The Yamuna Devi Institute of the Vegetarian Culinary Arts

This is the original proposal which was put in to the GBC. The Culinary Institute Project has since gone independent, and what we sent to the GBC about that can be found here. One way to think about this proposal is that it lays out how a Vaiṣṇava culinary college would be different from a “normal” culinary college. Alright, here is the original proposal submitted to the GBC:

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. We want to apologize for not proposing this culinary school plan to the GBC sooner. Although the Hare Krishnas are famed as “the kitchen religion,” it is necessary to pass on the culinary knowledge and expertise in an organized manner. In fact, ourselves and others have noticed some degradation in the quality of the prasādam, which may well be a result of a lack of training, or lack of a pathway to becoming expert. The aim of this proposal is to fill that gap.

With respect to culinary schools, there is nothing particularly unusual about them. Many community colleges have culinary programs, and there are also many stand-alone culinary schools and colleges, ranging in size from dozens to thousands of students. The vision for this Institute is that it should initially be able to accommodate around 200 students, and eventually grow to accommodate around 2000 students.

It is proposed that the Institute be named after Śrīmāti Yamunā Devī. We can only vainly lament that she is no longer here to head up the Institute, but we propose that it should still bear her name, and that her cookbooks should be used as official textbooks of the training program. She herself though was named after the river and the Goddess of the river, so ultimately the Institute as well is named after the river and the Goddess.

In the original vision, Mother Yamunā Devī was to be the President of the Institute. In her absence, we propose that another of Srila Prabhupada’s personal cooks should serve as the first President. They are all rather getting on in age, so we shall have to see which of them might be up for this mighty responsibility.

Śrīdhāma Māyāpura

With respect to the location, a key consideration is the availability of active restaurants. Very often, culinary schools have their own restaurants. If we look at the example of the Culinary Institute of America’s largest campus, located in upstate New York, they run four restaurants on campus: an Italian restaurant, a French restaurant, a bakery café, and a very upscale restaurant. These restaurants give the students the opportunity to train under real-world conditions, becoming expert in the various cuisines, baking skills, barista skills, waiting skills, restaurant management, supplies management, and much more. The active restaurants are necessary, and are certainly a part of the vision for this Culinary Institute as well.

If the active restaurants already exist, it is certainly easier than founding the restaurants from nothing. The logical location for the Institute, then, is Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, since it already has several large and busy restaurants. Incidentally, the Institute does not need to own those restaurants, just to use them for instructional purposes. That would all be worked out of course. At minimum, a significant part of the restaurant work would be performed by the instructors and students, and there’s nothing illogical about the Institute simply being given full operational control at some point and doing all the work. But the temple would still own the restaurants.

A Practical Curriculum

The vision is that the curriculum will be mainly practical in nature, with the students learning in the various kitchens and restaurants of Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. Indian cuisine will be included, of course, and also the kind of health-food, more Western cuisine that can be found in many Govindas restaurants. Additionally, we propose that there should be a solid program in authentic Italian cuisine and pizza. Beyond those, there are three cuisines that come most readily to mind, due to the richness of their vegetarian offerings, namely Middle-Eastern cuisine, Mexican (including South American), and Japanese with the vegetarian sushi. Lastly, there are eggless baking skills. The vision for the Institute is that there should be instruction in all of the aforementioned cuisines. For the cuisines which do not already have existing restaurants, it is envisioned that the Institute will open its own restaurants, and entirely run those. Those restaurants do not need to be large, but they do need to exist. So students would be training in the existing restaurants of Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, and also in the specialty restaurants that are newly opened.

Additionally, the curriculum is envisioned to include training in mahāprasād preparation, working in conjunction with the deity kitchen. As with the restaurants, it is envisioned that the various details will be worked out in an organized manner. Again, at minimum, the Institute will have part of the responsibility for preparing the various offerings. And again, it is certainly conceivable that the Institute might well be given the full responsibility for the mahā preparation.

Additionally, the curriculum is envisioned to include mobile culinary operations, such as those carried out at Rathayatra Festivals. Also, cooking in large quantities for thousands of people, which we understand some of the existing restaurants already do on a daily basis, and which will also certainly occur for festivals. Also, there are Food for Life operations, as well as general supplies management. It is envisioned that all of these four will be worked into the course of the 2-year program, for the festivals, etc.

Additionally, it seems reasonable that the curriculum includes some few academic courses, and it is proposed that the students should only take one academic course per semester. One such academic course which could be included in the curriculum is basic business bookkeeping, along with the necessary math for that, as well as for cooking measurements (the official math course). A second academic course can be on restaurant management, including regulations and the details of how to start a restaurant business (the official science course). A third academic course can be on prasādam in the śāstras (the official humanities course). And the fourth academic course can be left open for the moment.

Lastly, the curriculum can also include learning how to prepare an 11-course meal in an hour, using a triple-cooker. This completes the envisioned curriculum.

