Travel: A VISIT TO ISKCON TEMPLE, BENGALURU

ISKCON Temple, Bangalore

We had dinner at Ullas Restaurant and returned to our guesthouse at around 10.30 pm. By around 10.45 pm I was fast asleep until I was woken up by the twitter of birds at about 4.45 am. It’s been a long time since I had slept like a log. The bird song was quite loud and refreshing and I could not go back to sleep.

The Entrance to the Iskcon Temple, the only picture that I clicked

I lazed around for a bit, got up at 6.30, had a bath and left for Iskcon Temple by 7.30 am. For the past few years I have not woken up before 7.30 am on a given day - unless I was at Oneness University for classes. There, we wake up at 3.30 am to get ready for classes that begin at 5 am.

Click Here to see original pictures and write up about Iskcon Temple @ Chowpatty, Mumbai.

Prahlada Narasimhar

I did not wait for Vini as she was keener on talking a walk in the surrounding gardens. I walked for about 15 minutes before I got an auto-rickshaw. I reached the temple and just managed to click the picture of the entrance. I was totally disappointed to find that after that point, using a camera was not allowed.

Venkatramana Govinda!

You need to climb a number of stairs to get to the Iskcon Temple at Bangalore – probably around 150-200. There are three main sanctorums, each one housed within a gopuram (tower) in the typical style to South India.

After leaving my footwear and camera at the counter, I walked the stairs to reach the first sanctorum. This was of Prahlada Narasimhar. Narasimhar is the fourth avatar of Lord Mahavishnu and He appeared from a pillar that was struck with a mace by Hriranyakashipu who was Prahlada’s father.

Sri Radha Krishna

The Deity was beautifully decorated with a lot of gold ornaments and flowers. The lack of crowd was a big plus while I could pray very peacefully for a few minutes.

After climbing some more steps, I reached the second sanctorum. This was my favourite – that of Tirupati Balaji. I wouldn’t have tired even if I had remained there for the whole day. Venkatramana Govinda was a smaller replica of the same God at Tirupati. The temple was so calm and I was quite unaware of the few other people who came and went until a guard came and told me to go on. I just moved a few inches away and stood again for a few minutes until I realised I did not have much of a choice and walked out.

Lords Nitai & Gauranga

Some more steps and I finally reached the main sanctorum housing Lord Krishna & Goddess Radha in the middle flanked by the sanctorum of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama on our right and Lords Nitai & Gauranga to our left. This is the main Iskcon Temple with a shrine for Srimad Prabhupada – Founder of Iskcon Movement – on the left side.

Lord Krishna & Lord Balarama

Placed in a large square hall, there’s a narrow line that takes you forward in front of the sanctorum. Luckily, the crowd was not much – at least it did not look that much as the area was spacious; there were about 200-250 people strewn around – and I could pray to my heart’s content. I moved to the centre of the hall to do my namaskarams before leaving.

Srimad Prabhupada

From there on, you find a number of shopping outlets – all run by Iskcon. There were spiritual books and CDs in many languages. Then there were a variety of sweets and cakes sold as Prasad. You walk down a few steps and find idols and dolls of Lord Krishna, Radha, Lord Rama, Meerabhai, Hanuman and the like – all for sale. Then, there were the restaurants. The variety of items sold was mindboggling. At one point, there was a man distributing Pongal as prasadham. I had that, washed at one of the many washbasins around the area, bought breakfast from one of the three restaurants further down, picked up my slippers and camera and left with a feeling of a well spent morning.

All the rest of the pictures besides the one at the entrance are thanks to http://indianreligioustemple.blogspot.in/. How they could get these pictures are a mystery! But I am glad. Thank you!