Amit Shah lays foundation stone of Rs 101 Cr ISKCON temple in Surat

Surat | Gujarat — Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of the grand ISKCON Varachha Temple at Kosmada in the diamond city of Surat, on Monday. The temple, inspired by Jagatguru Srila Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), will be built at an estimated cost of ₹101 crore.

Spread over 3.51 lakh square feet at Anthem Circle on Iconic Road, the temple is set to become one of the largest ISKCON temples in India, attracting devotees from across the world. The Home Minister also performed rituals and offered prayers at the foundation site.

Speaking on the occasion, Amit Shah said, “ISKCON has spread the message of Lord Krishna’s devotion to over 100 countries. The upcoming Varachha temple will not just be a place of worship but also a center for cultural, educational, and social initiatives that bring communities together.”

The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Union Minister for Jal Shakti C. R. Patil, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi, Minister of State for Education Prafulbhai Pansheriya, and Minister of State for Forest and Environment Mukeshbhai Patel. District Collector Dr. Saurabh Pardhi, Police Commissioner Anupamsinh Gehlot, and spiritual leaders like Guruprasad Swami Maharaj and Loknath Maharaj also graced the ceremony.

Murtiman Das, President of ISKCON Varachha, expressed gratitude to the devotees and donors who contributed to the project. “This temple will be a spiritual beacon for Surat. Srila Prabhupada’s vision was to bring people closer to Krishna consciousness, and this temple will carry that legacy forward,” he said.

Established in 1966 in New York, ISKCON today has more than 108 temples and communities worldwide. The Surat project, with its scale and grandeur, is expected to boost spiritual tourism and create a new cultural landmark for Gujarat.