So the vision is that the Institute will be turning out some very well-trained and capable graduates. They should be quite familiar with preparing Indian cuisine, health food cuisine, Italian cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisine, Mexican and South American cuisine, Japanese vegetarian sushi, baked goods, running a temple mahāprasād operation, cooking in massive quantities, running a Rathayatra prasād operation, running a Food for Life operation, opening and running several kinds of restaurants, and last but not least, expertly quoting various statements and stories concerning prasādam from the śāstras, and quickly preparing a 11-course meal using a triple-cooker. We expect that such well-qualified graduates will be in extremely high demand, as practically every temple would probably like to add a little Italian pizza spot, or needs someone qualified to run an existing restaurant or mahāprasād operation, and like this.

Culinary Vision of the Worldwide Temples

The temples around the world are envisioned to be somewhat different than currently, with the difference being more cuisine offerings available (and higher quality prasād in general). The closest we have seen along these lines was the Los Angeles temple, where there was a health food/ buffet style restaurant, and a booth that had both pizza and Mexican food, and then also the mahā-room, with full-on Indian mahāprasādam for sale. Most temples just have a single restaurant at this time. However, with hundreds of devotees graduating from the Institute, it is anticipated that temples will start having more than one restaurant, and adding various cuisines as appropriate or desired. It is not necessarily the case that an entire separate restaurant premises is needed, but clearly a separate restaurant is one possibility. Also, a single restaurant could serve multiple cuisines, or there can be a “booth,” like LA had for its pizza. At the maximum, a single temple could conceivably be running 6 kinds of vegetarian restaurant, all serving distinct cuisines, which would in effect be a vegetarian food court. With the baked goods, they are a quite reasonable kind of offering to pair with a café concept, serving beverages like herbal teas, saffron steamed milk, etc.

And let there be no mistake about it, it is the vision that the worldwide temples should proceed towards maximum culinary offerings. People love good food, and having a high-quality selection is bound to be excellent for community relations, and probably preaching too.

Besides that, we know that the restaurants are highly effective economic engines to support the temples, and provide engagement to the devotees, especially gṛhasthas. So another change to the temples is there should hopefully be some good economic development going on, since restaurants can employ really quite a large number of people.

And last but not least, we can imagine a visitor coming and seeing six different small vegetarian restaurants around a central courtyard, and saying to themselves, “Wow! These folks really are the Kitchen Religion!” If that happens, victory will have been achieved.

As for the graduates of the Institute, they can probably expect to graduate, and immediately be managing a mahāprasādam or restaurant operation at one of the worldwide temples. It might be a small operation, like a booth with authentic Italian pizza, or vegetarian sushi rolls, but they will be running the operation. Most though, will probably find themselves immediately involved with managing ISKCON restaurants or mahāprasād operations that are much larger than a booth, and many graduates may be brought in to open and run an additional new restaurant.

The Signature Restaurant

There is one kind of restaurant, though, that is not anticipated to be present in the worldwide temples, but only at the Institute. That would be the top-of-the-line, upscale, official gourmet vegetarian restaurant of the Institute itself. This restaurant is anticipated to serve some of the more elaborate dishes from Mother Yamunā’s cookbooks, and Śrīmān Kūrmajī’s cookbooks, as well as various other original creations of the Institute faculty. The restaurant is envisioned to have a fixed menu at a fixed price, different every day. If the Prime Minister of India decides to visit the temple, there won’t be any question about where the GBC will be hosting him. This restaurant is sure to host the highest level of special events, and wouldn’t be open to the public at those times. These kinds of restaurants tend to be booked up in advance, and there will probably many requests to host special events, conferences, and so on. So there will probably be some mix of special events, and being open for the public, but always things happening.

Faculty of the Kitchen Religion

Some potential faculty can be proposed here, such as Śrīmān Kūrma Prabhu, and Śrīmāti Gunamai Devī from LA. The Prabhus who were running the Laguna Beach restaurant for years could be brought on as Instructors for the health food/buffet instructional program. There was an older devotee at Villa Vrindavan in Italy who was running an authentic Italian pizza setup, and who could be brought in to head up that part of the program. There was also a mātāji living at the other devotee community near Florence who was supremely expert in eggplant parmesan and other Italian classics, and she could also be brought in as faculty (and forgive us for not remembering the names of all these devotees). Also, the devotees who have been heading up the massive food preparations in the Māyāpura restaurants can be brought on as faculty. Just please note that this has not been discussed with any of the aforementioned devotees, and also everything is dependent on the devotees still being alive and up for moving to Māyāpura and teaching. These are also just examples of some devotees that could possibly fill faculty positions, and we must leave final concrete decisions about the faculty to the President.

Besides those just mentioned, the Kitchen Religion has no shortage of expert cooks, and those should be drawn on to fill out the rest of the faculty. That task falls to the President. We should also add that having “Visiting Professors,” who teach for just one semester, is a very normal thing that colleges and universities do, and is something that would probably work quite well with the program at the Institute. That would be a part of the life of the Institute, that there are certain unique opportunities that only come once.

