[Posted June 4, 2006]
Moscow Authorities
Approve Krishna Temple
|
 Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov as Krishna (image by MosNews) |
The city
government in Moscow has agreed to allot land for the construction of a
Krishna temple, ending a longstanding controversy over whether Hindus
should have a place of worship in the Russian capital, The Hindu
newspaper reports.
The paper quoted Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit as saying that the
Moscow Mayor had assured her he would allot land for the temple. This
promise was also registered in a joint statement issued at the end of
Ms. Dixit’s talks with the Mayor.
In 2004 Moscow’s Hare Krishna temple was demolished under a city
development plan, and the International Society of Krishna
Consciousness (ISKCON), which was in charge of it, was offered another
piece of land to build a temple. However, the offer was withdrawn
following protests from the Russian Orthodox Church against plans to
build a temple that would eclipse the Christ the Saviour Cathedral, the
main Orthodox church in Moscow.
ISKCON later scaled down its temple plan, but it is only now that the
Mayor has cleared the project.
The Chief Minister was in Moscow for a cultural festival held under a
twinned-city accord between the two capitals. She described the
three-day festival as “a roaring success.” Performances by vocalist
Kalapini Komkali, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, dancer Astad
Deboo and others drew full houses.
The festival featured a fashion show, traditional Indian dances, a
recital of poetry by Indian authors and the screening of Bollywood
films. The rock band Euphoria also performed. ’Days of Moscow’ will be
held in Delhi next year, ahead of a Year of Russia festival in India in
2008.
The Chief Minister held wide-ranging discussions with the Mayor of
Moscow on ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation between the
two capitals.
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