The History

History and Inspiration

The foundation stone was laid by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in the presence of thousand devotees on 14 January 2001. The structure took around 12 years to construct, involving around 1000 artisans.

The Vrindavan site was developed by Kripalu Ji Maharaj, whose main ashram was at Vrindavan. He dedicated the gift of love to Shri Vrindavan Dham.

Appropriate to his name Kripalu, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj remained ever absorbed in planning, thinking and carrying out widespread acts of welfare for the benefit of all humanity.

In fact, his causelessly merciful nature was the inspiration and driving force behind the construction of Prem Mandir – a monument that would carry on the legacy of the philosophy of divine love for ages to come. Moreover, devotees had conveyed to him their earnest desire that such a temple was needed to ensure that the timeless wisdom revealed by him would be secured in its original form.

In 1946, when Shri Maharaj Ji was just twenty-four years of age, he had taken a vow to build a grand temple in Vrindavan … a monument that would carry on the legacy of the philosophy of divine love for ages to come.

With his friends, Shri Rama Shankar Shukla of Gargara, Shri Lakshmi Narayan of Mangarh and Shri Surya Bhushan of Itora, Shri Maharaj Ji had gone to Vrindavan to visit temples. These friends of his were all studying Sanskrit grammar there at the time. When Shri Maharaj Ji saw Rang Ji Temple he spontaneously spoke his mind, “I too will build a very big temple in Vrindavan.” His friends mocked him saying that it would be no fun to build a temple. Though many a time they had felt that their friend was not an ordinary boy, but a personality with transcendental powers, yet at that moment they did not believe that it was actually possible for him.

Looking at the opulence, magnificence and beauty of Prem Mandir, the eyes of Shri Rama Shankar Shukla, the class fellow of Shri Maharaj Ji, welled up with tears of love and joy, and he heartedly praised his good fortune to have a great friend before whom the whole world now bows.

Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious cultural occasions for all Hindus and is joyously celebrated in almost every part of India with great devotion and fervour. For devotees it is the 14th January, the landmark day in history when Shri Maharaj Ji was honoured as Jagadguruttam in 1957 by Kashi Vidvat Parishat, India’s most esteemed body of 500 Vedic scholars. On this very same day in 2001, our all-compassionate Master was about to create history again.

ABOUT PREM MANDIR

PREM MANDIR is a divine gift from the great Rasik Saint, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj to the holy land of Shri Vrindavan Dham that will continue to provide an uninterrupted flow of divine love for ages to come.

Ever absorbed in the bliss of divine love himself, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj is virtually the personification of the nectar of Shyama Shyam’s love and bliss. Whosoever visits Vrindavan is left speechless by the grandeur and opulence of Prem Mandir. As far as the eye can see, one finds the sweet pastimes of Shyama Shyam beautifully depicted on the exterior walls of the temple, creating an indelible imprint on the minds of all. So besotted with love is the visitor that he fails to decide whether he is being carried away by the stream of love for Shri Sita Rama, who appeared on earth during the Age of Treta, or whether he is being enslaved by the transcendental beauty of Shyama Shyam, who appeared on the earth during the Age of Dvapara.

A visitor is equally unable to decide whether he is being immersed in the ocean of Shyama Shyam’s nectar of love, or whether he is being completely drenched in the torrential downpour of Braj rasa, created by the immense concourse of all the great Rasiks of Braj. A devotee visiting Prem Mandir is struck by its exquisiteness and losing all sense of time and place, forgets that there are many others behind him eagerly waiting to enter the temple premises. Such is the charm of Prem Mandir.

Temple Opening Ceremony – February 2012

The Grand Inauguration and Pran Pratishtha Ceremony was done on 15, 16 & 17 February 2012 on the auspicious day of Vijaya Ekadashi Krishna Paksha, Phalgun Masa 2068 Vikram Samvat

finally the journey of twelve years completed and the long-awaited glorious moment arrived when Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, filled with ineffable joy and infinite love, consecrated this unprecedented divine monument, Prem Mandir to the DIVINE.