Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple (Spanish Fork)

Last updated
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple
Holi Festival of Colors Utah, United States 2013.jpg
The Holi Festival in March 2013 at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Utah County, Utah.
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
Festivals Holi in March, Llama Fest in July, Krishna Janmashtami in August, Diwali in October
Location
Location311 W 8500 S, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Country United States
USA Utah location map.svg
Om symbol.svg
Location in Utah
Geographic coordinates 40°04′33″N111°39′44″W / 40.075703°N 111.662122°W / 40.075703; -111.662122
Architecture
Completed1998
Temple(s)1
Website
www.utahkrishnas.org

The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Utah County, United States is a Hindu temple dedicated to Radha Krishna. [1] It was built to meet the needs of the Hindu community in Utah County. The temple hosts many seasonal festivals, events and weekly services for prayer and meditation.

Contents

History

The Temple during the winter, January 2008 Krishna temple spanish fork.JPG
The Temple during the winter, January 2008

The history behind the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple is rooted in devoted members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and their efforts to bring awareness of their religion and Indian culture to the wider world. The influence of this movement can be traced back thousands of years to the basic beliefs surrounding Krishna, and additionally to modern advocates for Krishna Consciousness like Swami Prabhupada.

The Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple is in existence mainly due to the efforts of Charu Das (formerly Christopher Warden) and his activity within ISKCON. Charu Das, an American by birth, left the United States in order to protest and avoid the Vietnam War. He then traveled through Europe, India, and Singapore. While in Singapore he met his future wife, and the two of them began a lifetime of work to further Krishna Consciousness. The two went to Australia, where they lived and worked for a time. After spending several years with a community of Krishna devotees, Charu left Australia and returned to the United States where he served in several positions for ISKCON.

Charu Das first visited Utah in 1975 when he traveled to Brigham Young University (BYU) to sell books for a trust under ISKCON. His impressions were positive, and he appreciated the atmosphere of tolerance and interest. In 1983, Charu Das left his residence in Los Angeles and moved to Spanish Fork, Utah. [2] Vaibhavi das designed the temple, inspired by traditional architecture seen in India. [2] [3] On November 10, 1996, devotees organized a ground breaking ceremony to pay respect to Hindu deities. [2] On February 16, 1998, the construction of the temple began.

The Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple continues to thrive each year as it attracts thousands of guests for both tours and seasonal festivals.

Events and festivals

The Temple during the Festival of Colors, April 2012. Festival of Colors at the Krishna Temple near Spanish Fork, Utah 2012.jpg
The Temple during the Festival of Colors, April 2012.

The temple houses a natural amphitheater with the capacity to accommodate thousands. From March through October the temple usually holds entertainments such as art and photography displays, tour guides, cuisine tasting, cultural exhibits on India, a gala pageant of the epic Ramayana, the burning of a 20-foot (6.1 m) high effigy of the demon Ravana, weddings and receptions, guided llama tours, and fireworks. There is a gift shop on site as well. There are many different visitors such as schools, scout troops, summer or senior organizations, and family reunions. [4]

Annually, the biggest celebration in the Western Hemisphere of the Holi festival (also known as the Festival of Colors) is held here, typically teaching a Hindu message to a vast audience of diverse ages and religious backgrounds. Visitors can buy different colored powder (gulaal) imported from India, to throw at each other and into the air at specific times throughout the day, while live bands perform music. A replica of Holika the witch is burned in a bonfire.

Weekly services

Parking in front of the Temple, August 2006 ISKCON.JPG
Parking in front of the Temple, August 2006

The services at the Krishna temple are open to the public every day from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. [5] Daily a vegeterian buffet from 12:00pm to 6:00pm for a price of $10 per Adult and $5 per Child is served. [6] Other regular services are also held and are open to students.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Society for Krishna Consciousness</span> Religious organisation

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu religious organization. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Its main headquarters is located today in West Bengal, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rukmini</span> Chief wife of Hindu god Krishna

Rukmini is a Hindu goddess and the first queen of Krishna in Dvaraka. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an incarnation of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. The goddess is regarded to be the chief or principal consort of Krishna in various pieces of literature and is venerated primarily in Warkari and Haridasa tradition, and additionally in Sri Vaishnavism where Lakshmi-Narayana are revered and worshipped.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vrindavan</span> City in Uttar Pradesh, India

Vrindavan, also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of the main deities in Hinduism, spent most of his childhood in this city. Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of Krishna and his chief consort Radha.

