Bhaktivedanta Manor

Coordinates: 51°39′56″N 0°20′11″W / 51.66556°N 0.33639°W / 51.66556; -0.33639
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51°39′56″N 0°20′11″W / 51.66556°N 0.33639°W / 51.66556; -0.33639

Bhaktivedanta Manor temple

Bhaktivedanta Manor is a

Gaudiya Vaishnava Hindu temple set in the Hertfordshire countryside of England, in the village of Letchmore Heath near Watford. The Manor is owned and run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), better known as the Hare Krishna movement. It is ISKCON's largest property in the United Kingdom, and one of the most frequently visited Radha Krishna temples in Europe. The house is listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England.[1]

Previously known as Piggott's Manor, the property was donated to the Hare Krishna movement in February 1973 by former

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,[2][3]
and visited him at the Manor on several occasions.

Beginning in 1981, ISKCON was engaged in a campaign to save Bhaktivedanta Manor from closure as a public temple, as the popularity of the site led to increased traffic through Aldenham. After a series of court hearings and appeals, the

Department of the Environment granted permission for the building of a road bypassing the village in 1996. With the improved access, the Manor hosts up to 60,000 visitors for annual religious festivals such as Janmashtami
.

Former history

ISKCON ownership

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
, at Bhaktivedanta Manor

By 1972, three years after its founding, ISKCON's

Krishna Conscious principles in his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass.[10] One of the first British devotees,[11] Dhananjaya Das, recalls Prabhupada suggesting that he ask Harrison if he would care to help with their predicament, to which the musician replied: "I would be very much honoured."[12]

Harrison began looking for a new premises but then left the search to Dhananjaya and others, aware that property owners were immediately raising their asking price due to the involvement of a celebrity musician.

nursing home.[15] Harrison purchased the property in February 1973 and donated it to ISKCON's London chapter.[16]

Prabhupada in Germany in 1974

The devotees endured financial hardship during their early years at the Manor, due to the substantial costs involved in maintaining the large property.

Vrindavan temple, the acharya removed a ring from his hand and instructed devotees to deliver it to Harrison.[20][21] Prabhupada's final trip outside India, over August and September 1977, was a visit to the UK centres at Bury Place and Aldenham.[22] While staying at the Manor, he became too sick to undertake a planned tour of the United States,[23] and instead returned to Bombay before being transported to Vrindavan.[24]

Harrison said he envisaged that the Manor would be a "guide to Krishna consciousness"[25] and "a place where people could get a taste of the splendor of devotional service to the Supreme Lord".[26] Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Bhaktivedanta Manor in 2013,[27] "The George Harrison Memorial Garden" was officially opened to the public. His widow, Olivia Harrison, together with celebrity gardener Monty Don and author Peter Owen-Jones, attended a private ceremony to unveil the garden on 25 May that year.[28] A road on the property, which was earlier an unnamed track across a park, is now named Dharam Marg, which is Hindi for "the way of truth".

The Manor celebrates Harrison's contribution to ISKCON with an event held each year on 29 November, the date of his death. For the twentieth anniversary of his death, in 2021, Bhaktivedanta Manor hosted Evening with George Harrison, consisting of remembrances, archival film footage, and live performances of Harrison's music.[29]

Campaign to save the temple

By the late 1970s, Bhaktivedanta Manor had become a popular visiting place for London's large

theological college, in line with the educational function that the property served under St Bart's ownership,[31] Hertsmere Council moved to ban all religious festivals at Bhaktivedanta Manor in 1981.[32] ISKCON subsequently acquired a property near Worcester – Croome Court – which became the movement's UK headquarters temporarily, including the site of its school.[33] An agreement between the council and the ISKCON devotees, made in January 1983, then allowed for six days each year where the number of people attending Bhaktivedanta Manor could exceed 1000. Financial difficulties forced the closure of the Croome Court base in July 1984, however,[31] leading to a renewed dependence on the Aldenham property.[34]

Future British prime minister David Cameron (centre) visiting the Manor in 2003

During 1985, the devotees tried to buy adjoining land to make road access to the Manor that would bypass the village.

