open a direct channel to the general public, where devotees could send in their comments and suggestions on different aspects of the design. By taking this approach they would have very little to lose and a lot to gain.

[suchandra 1]

By Giriraj Swami

Yesterday I visited Dandavats. com to see the discussion about the design of the TVP, and I saw Tattvavit Prabhu’s letter, which included a sentence from a letter from me to him, which was featured by the editors of the Web site on the front page. And so I thought to clarify my position.

What I probably should have written was “I too have heard devotees express dissatisfaction with the present design, and I encourage the GBC or the team in charge to consider their views.” I wanted the team to elicit devotees’ responses, consider them, and in turn explain their considerations to the devotees–to encourage healthy exchange and perhaps also improve the temple’s design. Personally, I completely support Ambarisa Prabhu and his team’s effort–whatever the final design.

[suchandra 1]

By Sivarama Swami

I would like to give one reason that may ring a bell with devotees concerned about the topic. Please bear with me,

 

 

One Reason Why Not to Change the Design of the TVP

 

Imagine that Srila Prabhupda is again physically present and that he’s sitting in his room in Mayapura Dhama receiving a report of the state of ISKCON today—a society which has some regional success stories, but which is globally sluggish (to be kind).

 

No doubt ISKCON’s indolence would be a source of concern for Srila Prabhupda; and his areas of concern would be many. Let’s name a few:

 

For having failed our youth we are paying settlement fees of over $10,000,000; outside of India book distribution continues to wane; ISKCON’s leadership is struggling to retain its credibility after the regular falldown of GBC’s, gurus, and sannyasis; other Gaudiya organizations have ended ISKCON’s monopoly on preaching Lord Caitanya’s message—preaching that is now anemic at best; daily harinama parties are practically a thing of the past; ISKCON’s central resources are so meager that it cannot even finance a secretariat for the GBC; and, of course, after more than 30 years of planning (at a cost of $15,000,000) the Temple of Vedic Planetarium is still nowhere in sight.

 

Yet a bright spot looms over ISKCON’s questionable global performance: a team of devotees, under Ambarisa Prabhu’s guidance and sponsorship, has prepared plans for the TVP. Construction is scheduled to begin in two months. This “Capitol” version of the TVP can prove to be a landmark achievement for ISKCON, its members and leaders.

 

A delegation representing devotees who do not like the plan of the TVP has been sent to Srila Prabhupda with a request to delay construction for some years until the temple is again redesigned for the umpteenth time. Srila Prabhupda’s secretary has informed His Divine Grace of the delegation’s purpose.

 

[stonehearted 0]

Jesucristo! ISKCON has blown $15 million so far on this? I remember that, just after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, my wife, one-uear-old daughter, andI, along with our friends Tarun Kanti and Sunari and their toddler son, went out collecting door to door around Honolulu for Srila Prabhupada's samadhi. And how long (and how many dollars) did it take to get that built? Boy, what a mess.

[suchandra 1]

 

Jesucristo! ISKCON has blown $15 million so far on this? I remember that, just after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, my wife, one-uear-old daughter, andI, along with our friends Tarun Kanti and Sunari and their toddler son, went out collecting door to door around Honolulu for Srila Prabhupada's samadhi. And how long (and how many dollars) did it take to get that built? Boy, what a mess.

Thanks stonehearted, additionally the understanding of some devotees to associate the Capitol architecture with the White House isn't well investigated.

The St.Charles church, Vienna, see below, was constructed 1716 whereas the White House was completed 1863.

 

 

The church Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy, below, was built 1630.

 

 

In fact this kind of architecture became so popular that you find in thousands of old cities all over Europe a building with such a dome.

 

Prague, Czech Republik, Capitol of the Empire

 

Amsterdam

 

Sacre Coeur church Paris

 

 

London: St. Paul's Cathedral

Berlin Church

Church Of Our Lady, Dresden

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow

St. John's Cathedral, Malta

[Kulapavana 0]

 

Jesucristo! ISKCON has blown $15 million so far on this?

 

This is the amount spent on the TVP project from roughly 1977 on. Most of it was collected and spent by Harikesa on the Vedic design he was promoting in the 90's. Serious feasibility and engineering studies were done because TVP was to be built out of special bricks. Brick making quipment was bought and pilot studies undertaken.

 

Still, $15 million is a LOT of money, especially considering that thus far there is nothing to display in that temple.