GUWAHATI, March 17 � The foundation stone of Sri Sri Jagannath Temple & Institute of Transcendental Science was laid recently at Jayanagar, Beltola under the aegis of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Guwahati on a plot donated by Santi Devi, wife of late Kamakhya Prasad Sharma of Fancy Bazar, Guwahati.
The ceremony started with Bhoomi and Vastu Puja in the morning and Vastu Hom Jagnya in the afternoon conducted by HG Bhadra Caru Das, priest of Mayapur.
The foundation stone was unveiled by Governor JB Patnaik accompanied by his wife after offering Purnohoti to Vastu Hom Jagnya in presence of dignitaries, devotees and well-wishers. Participating in the meeting organised in connection with the foundation stone laying ceremony as chief guest, Patnaik praised the ISKCON, Guwahati for its determination to establish Sri Sri Jagannath Temple at the State capital of Assam. He mentioned that Vaishnava saint of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva had visited Sri Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri twice during his lifetime. He explained that Sankardeva�s influence was to unite the Assamese people culturally and spiritually. The meeting was also attended by Ministers of Assam Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Akon Bora and MLA Capt Robin Bordoloi as special guests along with the ISKCON senior devotees, HG Basu Ghosh Das of Boroda, HG Vaiyasaki Das of London and HG Braja Hari Das of Mumbai as guests of honour.
At the beginning, welcoming the dignitaries, devotees and the audience, Yadupati Shyam Das, a senior devotee of ISKCON, Guwahati spoke briefly about the proposed temple to be built in a similar design with Sri Sri Jagannath Temple of Puri.
The meeting was followed by a classical cultural function where Sita Alfaegene of France performed Odissi dance and HG Vaiyasaki Das of London, a popular Bhajan singer among ISKCON devotees worldwide along with a group of devotees enthralled the audience with his melodious Hare Krishna Bhajan. At the end of the function, �ekadasi prasadam� was distributed to all the members present on the occasion. This was stated in a press release.
