Mayapur Master Plan -The Grand Avenues Proposal - 2012

The Grand Avenues ProposalA more realistic approach

MMPMayapur Master Plan


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What is a Master Plan?In the development of a Master Plan there are many factors and sciences that have to make their analysis before the stage of the design can be addressed to develop a specific urban proposal. Therefore it is crucial to understand these concepts:

• Comprehensive Planning & Strategic Planning or Visioning

• Urban Planning

• Urban Design

• Urban Components

Comprehensive Planning & Strategic Planning (or Visioning)Comprehensive planning is a term used in the United States by land use planners to describe a process that determines community goals and aspirations in terms of community development. The outcome of comprehensive planning is the Comprehensive Plan which dictates public policy in terms of transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing. Comprehensive plans typically encompass large geographical areas, a broad range of topics, and cover a long-term time horizon.

In Canada, comprehensive planning is generally known as strategic planning or visioning. Strategic planning is an organization’s process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues through which it can pursue a particular course of action. Generally, strategic planning deals with at least one of three key questions:

1. “What do we do?”

2. “For whom do we do it?”

3. “How do we excel?”

In many organizations, this is viewed as a process for determining where an organization is going over the next year or—more typically—3 to 5 years (long term), although some extend their vision to 20 years.

Comprehensive Planning processComprehensive Planning follows a typical planning process which consists of eight different steps. By following this process, planners are able to determine a wide range of interconnecting issues that affect an urban area. Each step can be seen as interdependent and many times planners will revise the order to best fit their needs:

1. Identifying issues2. Stating goals3. Collecting data4. Preparing the plan

5. Creating implementation plans6. Evaluating alternatives7. Adopting a plan8. Implementing and monitoring the plan

CONTENT

What is a Master Plan? 3Comprehensive Planning & Strategic Planning or Visioning 3Comprehensive Planning process 3Urban Planning 5Urban Design 5Urban Components 5

Reason for a new approach to the Master Plan 7The old TOVP project and the Master Plans from 1998-2002 7The new TOVP and the need of a completely new Master Plan 8

The importance of the Grid in a city 10The Flexibility of the Grid 11Examples of city Grids 11

Why are we stepping in with an alternative proposal? 16Reusability, reusability, reusability! 16

The “Grand Avenues” proposal 19Step 1 - Identification of the Landmarks 19Step 2 - Definition of a Grid 19Step 3 - Definition of the Module or Pada 21Step 4 - Definition of the Roads 21Step 5 - Definition of the main Avenues 23

The Park 30

Other highlights of the proposal 34The Caitanya Avenue 34The Prabhupada Avenue 34The space articulation of the Samadhi’s pond in the access to the TOVP from the current Main Gate 35The Waterfront on the Jalangi 35The jetty and the Prabhupada Ghat 37

Usage of Area and allocation of activities 38

Comparative analysis of the old Master Plan from 1998 and the Master Plan presented by the Mayapur Master Plan Committee 40

Worldwide examples of the urban concepts utilized in our proposal 44

What do we want for Mayapur? 46

About the Authors 47



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1. Identifying issuesThe planner must first address the issue they are investigating. “To be relevant, the planning process must identity and address not only contemporary issues of concern to residents, workers, property owners, and business people, but also the emerging issues that will be important in the future.[1]” Generally, planners determine community issues by involving various community leaders, community organizations, and ordinary citizens.

2. Stating goalsOnce issues have been identified by a community, goals can then be established. Goals are community visions. They establish priorities for communities and help community leaders make future decisions which will affect the city. Stating goals is not always an easy process and it requires the active participation of all people in the community.

3. Collecting dataData is needed in the planning process in order to evaluate current city conditions as well as to predict future conditions. Data is most easily collected from the United States Census Bureau, however many communities actively collect their own data. The most typical data collected for a comprehensive plan include data about the environment, traffic conditions, economic conditions, social conditions (such as population and income), public services and utilities, and land use conditions (such as housing and zoning). Once this data is collected it is analyzed and studied. Outcomes of the data collection process include population projections, economic condition forecasts, and future housing needs.

4. Preparing the planThe plan is prepared using the information gathered during the data collection and goal setting stages. A typical comprehensive plan begins by giving a brief background of the current and future conditions found in the data collection step. Following the background information are the community goals and the plans that will be used in order to implement those goals into the community. Plans may also contain separate sections for important issues such as transportation or housing which follow the same standard format.

