Hundreds of devotees thronged the Shree Radhe Krishna Mandir on the occasion of 17th Patotsav Mahotsav celebrations on Sunday, June 17.
Patotsav Mahotsav in Hinduism marks the celebrations of the anniversaries of murti-consecration (Prana Pratishtha) of Mandirs (temples).
The word Patotsav comprises of two words Paat and Utsav. While Utsav means festive celebrations, Paat is derived from Patti, a strip of garment tied on the head of a Murti.
The Patotsava ritual typically involves a grand Abhishek of the Murtis which involves pouring Panchamrut – milk, yoghurt, ghee, sugar and honey, and Kesar-jal – water with saffron, on the Murtis.
Many Aucklanders would be surprised to know that Shree Radha Krishna Mandir, situated quietly in the precinct of iconic Mahatma Gandhi Centre in Eden Terrace, shares antiquity only surpassed by Sandringham’s Balmoral Mandir, which is the oldest Hindu temple in New Zealand.
Not many would know that Shree Radha Krishna Mandir has a glorious history of almost three decades of existence as a centre of devotion for the members of Hindu community and beyond.
Sri Radha Krishna Mandir – A brief history
Auckland Indian Association purchased Findlay’s bakery at 145 New North Road, Eden Terrace in 1990. This became the beginning of the new Mahatma Gandhi Centre.
During this period there was much excitement and enthusiasm amongst the community members, as the purchase was an enormous undertaking.
In every sphere of Life, we need the blessings of the Lord, so it was decided that the community invite Pujya Bhaishri to recite the Bhagvad Gita Katha. This was the most beneficial way to begin the project of building a Temple at this new site and our wish to host Pujya Bhaishri was fulfilled in 1991.
Through the blessings of Pujya Bhaishri, Sri Radha Krishna prayer hall was established on April 27, 1991. Pujya Bhaisri completed chal Prathishta ceremonies with the assistance of Acharya Shree Vasantbhai Shukla. These ceremonies were performed most auspiciously, and the atmosphere was filled with divine and celestial energies. It was truly a joyous occasion and many of the devotees who attended shed tears of joy.
The Prayer hall became a loving, affectionate and peaceful place of worship. Many visitors have experienced the peaceful vibrations during their darshan.
The unique history of first ever ice Shiv Ling in NZ
The Radhakrishna Mandir holds the unique history of having constructed the first ever Shiv Ling using ice, way back in 1996.
“In 1996, a five foot Shiv Ling was constructed using ice and this is the first time a Shiv Ling made of ice was done in New Zealand,” Narendra Bhana, President of Auckland Indian Association told the Indian Weekender.
With the success of the Prayer Hall, it was decided to build a proper temple and thus began the big task of fundraising. Members started doing catering at weddings and major festivals to raise funds for this new Temple.
The new Radha Krishna Mandir was completed in 2001 and the inauguration ceremonies took place between June 7 - 9, 2001.
At Radha Krishna Mandir all the major Hindu festivals such as Maha Shivratri, Holi, Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Shravan Month, Shri Krishna Janmashtami, Radha Ashthami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, New Year and Tulsi Vivah are celebrated with much reverence.
Now the temple has a fulltime priest, Dr Pandit Devrambhai Raval who conducts the daily rituals at the Temple.
“We are very proud to Dr Pandit Devrambhai who recently received his PhD in Sanskrit from Shree Somnath Sandkrit University in Gujarat India,” Dhansukh Lal, Vice President of Auckland Indian Association told The Indian Weekender.
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