In the future, it is envisioned that the faculty will mostly be alumni of the Institute, coming back to teach after years of experience in the field. For the first crop of instructors though, it would make sense that they all be granted honorary degrees by the Institute. The degree itself is proposed to be a “Bhaktivedanta Degree in the Vegetarian Culinary Arts,” granted “in recognition of manifest culinary accomplishments and experience in the field.”

The Three Degrees

Which brings us nicely into the subject of the various degrees granted by the Institute. Graduates of the 2-year program are proposed to receive a “Bhakti-vaibhava Degree in the Vegetarian Culinary Arts.” When graduates return to teach at the Institute, it is proposed they be granted a “Bhaktivedanta Degree in the Vegetarian Culinary Arts.” As mentioned before, the first crop of instructors would receive this degree, and so would any further instructors that are brought in before graduates of the Institute start returning to teach. Lastly, the President of the Institute, upon formally taking up the position, is proposed to receive a “Bhakti-sārvabhauma Degree in the Vegetarian Culinary Arts.” All of these degrees are envisioned to carry the signature of the President of the Institute, and the current President of the GBC, and also bear the official seal of the Institute and the official seal of ISKCON.

The Kitchen Religion Commission (KRC)

Practically always, culinary colleges are ultimately governed by a group of directors, unless a sole individual starts a small school from nothing and has full control. This would be a major ISKCON project, involving many persons, so there is going to be group governance. However, we must quicklyadd that operational details and control are envisioned to be fully left to the President of the Institute and her staff. The governing body of the Institute is proposed to only deal with policy, controversies, hiring at the Presidential and Dean level, and other issues like this.

As for the name of this group of decisionmakers, we propose that it should be a “Commission,” since Srila Prabhupada himself used this term. It could be the “Culinary Institute Commission (CIC),” but we rather favor the “Kitchen Religion Commission (KRC),” since that phrase plays a big part in the entire idea of the Institute. The purpose of the Institute and of the KRC is to make Srila Prabhupada’s phrase a reality, with all of these highly trained graduates heading out into the field.

As for the members of the KRC, the President of the Institute and the Provost would both be members, and the Deans are also envisioned to each have a seat and a vote. The Provost is somewhat like a Vice-President, but acts as the Dean of Operations (which is a big job), and also is next in line to be President. The Deans are the other top-level leaders. Getting into the details about exactly what kinds of Deans should be a part of the structure is not necessary at this moment, but at minimum there would normally be a Dean of Financial Affairs, and a Dean of Student Affairs, and then at least some few other Deans. And then, there may well also be one or two further members of the KRC.

A Diverse Student Body

Moving on to the student body, it is envisioned that the great majority of the students will be Vaiṣṇavas, but that the program will also be open to vegetarian non-Vaiṣṇavas. Some other religions are vegetarian, such as Seventh Day Adventists, and some people are vegetarian for other reasons. Obviously, in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, there will not be any bringing in of the kegs for college parties. If non-Vaiṣṇavas want to do the program, they will have to jive with what is happening in Māyāpura. But it is proposed that the students do not have to be or become Vaiṣṇavas, although it’s entirely possible that some might convert, what with being around devotees all the time. Hopefully, those non-Vaiṣṇava graduates will go out and open good vegetarian restaurants around the world, which is a win for the Movement. One note though, which is that non-Vaiṣṇava students are not anticipated to take part in the mahāprasād training part of the curriculum, and will have to have some replacement learning (which it is not necessary to specify at this moment).

Also, the program is envisioned to be open to other maṭhas or saṅgaḥs, such as the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, or the Vrinda Mission. We believe this will be a public relations win for ISKCON, and help to foster good relations with the other maṭhas. They may end up saying something like, “We’re not in ISKCON, but that culinary institute of theirs sure does turn out some great cooks!” There cannot be arguments or debates about gurus though, although it should be fine for those persons from other maṭhas to do their own little Guru Puja somewhere. We understand that is more or less the system with ISKCON gurus, that their disciples can do their own little Guru Puja somewhere. So it is the same solution. If any student insists on getting into guru debates, we propose that they can be expelled. We do not really wish to waste overmuch time with this. The point is to get trained up on the prasād, not to argue about the merits of various gurus or their teachings.

Unfortunately, we believe that one particular maṭha will not operate under this system, namely Srila Nārāyaṇa Mahāraja’s maṭha. The issue is that some of the things they say are different from what Srila Prabhupada said, which just causes an insurmountable problem. And then there are also some who say that all of the ISKCON properties, or all of ISKCON, should have gone to Srila Nārāyaṇa Mahāraja. So we wouldn’t really expect the GBC to agree to admitting people who say these things. We should add that we personally know many persons in that maṭha, such as many second generation Vaiṣṇavas, and old friends. So we would like to see them included. Still, we think the aforementioned points will have to be addressed, or it’s maybe not really reasonable to ask the GBC to accept them.

The other mentioned maṭhas, such as the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, may emphasize different points, or have some slight differences, like chanting the mahāmantra in two parts, or the kijayas they do. But those kinds of differences are minor and unimportant. It’s like what Srila Prabhupada said in one conversation about the other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas: “There are four sampradāyas. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu follows everyone. There is no difference much” (Room Conversation with Dr. Copeland, Professor of Modern Indian History – May 20, 1975, Melbourne). So it is the same thing here: there is no difference much (and quite a bit less difference than with the other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas).

