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ISKCON to host prominent Marylanders at new Potomac Temple
Aruna Miller the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland will speak at the event
The new ISKCON temple in Potomac, Maryland / ISKCON
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Washington, DC, is set to host a VIP opening of its new temple in Potomac, Maryland, on Apr.6, 2024. This follows the successful initial inauguration of the temple last month.
Notable figures from academia, politics, religion, and religious freedom will be in attendance at the event. Some of these individuals include Aruna Miller, the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland; Brooke E. Lierman, the state of Maryland Comptroller; Shridhar Khatri, the ambassador of Nepal; Purmanund Jhugroo, the ambassador of Mauritius; and representatives from the Indian Embassy, among many others.
According to a statement, the invitation-only event will include a ribbon cutting by dignitaries, remarks from special guests including Lieutenant governor Miller, and representatives of different faiths, a traditional performance of bhajans (musical meditation), and a vegetarian feast.
The new 11,200 sq. ft. temple structure has many characteristics typical of Indian or Vedic temples, such as traditional temple domes, abundant marble usage, and ornate arches and columns. It will also house classrooms, a gift shop, a 3,200 sq. ft cultural hall for community events, a 4,000 sq. ft temple room, and a large commercial kitchen to support the temple's extensive free food distribution.
The foundational teachings of the 16th-century Indian saint and mystic Chaitanya Mahaprabhu form the basis of ISKCON, which is a branch of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition with its headquarters in West Bengal. ISKCON has its origins in the ancient practise of bhakti-yoga, also known as devotional yoga, and the Bhagavad-Gita, one of the most popular and widely read Hindu scriptures.
While establishing ISKCON in New York City in 1965, Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya, brought the tradition of Krishna bhakti from India. Today, ISKCON has grown to over 700 temples, 100 vegetarian restaurants, and dozens of eco-communities worldwide.
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