Grand Inauguration Ceremony of ISKCON Radha Shyamsundar New Temple at Naperville (Sringar Darshan and Maha Arati)

Asian Media USA ©

Chicago, IL: An event of historical proportions took place between Apr 20 to Apr 22, as the first phase of ISKCON Naperville temple, the Radha Shyamsundar New Temple Building was inaugurated with much fanfare and gaiety by the Krishna devotees of Naperville and adjoining areas came together to celebrate Krishna consciousness. And not just the local Krishna devotees, in fact the Krishna Bhakts and the followers of ISKCON Founder–Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, poured in from all over the world to witness the beautiful Temple Opening ceremony.

The Temple priests, trustees, volunteers and sevaks had been preparing for months for this momentous occasion, when they could complete the Pran Pratishtha ceremony for the deities and all the opening rituals and finally open the doors to all the devotees to come & pray in the temple. Day 1, Thursday April 22nd 2023, there was a Procession from the Old Temple to the New Temple, carrying Srila Prabhupada to the New Temple amidst the chanting of Hare Rama Hare Krishna by the disciples and followers of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Other significant ceremonies like Vastu Homa, Acharya Anujana, Yajnashala pravesh Puja, Kalasha sthapana and Aradhana were also conducted on the same day.

Day 2, Thursday April 21st 2023, included ceremonies like Vaishnava homa, Shilpi dosa snanam (private ceremony), Netronmilanam, Vandapana, Sayanadivasa were completed. It is interesting to know that during the Sayanadivasa ceremony, the Lord is offered an auspicious bed! This is the only time a big marble deity will lie down on a bed. All the Lord’s personal associates Parsadas like Canda, Pracanda, Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Vimala, Ananta Nagaraja and so on are all invoked and offered Lord’s prasadam. They guard, serve the Lord and see to it His comforts are taken care of. This beautiful and serene ceremony ended with the chanting of Sri suktam in a very soft and pleasing manner so as to invoke yoga mudra in the Lord.

Day 3, Thursday April 22nd 2023, the Jagarana seva ceremony Nyasa homa, Maha Abhishek, Prana Pratishta and Sringar, Naivedya Sevas.vThe Beautiful The Lord was dressed in all His finery for the very first time and a big feast of Bhoga was offered to Him. The meticulous arrangement of flowers in the form of rangoli and other decorations welcomed the devotees (bhakta) into the Garbha, the main room where deities and Swami Srila Prabhupada were consecrated or installed. (Prana Pratishta)

The assembled Devotees did their First darshana and First greetings amidst the chanting of the glorifications of the Lord. First Darshana & First Greeting is very rare and if one misses this darshana, one will never be able to get it again in any number of lifetimes! Very special and ecstatic greeting followed by a resounding kirtana , thanking the Lord for making His auspicious appearance to enable us to serve Him!

Sringar Darshan is held to mark the opening of the temple and unveiling of the gorgeously adorned Deities. Devotees gather to witness this moment, which signifies the start of a new temple filled with spiritual energy and devotion. The Darshan begins with the opening of the altar curtains, revealing the temple’s principal deities: Sri Sri Radha Madhava and Sri Sri Radha Syamasundar, the divine couple representing Radha and Krishna, and Sri Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, the combined forms of Radha and Krishna, who is considered to be the most merciful form of Krishna. As the curtains are drawn, the devotees catch their first glimpse of the deities, adorned in resplendent garments and ornaments. The dressing of the deities is an act of reverence and devotion, as each detail of their attire is intricately planned and executed with utmost care. The garments and ornaments are chosen based on the season, day of the week, and sometimes special occasions. Skilled temple pujaris (priests) expertly dress the deities, while also following the traditional practices of the Vaishnava pancaratra. During Sringar Darshan, devotees sing melodious bhajans (devotional songs), expressing their love and gratitude towards Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. The atmosphere is serene yet joyful, as the faithful immerse themselves in Their divine presence. This Darshan, which lasts for about 30 minutes, allows devotees to strengthen their bond with the Lord, seek His blessings, and embark upon a spiritually fulfilling journey.

After the Darshan, the Maha Arati ceremony commenced with the ringing of bells and the blowing of the conch shell. Devotees gathered around the altar, joining in the reverberating sound of the kirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God) led by a kirtan leader. During the Maha Arati, the pujari performs an elaborate worship ritual for the deities, offering various items such as incense, a ghee lamp, water, cloth, flowers, and a chamara (yak-tail whisk) and peacock fan.

In the evening, an exclusive evening to honor the Sponsors and volunteers was hosted at the Conference Banquet room in the New Temple, which included more devotional bhajans and speeches from the special dignitaries and guests who had joined to be part of this momentous and spectacular Inauguration Grand opening of Radha Shyamsundar New Temple Building. It was shared that this opening is part of phase 1 development. and its cost is 7 million dollars. There are 2 more phases planned for the near future to expand the current building structure to support a growing congregation of over 100 diverse families in the area and a new temple was very much needed to serve the needs of the community. The Temple complex will also serve as a Social center for all age groups,

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement, has been a source of spiritual inspiration for millions and it has over 150 temples worldwide/ At this New Radha Shyamasundar temple, the Srinagar Darshan and Maha Arati are two of the most significant daily ceremonies that exemplify the rich traditions and vibrant culture of the movement. Throughout the three-day grand event festivities included lively and colorful worship ceremonies honoring the Deity forms of divinity, kirtan (devotional songs and chanting where all attendees can participate), recitations of sacred Sanskrit hymns by trained priests, Prasadam (world-famous sanctified vegetarian food items distributed to all guests free of charge), yajna (ceremonial fire sacrifice of grains and ghee) and many other unique and memorable experiences that take place only once during the formal opening ceremony of a temple of Lord Krishna. A free sumptuous vegetarian feast was also served on Saturday Apr 22nd at 1PM.

On behalf of ISKCON Naperville, the temple president Premananda Dasi (Dr. Parvathy M. Russell), extended her warm welcome to everyone who came and participated in this unique, once-in-a-lifetime grand opening ceremony of the new temple and cultural center in the heart of Naperville. The temple thanks its volunteers and supporters: Om Dhingra, Nag Jaisawal, Anuja Gupta, Dr Santosh Kumar and Gopal Haridas.

Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA

Suresh Bodiwala
Chairman

Asian Media USA

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