Amaravati: It’s South India’s first golden temple that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) is building near the historical spot, Kondaveedu, in Guntur district, and it is making swift progress, with the construction of 108 mandaps in the South Indian and Rajasthani architectural style and work on the Swarna Hamsa (golden swan) having begun.
This constitutes phase-1 of the edifice, which has been possible due to contributions from devotees and the public. The golden temple, when it is built, will be yet another feather in the state’s cap, and likely to turn the spot into an international tourist centre.
The rare idol of Vennamudda (butter) Krishna was found during excavations at the foot of the Kondaveedu hill. According to archaeologists and historians, the butter Krishna idol was only one of its kind in the Asian continent, built by Vijayanagara king, Krishnadevaraya.
After establishing the idol, Iskcon decided to revive the sanctity of the place by constructing the golden temple at a cost of Rs 500 crore. It has proposed various forms of seva (service) from devotees wishing to participate in the golden temple project, such as donating saplings for plantation, Krishna Leela idols, fountains, grills, bricks, cement, iron, sand, doors, marble, tiles, fans, silver and brass puja objects.