5. Creating implementation plansDuring this stage of the process different programs are thought of in order to implement the goals of the plan. These plans focus on issues such as cost and effectiveness. It is possible that a variety of plans will result from this process in order to realize one goal. These different plans are known as alternatives.

6. Evaluating alternativesEach alternative should be evaluated by community leaders to ensure the most efficient and cost effective way to realize the community’s goals. During this stage each alternative should be weighed given its potential positive and negative effects, impacts on the community, and impacts on the city government. One alternative should be chosen that best meets the needs and desires of the community and community leaders for meeting the community goals.

7. Adopting a planThe community needs to adopt the plan as an official statement of policy in order for it to take effect. This is usually done by the City Council and through public hearings. The City

Council may choose not to adopt the plan, which would require planners to refine the work they did during previous steps. Once the plan is accepted by city officials it is then a legal statement of community policy in regards to future development.

8. Implementing and monitoring the planUsing the implementation plans defined in the earlier stages, the city will carry out the goals in the comprehensive plan. City planning staff monitor the outcomes of the plan and may propose future changes if the results are not desired.

A comprehensive plan is not a permanent document. It can be changed and rewritten over time. For many fast growing communities, it is necessary to revise or update the comprehensive plan every five to ten years. In order for the comprehensive plan to be relevant to the community it must remain current.

Urban PlanningThe science that study the developments of the cities is called URBAN PLANNING. Urban planning (urban, city, and town planning) is a technical and political process concerned with the control of the use of land and design of the urban environment, including transportation networks, to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities. It concerns itself with research and analysis, strategic thinking, urban design, public consultation, policy recommendations, implementation and management.

A plan can take a variety of forms including: strategic plans, comprehensive plans, neighborhood plans, regulatory and incentive strategies, or historic preservation plans. Planners are often also responsible for enforcing the chosen policies.

Urban DesignIn the development of this Urban Planning, the URBAN DESIGN will handle the shaping of the city. The Urban Design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has been linked to emergent disciplines such as landscape urbanism. However, with its increasing prominence in the activities of these disciplines, it is better conceptualized as a design practice that operates at the intersection of all three, and requires a good understanding of a range of others besides, such as real estate development, urban economics, political economy and social theory.

Urban Design is the art of creating and shaping cities and towns. Urban Design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems, services, and amenities. Urban Design is the process of giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighborhoods, and the city. It is a framework that orders the elements into a network of streets, squares, and blocks. Urban design blends architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning together to make urban areas functional and attractive.

Urban ComponentsThe Urban Design is based in the arrangement of the different URBAN COMPONENTS, which



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are the elements that constitute them. They act and interact together with each other, and they build the cities together. These URBAN COMPONENTS are:

1. The CITY BLOCKS are the central elements of urban planning and design. They are the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city’s urban fabric.

2. The STREETS that divide the blocks. A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about.

3. The AVENUES or BOULEVARDS, mayor arteries in the urban grid;

4. The LANDMARKS, major reference building that are known by their importance in the collective mind of the inhabitants of the city;

5. The GRID, that is the result of the interactions of the BLOCKS and the ROADS, the major elements that structures every city.

6. The PARKS, greeneries and/or open spaces that every city needs to have, places where people go and release their stress in contact with nature;

7. The MAJOR URBAN INTERVENTIONS, that are the result of the interaction of Avenues, Landmarks and Parks, elements that are extremely hierarchical to the rest of the city.

Any attempts to design a city should consider that the interactions of these urban elements will generate that city and the variety it will have.

CITY BLOCK (Chicago)

LANDMARK (Opera House, Sydney, Austr.)

STREET (Florence, Italy)

GRID (Salt Lake City, USA)

AVENUE (Champs Elysées, Paris, France)

PARK (Central Park, NY, USA)

Reason for a new approach to the Master Plan

The old TOVP project and the Master Plans from 1998-2002The old Mayapur Master Plans of 1998 and 2002 were based on the development of the temple in the old spot. They were wonderful. Architecturally speaking, there were very clear. Two axis organized the whole city; one oriented North-South was running from the Yoga Pith to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house, slightly tilted 2 degrees, and the second one was oriented East-West, running though the Samadhi’s dome. The temple was situated in the intersection of those structural axis, and around it a beautiful city in the form of a mandala was planned. That mandala was perfectly oriented North-South, and the full analysis and zoning based on the Vastu Sastra were implemented. The result: the perfect city.

The complete freedom they experience in the design of the grid, temple and city was given

by the lack of any major conditioning. They had an empty land which allowed them to design freely; it was like drawing in a white canvas –they could do anything.



