Iskcon Temple Bhubaneswar

Built by the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in 1991, this temple serves as an alternative to Lord Jagannath temple of Puri as that temple is restricted to Indians.

This temple is believed to have offered abode to Lord Jagannath himself.

The ISKCON Temple is located at the heart of the beautiful Bhubaneswar city, which is the capital of Odisha. It is also known as Sri Krishna Balaram Temple. Built by Sri Gaur Govinda Swami, this holy shrine is a great center for spiritual learning and discourse.

The presiding deities of the temple are Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram. Similar to other famous ISKCON temples across the country, this shrine too is quite popular among tourists and a must-visit attraction in Bhubaneswar, the ‘Temple City of India’. This temple serves as an alternative to the famous Lord Jagannath Temple of Puri for devotees and tourists, who are unable to visit it.

Inaugurated in 1991 by Sri Nityananda Prabhu, this sprawling temple campus has a Padma Mandira (Lotus Temple), where idols of Sri Radha Gopinatha and Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu have been placed for reverence. There are three other altars in the temple of Sri Krishna-Balaram, Sri Gaur Nitai, and Sri Jagannath, Sri Balaram and Subhadhra Devi. The temple also includes Srila (Swami) Prabhupada’s ‘Bhajan Kutir’ and Sri Gaur Govinda Swami’s ‘Samadhi Mandira’ and ‘Smriti Mandira’.

A ‘Brahmachari’ ashram complex has been built inside the premises that can accommodate up to 150 Brahmacharis. The same ashram complex has an office; a ‘Prasadam Hall’ for 300 devotees; a conference hall with a capacity of 150 devotees; a library and four rooms for ‘Sanyasis’. There are three kitchens on the campus: one kitchen where food is cooked for the deities; one for the devotees and another is of the restaurant ‘Govindas Prasadam’.

History of ISKCON Temple Bhubaneswar

It was Sri Gaur Govinda Swami, who under the guidance of Swami Prabhupada, started building the ISKCON Temple in Bhubaneswar in 1975. This shrine is the 108th and the last one commissioned by Swami Prabhupada. It took 17 years to build this holy place; finally, it was inaugurated in 1991, in the presence of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

Architecture of ISKCON Temple Bhubaneswar

The Lotus Temple (Padma Mandira) on the premises is shaped like a blooming lotus and is one of the highlights of the temple’s architecture. The shrine has a typical Hindu temple architectural style, including Jagati, ArdhaMandapa, Mahamandapa, Garbagriha, Shikhara, Amalaka and Kalasha.

Made of white marble, the temple not only looks beautiful but also resonates a sense of calmness and peace. The staircase leading towards the entrance of the temple has been built wide for a hassle-free experience for the devotees. Right in front of these stairs is a small fenced garden.