Krishna Balarama Mandir in Botswana, Africa.

In 2005, a special groundbreaking ceremony known as Bhumi Puja was held, and construction finally began in 2007. Finishing touches were completed just this summer.

The finished home of Sri Krishna Balarama, by far the biggest “Hindu” temple in Botswana, is quite something to behold. The 6,500 square foot, three-story temple stands bright against the blue Botswanan sky, colored in vibrant saffron, salmon pink, and white.

With three domes, it features intricate Orissan architecture, while its Gujarati architect and South Indian artisans have also added elements of their own region’s design traditions.

Each of the three floors of the temple carries its own intricate design and beauty. The first floor is equipped with living quarters for priests and visiting devotees. It also features a 1,300 square foot hall to be used for dining, with a fully-fitted kitchen and store room attached.

Another 1,300 square-foot halls on the second floor will be used as a temple room, with a grand golden altar for Sri Krishna Balarama on one end and a stage and changing rooms for dramas and cultural programs on the other.

Finally, on the third floor is another hall and a peaceful roof terrace, ideal for chanting and meditating.

The temple itself sits on over 17,000 square feet of land, with an intricately designed perimeter wall, a Tulasi garden and a pagoda for peaceful chanting.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, however, the temple is set in an ideal location in the heart of Gaborone, right next to the city’s Central Business Development.

With such excellent facilities in such a central location, Devakinandan expects the ISKCON Botswana community to grow in leaps and bounds following the Mandir’s grand opening.

“The temple main focus will be on cultivating the local people,” he says. “We want to expand our Food for Life program, start offering Bhakti Sastri courses on Prabhupada’s books, introduce interfaith dialogue, and increase book distribution—with the help of BBT Africa, we hope to publish a couple of small books in the local language of Setswana.”

The new temple in Gaborone has also already begun receiving letters from many schools, some as far as 500 kilometers away, who want to visit. About 300 to 800 children are expected to see the temple and receive prasadam as part of this program every second month.

“All in all, we’re really looking forward to seeing where this new facility will take us,” says Devakinandan. “I feel positive that it will be a wonderful springboard from which to leap into fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s mission.”