1971: Sridham Mayapur Project Established by Srila Prabhupada In 1971 Srila Prabhupada unveiled the first model of the Mayapur project and Temple of the Vedic Planetarium to a room of guests and potential donors, although at that time the temple was named Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, Temple of the Rising Moon of Lord Caitanya. The temple dome was originally designed with a pointed top, but later he changed it to resemble the U.S. Capitol Building dome. The model had four guesthouses at the rear of the land of which the present Lotus building was the first, and the temple filled the balance of the ISKCON land with the entrance from Bhaktisiddhanta Road. The only structure that existed on the ISKCON Mayapur property when purchased was a dilapidated old house. It later was renovated into the bhajan kutir where Srila Prabhupada resided until other housing was built. During a morning walk some time after the Lotus Building was constructed Prabhupada was asked, “Should we demolish this (bhajan kutir) since we don’t use it anymore?” Prabhupada was quiet for a moment and then he said, “No, let the people see – this is what we were” , and then with a grand swing of his right arm he pointed up to his right and said, “and this is what we have become” . And, of course, as we now know he was pointing directly to where the TOVP stands today.
The only structure on the purchased Mayapur property, shortly to become the first Mayapur Temple and residential quarters for Srila Prabhupada, called the bhajan kutir
The first model of the Mayapur project and Temple of the Vedic Planetarium
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