Click below to view the pictures from Temple Inauguration

Parking Details for Sat, April 22nd

Please note that there is no parking inside the temple including any volunteers, as it will be reserved for handicapped and senior citizens.
There are 2 parking options:

1. Street Parking
2. Additional parking at Naperville side of Rt 59 train station: Address: Railway Dr, Naperville, IL 60563. Buses will run every 20 mins between the station and the temple starting from 8 am to 4 pm on April 22nd (Google Maps Link)

For the street parking, please note:

• There is no parking on McDowell Street
• Do not stop on McDowell Street at any time
• Please do not park on Westminster drive which goes inside the McDowell apartment. Your car may be towed
• Park only on Westminster after the McDowell Apartments, Abby Drive, Abbotsford drive, Redfield Drive if coming from East
• If coming from West, please park on Bond and Wall Streets

Program details:

Thu, April 20th
Vastu homa: This fire sacrifice is meant to purify the newly constructed temple .

Acharya Anujana: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder acharya of ISKCON represents the entire guru parampara. Taking the blessings of Srila Prabhupada and that of the assembled Vaishnavas for the successful completion of deity installation is the purpose of this ceremony. During this ceremony the yajaman requests and appoints the head priest and his assistants to conduct the ceremonies according to the Vedic standards as enumerated in our parampara.

Yajnashala pravesh Puja, Kalasha sthapana and Aradhana: After the completion of setting up of the yajna kundas and mandalas in a special enclosure, the head priests personally worships the four Dvaras and the Maha bhagavatas associated with these directions and steps in to yajnashala to begin invoking the presence and worship of various personalities in the kumbhas.

Fri, April 21st
Vaishnava homa: This is a Vedic sacrifice that will atone the faults in regard to the making of the deities, the temple etc. This fire sacrifice also invokes the blessings of the Lord and His eternal consort for their appearance in the newly constructed temple. The last portion of this yajna, the priests worship and propitiate the Lord’s eternal associates as well as our Acharya parampara.

Shilpi dosa snanam (private ceremony): A purifying bath utilizing panchagavya ( 5 products of a cow) is given to the deity. The deity is cleansed of impurities, both subtle and gross which may have accrued due to the touch of either the Shilpi or the touch of others like transporters .

Netronmilanam: During this ceremony, the most senior Vaishnavas present along with the head priest beg the Lord to open His eyes for the first time! Once the Lord opens His eyes, He views a cow and a calf, His pure devotee Srila Prabhupada, beautifully dressed young virgin girls carrying His instructions (Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Caitanya Charitamrta etc) Tulasi Maharani etc.

Vandapana: The senior most Vaishnavas present takes turns in presenting 24 auspicious items that are most valuable in the planet – all products of Mother Earth. With out these items, no life is possible And as a mark of respect and for the pleasure of the Lord, these auspicious articles are presented to the deity (earth from holy river, sandal wood paste, stone from river bed, rice paddy, Gold, Silver, conch, Gorochana etc).

Sayanadivasa: In this ceremony, the Lord is offered an auspicious bed! This is the only time big marble deity will lie down on a bed. This very rare service can be witnessed by all devotees only on this day. All the Lord’s personal associates Parsadas like Canda, Pracanda, Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Vimala, Ananta Nagaraja and so on are all invoked and offered Lord’s prasadam. They guard, serve the Lord and see to it His comforts are taken care of. This beautiful and serene ceremony ends with the chanting of Sri suktam in a very soft and pleasing manner so as to invoke yoga mudra in the Lord.

Sat, April 22nd
Jagarana seva (private ceremony): During this ceremony Lord is woken up and offered many articles of worship (upacharas) and prepared for Nyasaland homa.