European Court for Human Rights – the latter heard as ISKCON and 8 Others v. United Kingdom[31] – all similarly failed, and a date of 16 March 1994 was set for the closure.[32] In the months leading up to the deadline, the devotees bought the neighbouring land, and submitted a development proposal to Hertsmere Council, with a view to making a road that would bring all traffic into the Manor from the A41, on the opposite (west) side of the property from the village.[35] On the day of the proposed closure, a crowd estimated at 36,000 marched on the British government's offices at Westminster in protest,[36] as the council deliberated over the application for a new road.[32]

The Hertsmere councillors declined the proposal, leading to further campaigning by the devotees[36] and, in early 1996, another appeal to the Department of the Environment. By this point, ISKCON's cause had attracted support from the BBC and members of the national Parliament.[32] Six months after the appeal was lodged, the Department of the Environment granted permission for the proposed road,[37] with the Secretary of State concluding:

Livestock grazing in the property's designated cow sanctuary

[Bhaktivedanta Manor] is unique in the UK because there is no comparable alternative place for teaching, worship and meditation; and the level of provision of these religious facilities is to an exceptionally high standard. Furthermore, the close association of the Hare Krishna movement's founder with the Manor makes it a special, if not unique place …[32]

The road was duly built, through what was now a 70-acre property, bypassing the village of Aldenham.

organic farm, herb gardens, a cow sanctuary, primary school and kitchens providing meals for the homeless".[39]

Inside the temple

All activity at Bhaktivedanta Manor focuses around the temple room with its altar of carved wood and gilt containing three domed shrines. The first houses deity forms of

ashrams, a primary school, and a small theatre. The latter is used for performances of the dramatic arts illustrating bhakti yoga and stories about Krishna
.

The musician Jahnavi Harrison (no relation to George) grew up at the temple and teaches kirtan call-and-response singing at Bhaktivedanta College.[40]

  • Radha and Krishna
    Radha and Krishna
  • Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman
    Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman

See also

References

  1. ^ Historic England, "Bhaktivedanta Manor (1173081)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 5 January 2016
  2. ^ Carol Clerk, "George Harrison 1943–2001", Uncut, February 2002, p. 51; available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
  3. ^ Clayson, pp. 268, 306.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". www2.hertsmere.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ a b c d "Bhaktivedanta Manor", History.UK.com (archived version retrieved 16 September 2014).
  6. ^ Elaine Law, "The Rewards of an Unusual Change in Career", RLH League of Nurses, May 2005 (archived version retrieved 16 September 2014).
  7. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 31, 32.
  8. ^ Lavezzoli, p. 195.
  9. ^ Clayson, pp. 267–69, 439.
  10. ^ Tillery, pp. 88–90, 151.
  11. ^ "George Harrison and Hare Krishna". bhaktivedantamanor.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  12. ^ Dhananjaya Das, in "Bhaktivedanta Manor Memories – The Definitive History"; event occurs between 1:20 and 2:14.
  13. ^ a b c Dwyer and Cole, p. 32.
  14. ^ Clayson, p. 306.
  15. ^ Dhananjaya Das, in "Bhaktivedanta Manor Memories – The Definitive History"; event occurs between 2:16 and 2:28.
  16. ^ Tillery, p. 111, 162.
  17. ^ a b Greene, pp. 198–99.
  18. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 32–33.
  19. ^ Clayson, p. 268.
  20. ^ Tillery, p. 118.
  21. ^ Greene, p. 225.
  22. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 34–35.
  23. ^ Goswami, p. 335.
  24. ^ Dwyer and Cole, p. 35.
  25. ^ Gibson, p. 7.
  26. ISBN 978-0-306-80747-3
    .
  27. ^ "George Harrison memorial garden opens to the public". nme.com. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  28. ^ Snowdon, Kathryn (17 June 2013). "Hare Krishna Temple's George Harrison memorial garden opens". Watford Observer. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  29. ^ "Evening with George Harrison". Eventbrite. November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  30. ^ Dwyer and Cole, p. 43.
  31. ^ a b c d e f "ISKCON and 8 Others v. the United Kingdom" (8 March 1994). HUDOC. Archived version retrieved 17 October 2014.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g "Campaign to save the Manor". bhaktivedantamanor.co.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  33. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 40–41.
  34. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 41–42.
  35. ^ Dwyer and Cole, p. 45.
  36. ^
    Borehamwood & Elstree Times
    . Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  37. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 45–46.
  38. ^ Dwyer and Cole, pp. 45, 46.
  39. ^ Taneja, Poonam (27 March 2013). "'George Harrison' Bhaktivedanta Manor Hindu temple at 40". BBC News. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  40. ^ van Praagh, Anna (30 November 2014). "What's it like to grow up in a religious sect?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 October 2018.

Sources

External links

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