On February 13, 2020, the observance of the 146th Appearance Day of His Divine Grace Astottarasata Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, the entire completed Pujari Floor of the TOVP was opened in great pomp and grandeur. In preparation for the relocation of ISKCON’s beloved world Deities into Their long-awaited new home in 2022, and to instill confidence in ISKCON’s leadership and devotees that the construction is solidly moving in that direction, the opening was officially undertaken.
The five-hour event commenced at 9:00am and included:
Svagata: Carrying Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Nityananda’s Padukas, and Srila Prabhupada on procession to the TOVP office for a special Victory Flag raising ceremony with His Holiness Jayapataka Swami and Ambarisa prabhu, and welcoming them to the TOVP for the inauguration event.
Invocation prayers to Srila Prabhupada, our acharyas and the Lord.
A welcome message from Braja Vilasa prabhu, TOVP Director of Development.
Speeches by senior Vaishnavas including H.H. Jayapataka Maharaja, H.G. Ambarisa prabhu, H.G. Svaha mataji, H.H. Radhanath Maharaja, H.H. Gopal Krishna Maharaja, H.H. Lokanath Maharaja, H.H. Bhakti Purushottama Maharaja, H.H. Sivaram Maharaja, and H.G. Jananivas prabhu.
A special TOVP model gift ceremony for ISKCON leaders and major TOVP donors.
An elaborate Vastu puja and Homa yajna.
Bhakti Caru Maharaja leading the pushpanjali ceremony for His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, present in his murti form.
Pujari Kaksha Udghatana: The offering and opening of all the Pujari Floor rooms to Srila Prabhupada, Nityananda’s Padukas and Sri Sri Radha Madhava.
The 2.5 acre Pujari Floor consists of over twenty specially designed seva rooms equipped with the best facilities for the Lord’s service, and the entire floor is built of the finest materials and fitted with state-of-the-art maintenance and service systems, including air conditioning, fire prevention and an elaborate intercom/communication arrangement. Built to last for hundreds of years, this is the largest Deity Department space in the world and will set an example of the highest standards of Deity seva excellence.
Below is a list of the twenty-one main rooms offered to Srila Prabhupada, Nityananda’s Padukas and Sri Sri Radha Madhava during Their procession throughout the entire Pujari Floor.
Pujari Floor Room Descriptions for Pujari Kaksha Udghatana
Radharani Pakshala
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the most important room on the pujari floor, Radharani’s Pakshala (kitchen), where Srimate Radharani will personally oversee the preparation of the most delectable dishes for all the main meals to offer throughout the day to Her Lord, Sri Madhava, and the other Deities present on the altar.
Utsava Pakshala
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Utsava Pakshala, the overflow kitchen where Srimate Radharani will personally oversee the making of the most special food preparations to offer Her Lord, Sri Madhava, and all the Deities on the altar on festival days and other important occasions.
Madhuram Pakshala
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Madhuram Pakshala, a very special kitchen dedicated only to sweet-making, where Srimate Radharani will personally oversee the preparation of the most wonderful and tasty sweetmeats for the pleasure of Her Lord, Sri Madhava, and all the Deities on the altar.
Bhoga Bhandar
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Bhoga Bhandar, where all the dry ingredients to be used by the cooks for all the hundreds of varieties of daily preparations for the Deities will be stored and nicely organized.
Radha Madhava Sringara Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Radha Madhava Sringara Nilayam, the storage room for all the beautifully designed outfits and crowns worn by Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madhava and the Ashta Sakhis at different appropriate times for the fulfillment of Their pleasure and ashta-kaliya-nitya-lila throughout the day and night.
Pancha Tattva Sringara Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Pancha Tattva Sringara Nilayam, the storage room for all the samkirtan outfits and crowns of the Pancha Tattva which They will wear while dancing and chanting in ecstasy and bestowing the full blessings of Their mercy to all conditioned souls in the universe.
Nrsimhadeva Sringara Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Nrsimhadeva Sringara Nilayam, where all the outfits, crowns and helmets for Lord Ugra Nrsimha in His angry mood as Supreme Protector against the offenders of His devotees, and the outfits and crowns of His most beloved devotee Prahlad Maharaja, will be carefully and worshipfully stored.
Guru Parampara Sringara Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Guru Parampara Sringara Nilayam, the storage room for all the outfits of Srila Prabhupada and our most beloved and revered acharyas, where they will be most respectfully maintained and kept.
Radha Madhava Bhushana Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Radha Madhava Bhushana Nilayam, the most special room where all the beautiful and magnificent ornaments and jewelry that will adorn the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha Madhava throughout Their daily pastimes will be hand-crafted, organized and safely stored.
Pancha Tattva Bhushana Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava, With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Pancha Tattva Bhushana Nilayam, the preparation and storage room for the Pancha Tattva’s simple and decorative ornaments which They will wear while performing Their remarkable samkirtan pastimes.
Nrsimhadeva Bhushana Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Nrsimhadeva Bhushana Nilayam, where Lord Nrsimha’s and Prahlad Maharaja’s decorative jewelry and ornaments will be hand-made and carefully stored for Their daily service.
Radha Madhava Vastra Nirman Karyalaya
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Radha Madhava Vastra Nirman Karyalaya, the seva room where the numerous, gorgeous outfits for Radha Madhava’s and the Ashta Sakhi’s daily pastimes will be hand-made from the very finest fabrics, cloth, silk and jari, and carefully organized and stored.
Pancha Tattva Vastra Nirman Karyalaya
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Pancha Tattva Vastra Nirman Karyalaya, the room where the Pancha Tattva’s selected preaching outfits and garb will be hand-made from the finest materials and carefully stored.
Nrsimhadeva Vastra Nirman Karyalaya
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Nrsimhadeva Vastra Nirman Karyalaya, the room where all the outfits for Lord Nrsimha and Prahlad Maharaja will be carefully hand-made from the best available materials and carefully stored.
Mukhya Pujari Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Mukhya Pujari Nilayam, a room specially designed for the Head Pujaris of Their Lordships, Their Graces Jananivas and Pankajanghri prabhus, to facilitate their eternal service of planning and arranging for all the Deities’ varieties of seva every day throughout each year.
Pujari Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Pujari Nilayam, the general pujari room where the many pujaris may prepare for executing their loving services to their respective worshipable Deities during the course of the day.
Nityananda Upakarana Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Nityananda Upakarana Nilayam, the highly important room where all the Deities’ arati, puja and yajna paraphernalia will be stored, and named as such because Nityananda Prabhu, Himself Lord Baladeva, directly expands as all the paraphernalia for the Lord’s service in His mood of ecstatic service to His Lord, Sri Krishna.
Vrindadevi Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Vrindadevi Nilayam, Vrindadevi’s own personal room where She will organize the preparation, assembling and storage of every garland for all the Deities within this holy sanctuary.
Keshava Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Keshava Nilayam, a room named after Lord Keshava Who has beautiful long blackish hair, solely dedicated to the careful storage and maintenance of all the Deities’ hair pieces and related items.
Ananda Utsava Nilayam
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Ananda Utsava Nilayam, a very special room for storing all the festival paraphernalia related to the Deities’ service such as swings, palanquins, umbrellas, etc.
Abhisheka Niyojana-sala
Dear Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda and Sri Sri Radha Madhava,
With utmost love and devotion we humbly offer you here the Abhiseka Niyojana-sala, an entire room dedicated to storing all the Deities’ abhishek paraphernalia and related items for Their blissful bathing pastimes.
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