
The ISKON Temple is situated at Hari Krishna Hill, near East of Kailash. Built by the Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult, the temple was constructed in 1998. The New Delhi ISKON Temple is one of the 40 temples in India built by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) Movement established by Acharya Swami Prabhupada, to disseminate the message of Bhagavad-Gita. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, the temple is one of the biggest temple complexes in India. The Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna Temple (as is popularly called) has been inordinately constructed, jewelled with exquisite paintings on the life phases of Radha-Krishna, Ram-Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, build by Russian artists. The shikharas are located at a height of 90feet above the ground level, adding to the stateliness of the temple.
One of the high points of the ISKON Temple is the central prayer hall housing magnificent idols of Radha-Krishna, along with the idols of other deities and enlightening spiritual lines and mottoes. Another attraction of the temple complex is the museum that exhibits multimedia shows of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Every Sunday special programmes like `kirtan`, `aarti`, `pravachan` and `prasadam` are held at the Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna temple. Festivals gain substantial importance, like the Janmashtami festival, birthday of Lord Krishna, when brilliant celebrations are held, with devotees thronging in lakhs to catch a glimpse of the deity. The temple remains open in the morning from 4.30 AM to 12.00 PM and again in the evening from 4.00 PM to 9.00 PM.
(Last Updated on : 23/01/2009)