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Resting on the banks of the River Ganges is “Kanhapur”-the city of Lord Krsna-presently known as Kanpur. Nearby is Bithoor where the Ashrama of Valmiki Muni is located and where Sitadevi, the Goddess of Fortune and wife of Lord Ramacandra, lived when Her husband expelled her from Ayodhya. Lava and Kusha were also born here.

Kanpur city is believed to have been founded by King Hindu Singh. While in the early days of its formation, the city was seen as an insignificant village, it became one of the most important military stations of British India in the early nineteenth century. Since then it has grown in importance and is a major industrial town and educational center in Uttar Pradesh and in North India.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-Acharya of ISKCON, acknowledged the spiritual importance of Kanpur and considered it to be the third most important city in India after Mumbai and Calcutta. Before going to the West, Srila Prabhupada had preached actively in Kanpur, staying in various homes. As the guest of the Anandesvar Satsang Mandal, he lectured regularly at the popular Parmat bathing ghata on the Ganges. He especially made acquaintances among industrialists and educators, often sitting and conversing with them for hours, and many were impressed by his dedication and his soft-spoken talks.

Years later, in 1966, in New York City, Srila Prabhupada remembered his acquaintance with Sir Padampat Singhania in Kanpur. Srila Prabhupada was establishing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in America and he wrote to Sir Padampat Singhania, the director of the very large JK Organization, requesting him for financial support to build a temple of Lord Krsna in New York.

Srila Prabhupada received the following letter from Sir Padampat Singhania.

My dear Swamiji,

I have gone through your letter. I am very glad to note your idea of erecting a Shri Radha Krishna temple in New York. I think the proposal is a good one, but the following are the difficulties:

1. We have got to send foreign exchange for building the temple, for which Government sanction is required. Without the Government sanction, no money can be sent abroad. If the Government of India agrees, then one can think of erecting the temple in New York.

2. I doubt whether with this small amount of Rs. 7 lakhs [$110,000.00] a temple can be built in New York. I mean to carry out a nice Construction with Indian type of architecture. To get a temple completed in Indian type of architecture we have to send a man from India.

These are the two main difficulties; otherwise, your idea is very good.

In a lecture discussing some verses from the Bhagavad-gita (6.41-45), Srila Prabhupada describes Sir Padampat Singhania to his disciples. He explained that those who have practiced devotional service in their past lives but didn't complete the process take birth in aristocratic families. “Why? Now, there is the chance of spiritual culture,” said Srila Prabhupada. “Of course, here, in your country, aristocratic family, just like Rockefeller family, or Ford family.... There are many rich families here. I do not know what their activities are, but in India, the aristocratic family, they have got particular spiritual function. Each and every aristocratic family has so

many temples, so many temples. And I have already informed you that one of the aristocratic family in India, Sir Padampat Singhania . . . he's as equal to your Rockefeller family. And I wrote him that "I want to start here one Radha-Krsna temple and I want your help." He has immediately agreed, "Swamiji, I shall spend for a nice architectural, Indian pattern temple in New York if I get exchange sanction." You see? So even up till now, Indian aristocratic family, they are so much religiously inclined that immediately on my proposal he's agreed. He's agreed, 'Yes. I shall construct a temple.'

Finally in 1970, Srila Prabhupada came back to India along with his Western disciples. Kanpur was on his mind. He requested his disciples to establish an outstanding ISKCON temple here and hold massive festivals to benefit the people of Kanpur. Srila Prabhupada, himself, expressed his motivation for such a center. “It is for the interest of the entire humanity that I am trying to implement the science of Krsna which will actually make them happy. So it is the duty of every devotee of Lord Krsna to help me by all means.”

Srila Prabhupada requested his disciples to give Rs50 000, a sizeable amount in those days, to build the ISKCON center at Kanpur. But it was almost thirty years later, after he left this planet that his wish was fulfilled. In 2005, Smt. Bina Bhatnagar, mother of the then Commissioner Amita Bhatnagar, visited the ISKCON temple in Boston, USA and was highly impressed with the magnificent Deities and the high standard of temple services. Consequently, she wanted to establish an ISKCON temple in Kanpur. Thus she generously donated five acres of land in Kanpur and requested that the Deities of the temple be named Sri Sri Radha Madhava ji.

After acquiring the land, a team of ISKCON devotees lived in a small kothi in Model town and from there struggled to establish the new temple. They moved to the new land and gradually constructed a temporary structure to host the Deities. Four years later, in 2009, on Vasant Pancami, the doors of a temporary but attractive temple beholding the exquisite Deities of Sri Sri Radha Madhava ji opened to the citizens of Kanpur and India. An Ashrama accommodating about 50 brahmacaries, a guesthouse with 8 rooms and a goshala with 25 cows were also built. But . . . we are still far from reaching our goal. We recently acquired an additional five-acre land and we are looking forward to build a glorious temple for Sri Sri Radha Madhava ji that will cost Rs 50 crore. This temple will be for one and all-jana mandir.

The Kanpur project has set up an advisory committee that is immensely active and supportive. The committee has taken up the responsibility to assist in all ways and build the temple. The world famous architect Sri Premnath, who is based in Mumbai, has designed the temple, and we are at present awaiting the necessary government approval to start the construction. We hope to complete the project within two-and-half years. We are striving hard to provide this devotional facility for for all the devotees and public in general.