On August 6th, while the majority of devotees were away from the temple, collecting and preparing for the Sri Krishna Janmastami festival (only 4 days hence), a number of NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) officers, in full display of arrogance and disregarding the signed agreement paper and court order, arrived at the temple with 50 armed police, and bulldozers, and proceeded to demolish temple property, razing to the ground the large double entrance gates, the three-roomed stall housing a Prasadam shop, a bookshop and a reception room, as well as the room that Srila Prabhupada stayed in for 17 days in 1977.(Editor- I lived here for three years, and GGS translated SP's books into Oriya here. )
The few devotees protesting this violence were offering obeisances to the officers' feet, pleading with them that they wait for the temple authorities and senior devotees to arrive before doing any more damage, but they were paid no heed and the workers were signaled to continue and finish the demolition work. The devotees were earnestly trying to persuade them to postpone the demolition work at least until after the two-day Sri Janmastami celebrations. Instead of softening their stance, the NHAI officers allowed the bulldozers to proceed to destroy the newly erected stage and tent-house, especially built for the various cultural programs during Krishna Janmastami. Most importantly, Srila Prabhupada's historic and sacred memorial hut, which was clearly in the area beyond the agreed 3.6 metres of land, was reduced to rubble. Carelessly and arrogantly the NHAI authorities even threatened the devotees that if they did not transfer the sacred samadhi of Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja within three days, they would break the 22 marble stairs leading up to the main temple room, and even threatened to dump the rubble of the staircase over the samadhi site, and have the devotees arrested. We Cannot Just Stand By Disciples, followers and admirers of Srila Gour Govinda Swami and His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada around the world have received this shocking news and are experiencing so deep pain in their hearts as this cherished monument and holy tirtha remains under threat of complete annihilation. Although there have been cries for help from the devotees for the leaders of ISKCON to step forward and help in any way they can, to this day they have not responded adequately, if at all, even though to date, almost 5,500 people have signed the online petition to halt the demolition. We cannot just stand by and allow such spiritual treasures, mercifully left by our Gurus for us to worship and that act as channels of their divine mercy, to be violated and trampled to dust in such a violent manner. |
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I pray Lord Nityananda to deliver these lowest of rascals and stop this abuse, and if He is not so inclined, I pray with all my sincerity that our dearest Lord Nrsngha Deva Ji rip the hearts and guts out of every single one of these low bastards. May this curse follow every one of them until they die, or repent and take up chanting and work to restore what they have destroyed in this world.
Prabhupada’s Monument Demolished
Srila Prabhupada’s monument demolished (image by Anjali dasi face-book)
A Desperate Cry for Help
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Monument Demolished
He Stayed There So We Keep It
ISKCON Sri Sri Krsna_Balaram Mandir Bhubaneswar India
Devotees are devastated after Government officials entered the ISKCON Bhubaneswar Temple grounds and destroyed Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhajan Kutir to widen the National Highway. Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda travelled to Bhubaneswar in 1977 to found his 108th and last project. Śrīla Prabhupāda had said, “I will build a temple in Bhubaneswar like Jagannātha’s temple in Purī, because my Western disciples are not allowed to enter that temple. Lord Jagannātha will come and stay in Bhubaneswar, then all my disciples can go there and have His darśana.”
Srila Prabhupada in BBSR 1977
During his visit Śrīla Prabhupāda laid the foundation stone for the Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balaram Mandir on the auspicious occasion of the holy appearance day of Lord Nityanada. Śrīla Prabhupāda stayed for 17 days in the mud hut (pictured below), which was erected on his instruction by his dear disciple Gour Govinda Swami, who lived in the same hut while overseeing the construction of the Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balaram Mandir and where he later was placed in samadhi in 1996.
The mud hut with Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir (right) and Gour Govinda Swami’s samadhi (left)
The Government officials have threatened to come back and demolish also the Samadhi of our most beloved spiritual master Śrī Srimad Gour Govinda Swami.
This is a desperate cry for help from all followers, admirers and disciples of Gour Govinda Swami to all devotees, especially the ISKCON leaders and disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, to stop, with a worldwide uproar, the demolition of this ISKCON monument.
The murti of Srila Prabhupada, who has been brought into safety by the local devotees.
Gour Govinda Swami: Temporary mud hut, still existing.
Gokuldas dasa: It has become eternal.
Gour Govinda Swami: Temporary mud hut. That was when I first came here to occupy the land, just erected it, made a temporary residence, stayed here, and we will construct a building. After construction is finished then that will be demolished. But Prabhupāda came and stayed there. We didn’t demolish it. Look at it now, it is like a monument, Prabhupāda’s monument. He stayed there so we keep it. Sometimes when the government people came and said, “We will demolish this, we will destroy this structure. Why have you built this thing? This is not in line.” In the beginning they came because the land was donated to us, and Prabhupāda came and Prabhupāda sent me here: “Go, stay there. Build a hut, occupy. Then start a centre.” Prabhupāda told me, so I came and I erected that mud hut. I didn’t approach this government authority and get some permission from them, so they came like that. I said, “Alright, if you are powerful government officials, you may do it, but I am staying here. You come and break it, as you like, I am here.” Then they didn’t come. Just threatening, threatening. We are not doing anything for our own enjoyment, own purposes. We are doing everything for Krishna, Krishna’s service, Krishna’s enjoyment. Krishna is there. He is our only protector and maintainer. If Krishna wants, He can break it. If He doesn’t want, nobody can break it. Krishna will give protection, we have this strong faith. They didn’t come. . . . that time they didn’t come.
(More images of this shocking event are available on face book by Anjali dasi)Please everyone contact the persons involved in this humiliation of Srila Prabhupada’s last founded project. Their contact details are below. Please inundate them with so much correspondence/emails that they will not be able to think of anything else but this and how to rectify this enormous sin.
You can go to the web-site of ” National Highways Authority of India”, department of Transport and Highways.
You can go to the minster of the department.
The Chairman of NHAI, New Delhi is Mr. Rajiv Yadav. Mail: rajivyadav@nhai.org
Planning and Information- Mr. Atul kumar. Mail: atulkumar@nhai.org
Land Aquisition dept.- Mr. V.K Sharma. Mail: vksharma@nhai.org
Aditya Kumar Ray who is chief officer at BBSR. Mail:bhu@nhai.org
Mob. +919437000964
Land: 0674-2392720
Mr. A.K Upadhyay, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Govt. of India.
Please send this information to one and all. And start a big campaigning against the Govt. of India.
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