By Acyuta-Bhava Dasa & Tarin Butterfield
May 15th, 2022 marked an important time in history for ISKCON Naperville (Illinois, USA); a special fundraising dinner for the construction of the new Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundar Temple, with Member of Parliament and Bollywood star Hema Malini headlining the program.
The fundraising event was held at Ashyana Banquet Hall. The large banquet room was filled with promise and excitement, as all who attended were eager for the completion of this important project. Temple President Premananda Devi Dasi addressed the crowd of over 500 by reminding them what brought them all together: “Why build this temple? When Srila Prabhupada founded this institution, he listed seven purposes of ISKCON”. She then reiterated Srila Prabhupada’s fifth stated purpose: “To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna. ISKCON Naperville represents precisely this.” She concluded “We are here to serve people of all backgrounds. We are here to serve all of you, the community, present, and future generations. We stay committed to serving you as His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada taught us.”
What made this year’s fundraising event exceedingly more memorable, was the attendance of famed Member of Indian Parliament and esteemed Bollywood actress, Hema Malini. She began her career as a Bharatanatyam dancer. She was able to land her first film role as a dancer in 1963 and has appeared in almost 200 movies throughout her career.
Hema Malini is from a family of South Indian Vaishnavas. She became a friend of ISKCON during her visits to the ISKCON Juhu Beach Temple in Mumbai. Her father, she noted, had met Srila Prabhupada.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/guest-star-hema-malini-supports-iskcon-naperville/
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