Much has transpired since our last report. As you may recall, after personally interviewing a number of architects in India, we finally settled on a firm in Delhi. They are up-to-date with all the modern construction skills and standards (you can check out their website at www.grup-ism.com). But they are also versed in Vastu Silpa Shastra or the art of building temples in line with the classic and traditional style.

We worked with them, searching through the Vastu Silpa Shastra and looking at many of the most famous and spiritually powerful temples in India. We concluded that we needed to make several major changes to the design we had. One is that the "sikharas" or temple spires over the main altar should not be set on the roof but should instead come all the way down to the ground. Doing this required moving the whole complex twenty-four feet forward. Our research also showed that domes are not in the classic temple tradition. Rather they were introduced into Indian architecture during the Moghul era and are Muslim in their origins. Therefore, we redesigned the dome over the darshan mandap (main temple assembly area) into the traditional pyramidal structure.

We are deeply grateful to Divyajnana dasa (Dorian Kunch) our civil engineer, who worked untold hours to adjust the site plan to accommodate these changes. Divyajnana prabhu works for a major architectural firm here in San Diego and has donated all of his services free of charge thus saving the project tens of thousands of dollars. If you see him, please offer him your thanks and a pat on the back. Krishna has definitely sent Divyajnana prabhu to help us build this temple.

After numerous sessions with the staff at the Escondido Planning Department and two presentations before the City Design Review Board, the above changes have been approved unanimously. The City is quite pleased with the changes and we are cleared to proceed with the rest of the construction drawings.

NOTE: If they are not already by the time you read this, the architectural elevations and a colored perspective of how the temple and cultural hall will look with these improvements will soon be posted on our website and on display in the front hall of the Pacific Beach temple.

In addition to the above, the wheels have been turning in a number of other ways. This is a large and multi-faceted project so before we can actually break ground, a number of steps have to be taken. Here is a summary of the major steps completed so far:

• Revised Site Plan (to accommodate the changes mentioned above)
• Re-Vegetation Permit Application (showing our plan for removal or protection of the environmentally sensitive trees and plants on the site)
• Erosion Control Plan (Required before we can start grading)
• Hydrology Study (Required before we can grade the site)
• General Development Plan
• Boundary Adjustment (for the four private home lots)
• Temporary Parcel Map (for the four private home lots). Now we are waiting for their comments so that we can incorporate these City staff’s suggestions and complete the Final Parcel map
• Street Improvement Plan

We also commissioned Bob Kovacevich of Avatar Company, a well-respected non-profit consulting firm, to do a field study and then craft a fund raising campaign strategy for us. Bob was impressed by the level of support for the project and while we have our work cut out for us, based on his years of experience in the field of fund raising, he is convinced we can reach our goal in a timely fashion. Our board is now looking over the campaign strategy report and we will be implementing it soon. We will need volunteers for a number of commitees (Communications, Special events, Campaign Treasurer, and others) so stay tuned. We are going to need everyone’s help.

I am going to India and will be spending time with our architects. The plan is to come back with the completed floor plans and vertical and horizontal section studies of each building. This way, before we go further, our volunteer design team (consisting of structural, mechanical, electrical, and HVAC engineers) can look over the plans and make sure that they are up to code, cost efficient, and functional. If you are a licensed architect or engineer in any of these fields, live in the Southern California area, and would like to volunteer to help develop the plans for this wonderful project, please let us know.

                  Our goals for the remainder of the year are to complete the rough grading, build the access road, lay all the wet and dry utilities, complete the street improvements, complete the parcel map, and begin construction. For this first phase we will need an estimated $1.5 million dollars. So don’t be shy. If you are thinking about how you might be able to help, please consider making a three year pledge, to be completed in annual installments. Don’t forget that the land is already paid for in full and that our board, staff, and myself are all volunteers. So every dollar you donate goes directly into construction of this exciting project. For more information, check our website, send me an e-mail, or phone me when I get back from India. Being a part of seeing this dream come true is an accomplishment you will proud of for the rest of your life. Our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks to all of you who have helped us get this far.

Yours in the service of Lord Krishna,

Badrinarayan dasa
858-272-7711 or bnarayan@compuserve.com

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