Moscow Authorities Announced Demolishing Only Hindu Temple by January 2013

The only Hindu temple in Russia, ISKCON was scheduled to be demolished by Moscow authorities by 15 January 2013. The ISKCON monks announced that the Hindu temple was facing closure by Russian government, a year after the country had sought ban of Bhagvad Gita.

As Vladimir Putin, the Russian President arrives in India on 24 December 2012 for negotiations with the Government of India; there are hardly any chances that the issue of ISKCON would be discussed because it was followed already by foreign ministry.

The Indian ambassador to Russia had requested Moscow authorities for giving extension regarding temporary temple which would expire on 31 December 2012, until the construction of Vedic cultural centre is completed. The temple was scheduled to be demolished on the grounds that it violated the urban building code. Additionally, it did not have any legal grounds for its existence.

The ISKCON monk finally also confirmed that the demolition order was not cancelled, which is why the temple would be demolished in January 2013.

Moscow’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin had also ordered to cut down the permanent temple project, which was included by Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov in the joint declaration back in 2006 for cultural cooperation between these cities.

In the year 2004, ISKCON temple in Moscow was demolished and another plot was offered to ISKCON group for building the temple. However, this offer was again withdrawn after the members of Russian Orthodox Church had protested against building plans of the temple.

In 2011, ban on Bhagvad Gita by Russia was also discussed in Lok Sabha and Parliament had asked unanimously to Russia for preventing the ban. The issue of demolition would hamper the bilateral relations once more.