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Both Master Plans from 1998 and the one we are proposing aligned the grid to the temple and take as priority to center everything on Krishna and the TOVP.

The new TOVP and the need of a completely new Master PlanNow, reality hit us hard and due to problems with the land we ended up constructing the temple where we could, in the only piece of land the West Bengal government would allow us to do it. So, the new temple, in this new place, changed the rules of play. Therefore, is very important to understand that the change of the location of the temple changed the ball game completely. We are talking now of another completely different situation that needs a new professional analysis and solution.

Before, we didn’t have major conditioning; but NOW, we have a different situation. For instance, we have:

1. Geographically, the temple is in the northwest corner of our land; it is NOT in the center any more;

2. The temple’s access and the Deities are oriented towards the South, instead of the East; not the best according to Vastu directives;

3. The temple’s alignment is slightly tilted 11.3 degrees from the original North-South orientation.

All these three facts are VERY IMPORTANT, and we have to take much consideration of them in the development of the whole Master Plan for the city of Mayapur. Therefore, the new Master Plan has to acknowledge these realities, and the new plan should be built taking them into account. As always, Time, Place and Circumstances are crucial.

“ The change of the location of the temple changed the ball game completely. We are talking now of another completely different

situation that needs a new professional analysis and solution. ”

The new old project for the temple and the new TOVP we are constructing. Both in different locations, defining different Master Plans altogether.



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Since the spacing of streets in grid plans varies so widely among cities, or even within cities, it is difficult to generalize about the size of a city block. However, as reference points,the standard square blocks of Portland, Houston and Sacramento are 79×79 m, 100×100 m and 120×120 m respectively (to the street center line). Oblong blocks range considerably in width and length. The standard block in Manhattan is about 80×270 m; and in some U.S. cities standard blocks are as wide as 200 m. The blocks in central Melbourne, Australia, are 200×100 m, formed by splitting the square blocks in an original grid with a narrow street down the middle.

The Flexibility of the GridA grid made out of squares allows us interact the modules with each other, on the basis of different operations:

1. ADDITION OF MODULES: Two different modules can be added, and as a result we get a parcel that’s double in size. (Example 1 next page.)

2. DIVISION OF MODULES: A module can be sub-divided into smaller pieces according to specific necessities. (Example 2 next page.)

3. MODULE INTERACTION: One can also interactions between modules in order to generate spaces that are interconnected. We generated such kind of interaction between the central spaces of the hotels. (Example 3 next page.) Also, see the example of the city blocks and streets from Barcelona, designed by Ildefons Cerda.

A grid doesn’t limit the spaces in a city, but rather, brings order the it. Special arrangements can be made on the grid, and they usually are done, when major urban development presents. That makes those elements hierarchical.

Examples of city GridsThe fact that the cities are constructed over time allows us to divide them in two basic categories:

1. Cities that are build over long periods of time, maybe centuries or even millenniums. Such the cases of Rome and London, for example. Their structure usually are more complex since there are many historical events that intervened in the shaping of them, and specially in the development of their grids.

2. Cities developed in a couple of decades, and build from scratch. Such is the case of Brasilia (Brazil), or Las Vegas (US). Those cities will usually present a clearer structure,

Chicago in 1857. Blocks of 80, 40, and 10 acres establish a street grid at the outskirts which continues into the more finely divided downtown area.

The city blocks and streets of Barcelona as conceived by Ildefons Cerda. The blocks include wide open spaces that continue across the street to adjacent blocks.

The importance of the Grid in a cityAll across the history of Humanity we see the importance of the grid in the Urban Design. The grid plan dates from antiquity and originated in multiple cultures; some of the earliest planned cities were built using grid plans. By 2600 BC, Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (present day Pakistan), were built with blocks divided by a grid of straight streets, running north-south and east-west. Each block was subdivided by small lanes.

Perhaps the most well-known grid system is that spread through the colonies of the Roman Empire. The idea of the archetypal Roman Grid was introduced to Italy first by the Greeks, with such information transferred by way of trade and conquest.

In Europe and its colonies, they started to use the grids in the planning of the new towns in the 12th century, most prodigiously in the bastides of southern France that were built during the 13th and 14th centuries. Medieval European new towns using grid plans were widespread, ranging from Wales to the Florentine region. Many were built on ancient grids originally established as Roman colonial outposts.

Many of the earliest cities in the United States, such as Boston, did not start with a grid system. However, even in the pre-revolutionary days some cities saw the benefits of such a layout. In the westward development of the United States, the use of the grid plan was nearly universal in the construction of new communities, such as in Salt Lake City (1870), Dodge City (1872) and Oklahoma City (1890). In these western cities the streets were numbered even more carefully than in the east to suggest future prosperity and metropolitan status.

