ISKCON Temple NVCC in Kondhwa

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

ISKCON is a wealthy organisation and it shows in their new temple recently opened (inaugurated by our president Pranab Mukherjee) in Kondhwa (Earlier got confused with Kothrud!). This one is called NVCC – New Vedic Cultural center and has grand plans. The one in Kothrud has also a Balaji temple, a replica of the Tirupati temple.

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

Construction is still on (as of Mid-April 2013). The temple is architecturally very beautiful and nothing has been spared to make the interiors very appealing. The central hall has huge carvings on the roof with central dome depicting Krishna and Radha. The corridors around the main hall have murals depicting various mythological stories and also many from Krishna’s upbringing.

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

There are three main “deities” – Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanachandra, Sri Sri Gaur Nitai & Jagannath, Baldev & Subhadra. There is also an idol of Sri Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON movement.

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

Location of the temple – See map below for route from Magarpatta.


View Larger Map

The darshan timings – the times when the door of the deities are open to the public are given below. The temple is also well-lit during the evening and it is a beautiful sight.

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

iskcon temple nvcc kothrud pune

Kichdi is served free of cost through out the day. ISKCON also runs a Govinda restaurant which serves regular vegetarian fare like dosas, parathas and some sweets. The first time i went, it was during the lunch time and hence there was not much activity. The second time, i went during the late evening and darshan was on along with a bhajan. The bhajan along with the dholak and other instruments produced a mesmerizing noise. People were dancing in the central hall and it was almost a trance like situation. The energy was unbelievable and it would almost be impossible to resist the urge to dance!

On a personal note, i am not a big fan of ISKCON, because of various reasons. Anyway, the temple is a nice place to visit. Go there, enjoy the music and experience the amazing energy. Up to you, whether you want to join and become spiritually engaged with ISKCON!

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19 Responses

  1. himanshu says:

    Temple opending and closing timings is big disappointment it was closed at afternoon thanks for sharing that time table board here

  2. a says:

    WOW!!! Nice Post!Kind Regards

  3. Shweta says:

    Hare Krsna!!

  4. Arpit says:

    Visited today, really a nice place. The ambiance was awesome during their final prayer i.e from 9.00 to 9.15. also the Prashad was very testy 🙂 . The front garden is also nice where you can sit in the evening and enjoy cool breeze. Thanks Rajaram for letting us know about this place 🙂

  5. nithi says:

    Thanks for sharing the informative post.
    Its nice place to see. Excellent pictures. Last week we planned to go to Kondhwa.
    Thank you,

  6. Mukund says:

    Thanks for this post. Lord Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 68.
    “For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.” So people who read your blog will have opportunity to visit ISKCON temple and hear Lord Krishna’s message. So indirectly you are serving Lord Krishna. You might be interested to visit following place, the tallest Hindu temple in the history of the world,

    http://tovp.org/

    Please watch it completely
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G7kIdHihN0

    http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1435661

  7. Gruhkhoj says:

    Great Temple………

  8. Aniket says:

    This temple is not in kothrud.. It is in Kondhwa. pls correct..

  9. Anuj says:

    HI Rajaram,

    Thanks for the detailed information,next in my list :).
    And I totally agree with what you wrote at the end about their pulling and students getting stuck in it. One of my friend in college also left hostel and was almost caught in the trap but then we somehow managed to get him out of it…
    Regards,
    Anuj

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