01Italian marble, Braj leela
Work began in January 2001 and the temple was inaugurated over three days, 15 to 17 February 2012. Radha Govind are enthroned on the ground floor and Sita Ram on the upper floor. The outer walls and pillars are carved in white Italian marble with scenes of Krishna’s leela and the verses of Kripalu Maharaj’s own bhakti songs. In the gardens around stand life-size tableaux of the Govardhan leela, the Kaliya daman, the swing of Radha and Krishna, and the Raas.
02Evening lights
Most visitors come at dusk, when the marble is lit in slowly changing colours and the fountains play. Beside the temple a pillar-less satsang hall seats some 25,000 people for the discourses and kirtans of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, the organisation Kripalu Maharaj founded. He passed away in November 2013, a year and a half after the temple opened. On Janmashtami and Holi the gardens are packed until late at night.
The life of this place
- January 2001Construction begins.
- 15–17 February 2012The temple is inaugurated and opened to the public.
- November 2013Kripalu Maharaj passes away.
Prem Mandir is on the Chhatikara–Vrindavan road, a short way from the ISKCON temple; the evening light show is the main draw.