Beyond that, there is no particular objection if the Institute prioritizes ISKCON members, takes other Vaiṣṇavas next, and non-Vaiṣṇavas last. It’s an ISKCON project, so prioritizing ISKCON applicants can be justified. But if all the spots are not filled by ISKCON devotees, the Institute can see what other applications they have, and fill the remaining spots with those.

With respect to the admissions process, and who is accepted into the Institute, we must pass that question over to Śrīmāti Śruti-rūpa Devī. All we will say further on this subject is that admissions certainly are very important, and are often represented at the highest level, with a dedicated Dean of Admissions.

A Connected Campus

The Institute is envisioned to be the flagship culinary campus of the Kitchen Religion, so we propose that the physical structure should live up to that. The main building is anticipated to be artistically-designed, and constructed of solid stone, and with input from Śrīmāti Śruti-rūpa Devī and other expert devotee cooks. The building would include offices for some of the main administrative functions, such as Admissions. Moreover, there would be offices for the top faculty, including the President, the Provost, and the Deans. Additionally, there is envisioned to be an auditorium, the signature restaurant of the Institute, and the main kitchen for the restaurant. It should be noted that the design of the main Institute building is anticipated to accommodate operations for 2000 students, although the starting size of the school is proposed to be 200 students.

Also, it is proposed that the main Institute building should include a physical connection to Māyāpura Dhāma’s primary temple mahāprasād preparation facilities. The connection can be a covered walkway, a tunnel, or a flyover (elevated walkway), or some combination of these, constructed in the same style, materials, and colors as the primary building. The “Mahā Connection,” as we shall call it, is envisioned to go from directly by the main kitchen of the Institute. Length is immaterial. In fact, if the Mahā Connection is longer, that is better because it is more impressive and distinctive, although it should not be longer than necessary. Also, the Mahā Connection is proposed to not be joinable in the middle, like when a walkway has other pathways join onto it at various points. It is envisioned to be enclosed with hedges, iron grillwork with vines, or some other barrier. If there are other pathways or roads, which cannot be removed, already present along the route between the Institute and the mahāprasād kitchen, then the Mahā Connection is proposed to take the form of a flyover or tunnel to bypass those existing pathways. If there are any equal choices about how to route the Mahā Connection, then we propose that those are resolved using vastu principles.

Regarding faculty offices, the only one to say a bit more about is the President’s Office. Firstly, it is supposed to be the office of the President of the finest vegetarian culinary college on the planet… so we think that it should look the part. Secondly, it is proposed that the President’s office be directly connected to the main Institute kitchen (and via the kitchen also to the Mahā Connection). Directly connected means that the President’s office can directly adjoin the kitchen, with a side door that opens directly onto the kitchen. Or connected can also mean that there is a short, dedicated passageway between the President’s office and the main kitchen, like for if the President’s office is on a different level.

Regarding the auditorium, it is envisioned to be medium sized, with at least 108 seats, and directly adjoining the kitchen facility of the signature restaurant, for official cooking demonstrations of the Institute, filming cooking shows, and like this. The auditorium would also be used for other events, such as graduation ceremonies, or hosting special guest speakers. It is proposed that there be a soundproofed movable wall separating the auditorium from the kitchen, for when there are no events that involve the main kitchen.

Also, a corner tower in the shape of a triple-cooker seems a very reasonable addition to propose for the main building and campus, since a triple-cooker is more or less shaped like a tower. An example of the use of corner towers is Gwalior Castle, pictured below (and please excuse that the particular tower of interest apparently had its top blown off in some long-ago battle):

Gwalior Castle has quite a few towers, but we are specifically looking at the far-left tower as a model, in terms of how it partially connects to the main building. Corner towers can be quite artistically pleasing, as with the Tāj Mahal which has 4 of them, and they permit an attached space that is somewhat separate. The Institute’s corner tower, hereafter referred to as the “Triple-Cooker Tower” or “TCT,” is proposed to be to the exact scale of Srila Prabhupada’s personal triple-cooker, so it is going to be a fairly hefty corner tower, a fair bit larger than the towers at Gwalior Castle. It can be built as a corner of the main building, or possibly be just slightly removed, like the Tāj Mahal towers, but still connected via a covered walkway (or flyover). As for what to put inside of it, the top floor does seem a fairly logical possibility for the President’s Office. The other levels could hold seating for the signature restaurant, hold the smaller offices of the Deans, be part of the main kitchen, etc.

