Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to Sripada Maharaja on January 24,1977,

“Manipur has been a historic place for thousands of years. Arjuna married the daughter of the Manipur king and his son became the king. You are therefore descending from the original Kshatriyas. Now you bring the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita, revive Manipur’s Kshatriayism and save Vaisnavìsm. For the purpose of preaching in Manipur, I can go in any condition of life. I have great respect for Manipur which was a Kshatriya kingdom long before Arjuna. You can do it. You are educated and a devotee, and we shall all help you. That is wanted. Everything can be achieved by bhakti. Build a terapie in Manipur like in Vrindavana and Nabadwìpa.” Srila Prabhupada also said during a conversation with Sripada Maharaja, “So I could understand that Manipur has got great potential of bhakti-marga. You descendant of Babhruvahana, Arjuna’s son. So let there be at least one country ideal brahmana, ideal Kshatriya. And people are submissive to Krishna Consciousness. I have seen in Vrindavana and Nabadwipa many Manipuris.”

This clearly shows the intense longing of Srila Prabhupada to revitalize the old Manipuri Vaisnava culture to make Manipur an ideal Vaisnava state in the entire world. Sripada Maharaja’s mission is to translate the aspirations of Srila Prabhupada, his spiritual master, into action as soon as possible.
Towards fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s wishes, Sripada Maharaja has conceived of a permanent Centre of the Bhagavata culture in Manipur. He has, therefore, launched a prestigious project of Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple complex which comprises Sri Sri Radha Krishna Manimandir, Rasamandal, Cultural and Amenities blocks. M/s Archiscape Design Centre Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, under the supervision of H.H. Surabhi Swami, the then consultant of the ISKCON Ministry of Architecture, has designed the ternple complex. The foundation-stone of Sri Sri Radha Krishna Manimandir was laid by His Holiness Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami on March 22, 1991 in a 4- acre land, donated by Srimati Longjam Ongbi Ketuki Devi, wife of Sri Longjam Kulabidhu Singh, a life patron member of ISKCON, Manipur. Sri L. Kulabidhu Singh, the working chairman of ISKCON Manipur Development Council, who has been extending all possible assistance to ISKCON, Manipur, since its inception, is a great admirer of Srila Prabhupada. It is his desire that his wife should donate the land in her name to ISKCON Manipur. The temple has got a plinth area of 11,230 sq. ft. The foundation of the temple has been designed as a semi-floating type and the structures, as self-supporting ribbed plates. The height of the temple will be 55 ft. The temple will have three domes viz. Sri Sri Radha Krishna dome, Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Smt. Subhadra Rani dome and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai dome. The designs of these domes have not been finalised so far. The main components of the temple complex consist of Prasadam Hall, Pushpa Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada, Temple Hall, Deities Rooms and Rasamandal with 2500 seats capacity. The progress of the actual mandir under construction has reached up to the stage of completion of foundation. Sripada Maharaja desires to complete the actual mandir which is the major component of the whole complex as early as possible, preferably by 1999 to coincide with the celebration of Rajarshi Bhagyachandra’s 200th disapperance anniversary. The approx. cost of the temple complex is US $ 2 millions.
It is the wish of Sripada Maharaja that once Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple complex along with its required infrastructures is completed, a University of Bhagavata culture could be opened after the model of Eastern Vrindavana. The University of Bhagavata culture would provide the facilities to the students as well as research scholars for learning the Bhagavata culture and Theology. It would also provide facilities to the Krishna conscious devotees throughout the world in particular, for studying the philosophy of Eastern and Western thoughts simultaneously.
Sripada Maharaja also intends to open a well-equipped and the most modern library to be named after Srila Vedavyasa for the benefit of the young students as well as the public. Towards promotion and propagation of the Manipur’s rich cultural heritage, an institute to be named as Caitanya College is also intended to be established by Sripada Maharaja for providing facilities to the people of the rest of the world to learn the ancient arts and cultures of Manipur. A Babhruvahana School of Manipuri Martial Arts would also be opened in due course. The Women’s Forum for Cultural Foundation of ISKCON, Manipur which was founded by Sripada in September 1987, has been actively engaged in spreading Krishna Consciousness through Sankirtana. Sripada Maharaja has also been planning to set up a Chitrangada Women’s College of Vocational Training. At present, works in Weaving, Embroidery, Tailoring and Handlooms bave already been taken up by the devotees of ISKCON, Manipur.
It is, therefore, considered that the concerted efforts are necessary to mobilize all available resources towards timely completion of this prestigious project of Sri Sri Radha Krishna Manimandir Temple Complex. By fulfilling the wishes of Srila Sripada, the aspirations of Srila Prabhupada to make Manipur an ideal state of Vaisnavas will be accomplished.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PROJECT DIRECTOR
By Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami

