ISKCON TEMPLE DELHI GLORY OF

INDIA AND VEDIC CULTURE

CENTRE
❑ SRI RADHA PARTHASARATHI MANDIR OR POPULARLY KNOWN AS ISKCON
TEMPLE IS A POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION OF DELHI. IT IS LOCATED
AT HARI KRISHNA HILL IN EAST OF KAILASH AREA OF NEW DELHI.

THIS IS AMONG THE MOST LAVISH TEMPLES RENOWNED ACROSS THE

GLOBE FOR ITS EXQUISITE ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY. THE STUPENDOUS
STRUCTURE OF THIS TEMPLE RISES UP TO A HEIGHT OF 90 FEET ABOVE
GROUND LEVEL.

IT IS ONE OF THE FAMOUS 40 TEMPLES IN INDIA BUILT BY ISCKON

GROUP. FOR VAISHA -NAVITES THIS TEMPLE IS AMONG THE MOST
REVERED PLACES TO WORSHIP LORD KRISHNA. THIS TEMPLE WAS BUILT
IN 1995 BY THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION ISCKON. THIS ORGANIZATION
WAS FOUNDED BY ACHARYA BHAKTI VEDANTA SWAMI RABHUPADA IN
1966.
❑LOCATION; NEW DELHI, INDIA
❑PURPOSE; TO SERVE AS CENTRE FOR
INDIA’S GREATEST GLORY , VEDIC
KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURE.
❑PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT; A.P. KANVINDE
❑CONTRACTOR ; TARAPORE AND COMPANY
MADRAS [ CONTRACTORS FOR DELHI’S 5-
STAR TAJ MANSINGH HOTEL, AND THE
INDRA GANDHI INDOOR STADIUM.
❑CONSTRUCTION WORKERS; 250
❑COST ; 12 CR
❑TARGET FOR COMPLETION ; 1995
1. THE TEMPLE.
2. THE MUSEUM OF
VEDIC CULTURE.
3. THE CENTRE FOR
VEDIC STUDIES.
4. THE VEDIC CENTRE
FOR THE
PERFORMING ARTS.
5. THE ASHRAM.
6. THE KRISHNA
JAYANTI PARK.
❑ SITE; WE WALK UP THROUGH THE BACK OF THE PRESENT
HARE KRISHNA COMPLEX , YOU CLIMB A HILL
❑ AT THE BASE OF A LARGE PIT PERHAPS A HUNDRED YARDS
BY FIFTY , AND EIGHT YARDS DEEP LIES THE FOUNDATION
FOR A MUSEUM.
❑ AND ELSEWHERE, AT THE HIGHEST PART OF THE SITE,
THREE TOWERS EMERGED FOR TEMPLE.
❑ ON ONE SIDE THE TEMPLE OVERLOOKS SANT NAGAR MAIN
ROAD, WITH ITS HOUSES AND STOREFRONTS.ON TWO
OTHER SIDES TREES EXTEND UP PAST THE FENCE,
NEARLY100 ACRES PARK, WALKING DISTANCE AWAY,
STANDS THE LOTUS LIKE BAHAI TEMPLE , A NEW DELHI
LANDMARK AND OFF TO THE SOUTH THE TALL STACKED
OFFICE BLOCKS OF NEHRU PLACE , NEW DELHI’S ‘
SECOND DOWNTOWN’.
❑CONCEPT
❑ THE MANY ASPECTS OF THE NEW CENTRE WILL BRING
ALIVE THE SPIRITUAL CULTURE OF INDIA.