One of the main advantages of the adoption of the grid plan was that it allowed the rapid subdivision and auction of a large parcel of land.

In most cities of the world that were planned, rather than developing gradually over a long period of time, streets are typically laid out on a grid plan, so that city blocks are square or rectangular. Using the perimeter block development principle, city blocks are developed so that buildings are located along the perimeter of the block, with entrances facing the street, and semi-private courtyards in the rear of the buildings. This arrangement is intended to provide good social interaction among people.

Chicago in 1857. Blocks of 80, 40, and 10 acres establish a street grid at the outskirts which continues into the more finely divided downtown area.

The centuriation was a method of land measurement used by the Romans. Centuriation is characterized by the regular layout of a square grid traced using surveyor’s instruments.



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Example 1: Addition of Modules in a Grid

Example 2: Subdivisions of Modules in a Grid

Example 3: Interaction of Modules in a Grid

since they were conceived as a whole.

That’s why we would portray two examples of both of them, and analyzed which one is most suitable to be implemented in Sri Dham Mayapur.

Grids of cities developed in the course of long timeCity of Rome, Italy

The city of Rome had been there for more than 2,000 years, since the Roman Empire times. As a result, we can see in their grid the multiple tension forged and shaped by the historical factors. It wasn’t planned as a whole at a certain stage, but rather, build over time.

City of London, UKDifferent from the grid of Rome, but in many aspects very similar, the grid of London shows curved streets too. Nevertheless, we see the intention of adhering to developing squarish grids in some parts of them. The intention to bring order is present, although this city took centuries to be built.

Grids of cities developed in a couple of decadesSome cities in the last century were developed in only a couple of decades. We’ll analyze both of those examples.

City of Brasilia, BrazilThe city of Brasilia was conceived when the government of Brazil decided to change their Federal government out from Rio de Janeiro. They decided to create a brand new city for that purpose, and they made a contest that was won by Lucio Costa in 1957, who got to plan the whole structure of the city. As a result, we get a very clear organizational grid. There are two major Avenues that organize the whole city, which are very clear in the map, one straight and the other curved.

City of Las Vegas, USAThis city was born at the influx of the gambling laws of the state of Nevada. It all started with the casino & hotel Flamingo, and then more casinos where opened. Eventually a big avenue was constructed, and later the city development was created. As a result, we witness in the layout of the city the original avenue and the rest of the grid all shaped in square blocks perfectly oriented North-South, all designed all at once.



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The grid of Las Vegas, Nevada. Based on squared blocks oriented North-South.

Brasilia is organized on two major avenues, marked in red, showing a very particular layout.

The grid of London city. The intentions of bring order are presently.

The grid of Rome. Major millenary landmarks are there, like the coliseum.



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Why are we stepping in with an alternative proposal?We understand that a proper Master Plan should be developed according to the directives lined out in the Comprehensive or Strategic Planning section. This is the best to ensure the fulfillment of the goals established at an analysis stage of what we envision for Sri Dham Mayapur.

Having said that, by chance we came across to see the official proposal that the Master Plan Committee was working on. We were shocked to even know that it was supposedly approved. We understood right away it was wrong, both in it’s approaches to the problem as in the concepts that was based on –we analyze this proposal in an upcoming section. We understood that there was not many possibilities to come to you and say all this without offering something substantial, since there is a huge sense of emergency in regards to the development of the Master Plan. Therefore we decided to bring to the table a valid alternative that will offer you another design and layout for the city of Mayapur to compare with, another option that takes very much into consideration the ideas of how cities are developed in grids.

We are not saying our proposal is THE proposal. We are just saying that a valid proposal has to take into consideration the technicalities of how cities are planned and built, and not be based only in Vastu concept exclusively. And this is not only our opinion. We presented the proposal of the Committee to several architects in Calcutta, and all of them without exception concluded that this proposal wasn’t valid from the technical point of view.

Reusability, reusability, reusability!We understand that the previous Master Plans did an excellent job for their own time, place and circumstances, but it’s concept was not valid any more. Although the general idea of the old Master Plans is not valid under the present circumstances, many of the resources and solutions they came across were highly useful. We decided to re-use them.

We did an analysis and research of the previous Master Plans, and we detected several useful things to ‘recycle’. We took as much of these solutions as possible, since they were pre-approved before and would help us to establish the validity of our proposal.