By the inconceivable mercy of Lord Sri Krishna, I met His Divine Grace Sri Srimad A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in early 1970, in New Dwaraka (Los Angeles, U.S.A.) while I was working for my Ph. D. in Physical Organic Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. I felt that this was my greatest fortune and in my heart I accepted him as my spiritual master immediately. I was formally initiated as his disciple in 1971.
Srila Prabhupada kindly gave several instructions to this insignificant servant during a span of eight years (1970-1977) on how to present the science and philosophy of Krishna Consciousness to the leaders and intellectuals of the world in general and specifically to the scientists. I received many training sessions from him in the form of morning walk conversations during which he would mercifully engage me in profound debates on science and spirituality. Some of these conversations have been published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) in the book ‘Life Comes From Life’. In my humble opinion, this book is one of the greatest critiques on modern life sciences to date.
Srila Prabhupada also instructed that I should build a temple in Manipur which should be a center for the cultivation of in the words of Srila Prabhupada, ‘Scientific Vaishnava Culture’. Sri Sri Radha-Krishnachandra Manimandir, the centerpiece of the University of Bhagavata Culture is a humble attempt to execute this divine order.
I humbly offer my deep gratitude to all the noble Vaishnava devotees of the Lord and many well-wishing friends from around the world for their generous support of this project. I am also very grateful for the hard work and long hours put in by my many assistants and all those who worked tirelessly with so much love and dedication, sacrificing all their personal comforts for the sake of this project. Without their help this project would never have been possible. I am especially grateful for the selfless service of Sri D. Upasni, thè well-known architect of Mumbai, who gave his professional services free of any charges. I sincerely pray for the unlimited blessings of Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra upon all of them eternally.

INAUGURATION OF SRI’ SRI’ RADHA-KRISHNACANDRA MANDIR

Manipur is blessed by some of the choicest gifts of God’s creation on earth. Patronized by generations of kings, the land has a long history of Bhagavata Culture. However, due to the influence of the Kali yuga the practice of Bhagavata Culture by modern Manipuris, especially the younger generations, has been fast diminishing.
Srila Prabhupada knew of Manipur’s rich Vaishnava heritage. He knew of its people’s kshatriya lineage, their adoption of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and their beautiful devotional arts. He wished to see Manipur’s Vaishnava culture revitalized in a scientific way so that it could become an ideal Vaishnava state, a state that could represent Bhagavata Culture to the entire world. For this purpose he planned to visit Manipur in 1976 and 1977 but due to his ill health and the difficulty of getting an inner line permit for the foreign disciples, his visit to Manipur did not materialize.
On December 25, 1977 just after Srila Prabhupada’s departure from this world, in order to fulfill his desire of revitalizing Vaishnava culture in Manipur, Maharaja opened an ISKCON temple in Imphal, the capitai city of Manipur. Construction of a new temple known as the Manimandir or jeweled Temple was begun in 1991 with the generous support of local ISKCON life patron members, devotees, and well-wishers of Maharaja from around the world. Although the temple construction has not yet been completed, upon visiting the Manimandir, one can see that its architecture and decorative motifs create an artistic style that is exquisitely unique. Anyone who visits the temple is immediately awestruck by its magnificence. The presiding deities are Sri Sri Radha-Krishnachandra, along with their attendants Srimati Lalita and Srimati Vishakha, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Lady Subhadra. A glance at the deities delicate beauty instantaneously gives one a glimpse of the divine love between Radha and Krishna. The Manimandir is inspirational and truly a place where divine love and beauty reign supreme.
Although the decorative and ornamental elements were not fully complete, the Manimandir was inaugurated in a grand way on November 11, 2000, the auspicious day of Sarat Purnima (the full moon day of the autumn season). The Inaugural Function was presided over by the Chief Minister of Manipur Sri W. Nipamacha Singh and His Excellency Sri Ved Marwah, the Governor of Manipur was the Chief Guest. Many Vaishnava leaders, devotees and guests from around the world participated in the great festivity. The festival lasted for an entire month and the famous Balinese Ramayana Dance Drama troupe, from Bali, Indonesia also participated in the cultural programs. As part of the celebration, an International Conference on the Culture of Peace was also organized to promote the U. N. year of Peace from November 17-19, 2000 and many international dignitaries participated in the conference. The conference was jointly organized by (1) University of Bhagavata Culture (UBC); (2) All India Peace and Solidarity Organization (Manipur Chapter) (AIPSO); (3) United Religions Initiative – Manipur Cooperation Circle; (4) Indian Doctors for Peace and Development, and a few NGO groups.
The deity installation ceremony was performed by the Rajagurus from Sri Jagannath Puri Dham with elaborate rituals for three continuous days. During the installation ceremony Maharaja also arranged for 108 Brahmanas to chant the entire 18,000 verses of the Srimad-Bhagavatam to invoke the blessings of the Supreme Lord for world peace.
The highlight of the inaugural ceremony was the Maha Rasalila enacted by 216 children with 108 boys playing the role of Lord Krishna and 108 girls playing the role of Srimati Radharani and other gopis. These children were all 6-10 years old. It was the first time in the cultural history of Manipur that such a beautiful Maha Rasalila performed by innocent children was organized. The wonderful costumes and exquisite devotional dances of the children during the full moon night gave everyone a glimpse of the divine world. Thousands of people who witnessed this magnificent dance had tears of joy. Many prominent Rasalila dance gurus and devotional singers of Manipur contributed their time and services in training the young children for this historic celebration.

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