On June 10, 2024, a group of leaders from ISKCON arrived for darshan of the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham for darshan and to meet the dedicated volunteers who built it.
Upon arrival, they were ritually welcomed in the traditional Welcome Center by senior volunteers. Afterwards, they performed the abhishek and took part in the arti. Tour guides and swamis provided a tour of the campus where they detailed Akshardham’s history, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj and His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj’s devotion in creating it, introduced volunteers, and explained the scriptural and philosophical importance of the various domes and carvings.
His Holiness Radhanath Swami, a senior ISKCON guru and disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, reflected on his visit, stating, “All of this magnificence and exquisiteness was gifted to us by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and Mahant Swami Maharaj so millions could worship God. In their personal lives, they live simply are completely content with only the name of God. This was done solely for the benefit of us! They were so magnanimous!”
His Grace Jananivas Prabhu, a prominent disciple of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and the Head Pujari of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) in Mayapur Dham, expressed the amount of joy he saw on the faces of the people visiting and on the faces of the volunteers.
His Grace Ambarish Prabhu, a prominent disciple, the Chairman of the TOVP in Mayapur Dham, and the great-grandson of Henry Ford, also expressed his gratitude for having such a wonderful place in North America as a place to inspire generations to live better lives.
The event saw participation from numerous senior guests and officials from both India and North America, including His Grace Braja Vilas Das, Director of the TOVP; His Grace Sunanda Das, North American Coordinator of the TOVP; His Grace Madhupati Das, President of ISKCON of Central New Jersey; His Grace Doyal Gauranga, Director of the Bhakti Center in New York; Devakinandan Das, Vice President of ISKCON of Central New Jersey; and Anuj Sharma, Youth Leader of ISKCON of Central New Jersey.