If the Triple-Cooker Tower is used for the President’s Office, it is still envisioned that the office have a dedicated door and passageway going directly to the main kitchen (and thence to the Mahā Connection as well). We shall refer to this passageway as the “Mahā Extension,” and it is proposed that it have no doors or junctions on its route. For example, if the second level of the TCT held part of the main kitchen, the Mahā Extension could simply be a small internal stairwell between the two levels. But that is just an example, because the second level seems like a great spot for signature restaurant seating, or the Deans’ Offices. If the kitchen is further away in the main building, it is also entirely legitimate to put the Mahā Extension on the outside of the TCT and main building, using something like an elevated walkway with some stairs. There is an argument to be made for doing it this way, because it is more architecturally interesting. We don’t want to the Institute architecture to be overly dull or boring. Nor is there any reason why the outside route would be more expensive to construct – it might even be cheaper. Purely to give an example of what an outside elevated stairway might look like, see the picture of Carcassonne Castle below (and please excuse that it looks like they were defending themselves with boiling oil at some point):

Also, we are not 100% certain about the building regulations in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura, but a fire escape is often required for a tower like the TCT. So putting the Mahā Extension on the building exterior could serve as the official fire escape as well, not just for the TCT, but also for the main kitchen. In the picture above, we are really looking at the section of stair between the top of the castle wall, and the entryway in the middle of the wall and stair. And then instead of the stairs continuing down, there could be a slide-down ladder at that point, which is a very common way to do a fire escape, and maintain good security as well. But all of this is just to give the idea, because we don’t currently know where the President would locate the main kitchen. The important point is that the Mahā Extension is envisioned to be present, however it is accomplished. And just to be clear, this is all separate from the normal entrance to the President’s Office, which would have a secretary, and come through the regular hallways of the main building and TCT.

Speaking of triple-cookers, if possible, Srila Prabhupada’s personal triple-cooker is proposed to be installed somewhere in the building. In the main entrance hall, encased in glass, is one possibility, or possibly somewhere else as well. We understand the cooker was previously in Mother Yamunā’s possession, but are unsure as to its current whereabouts.

Although the main Institute building is envisioned to be quite large and impressive, it is not envisioned to hold absolutely everything. For instance, there are offices for other faculty members (below the Dean level), there are the other new restaurants that will be opened, there is a library with the best selection of vegetarian cookbooks in the world, etc. So it is envisioned that the main building will look upon a grassy garden plaza, and there will also be some other smaller Institute buildings around the plaza, all joined by covered walkways (or flyovers). The plaza would also include both indoor and outdoor seating for the Italian and other new restaurants. With respect to maximum number of stories in the campus buildings, we have been going strong here with the triple-cookers, and we propose it be set to a maximum of three (not counting spires and domes and such, nor basement levels).

Regarding campus artworks, at least seven major new artworks are proposed to be commissioned. The first proposed commission is a large-scale portrait painting of the Goddess Yamunā, since the Institute is named for her, cooking a sweetmeat to offer to Lord Kṛṣṇa. There is not really a huge amount about this goddess, also known as the Goddess Yamī, but there is one verse in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (6.6.40) that mentions her family members, and also her wandering the earth as a mare. Since this verse is really the only one with more material about the goddess in all of Srila Prabhupada’s books, we propose that this verse’s contents be incorporated into the portrait. Also, some of the family members do seem rather suited for incorporating into a painting, starting with her father, Vivasvān, the Sun God, who can be represented as a brightly shining and fully visible sun. Her mother, the Goddess Saṁjñā, goddess of the clouds, can be represented with many clouds (just not obscuring the sun at all). But then comes her twin brother, Lord Yamarāja, the lord of death. Well, there could be a skull, a funeral pyre, a dead tree, etc. Since this is for a culinary institute, we will instead propose a pile of ashes, since there may also be ashes from cooking, using an indoor wood stove or an outside campfire. There can also be a mare in the painting, for the goddess’ time as a mare, and also two foals, to represent her sons, the Aśvinī-kumāras. They are generally depicted as humans with horse heads, and it is proposed that the baby Aśvinī-kumāras be presented in that way, but somewhat covered or obscured by leaves or some other covering. There can also be a river, for being the Goddess of the Yamunā River. And for her elder brother, Śrāddhadeva Manu, who captained the boat pulled by the Matsya incarnation, there can be a boat on the river. Last but not least, there can be a peacock feather for Lord Kṛṣṇa, whom the goddess is said to have later married (one of the 16,108 wives in Dwarka).

Besides the peacock feather, everything here is simply filling out from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.6.40, which reads as follows: “Saṁjñā, the wife of Vivasvān, the sun-god, gave birth to the Manu named Śrāddhadeva, and the same fortunate wife also gave birth to the twins Yamarāja and the River Yamunā. Then Yamī, while wandering on the earth in the form of a mare, gave birth to the Aśvinī-kumāras.” It should be added that a number of these personalities are also directly mentioned in Bhagavad Gītā, as for example, “among the dispensers of law I am Yāma, lord of death” (10.29); and “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu [Śrāddhadeva]” (4.1). The Aśvinī-kumāras are also mentioned in the Gītā, but they have their specific place in the Universal Form, which is actually described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.1.29: “His nostrils are the two Aśvinī-kumāras.” This painting is envisioned to cover one of the walls at the main entrance to the Institute. Also, it seems reasonable to propose that the appearance of the Goddess be loosely modeled on Mother Yamuna’s features when she was younger.