“ We understand that a proper Master Plan should be developed according to the directives lined out in the Comprehensive or Strategic

Planning section. This is the best to ensure the fulfillment of the goals established at an analysis stage of what we want for Sri Dham

Mayapur. ”

Some of these solutions were:

1. The use of a grid. First and foremost.

2. We recognize from this proposal the importance of having the temple in the center of the city, somehow; we strive to place the TOVP in the center, the best we could under the circumstances and conditioning.

3. We refloat the idea of having a big park around the temple to have the needed space to ‘breathe’ and be properly appreciated.

4. We incorporated in our proposal both the Caitanya and the Prabhupada Avenues.

5. Not only did we incorporate them, but rather analyze them. Consequently, we took the width of the avenues of 80 meters from them; we also took the transit solution proposed by them, dividing the transit in these avenues in two lanes, one for the bicycles and rickshas, and another for the buses and cars.

6. We also took the layout of the Caitanya Avenue, with the two crafts squares, and we implemented them in the Prabhupada Avenue.

7. We acknowledge the importance of the water canals in the draining of the city, and we implemented two major canals across the axes of the composition that run across the avenues.

8. We recognize the major study of land use of the parcels of the residential blocks, and is and the different plot variations they designed, being our intention to reuse them for the development of the residential areas.

The old Caitanya Avenue. We took from it the character, it’s width and the transit flow layout in separate lanes.

A detail of the old Caitanya Avenue. We retained the concept of having two craft square plazas in the Prabhupada Avenue.



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The “Grand Avenues” proposal A city with a grid

We have to determine the steps we are trying to go through in relation to the different URBAN COMPONENTS that will define the city, and we have to propose a solution in how they will be addressed. These components are:

STEP 1: We need to identify the LANDMARKS of the city;

STEP 2: Define a GRID; To define the grid, we need

STEP 3: To define the dimensions of the MODULE or pada on which the grid will be based.

STEP 4: We need to define the ROADS and their characteristics (width, for example).

STEP 5: We need to define the AVENUES of the city.

STEP 1Identification of the LANDMARKSWe have, first of all and above everything else, the biggest landmark of all: the TOVP. The TOVP is the temple of the Lord, which is being constructed in the most holy of all the cities, Sri Dham Mayapur. It’s the Lord’s abode, and therefore, the TOVP should be the center of the whole city.

We have, nonetheless, the fact that the temple is not situated in the center of the city. It’s in one corner. Despite this fact, Krishna should be the center, and the rest of the city should integrate to the temple successfully. We should endeavour ourselves into place Sri Krishna and the TOVP in the center, somehow.

We have a second landmark that needs to be taken very much into consideration, right behind the TOVP: the Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada.

SolutionWe propose to organize the city over two axis: one running North-South in the direction given by the temple –tilted 11.3 degrees–, through the TOVP to the Jalangi, where we will build one of majors entries to the city.

The second axis will run West-East through the dome of the Samadhi, and will we the second major access to the city.

STEP 2Definition of a GRIDEvery planned city is organized in grids. There might different grids aligned to different major arteries in them, but as a result of it we get the totally of the cities’s grid. Being Sri Dham Mayapur deprived of any kind of grid at the moment, we acknowledge the

“ Although the general idea of the old Master Plans is not valid under the present circumstances, many of the resources and solutions they came across were highly useful. We decided to re-use them.”

A crossing section of the old Caitanya Avenue. We maintained the canals and the transit lanes on it. Also, we propose to do a similar landscape architecture treatment.

The usage of the land in the blocks and the different option planned are very useful. We can ‘recycle’ that idea and do similar parceling in our blocks of 150 meters.



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The grid will be oriented in the same direction of the TOVP, acknowledging it’s importance.

The Park surrounding the temple will be part of this grid.

“ The temple is not situated in the center of the city. It’s in one corner. Despite this fact, Krishna should be the center, and the rest of the city should integrate to the temple successfully. We should

endeavour ourselves into place Sri Krishna and the TOVP in the center, somehow. ”

importance of developing one.

SolutionTo develop the grid, first of all, we take into account the importance of the temple’s orientation. Therefore our grid will be rotated 11.3 degrees from the North-South direction, aligning to the one of the TOVP. The whole city will follow consequently the direction of Lord Krishna’s temple.

STEP 3Definition of the MODULE or PADAEvery grid is composed by units called MODULES, square units of a certain size. These modules become the blocks of houses or buildings.

SolutionIn the determination of that size we took into consideration –again– the TOVP. The TOVP has a width of 170 meters, and therefore we designed a module of 170 meters by 170 meters. By multiplying that module we get the city’s expansive grid.

