We have been giving more thought to the location of the Institute, and whether it makes sense to carry it through as a GBC and ISKCON project. There are definitely strong arguments both ways. Sridham Māyāpura is a sacred place, it receives many pilgrims and has many residents who should keep the restaurant seats full, it is ISKCON’s International Headquarters, it has a number of large existing restaurants, and it will be easy to give the students experience in massive-quantity cooking. So there certainly appear to be some strong reasons for choosing ISKCON Māyāpura.
But the argument for doing the project independently, after thinking about it more, is looking stronger and stronger. First off, there wouldn’t be any issue with accepting the followers of Śrīpād Narayana Maharaja (of whom there are many). Additionally, all of the other maṭhas would probably prefer an Institute that is formally non-denominational, so to speak. The members of those maṭhas would probably feel more comfortable coming as students, and more comfortable donating to the project as well. The Institute would be following Srila Prabhupada, but would not be a part of ISKCON. It would be somewhat like the BBT, which is also an independent entity. And just like the BBT, the Institute would have perfectly friendly relations with ISKCON, but also perfectly friendly relations with the other maṭhas.
Additionally, there is certainly something to be said for not making the project dependent on the GBC or ISKCON, and also something to be said for avoiding politics. If the Institute can simply make its own independent decisions, concentrate on achieving its mission, and not have to worry about some higher authority like the GBC, that seems a more effective way to go. Too much bureaucracy is not desired, because it slows down everything. There are many Kṛṣṇa Conscious nonprofit organizations that are self-governing, and don’t check anything with the GBC.
So this proposal started out with the Institute envisioned as being a part of the Māyāpura community, being built on the land there, and effectively being completely subject to approval by the GBC. After giving this more thought, it is making more sense for the Institute to seek its own property, whether donated or bought, and to be an independent organization. But this change in direction is not meant to be at all offensive to the GBC. We expect that many ISKCON Members will be instructors and students, and that there will be perfectly friendly relations between the two organizations.
So we are no longer seeking the GBC’s approval of this proposal, but rather seeking a suitable property for the Institute, whether in India or some other country. The property would preferably be a neighbor to an existing temple, and have plenty of people coming and going, or plenty of residents around, to keep those restaurant seats full. If any readers here know of a suitable property, or would like to donate a property, please just respond below and we will get back to you by email.
Also, it is making more sense that the Institute have its own temple on campus, where the mahāprasād program would run. We were thinking it would make sense to install deities from the Ocean of Milk līlā, such as the Kūrma incarnation. This would be quite unusual for installed deities, but that is good. It would be a very unique temple.
Since the project is no longer dependent on GBC approval, we are proceeding ahead, and are open for donations. A large plot of land may be quite expensive, and building the campus will also be very costly. So please do go ahead and donate generously, every month if possible. Please click here to go to our donations page, where you can see the various donation opportunities we have worked up.