Mayapur is a neighbourhood of Bamanpukur, in the Nabadwip CD block in the Krishnanagar Sadar subdivision of the Nadia district, West Bengal, India. It's situated at the confluence of the Jalangi River and the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges. The area is considered spiritually significant by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhakti Charu Swami</span> Indian ISKCON spiritual leader (1945–2020)

Bhakti Charu Swami was an Indian spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He was also a disciple of ISKCON's founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathura district</span> District of Uttar Pradesh in India

Mathura district situated along the banks of the river Yamuna is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of north-central India. The historic city of Mathura is the district headquarters. Mathura district is home to many important sites associated with goddess Radha and Lord Krishna, who was born in Mathura and grew up in the nearby town of Vrindavan. Both cities are some of the most sacred sites in the Vaishnava tradition, making Mathura district an important Hindu pilgrimage centre ,It has high concentration of Jat people,as 40% of population of Mathura belong to Jat community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirtanananda Swami</span> American Hindu guru (1937–2011)

Kirtanananda Swami, also known as Bhaktipada, was a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru and the co-founder of New Vrindaban, a Hare Krishna community in Marshall County, West Virginia, where he served as spiritual leader from 1968 until 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radhanath Swami</span> American Gaudiya Vaishnava guru

Radhanath Swami is an American Hindu Gaudiya Vaishnava guru, community-builder, activist, and author. He has been a Bhakti Yoga practitioner and a spiritual teacher for more than 50 years. He is the inspiration behind ISKCON's free midday meal for 1.2 million school kids across India, and he has been instrumental in founding the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai. He works largely from Mumbai and travels extensively throughout Europe and America. In the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), he serves as a member of the Governing Body Commission. Steven J. Rosen described Radhanath Swami as a "saintly person respected by the mass of ISKCON devotees today."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radhashtami</span> Hindu festival commemorating birthday of goddess Radha

Radhashtami is a Hindu religious day commemorating the birth anniversary of the goddess Radha, the chief consort of the god Krishna. It is celebrated in her birthplace Barsana and the entire Braj region on the eighth day (ashtami) of the bright (waxing) half of the lunar month of Bhadrapada. Radhashtami falls fifteen days after Krishna Janmashtami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Vrindaban</span> Unincorporated area in West Virginia, United States

New Vrindaban is an unincorporated area and an ISKCON intentional community located in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, near Moundsville. The town consists of 1,204 acres (4.87 km2), and several building complexes, homes, apartment buildings, and businesses including the Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra Temple and Prabhupada's Palace of Gold. New Vrindaban was founded in 1968 under the direct guidance of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON, by his disciple Kirtanananda Swami. It is named for the Indian city of Vrindavan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhaktivedanta Manor</span> Hindu temple, formerly a country house, in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Bhaktivedanta Manor is a Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England, in the village of Letchmore Heath near Watford. The Manor is owned and run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known as the Hare Krishna movement. It is ISKCON's largest property in the United Kingdom, and one of the most frequently visited Radha Krishna temples in Europe. The house is listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radha Krishna Temple</span> Headquarter of ISKCON in United Kingdom

The Radha-Krishna Temple is the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. It was founded in Bury Place, Bloomsbury, by six devotees from San Francisco's Radha-Krishna Temple, who were sent by ISKCON leader A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to establish a UK branch of the movement in 1968. The Temple came to prominence through George Harrison of the Beatles publicly aligning himself with Krishna consciousness. Among the six initial representatives in London, devotees Mukunda, Shyamsundar and Malati all went on to hold senior positions in the rapidly growing ISKCON organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hare Krishna movement and sexual orientation</span>