By using these measure of 170 meters we are recognizing that the TOVP and the Lord are the masters of the city, the essential unit that rules over everything.

STEP 4Definition of the ROADSThe blocks of houses and buildings will be defined by the estimation of the width of the ROADS (and sidewalks). By determining the width of these roads and sidewalks, we will determine the width of the blocks.

SolutionWe decided to have wide, spacious and uncluttered roads of 12 meters wide. That measure of 12 meters wide roads was taken from the old Master Plan. We also decided



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The MODULE is defined by the width of the temple, resulting in a square of 170 by 170 meters.

That module is being multiplied 9 times in a grid of 3 by 3, and as a result we generate a park of 9 padas.

20 mts.

12 mts.

150 mts.

170 mts.

The definition of the blocks, streets and sidewalks based on the 170 by 170 meters modules.

to give generous sidewalks of 4 meters wide.

Of this 170 meters we are using 150 meters for the width of the blocks, and the remaining 10 meters from each side of the modules will be destined to the roads. We end up with streets of 12 meters wide, and with 4 meters sidewalks.

On the accesses of these two axes we organize both Avenues. These are the entry points to the city and the temple’s compound, which remains visible all the time to the visitor from the very time he puts a foot in Mayapur.

STEP 5Definition of the main AvenuesEvery city has main Avenues, main streets that articulate the rest of the grid.

SolutionWe propose to build two major Avenues of 80 meters wide that will be aligned to the two major axes, the North-South and the West East. These axes generate straight visuals to the TOVP and to the Samadhi, respectively. On these axes we create the Caitanya Avenue and the Prabhupada Avenue. From the very moment you enter the city from the accesses and to these avenues, you have a straight visual from the TOVP and the Samadhi, respectively.

A view of the temple from the Caitanya Avenue.



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The Caitanya Avenue and the Prabhupada Avenue aligned to the axes constitute the major avenues of the city and the entry points to Sri Mayapur Dham.

From the Prabhupada Avenue we will have the wonderful frontal view of the Samadhi in the end, all across the big park and through the theme park. The main entrance of the Samadhi is perfectly situated at the end.

Another frontal view of the temple from east sidewalk of the Caitanya Avenue.



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The ParkWe propose the development of a big park around the temple.

This park consists of a square of 3 by 3 modules –Vastu compliant– of 510 by 510 meters. This park gives the necessary space around the temple to be properly appreciated, and therefore making the temple ‘breathe’, by giving air, empty space around it. This is a very important factor, since constructions of this kind need this kind of ‘air’ around.

Considering that the temple under construction will last only a couple of centuries, and that our movement is predicted to last for the next 9,500 years, is obvious that our future generations will need to construct another one when this one become obsolete due to the time factor. This park will reserve the needed land to our descendants to do the task in the future.

This park will be constituted by gorgeous gardens and a theme park with exhibitions that will portray Sri Krishna and Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. The idea is to have two different kind of experiences when you enter Sri Dham Mayapur:

1. When the pilgrim accesses from the South through the Caitanya Avenue, he will be ‘hit’ by the spectacular view of the temple at the end. The idea is to recreate a magnificent environment, majestic; on the other hand,

2. When the visitor accesses from the East through the Prabhupada Avenue, he will come through a successive ‘layers’ of experience, going first through the Prabhupada Avenue, getting into the park where he will see different dioramas and exhibitions depicting the pastimes of the Lord, until he reaches the ‘atrium’ generated by the intersection of the two axes, in which he can choose to enter the temple or the Samadhi.

One experience is in the mood of awe and reverence, approaching respectfully to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the temple with grandiosity; the other experience is more intimate, is the experience of the association of the pure devotee of the Lord, Srila Prabhupada. It’s Srila Prabhupada revealing us Sri Krishna, His pastimes, His forms. Is like looking through the “windows to the Spiritual World”, the way Srila Prabhupada used to refer to the paintings of his disciples.

Across the Caitanya and Prabhupada Avenues, and around the park, we propose an architectural treatment with colonnades, which will give a protected environment from the sun and a majestic appearance.

An example of implementation of this concept in India would be Connaught Place in New Delhi, where the whole inner space is surrounded by this treatment.

“ Considering that the temple under construction will last only a couple of centuries, and that our movement is predicted to last for the

next 9,500 years, is obvious that our future generations will need to construct another one when this one become obsolete due to the time factor. This park will reserve the needed land to our descendents to do

the task in the future. ”

The size of the park in our proposal is 500 meters by 500 meters, more or less the size of the park of the Master Plan of 1998. For that specific plan extensive studies of pilgrim workflow were made to determine the right size of that park. Therefore in the sizing of our park we are trying to utilize that data too.