The second major painting commission is proposed to be of the Panch Tattva, since they are the presiding deities in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. One presumes that they would be enjoying some pretty incredible mahāprasādam, once the Institute is up and running (and not saying that it isn’t already incredible). So it is proposed that the Pancha Tattva be presented greatly enjoying a sumptuous feast. Furthermore, it is proposed that that there be more detail on the food preparations in this painting, and that the preps be some of the more elaborate ones from Mother Yamuna’s cookbook, of the kind that will hopefully be sometimes served in the signature restaurant. It also seems reasonable to propose that this painting be placed on the wall in the signature restaurant.

For all of the other art commissions, there is one story from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam that appears very apt for the Institute, namely the churning of the milk ocean and the production of the amṛta nectar (Samudra-manthana). Incarnations normally manifest for demon-slaying, not for the production of any kinds of foodstuffs. But this story is an exception, and also involves a number of incarnations, rather than only one. So it seems very reasonable to propose that one painting of each of the incarnations involved with this līlā be commissioned for the Institute building.

The first of the Ocean of Milk commissions is proposed to be large-scale painting of the Kūrma incarnation. This particular work is envisioned to focus on Lord Kūrma, and on the production of the nectar, and the demons and demigods can be more off in the background, or even not visible at all. It can even be completely underwater (or under milk).

The second of the Ocean of Milk commissions is proposed to be on the Dhanvantari incarnation, who carried the nectar forth from the Ocean of Milk. There is already a very famous Kṛṣṇa art painting that shows Lord Dhanvantari waist-deep in the ocean, and we propose not duplicating that. However, the demons then seized the nectar from Lord Dhanvantari, as described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8.8.35: “Upon seeing Dhanvantari carrying the jug of nectar, the demons, desiring the jug and its contents, immediately snatched it away by force.” This is the moment that is proposed to be portrayed in this work.

The third of the Ocean of Milk commissions is proposed to be of the Mohini-murti incarnation, who distributed the nectar. There is also already quite a famous existing Kṛṣṇa artwork of Mohini-murti pouring the nectar for the gathering. In the Institute presentation though, it is proposed to be an earlier moment, when the Mohini-murti first appeared, and all the demons were stunned and astonished by her beauty. This completes the set of paintings based on the incarnations.

The fourth of the Ocean of Milk commissions is different, and is proposed to be a set of eight identical ceramic urns, representing the urn in which Lord Dhanvantari carried forth the amṛta from the ocean. The urns are envisaged to be more or less along the lines of previous Kṛṣṇa Art paintings of them (and similarly for the personalities, etc. in the other commissions). It is proposed that one amṛta urn can be displayed (hung or otherwise elevated) in the President’s Office, one in the Provost’s Office, one in the main kitchen, one in the signature restaurant, one presented to Srila Prabhupada’s Samādhi Mandir in Vṛndāvana Dhāma, and three left over for the moment.

The fifth and last of the proposed Ocean of Milk commissions is a fountain, envisioned to be situated in front of the main entrance to the Institute. The plan for the fountain is loosely based on the situation at the churning of the Milk Ocean. The fountain is envisioned to be perhaps 40 feet in diameter, and with white outer walls and floor; with a spherical dome for the base of the fountain, somewhat resembling the shape of a tortoise shell; then seated upon the shell is a cone shape, rising perhaps some 10-15 feet, in the general shape of a mountain peak; but with the mountain cone completely covered and encircled in thick serpent coils, going from the bottom to the top, where the serpent body splits into five serpent heads, from which the waters of the fountain emerge. Then, at the very top, resting on the serpent necks, is an urn of amṛta (one of the three remaining from the ceramics commission). Going back to the serpent heads, in each of the foreheads, there lies a brightly shining “gem,” each gem having a different color, and with the gems emitting light sufficient to illuminate the night, in general accordance with the description given in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.24.31: “These hoods are bedecked with valuable gems, and the light emanating from the gems illuminates the entire planetary system of bila-svarga.” Lastly, going back down now to the dome base of the fountain, there emerge from the bottom edge of the dome six “feet,” placed equidistantly around the base of the dome, representing the four limbs, head, and tail of the Kūrma incarnation. And then from these “feet,” it does make some sense to put something to represent the kālakūṭa poison, not mentioned up to now, something coming up from the “feet” and out of the water. Since there does seem to be a bit of a serpent theme, we will propose six large serpent fangs, rising to perhaps some 6-7 feet above the surface of the water, and glistening black in color, for the kālakūṭa poison. The proposed name for this fountain is “Nāgamandaraḥ Fountain,” – the Nāga of Mandara Mountain. It should be added that this particular serpent is directly mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā 10.28, wherein Lord Kṛṣṇa states: “of serpents I am Vāsuki, the chief.” This completes the proposed art commissions at this time.

