Sri Mayapur Project News June 2000

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Sri Mayapur Project News 3.02, June 2000
Communications Office, London

'adbhuta mandira ei haibe prakash gauranga nitya-seva haibe vikasa'

Tel. and fax - (44)-1923-858147 E-Mail - bhagavat.dharma.mg@pamho.net

Contents:

1) Introduction 2) Getting It Right - Kalakantha Dasa 3) Launching in India - Madhumati Dasi 4) Forward Movement - Abhirama Dasa 5) Getting Trained Up - Navadvipa Chandra Dasa 6) On the Web 7) Notes

- 1) Introduction -

Welcome to our shorter and sharper Sri Mayapur Project (SMP) News. In this issue, Kalakantha Dasa tells us about progress in fundraising. We hear from Madhumati Dasi about developments in India. Abhirama Dasa, the managing director, gives us his views on recent changes. And we have a message from our first Gurukula graduate trainee - Navadvipa Chandra Dasa

From now on, our newsletter will be in this simple format. We will add longer articles to our website at www.mayapur.org, for those who want a deeper picture.

Please let me know if you need more information about the Project, or would like to help in any way.

Your servant,

Bhagavat Dharma Dasa bhagavat.dharma.mg@pamho.net

- 2) Getting It Right - Kalakantha Dasa -

Bob Kovacevich, a successful U.S. fundraising executive, completed a study of Mayapur's fundraising potential, involving hundreds of possible donors in India. Cooperation from temple leaders in Bombay, Baroda, Delhi, and Calcutta, and from BTG India, made his unprecedented study a great success.

Bob will present the results to the SMP Development Committee trustees in Alachua on June 7th and 8th. New trustees-elect Ambarish Dasa, Gopal Krsna Goswami and Radhanatha Swami will join Abhirama Dasa, Jayapataka Swami and Naresvara Dasa in planning successive steps to develop the Project. Key parts of the meeting will focus on coordinating the engineering and fundraising stages of the Project.

Fundraising Committee Chairman Ambarish says, "We have a long way to go, but this study is an important beginning to the long-term fundraising effort for Mayapur."

More info: kalakantha.acbsp@pamho.net

3) Launching in India - Madhumati Dasi

Everything is going well in Mayapur. We now display two models and many drawings in our office, atop the Conch building.

One model is of the final temple design, and the other is of the temple within the broader scheme of the first phase of the township. The drawings show such things as the interior plans for the temple, views of Prabhupada Avenue from the temple to the Samadhi, and some of the sacred geometry in the design.

We have begun receiving guests there, including members of our Chowpatti temple and the secretary to the prime minister of India, Mr. Singh, who was quite impressed. Mr. Singh promised to bring some of our needs and concerns to the prime minister's attention and to request the prime minister and his cabinet members to attend our inaugural ceremony next year.

Our Chowpatti members are looking forward to the model coming to Mumbai. I will go there (and to Delhi) to present the Project plans to the temple communities. Many of the members from Chowpatty signed up for Mayapur International, the worldwide association of supporters of Mayapur Project. One of the benefits of joining is receiving the Mayapur Journal.

I am working on the next issue of the Journal. It will be my first issue as the new editor, since replacing Gaura-lila Dasa. I'm writing articles and getting devotees to write, and will print at the Mayapur BBT in a month or so. Navadvipa Chandra Dasa, our trainee, who went to Mangalore for a Desk Top Printing course, will help me.

For more news of Mayapur International, please contact

madhumati.acbsp@pamho.net

...also keep an eye on the website.

- 4) Forward Movement - Abhirama Dasa -

One main point in our report to the GBC this year was that we have completed the conceptual design of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. The GBC members received the final design enthusiastically. This was a major step forward, and has led to several practical changes on the ground.

With this phase finished, we have now shifted our attention to the professional engineers and architects giving us the detailed plans to be used at the construction site. We have closed our dedicated design office, and the team will now work under the direction of our project managers, GRUP ISM, just a few blocks from Friends Colony, in Maharani Bagh, South Delhi. We have six professional architects working full time in Grup ISM's office, and several consultants. The work is moving fast. It is time for the professionals to show us how it will be built, brick by brick.

Our intent was to have devotees heavily involved in the design stage, and that stage is now complete. Pada-Sevanam Dasa, our chief designer, will continue to oversee design issues, but will do so from Australia, where he is going to begin teaching at the University of Adelaide.

We will be spending money in Mayapur itself, constructing Prabhupada Avenue and taking care of the infrastructure. We are moving forward toward our inaugural ceremony.

5) Getting Trained Up - Navadvipa Chandra Dasa

I joined the Mayapur Project about six months ago. I am eighteen years old and inspired to do some service for Lord Chaitanya. What better way than building the Mayapur Project?

For this purpose I needed some training. So I was sent to South India to attend some schools and to learn things essential for the main focus of Mayapur Project at this time: communications. I'm learning desktop publishing, graphic design, web page development, and multimedia creation.

I am one of the first trainees for the Mayapur Project in the Vaishnava Youth category. The Project leaders recognize the importance of training young people. It may take more than twenty years to build this project. Many of the current managers and leaders will be grandparents by that time! We now have a group of four or five students (all gurukulis) who are considering making a commitment to the Project.

I believe in the Mayapur Project, even among so many apparent disturbances, because it's Lord Gauranga and Nityananda's desire. If we have Their desire, it will happen. We just have to have the faith.

6) On the Web This Month

Take a look at the completed concept design: http://www.mayapur.org/reports/2000/temple1.htm

An overview of phase 1 of the Master Plan: http://www.mayapur.org/reports/2000/masterplan1.htm

Regional Development for Mayapur: http://www.mayapur.org/reports/2000/regional1.htm

Recent Presentations: http://www.mayapur.org/smpnews/Present00/present.htm

The Mayapur Trust has an appeal page for the Arsenic Crisis: http://www.mayapurtrust.org/arsenic_crisis.html

6) Notes

This edition was produced by Bhagavat Dharma Dasa and edited by Tattvavit Dasa.

� CHAKRA 10-June-2000

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