A comparison between the size of the park in the Master Plan of 1998 and the park of our proposal shows that they are remarkably similar in area.



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The Park will be surrounded by the city.

View of the temple from the corner of the park, where the Hari Bowl stadium will be.

The entry through the Prabhupada Avenue comes through a theme park and exhibitions depicting the pastimes of the Lord, giving us a more intimate experience in the mood of Srila Prabhupada.

The entry through the Prabhupada Avenue comes through a theme park and exhibitions depicting the pastimes of the Lord, giving us a more intimate experience in the mood of Srila Prabhupada.



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The Caitanya Avenue running along the north-south axis. It defines the linear park and the two plazas connected to the

grhasta areas through big arches.

Other highlights of the proposal

The Caitanya AvenueFrom the TOVP to the Jalangi runs a north-south axis. On him there is canal that drains the water excess form the rains in the Jalangi. It also develops the Caitanya Avenue, on which we will planned to locate the VIP hotels on the upper floors, and leave the bottom floors for commercial use.

A linear park aligns over the Caitanya Avenue too, and in the middle of the macro block we designed two plazas interconnected with water fountains. A big arcade will divide this plazas from the streets. These arches will be the entry point to these plazas from the west and the east (residential areas).

All the perimeter of the buildings will have colonnades enhancing the frontal view of the temple.

On the end over the Jalangi, we designed a special park that serves as the end of the waterfront and a generous gath.

The Prabhupada AvenueAlongside the East-West axis is the Prabhupada Avenue, from which you can have a straight visual of the Samadhi. This avenue has a water canal too, that connects to the other canal in the fountain that’s just in front of the temple, and the canal of the Caitanya Avenue drains altogether in the Jalangi all the water collected across both canals.

We solved this avenue in the same style as the Caitanya Avenue, with the canal in the middle and a linear park that runs across the axis.

We find fountains an the trip, and we implemented two more plazas on the side, designated them as crafts square plazas.

We created a series of internal, semi-public plazas inside the buildings.

We also allocated two auditoriums on the buildings at the sides of the avenue for approximately thousand people.

The space articulation of the Samadhi’s pond in the access to the TOVP from the current Main GateIn the Intersection of the two axes, just in front of the TOVP, we generate a central and distributive space, an ‘atrium’ that allows us to either (1) enter the TOVP; (2) access the Samadhi; (3) access the space the space of the pond of the Samadhi; and (4) access another pond we ‘cloned’ from the samadhi’s one.

We address here the issue on how to access to the temple when you come from the current Main Gate. We propose to create a ‘nice trip’ from the Main Gate, alongside the pond of the Samadhi, reaching to this main ‘atrium’ space, and turning round to the left to get into the temple. In that way, the Samadhi’s pond space will create a smooth and enjoyable experience from the access of the Main Gate to the temple.

The Waterfront on the JalangiThe Master Plan of 1998 allocated a waterfront on the Jalangi. We very much support the idea, and in this proposal are giving out own design of it. Starting on the axis of the Caitanya

The Prabhupada avenue runs across the east-west axis, generating a linear park on it’s way.



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The articulation of the pond of the samadhi as transition in the access to the temple.

The waterfront on the Jalangi generates and enjoyable park and two gahts at the end of them.

Avenue, it runs organically across the riverside to the access point to Mayapur, where the new bridge will be built.

The park could be designed in such a way of having two levels, in which the upper side could be the park, and the lower one could be used for parking accommodation, and therefore

The east-west axis ends in the jetty over the anga, which is integrated with the Prabhupada Ghat.

generating an income for the support of the whole project.

On the west end of the park, where it encounters the Caitanya Avenue, we designed a ghat, where the pilgrims could get a bath.

We do understand that there is a problem with the land, and that the government might have given them away to some locals. Nevertheless, we believe that this could be solved somehow, and that this land could become available in the future if ISKCON buys it. Such strategically located land should be on the top priority list of acquisitions.

The jetty and the Prabhupada GhatAlongside the east-west axis, on the Ganga, we propose to construct the jetty over the axis. Is our understanding we are about to construct a jetty to get the Calcutta-Mayapur line on speed boats. We support that idea and integrated it with an ambitious jetty that will support the incoming increase in water traffic that will develop over the years from Calcutta to Mayapur.

We integrated the building the Center of Tourism is constructing with the government of West Bengal in the proposal, generating a path that communicates it with the jetty.

