Published on March 8th, 2003 | by
3ISKCON Bangalore to Build Spiritual Disneyland at Vrindavana
The land has been acquired to house the proposed largest Krishna-lila theme park in the world. This will be constructed using dioramas which will combine the use of sound, light and movement using high-end digital robotics to produce what will truly be a spiritual Disneyland.
We are pleased to announce the recent purchase by the ISKCON Bangalore of approximately 20 acres of prime land in the holy dhama of Vrindavan.
Purchased for around $500,000, the land has been acquired to house the proposed largest Krishna-lila theme park in the world. This will be constructed using dioramas which will combine the use of sound, light and movement using high-end digital robotics to produce what will truly be a spiritual Disneyland.
With so much effort and investment put into mundane theme parks displaying the activities of fictional characters, the IRM felt it was high time that the world learns about the transcendental activities of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, on a grand scale – a project endorsed by Srila Prabhupada:
Ramesvara: And this diorama project will also give us a lot of respect.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. We have got many things, stock. We shall exhibit gradually. We have got many things in stock.
Tamala Krsna: Many new ideas.
Prabhupada: First of all, I started the book. That is, by Krsna’s grace, it is becoming successful. Then diorama. Then I shall give next idea.
Tamala Krsna: This diorama is a major idea.
Prabhupada: (laughs)
Ramesvara: I brought the Time magazine people to see it. They were so impressed they wanted to come when the museum is open, to make a story.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes.
Ramesvara: They never saw anything like it.
Prabhupada: Deal with them very nicely. We get publicity.
Ramesvara: It’s very costly.
Prabhupada: Never mind. Cost, Krsna will send money.
Tamala Krsna: This project here will cost, how much? About seventy…
Ramesvara: The actual project, without considering how much the devotees live on, forty thousand dollars.
Prabhupada: Never mind.
Ramesvara: That’s the budget for the project, not counting the devotee maintenance.
Tamala Krsna: More than that.
Prabhupada: Never mind. You can raise that four times price.
Tamala Krsna: So we don’t mind the cost?
Prabhupada: No.
(Morning Walk, June 4th, 1976)
Madhu Pandit das will be the heading this project as its Project Director and Architect. Chanchalapati das, Vice President of ISKCON Bangalore, will be the chief designer of the Exhibits.
Chanchalapati das is the designer of the Multi Vision cinema and robotics exhibition that is housed at ISKCON Bangalore, and which has so far been seen by more than 5 million people.
IRM Chairman and Project Director Madhu Pandit Das comments:
“Krishna-lila includes lila of His pure devotee Srila Prabhupada. Actually people have heard about Krishna but do not know him as he is presented to the world by Srila Prabhupada.
Enough people in this world have not even heard of Srila Prabhupada. So this project will introduce people to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna in a glorious manner.”
The location of the land was chosen so that all traffic which comes to Vrindavan would have to pass by it. Thus it is smack bang in the middle of the main road which leads into the center of Vrindavan. Every single vehicle which attempts to enter Vrindavan must drive past it, and in this way the huge frontage and planned spectacular display at the entrance to the theme park will attract all passers-by.
In addition, there is a great opportunity to capture the huge number of Indian and foreign tourists who visit the nearby Taj Mahal in Agra.
In this way the IRM is determined to try and make Krishna and his pure devotee’s glorious pastimes famous all over the world.
In addition, also planned for the huge site will be a residential colony for a population of 1000. This will incorporate a micro-township with hundreds of apartments. In this way we hope to offer a facility to devotees who may wish to relocate their families to Vrindavan for the purpose of either retirement or to do service in the holy dhama. A first class international guest- house will be added to round off the many facilities planned for this site. Construction of the boundary wall has already begun, and once that is completed, construction work on the other proposed attractions will begin. We see the Vrindavan Project as an exciting new chapter in the ISKCON Bangalore’s continued expansion. Srila Prabhupada ki jai!
What happened to the project?
It was a scam. Actually they built a housing development, that was the original plan, the Disneyland scam was just to get the government to give them the land free so they could build the housing development… They did the sam thing in Vrindavan also.
Hare Krishna!
I am a devotee of Lord Krishna since 1992, my spiritual master is Srila Prabhupada. Now I am planning my first trip to Vrindavan, unfortunately I have had some pretty bad experience from some devotees in the current Iskcon especially when it comes to the guru issue.
Should I therefore try to avoid the Iskcon temple in Vrindavan? No, of course not even if it is most propably run by same kind of criminals as in the Iskcon temples in the west, but I will go anywhere place and still consider Srila Prabhupada as my diksha guru! No problem with that!
I am writing because I am eager to know other IRM devotees in Vrindavan, is there a IRM temple?
Kind regards, Harinamananda das, Finland (mr henry)