Hare Krishna views of homosexuality, and especially the view of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) towards LGBT issues, are similar to their views of heterosexual relationships, i.e. because the living entity is identifying with the body, any attraction based on the desire to gratify the body and its senses is symptomatic of illusion and can be purified by progressively elevating the consciousness. Put simply, both hetero- and homosexual attraction is due to an illusory attachment to the temporary body. Same-sex relations and gender variance have been represented within Hinduism from Vedic times through to the present day, in rituals, law books, mythical narratives, commentaries, paintings, and sculpture. The extent to which these representations embrace or reject homosexuality has been disputed within the religion as well as outside of it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISKCON Temple, Vrindavan</span> Iskcon Vrindavan

ISKCON Vrindavan, also called Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, is one of the major ISKCON temples in the world. It is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple located in the city of Vrindavan, Mathura district, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu gods Krishna and Balarama. The other deities of temple are Radha Krishna and Gauranga Nityananda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISKCON Temple, Delhi</span> Radha Krishna Temple in Delhi, India

Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, generally known as the ISKCON Delhi temple, is a well known Vaishnav temple of Lord Krishna and goddess Radha in the form of Radha Parthasarathi. The Temple was inaugurated on 5 April, 1998 by the then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the presence of former Chief Minister of Delhi Sahib Singh Verma and Sushma Swaraj. It is located at Hare Krishna Hills, in the East of Kailash area of New Delhi, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISKCON Temple, Bangalore</span> Temple in Bangalore devoted to Radha Krishna

Sri Radha Krishna-Chandra Temple is one of the largest Krishna-Hindu temples in the world. It is situated in Bangalore in the Indian state of Karnataka. The temple is dedicated to Hindu deities Radha Krishna and propagates monotheism as mentioned in Chandogya Upanishad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISKCON Temple, Chennai</span> Radha Krishna temple in Chennai, India

ISKCON Temple Chennai, also known as the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir, is a Gaudiya Vaishnavism temple in Chennai, India. The temple is dedicated to Supreme Lord Krishna and His divine consort Radha. It was formally inaugurated on 26 April 2012.

<i>The Radha Krsna Temple</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Radha Krishna Temple (London)

The Radha Krsna Temple is a 1971 album of Hindu devotional songs recorded by the UK branch of the Hare Krishna movement – more formally, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – who received the artist credit of "Radha Krishna Temple (London)". The album was produced by George Harrison and released on the Beatles' Apple record label. It compiles two hit singles, "Hare Krishna Mantra" and "Govinda", with other Sanskrit-worded mantras and prayers that the Temple devotees recorded with Harrison from July 1969 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jhulan Purnima</span> Popular Vaishnavite festival

Jhulan Purnima,Jhulan Yatra or Hindola is a Hindu swinging festival that is dedicated to Hindu god Krishna and goddess Radha. It is popularly celebrated by the Hindu Vaishnava sect in the month of Shravana (July-August) which falls under the monsoon season in India when the weather is hot, humid and slightly breezy. This festival is known for its display of decorated swings, songs and dance. It is a joyful festival which celebrates the amour of divine couple Radha and Krishna along with the romantic fervor of the rainy season in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hare Krishna Golden Temple</span> Hindu Temple dedicated to Radha Krishna and Lakshmi Narasimha, Hyderabad

Hare Krishna Golden Temple is located at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India. It is the first Golden Temple to be constructed in Telangana. It was inaugurated in 2018 by Vice President of India Sri Venkaiah Naidu.

References

  1. ↑ Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple – Utah Krishnas
  2. 1 2 3 Fletcher, Peggy (Aug 31, 1996). "Krishnas Planning Utah Temple Krishnas Are Planning a Temple in Utah". Salt Lake Tribune. pp. C1.
  3. ↑ "Krishna Devotees Break Ground for Hilltop Temple in Spanish Fork". Deseret News. November 11, 1996. pp. B1.
  4. ↑ "Home". myfoxutah.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-14. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  5. ↑ "Utah Krishnas". utahkrishnas.org. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Utah Krishnas". utahkrishnas.org. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
Commons-logo.svg
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple (Spanish Fork) .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.