Nyasa homa: This is a very special yajna where the deities , the Maha Kumbha, the Pradhana yajna kunda and the head priest are all inter connected using a cord of gold, silver or other auspicious article like Kusha grass. Special ahuties are given by chanting of special mantras. While the mantras are chanted and ahuties are given , a specific body part of the Lord is touched by senior devotees begging for the Lord to manifest His full potency. This is also a sign of recognition that what ever is in creation is already present in the Divine body of the deity! A very beautiful ceremony indeed.

Maha Abhishek: The Lord is offered 16 upacharas including the most elaborate bathing seva. The Lord is offered such nectars like panch gavya, panchamrta, usnodaka, Aushadi, Ratnodaka, Puspodaka,Phalodaka, Gandhodaka, Sahasra dhara (shower) and is bathed with scores of pots of sanctified waters.

Prana Pratistha (private ceremony): The senior most vaishnavas beg the Lord to manifest His full potency and to do that , mantras to invoke the life airs, transcendental senses, mind etc. are chanted. This is also a time when the yajaman, the temple president take vows to serve their Lordships with out interruption and with out offenses.

Sringar, Naivedya Sevas: The Lord is dressed in all His finery for the very first time and a big feast of Bhoga is offered to Him.

First darshana , First greeting: Amidst the chanting of the glorifications of the Lord, the Lord grants His very first darshana to the assembled devotees and if one misses this darshana, one will never be able to get it again in any number of lifetimes! Very very special and ecstatic greeting followed by resounding kirtana , thanking the Lord for making His auspicious appearance to enable us to serve Him!

Media/Press release

Grand Opening and Inauguration of the ISKCON Naperville Temple and Cultural Center on Saturday April 22^nd

The ISKCON Radha Shyamasundar Temple, a local Vaishnava Hindu house of worship and cultural center, part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will be formally inaugurated with a grand opening on April 22^nd 2023. The temple has been functioning in an old church building since 2011. With a growing congregation of over 100 diverse families, a new temple was much needed to serve the needs of the community.

Many local dignitaries including City Hall officials, state representatives and state senators are expected to attend this three-day extravaganza.  The new 25,000 square foot temple facility designed with elements of ancient Vedic Indian architecture includes an ornate handcrafted altar in the temple room, Govinda’s (a snack bar serving sanctified vegetarian fare), a community hall, classrooms, and a “Bhakti Yoga Lounge”.

ISKCON has over 700 temples word-wide having members from many ethnic and national backgrounds. ISKCON followers who are also known as the “Hare Krishnas” or members of the “Hare Krishna Movement”, practice Bhakti Yoga, or devotion to God in the Vaishnava tradition. As part of this practice, devotees study the ancient Bhagavad-gita as their principal text and practice a daily meditation by chanting the Maha Mantra: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare, Rama, Hare, Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare”. Strict vegetarianism is also part of their practice. Numerous Hare Krishna food relief programs around the globe are considered to be some of the largest vegetarian food relief projects. ISKCON Naperville also provides hot, healthy, vegetarian meals to the homeless and the needy through their food for life program.

The 3-day Grand Opening is open to the public starting at 9am on Thursday April 20^th to Saturday afternoon April 22^nd. Throughout the three-day grand event festivities will include lively and colorful worship ceremonies honoring the Deity forms of divinity, kirtan (devotional songs and chanting where all attendees can participate), recitations of sacred Sanskrit hymns by trained priests, prasadam (world-famous sanctified vegetarian food items distributed to all guests free of charge), yajna (ceremonial fire sacrifice of grains and ghee) and many other unique and memorable experiences that take place only once during the formal opening ceremony of a temple of Lord Krishna.

A free sumptuous vegetarian feast will be served on Saturday at 1PM.

On behalf of ISKCON Naperville, the temple president Premananda Dasi (Dr. Parvathy M. Russell), extends her warm welcome to everyone to come and participate in this unique, once-in-a-lifetime grand opening ceremony of the new temple and cultural center in the heart of Naperville.

Contact: Pratibahu Das

Phone: 312-375-7195

Email: [email protected]