The only Hindu temple in Russia on the verge of demolition

December 28, 2012

The only Hindu temple in Russia- the Iskcon Krishna temple in Moscow is facing the threat of demolition by the Russian authorities.

Why is it being demolished?

As per Russian authorities, the temporary Iskcon temple violates the urban building code and has no legal grounds for existence. Indian embassy has sought an extension to the temple which is set to expire on December 31, 2012, until they complete the construction of a Vedic cultural centre.

Background of the issue:

In 2004, Moscow’s Iskcon temple was demolished and the Iskcon group was offered another plot to build a temple. Reports said the offer was withdrawn after Russian orthodox church members protested against the temple building plans.
It was in 2006, the plan of a building a permanent temple as a symbol of cultural cooperation was included in a joint declaration inked by Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and previous Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov.
In 2011, Russia had sought to ban Bhagavad Gita. The move caused furore in Lok Sabha and the Parliament had unanimously asked Russia to prevent the ban.

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