❑ TEMPLE; DEDICATED TO THE SERVICE OF RADHA AND

KRISHNA THE TEMPLE IS THE CENTRE OF ATTRACTION
FOR THE ENTIRE COMPLEX .
❑ ITS UNIQUE LATTICED TOWERS A FUSION OF
TRADITIONAL DESIGN AND MODERN POSSIBILITIES
WILL EXTEND 90 FT ABOVE THE HIGHEST POINT OF
HILLTOP . WITH CARVED STONE, WOOD, AND MARBLE.
THE TEMPLE WILL BRING TO LIFE THE ADVANCED
ARTISTRY OF ANCIENT INDIA IN DEVOTION TO LORD
KRISHNA.
❑ THE TEMPLE FACES WEST, IF YOU CONSIDER THE SITE
HARE KRISHNA SITE AS ITS CALLED , YOU’LL SEE THAT
THS IS THE MOST LOGICAL DIRECTION TO ORIENT THE
TEMPLE, IF YOU WANT TO UTILIZE THE ENTRANCE AND
LET THE HILL DICTATE THE PATHWAY LEADING UP TO
TEMPLE.
❑ NOW MOVING ON TO SHIKARA … IT HAS THREE
SHIKARAS TOPPED WITH THE AMALAKAS[ RIBBED
CIRCULAR MOTIF] AND POT FINIAL…… CIRCULAR
OPENINGS IN SHIKARA AND CORNERS ARE REMOVED
WITH A SLIT. MAKE IT MORE DYNAMIC AND
INTERESTING.
❑ THE SHIRAS ACHIEVE THE QUALITY OF OLD TEMPLES
BY REMOVING SHARP EDGES.
❑ IT ALSO PERMITS GOOD LIGHT AND VENTILATION.

❑ IT HAS BROWN DHOLAPUR STONE WITH MARBLE.

❑ THE MARBLE HAS BEEN USED ONLY FOR CLADDING,
WHILE THE DHOLAPUR STONE HAS BEEN CARVED AND
USED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EDGES.
❑ THE ENTRANCE IS ON ROAD SIDE IS A LITTLE
LIKE A AMUSEMENT PARK WITH THE HUGE
LOGO ISKCON HANGING AND FIGURES ON
EITHER SIDE WELCOMING VISITORS.. IT IS
TREATED WITH ONLY DHOLAPUR STONE WITH
ANGULAR GEOMETRIC FORMS.
❑ THE MUSEUM OF VEDIC CULTURE;
❑ SIMPLE EXHIBITS AND DIORAMAS[ 3D ILLUSION ….
VISION] AND SOPHOSTICATED MULTIMEDIA
PROGRAMS ARE HELD HERE,

❑ THE CENTRE FOR VEDIC STUDIES;

❑ THE SERIOUS STUDENTS OF VEDIC CULTURE, THE
CENTRE WILL PROVIDE CLASSES , SEMINARS ,AND
CONFERENCES.
❑ THE CENTRE’S LIBRARY FOR VEDIC RESEARCH WILL
HOUSE AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF VEDIC
LITERATURE, BOTH ORIGINAL INDIAN LANGUAGES
AND IN FOREIGN TRANSLATIONS . THE CENTRE WILL
ALSO HAVE SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL
CHILDREN.
❑ THE VEDIC CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS;
❑ THE CENTRE WILL OFFER PERFORMANCES IN
MUSIC AND DANCE BY INDIA’S FOREMOST
ARTISTS.PERFORMANCES WILL TAKE PLACE IN A
TRADITIONAL OPEN AIR AMPHITHEATRE ,

❑ THE ASRAMA;THERE. THE CENTRE WILL BE HOME

FOR DEVOTEES
❑ KRISHNA JAYANTI PARK;
❑ GROVES, WATERFALLS , PONDS , AND GARDENS
WILL BE INTEGRAL PART OF THE PROJECT.
❑ THE BUILDING COMPLEX WAS NOT ONLY
SCULPTURAL FORM TO IT BUT ALSO NATURALLY
LIT AND VENTILATED.
❑ MOVING NEAR TO COMPLEX FOR A GOOD
VANTAGE POINT THERE IS A FOOTHILL IN A
NEARBY PARK WHERE THERE ARE SEATINGS
AND NATURAL ROCK. PEOPLE COME HERE AT
THE EVENINGS AND GAZE AT THE VIEWS.
❑ THE COMPLEX HAS AN OPEN AMPHITHEATRE
WHERE PERFORMERS FROM THE WORLD COME
OVER TO PRESENT THEIR SKILLS , ILLUSTRATING
SCENES FROM THE GREAT EPICS OF HINDUISM.
❑ IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST TEMPLE COMPLEXES IN INDIA. IT COMPRISES NUMEROUS ROOMS FOR
PRIESTS AND FOR SERVICE RENDERS. IT CONTAINS MANY HALLS THAT ARE USED FOR ITS
ADMINISTRATION PURPOSES. IT IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR BROAD SECTIONS.

