France

ISKCON Paris  I  ISKCON Valencay - New Mayapur

An amazing film documenting Srila Prabhuapda's visit to France when he installed the Deities Sri Sri Radha Paris-Isvara. Srila Prabhupada is living in these DVDs and we can benefit immensely from his association in this transcendental form. "By association with pure devotees, dirty things within the heart are gradually washed away by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna." 

ISKCON was established in France in 1969. In the same year, Sri Sri Jagannath Baladev Subhadra were installed. In 1973, Srila Prabhupada invited the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, to come down to earth and manifest The ceremony took place at "Rue Le Sueur" in Pariswhere the temple building was rented.
Very soon, the temple became too small and the devotees decided to move elsewhere and to buy a permanent place for the Deities. They chose to buy  old traditional noble town house in the very heart of Paris, rue Vieille du Temple. Unfortunately, the neighborhood was so "un-devotional" - the less we can say- and the situation became worse and worse. So the Deities have to accept the change again.
So there is an attempt to go to Ermenonville's castle (a little far in the north of Paris), then a transition in the rural ashram of New Mayapur in the centre of France, and in 1987 They come back to Paris, in the suburb of Noisy le Grand and finally move in the same road in 1998, in the so tiny house on 35 rue du Docteur Jean Vaquier.

There, the devotees have served the Lord in very austere condition for about ten years, with a temple room just available for twenty guests at one time... Finally, in 2007, the temple president, Nitai Gaurasudara Prabhu, finds a house in Sarcelles- a northern suburb of Paris. This residence seems suitable both for a temple and an ashram and it is located close to the Charles de Gaulle international airport and also to Pariscenter - near the A1 highway which connects Paristo the northern Europe. The official inauguration took place on Janmastami, August the 14th, and 700 persons came to visit the temple on that day, mostly Gujarati families. The first house is used nowadays as a guest-house and receives many guests each week, but important reformations are needed (restaurant room, a meeting room...) The temple outbuildings (600m2) are just waiting to be transformed in an office and a professional kitchen. And finally, certainly the most important project: to build a new temple room, behind the house, to receive several hundred people.   Video gallery >>