Friday, August 31, 2018

ISKCON Temple and The Birla Temple at Kolkata

The Birla Temple at Kolkata

         It was the near end of the Hindu month of Sawan when I was with my family at Kolkata but there was no rain for two days (for which Sawan is known), cloudy sky but a hot day. It was around 1:00 PM when we had the spare time for rest of the day. We decided to visit some places in Kolkata. Since at our last trip we had visited Kali Temple at Kalighat, Dakshineshwar Kali Mandir and Belur Math it was finalized that we will go to the famous Birla Mandir and the ISKON temple.  I tried to book an Ola cab but it showed about 18 minutes away from our New Town area hotel. The hotel staff suggested walking up to the main road (which is called Biswa Bangla Sarani) from where all types of communication were available. It was a 200 m walk and we walked up there in the hot day. Just when we reached there we saw a yellow cab. It came to my mind that some people call it a part of Kolkata's culture so why not take a ride in it. When we moved into it we realized that it was a mistake. It was even hotter inside because they do not have A/C. The old Ambassador car was lacking in cleanliness. Anyways we bore and reached Birla Mandir at about 1:50 PM. Then we realized another mistake of not checking the Temple timings. The temple was closed and was to reopen at 4:30 PM. We had still more than two and a half hours to spend. After a search on the Google map, we found that there was an eating place nearby and it was Haldiram's Food City. It was at a walkable distance. We saw that it was a big building. On the ground and the first floor, there were food courts. We decided to take lunch but for that, we needed a restaurant which was on the 2nd floor named Teekha. It was a good place with a big hall. After seeing the menu we decided to take "Thali" with a number of items in it. They took some time to serve our "Thalis" and we took our time to finish it. Even after we finished our lunch we had more than one and a half hour to spend. So we decided to visit ISKCON first. 
ISKCON temple Darshan at Kolkata

        When we reached ISKCON, Kolkata we found that it did not look like a usual temple. It was in a general building with a door on the right when you face it. Most of the front was used for ISKCON's sweetshop and restaurant. There was some open space in front of the sweetshop. On the right, there was a fireplace with a lot of wood stacked. 
The Sweet Shop at ISKCON, Kolkata

I asked the guard near the entrance if it was the main entrance and he replied with affirmation. He asked us to put off the shoes at the nearby shoe-stand on the footpath. We did so and entered the temple. The door opened into a corridor. Through it, we reached a staircase which took us to the reception on the first floor. On the right is the entrance gate to the hall of the Radha-Govind temple. On both sides of the entrance gate, there are two life-size statues of gatekeepers (Guards) of Baikunth (Vishnu's Lok) whose names are Jai and Vijay. 
Fireplace near the Sweet Shop
ISKCON, Kolkata
The life-size statue of one of the gatekeepers of Baikunth,
whose name is Jai. 

      At that time this gate was closed and we entered the temple hall through another gate behind the reception. Devotees were sitting on the floor waiting for the curtain to be removed and the Darshan of the Radha-Govind be available. We too sat on the floor. About ten women were making garlands for the God in the hall. Ten minutes later the curtain slid and we got darshans of Radha-Govind and Jagannath Ji (Krishna, Subhadra and Balram statues like in Jagannathpuri).
Devotees making flower garlands at ISKCON, Kolkata
and the statue of Srila Prabhupada

           A priest worshipped with incense sticks and flowers & Tulsi. then fanned with a "Chanwar" and blew a conch shell (Shankh). Tulsi and flowers were placed nearby to be taken by the devotees. Taking pictures were allowed and devotees snapped pics of beautiful statues. On the opposite of the statues, there is a statue of Swami Prabhupada the founder of the society. The ISKCON, Kolkata temple is not as gorgeous as at Ahamadabad but the statues and ambiance are great. It is also important because it is the birthplace of Srila Prabhupada.

         (ISKON Tulsi mala at Amazon ISKON books at Amazon)

    (Flipkart - Beautiful Religious Idols - Religious & Festive Decor)


The entrance gate of Birla Mandir, Kolkata

         After the Darshan, we took the taxi to Birla Temple. When we reached there it was 4:40 PM and the temple was open. We took pictures from the main gate but the guards asked us to switch off the mobiles and cameras when inside because taking pictures are not allowed. I do not understand this prohibition but we followed the rules. There is a shoe-stand on the right. The temple is great. Good and clean campus and a marvelous main temple building which is quite attractive. The main temple has three Sanctum Sanctorum and three "Shikhar". The middle one is the highest. It has Radha-Krishna statues. When you enter the temple here is the first Darshan. On the left is Goddess Durga and Shivalinga on the right temple. These three are on the same platform but in separate rooms. In the entrance hall is a big chandelier which is eye-catching. There were priests in each room who gave "Prasadam" (White Mukund-dana) to devotees. Guards or Sevadars keep eyes on the people. After the Darshan, we came down to the open campus. On the right side of the campus, there were idols depicting scenes from Krishna-Leela. One scene had a moving Vasudeva (Krishna's father) from the Jail of Kansa to Gokul through Yamuna river with newborn Krishna in a basket over his head. Another scene was the "Makhan-Chori" (The theft of butter by Krishna and his friends). Butters was made of cotton. There was Jhoolan scene by Krishna and Gopees in a hut nearby.
Just behind this tree is the entrance gate of ISKCON, Kolkata

      Near these huts and at the right front corner there is a small Ganesha Temple. In the same style and size, there is a Mahavir temple at the front left corner. Near this temple and along the left side of the campus ten avatars idols of Vishnu (including the Kalki avatar) are placed. And finally, in a hut near the main temple, the Samudra-Manthan scene is depicted with the moving snake. Now we saw everything and sat near the temple but the weather changed and a drizzle started. So we decided to return back. When we were getting out of the main entrance the Sevadars asked for some money for themselves. While I was collecting our shoes, my wife gave them some money. On the road, we got into the Ola cab and returned back to the hotel room. It was evening and the temperature was mild now. After a hot day, it was a soothing evening.

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