With respect to which artists should receive the art commissions, we will firstly propose our godbrother Ācārya das from Villa Vrindavana in Italy. We really consider him the Michelangelo of the gurukulis, and he is in fact from the birthplace of Michelangelo, and probably known to some of the GBC Members as well. He is proposed to be commissioned for the paintings, and the fountain overall artistic conception, and sculpting the serpent coils and heads. For the ceramics commission, we propose our godbrother Śrīdhāma das, who has studied that art. Going back to the fountain, to assist Ācārya das with the fountain electrics, and powering up those forehead gems, we will propose the commission of our godbrother J.R. das (as he is known to everyone), who is a formally trained and certified electrician. For the fountain’s plumbing necessities, we propose the commission of our godbrother Jagannātha das, who is a formally trained and certified plumber. For the forming of the forehead “gems,” we anticipate the use of something akin to bulletproof glass, and we propose the commission of our godbrother Giridhārī das, who is formally qualified as a machinist, for crafting the “gems,” and crafting the lock-and-release mechanisms for replacing light fuses, and other needs of this kind. For the construction of the fountain wall and floor, and installing the dome and mountain cone, we propose the commission of our godbrother Bhagavān das (the older one from NV), who was working in construction. Lastly, for providing those kālakūṭa serpent fangs, we propose the commission of our godbrother Kuvalesaya das, whose art background some of the GBC Members are already familiar with, and who will most likely be able to assist in other ways as well. None of this has been discussed with any of these godbrothers, so this is all providing that they are into it and up for it.

Wrapping up here now, the physical details of the Institute building and campus will doubtless be of interest to many, and we are sure that the President will have much to add, and others as well. So there will be more like this, but what we have described thus far will suffice for now to give the idea regarding the main Institute building and campus.

When the complete details of the of the main building and campus have been finalized, we propose that the artistic design of the building be put out as a society-wide competition, open to artists and architects, young and old alike. The artists are anticipated to have access to the room details with dimensions, an aerial photograph showing the campus space and the area where the Mahā Connection would run, the type of stone to be used for the construction, any special instructions (such as placing the auditorium next to the kitchen), and we can leave the artistic conception to them. The winner is anticipated to receive some prize meals at the signature restaurant, an invitation to the grand opening, and some prize money as well. The final chosen artistic conception is envisioned to be framed, and displayed in the Institute building.

Also, accommodations will be needed for the students, so dormitories are expected to be constructed. The initial proposed size of the student body is 200, so the necessary accommodations for that number must be present. As further dormitories are constructed, the number of enrolled students can be expanded. It is expected that the great majority of the students will be single. However, having at least some few accommodations to accommodate married couples, or couples with children, seems reasonable to include as well (since Hare Krishnas may get married quite young compared to regular society).

Finances & Financial Aid

There are many culinary colleges, and they all support themselves through tuition fees, government grants, and so on. This Institute would not be any different, but there would also be any income from the newly opened restaurants. With the existing restaurants in Māyāpura Dhāma, we assume profits go into the temple budget, which would stay the same under this proposal.

With financial aid, if possible, it is expected that at least some foreign students would be able to receive financial aid from their country of residence. That may not be easy, but should hopefully be possible, depending on the country. Also, having a work-study program should be highly feasible, addressing many kinds of needs around the campus, including cleaning kitchens, receiving and storing foodstuffs, groundskeeping, office work, and so on. Naturally, it would be worked out in the budget exactly what amount of work-study is feasible. The various tasks just mentioned do need to be covered by people, no matter what, and those persons will have to paid. So if the aforementioned kinds of tasks can be organized into a work-study program, that can open the door for certain students. Additionally, the work-study program can be organized so as to smoothly continue restaurant operations during the academic breaks, when many students may return home, or do something else.

The majority of students are envisioned to pay their way in one manner or another. For instance, it is easy to imagine that many Vaiṣṇavas parents might simply pay for their own children to attend the Institute, if the parents are earning well enough to do so, which many are. Also, it would not surprise us if there were some temples that sponsored their own devotees, so to speak, in exchange for the devotees coming back to open up a restaurant afterwards, or to run an existing restaurant, and other agreements of this sort.

The Śāstric Axiom

It is also envisioned that the Institute would have an axiom, meaning what the Institute considers to be the most important and relevant accepted truth. The goal here with the axiom is to be ready to answer if a devotee were to come up and ask an Instructor at the Institute, “How do you justify your activities here at the Institute, based upon Lord Kṛṣṇa’s instructions in the Bhagavad-gītā?” And the Instructor should just be able to come straight out with the axiom, both Sanskrit and English. It’s the axiom of the Institute, so they will indeed know it.

One possibility is a śloka segment from Bhagavad-gītā 17.13, which is “asṛṣṭānnaṁ yajñaṁ tāmasaṁ paricakṣate.” This verse is actually a list of things that cause a sacrifice to descend into the mode of ignorance, and one of the items is failing to distribute prasādam. The words have been moved around a bit in the phrase because there is a list. The above-cited Sanskrit sentence would translate to: “That sacrifice which does not include the distribution of prasādam is considered to be in the mode of ignorance.” Since the entire preaching mission is a form of yajña, the saṅkīrtana yajña, the Institute can be seen as helping to keep the entire mission out of the mode of ignorance and in the mode of goodness. Clearly, the Institute would be playing a massive role in prasādam distribution. We do take this śloka possibility as the winner on meaning, with the direct mention of prasādam distribution, and the direct tie-in to the preaching mission. It seems a hard-hitting response as well, which is another mark in its favor. It is however, perhaps, a bit of a mouthful, and perhaps a bit longer than an axiom might normally be.

