Question: I was wondering if the Mayapur project and the new temple and everything that is happening there, is how you dreamed it would be?

Jayapataka Swami: I think we are trying to implement Srila Prabhupada’s dream. I didn’t know how Srila Prabhupada’s dream would unfold. So I cannot take credit for what is happening in Mayapur. Recently the West Bengal government had increased our land ceiling from 23 acres to 750 acres! The Chief Minister, Honorable Mamata Banerjee, and her cabinet, decided that Mayapur should be a world class tourist center! Srila Prabhupada had personally tried to do this. At that time, he was trying for 350 acres, but before he could complete it, the government was voted out and the communists came in and they were not so favorable. So, I am quite satisfied that the population has increased. But some areas could be there. So we are trying to make a Master Plan and between Lord Caitanya’s birthplace and Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur’s house, there is a main road, Caitanya Avenue! And between east of Srila Prabhupada’s samadhi is the Prabhupada Avenue. So like that.
Question: So are you pleased with that? How everything is coming?
Jayapataka Swami: Well, there are things that could be improved. But we gave some freehold land many years ago to different devotees. That was the inspiration of certain devotees. But unfortunately, they didn’t really build the houses very nicely. So many houses are very close together. And now we are trying to improve on them. So there are many things that came up spontaneously, you can call it organically, but it could be better planned. So we are trying to develop.
01-DECEMBER-2019 ALACHUA, FLORIDA, USA