HOW IT CAME TO BE

Dr. Jagdish Somani was practicing medicine in Pittsburgh for many years and while living there he several times visited the Hare Krsna Temple in nearby West Virginia. He was impressed by the standard of temple worship and the sincerity of the devotees in New Vrndavana. Once, while visiting India he went to the ISKCON Mandira in Sri Vrndavana dhama and during his stay there became a Life Member of ISKCON. Sometime later, Dr Somani retired and his wife, Nirmala, passed away. Then the pandemic started, and during this period of restricted social activity, he began to think about doing something meaningful with the balance of his life. He accepted a temporary medical assignment in NC and while there, decided to visit Prabhupada Village, an ISKCON Temple community in the NC foothills. He stayed there for some time and rendered valuable service in that community, including sponsoring the installation of the Chakra atop the Sikhara (dome) of the newly built temple there. He also purchased a manufactured home to be used as a guesthouse for the temple. Circumstantially, Dr. Somani decided to visit the ISKCON farm community in Southern Mississippi. Upon arriving in New Talavana, he was attracted to the serene, sub-tropical setting and of course, the beautiful Deities in the temple. Jagdish came with an open mind and a benevolent heart, inquiring about the needs of the community. The infrastructure was functional but aged. He heard about the need for housing, guest facilities, a new milking barn and a memorial for Srila Prabhupada, who stayed at the farm shortly after it was founded in 1974. The temple staff then informed Jagdish about some of the shortcomings of the current temple building. He became contemplative and did some research. The next morning, he got up and announced, “I want to build a new Temple for Lord Krsna!” He also later informed us, that he wanted to build this temple in loving memory of his departed wife, Nirmala. On December 31, 2021, Dr. Somani opened an account with the temple and deposited seed money to get the project started. He called his friend, Mr. Deva Nagar, who is an accomplished architect and has designed several temples. He informed Mr. Nagar of his desire to build a temple and then began consulting with Sriraga Prabhu, the construction expert in the community, and other devotees about the desired features of the new temple. The architect, Deva Nagar, then began creating preliminary drawings of the project. On September 16, 2021, a ceremony worshipping Goddess Bhumi (Mother Earth) and a cornerstone laying ceremony were performed commemorating the official start of the project! Hari! Haribol! On March 20, 2022, the construction began, with Dr. Somani assuming the role of Project Director, providing general oversight and taking an active role in fundraising. Sriraga Prabhu was happy to except the role of Construction Manager, with a small, hand-picked crew of experienced workers. Although Dr. Somani has thus far sponsored the “lion’s share” of the new temple construction, his desire is to give the opportunity to anyone, who wants to please their Lordships by taking part in building Their temple. Rest assured, Lord Krsna will certainly recognize even the smallest contribution, just as Lord Rama appreciated the efforts of a small spider who helped build the bridge to Sri Lanka. So please feel free to give according to your means and most importantly, according to your heart’s desire. And to those of you who have already come forward with your heartfelt offerings: Thank you! May the mercy and blessings of Thier Lordships shower upon you! Shanti OM… Namaste Hare Krsna! Please contact Dr. Jagdish Somani at: