By Pallika-Sakhi Devi Dasi
Festivities abounded in Naperville, Illinois as ISKCON devotees prepared to install the Deities of Sri Sri Radha Syamasundar and Lord Caitanya and to inaugurate a new temple building for Their Lordships. The event lasted three full days (April 20-22nd) and included a variety of auspicious celebrations, yajnas, and pujas. Sacred fire yajnas were held each morning, followed by roaring kirtans in the afternoons, and then followed by more yajnas and ceremonies into the night.
The four-year building project, costing 6 million dollars to complete, was made possible by more than 500 families who contributed financial support. The temple president Premananda Devi Dasi described the new facility, “The temple has three floors, including a banquet hall, commercial kitchen, gift shop, residential quarters, a snack bar, conference rooms, and a temple hall six times larger than we had before. It’s a wonderful facility for our growing congregation.”
The inaugural celebrations began Thursday morning with carrying Srila Prabhupada’s murti on a palanquin from the old temple (a small repurposed church the devotees have used for several years) to his vyasasana in the new temple. Over the course of three days, several thousand people attended the events. Among them were dignitaries, including two US Congressmen: Ro Khanna, a California Congressman with roots in Chicago, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, a US Congressman from suburban Chicago. Additionally, a Member of the Illinois House of Representatives and Members of the County Commissioners and the Naperville City Council attended.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-naperville-installs-new-deities-and-inaugurates-their-temple/
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