The other proposed śloka possibility is from Bhagavad-gītā 3.14, wherein Lord Kṛṣṇa states: “annād bhavanti bhūtāni; All living bodies subsist on food grains.” This śloka possibility highlights the importance of nourishment for our survival, which is certainly relevant. Survival is normally pretty high on the list of important matters, if not in the top spot. Additionally, food grains are specifically mentioned, and they must be cooked for humans to consume them, and the Institute trains people to cook. On top of that, this śloka appears to have a really great ring to it. Having a great ring is definitely desired in an axiom. We give this possibility an easy win on ring, but we give the first śloka the win on meaning. It is simply difficult to beat the direct tie-in to the preaching mission, and the specific mention of prasād distribution. But it’s not like this second śloka doesn’t have a relevant meaning and significance – it definitely does, especially with the connection to cooking, and survival. Then it also has a good ring. And then, don’t preachers need to survive as well? Preachers are living bodies. So it looks like maybe there is in fact a tie-in to the preaching mission with the second śloka. It’s not going to be much of a preaching mission if the preachers don’t survive.

Well, we must leave it to the President to choose between them, or to perhaps choose some other śloka for the axiom.Or perhaps someone else will propose something better. Whichever śloka is chosen as the axiom, it is proposed to be present on the official seal of the Institute in Devanāgarī characters.

Speaking of the official seal, it is proposed that there also be a Brāhmin thread on it, the small bell used for offering prasād, a tilak, a river (for the Yamunā River), and a triple cooker (or the entire seal could be in the shape of a triple cooker). The design for the official seal is also proposed to be put out as a society-wide artistic competition, open to young and old Vaiṣṇavas alike. The winner for this is also anticipated to receive some prize meals at the restaurant, an invitation to the grand opening, and probably some prize money as well. The seal would also more or less be the flag of the Institute.

This completes the initial vision and plan for the Institute, although we are sure that the President will have much to add, and others as well. We hope that it meets with the approval and blessings of the GBC and all of the Vaiṣṇavas.

The Miraculous Appearance of Śrīmāti Yamunā Devī

In closing, we would like to relate a remarkable manifestation that occurred with respect to Mother Yamunā Devī. It may be difficult to believe that this event happened, but there are witnesses who can attest to its truth.

We were personally gifted Lord Krishna’s Cuisine in 1990 by Mother Nandamukhi, but never seemed to have time to get into it. Throughout our 20s, we were in LA, and eating at the mahā-room all the time, and barely cooked at all. Then, 7-8 years later, Bālakṛṣṇa Prabhu, from Śaraṇāgati in Canada, was inviting gurukulis to come up there during the summer to help out around his farm there. So we asked him if we could work on the prasād, and he agreed to it. So we went up there, and were cooking away for the family and crew there, learning lots of preps from Mother Yamunā’s cookbook.

Then one day, a few months in, Bālakṛṣṇa Prabhu informs us of the most astonishing news, that Mother Yamunā Devī was actually coming there to Śaraṇāgati. Apparently, she was looking for a new home, and was coming to check out the community. So we were saying, “Well, we’ve been training up with her cookbook, so you’ve got to invite her over for prasād.” And that is exactly what happened. Some of the senior community matajīs came as well, and the local sannyāsī, plus the family and crew at the farm, and it was practically a shindig in the end. Mother Yamunā led the prasādam prayers, she signed our cookbook, and there even ended being a bit of a debate between some of the gurukulis and the local sannyāsī. All in all, it was a grand success, and Mother Yamunā actually did end up moving there. How she managed to show up exactly when we were there training up on her cookbook remains one of the world’s great unsolved mysteries. We think it is probably only by the mercy of her association that this entire vision came to be.

To sum up this entire proposal now, the vision for this project is to establish nothing less than the finest vegetarian center of higher learning in the world. We believe that this will be pleasing to Srila Prabhupada, highly appropriate for the Kitchen Religion, and that the Institute will make a most substantial contribution towards making that nickname a reality. We also believe that this Culinary Institute will make a very fine addition to the temple community in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. In truth, we think that this project should have been undertaken years ago, but we were unfortunately otherwise occupied. All of the aforementioned devotees are getting older, and it takes some time to build the physical campus. So the quicker that the Institute can get up and running, the better.

Presented to the GBC on this full moon of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Puṣyā Abhiṣeka,

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada, the deities who receive the offerings, and hungry Vaiṣṇavas throughout the world.

Aniruddha dās.

P.S. This plan is an official offering to Srila Prabhupada for his next vyāsa-pūja.