❑ GARDEN CONSTRUCTED WITHIN THE TEMPLE COMPLEX TO REPRESENT 'VRINDAVAN'

❑ THE ISKCON TEMPLE ALSO PROVIDES VISITORS WITH DELECTABLE AND HYGIENIC CUISINES AT
GOVINDA'S RESTAURANT BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK SHOP WITHIN THE TEMPLE PREMISES OFFERS A WIDE
COLLECTION OF SPIRITUAL BOOKS AND ENCYCLOPEDIA ON THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF LEGENDARY
GURUS

❑ THE ISKCON MUSEUM, ENSCONCED ON TWO FLOORS OF THE TEMPLE BUILDING. PINNED TO A COMMON
GOAL TO PRESENT INDIAN HISTORY IN AN INTERACTIVE MANNER, THE TEMPLE AUTHORITY HAS TAKEN
INITIATIVES TO ORGANISE A LIGHT AND SIGHT SHOW GARNISHED WITH LIFE-LIKE FIGURES OF HINDU
MYTHOLOGY, THAT MAKES A HUGE IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE. PORTRAYING THE THE BEST OF SCIENCE
AND RELIGION, THE EXHIBITION STROLL IN THE GROUND FLOOR AND YOU CAN SEE BEAUTIFUL MOTIFS
THAT BRINGS THE FORLORN PREACHING OF BHAGWAT GITA, BACK TO LIFE. AS YOU WILL CLIMB HIGHER,
THE WHOLE BACKDROP CHANGES TO THAT OF RAMAYANA AND MAHABHARATA STORIES.
❑THE TEMPLE HAS THREE MAIN SHRINES WHICH ARE
LOCATED INSIDE A HUGE AIR-CONDITIONED HALL.

❑ THE VEDIC MUSEUM ; THE MUSEUM ALSO THROWS

LIGHT ON THE HISTORY OF INDIA.
❑ THE TEMPLE HAS AIR CONDITIONEDHALL WHERE
1500 PEOPLE CAN STAND AND PERFORM.
❑ THE TEMPLE HAS REOWNED FOR ITS FINE
COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS BY RUSSIAN ARTISTS.

❑ THESE PAINTINGS SHOWCASE SEVERAL EVENTS

RELATED TO HINDU MYTHOLOGICAL
CHARACTERS OF SITA RAM, RADHA KRISHNA ,
HANUMAN , LAXMI, AND CHAITANYA
MAHAPRABHU.
❑MATERIALS: STEEL: 880 TONS.
CEMENT: 5,500 TONS.

❑MARBLE: 25,000 SQUARE FEET.

❑STONE: 75,000 SQUARE FEET.

❑STONE CHIPS: 2,60,000 CUBIC FEET.

WOOD: 2,000 CUBIC FEET.
 ACHYUT KANVINDE
❑FUNCTIONALISM;HIS BUILDINGS ARE ALWAYS CONCEIVED WITH
FIRST PRIORITY GIVEN TO FUNCTION AND SOCIAL VALUES WHEN
DESIGNING SPACES.
❑MORDERN ARCHITECTURE AND BRUTALISM;SIMPLIFICATION OF
FORMS CREATION OF ORNAMENTATION FROM STRUCTURE.
❑REGIONALISM; LOCAL CLIMATE,BUILDING MATERIALS,SOCIAL
CONDITIONS.

PRESENTED BY
UMA MULLAPUDI