India follows ISKCON work in Bangladesh, funds development projects

The Indian government is ‘supportive’ to the activities of ISKCON in Bangladesh and also funding development projects of its two centres in the country, High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla says.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 23 Feb 2018, 05:38 PM
Updated : 23 Feb 2018, 05:38 PM

“ISKCON, founded in 1966 by Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, has today spread worldwide, and is spreading the message of Gaudiya or Chaitanya Vaishnava based on the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,” he said, speaking at the Sri Sri Radha Madhav Jiu Temple of ISKCON Sylhet on Friday.

The Hare Krishna Movement Organisation, formally The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is the orthodox core of Hinduism.

The high commissioner said he had a close association with ISKCON ever since he visited the headquarters of ISKCON at Mayapur, West Bengal many years ago.

He said in ISKCON Savar, India is funding the construction of an old-age home and orphanage at the cost of Tk 55.4 million. In ISKCON Sylhet, India is providing Tk 74 million for construction of a five-storey student hostel.

An amount of Tk 15.4 million has already been released to ISKCON Sylhet project.

He handed over the cheque of Tk 10.5 million as part of the next instalment for the project during Friday’s visit.   

Both these projects were inaugurated during the visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Bangladesh in October last year.

The ISKCON Sylhet will celebrate next month in Beanibazar a day to mark the appearance of Srivas Thakur – a close companion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.