We are proposing to develop a generous Prabhupada Ghat. We somehow feel that the Prabhupada Ghat had never been up to the standard that Srila Prabhupada deserves, and this development will bring it to that standard. We could properly design it and put murtis of Srila Prabhupada in it, for example, and make it beautiful.

We strongly believe that we cannot turn our back to our mother Ganga in the proposal, and that we have to address it too.


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Usage of Area and allocation of activitiesWe inherited from the previous Master Plans some area requirements for the Master Plan. We think that this data is outdated, and was thought originally for the old Master Plan that was supposed to be spread across 1200 acres. The reality now is that the area in we have to develop the Master Plan is only 350 acres, way less. The Mayapur Master Plan Committee had divided the land by a factor, so the land allocated for the different parts will be divided proportionally. Although is the simplest approach to a very complex problem, we think it would be the best to do another analysis on the real need, based on research and data collection.

Nevertheless, to present the current proposal we acknowledge this data and presented a tentative area distribution based on it. For this purpose, the area being considered in this study is the one traced inside the red stoke in the right figure:

Areas Acres AcresTOVP 3.5

Samadhi 2.0

Park 56.5

Hotels 41.1

Commercial & Administration 15.3

Residential 34.1

Brahmacari 5.4

Dharmasala 6.3

Education

BVNS 2.9

45.5SMIS 5.3

Bhaktivedanta Academy 33.6

Gita Bhavan 3.7

Goshala 3.8

Healthcare 5.6

Government 5.6

Parking Area 13.6

Vaishnava Samadhis 1.9

Auditoriums 1.0

Waterfront Park 31.2

Roads 77.1

T O T A L 349.5

We also acknowledge that this distributiom would be best studied in relation to a more deeply Vastu analysis, in such a way to distribute the allocation of activities more effectively.

To better explain how a grid works, we will use an analogy: the grid of a city is determined by the intersection of the streets that generates city blocks. In this analogy we envision these blocks as empty pots that could be filled with different kind of preparations. One can have shrikhand, the other a sabji, and another one can have sweet rice in it. So, these pots are merely containers. One can change the pots of place, and put them where it’s more convenient. The blocks work in the same way, and the different activities can be allocated in one or another place. That’s the beauty of a grid, its flexibility.


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Comparative analysis of the old Master Plan from 1998 and the Master Plan presented by the Mayapur Master Plan CommitteeThe old Master Plan addressed successfully the most important thing; first of all, THEY PUT KRISHNA IN THE CENTER. By placing the temple in the center they placed Krishna in the center. Perfect. That’s the most important thing, is the core of our philosophy. The mandala around the temple created a beautiful city surrounding it. The full implementation of the Vastu and sub-divisions in padas was analyzed. The temple situation allows us to do that. The geometry was perfect.

The Mayapur Master Plan Committee is presenting a solution in which they design a tilted square based on the Vastu Sastra. Their efforts are to address the Vastu needs so the devotees that live in that city will be happily performing devotional service. While these intentions of bringing material happiness and well-being to the devotees are praiseworthy, it shouldn’t come at the expense of creating a structure for the city that is confusing and unclear. As a result of this starting point of creating this big square and trying to enclose it with constructions, we just witness a huge problem that needs to be urgently addressed:

THE TEMPLE IS COMPLETELY DISSOCIATED WITH THE VASTU SQUARETemple in one corner, and the city TRIES to develop in that square. There is no clear interaction between the both of them; there is no clear access either. It’s very clear that they are two different things, independent, unrelated to. Here, the temple and its gardens. There, in that other spot, the square. The connection between them? Articulations? Completely missed.

The old Master Plan from 1998. The temple in the center organized by the two axes, and the city revolving around it. A very clear solution.

The Proposal of the Master Plan Committee. There is no structural relation nor interaction between the temple and the square. A huge mistake.

Srila Prabhupada instructed us that we should work cooperatively for the benefit and pleasure of the Lord. Moreover, he said that OUR LOVE FOR HIM will be shown that way. What we are saying when we construct the TOVP in one corner and the city in that isolated square is that we couldn’t come to work together successfully and bring an integrated solution that puts Lord Sri Krishna –the temple–, in the center. It really shows the efforts of two different teams that couldn’t come to agree to work together.

The conception of this proposal is based on keep carrying the old concept that the city has to be resolved in a Vastu square, and that everything should be contained inside that square. Based exclusively in Vastu’s concepts, there is a serious limitation being imposed, and therefore, there is a lack of thinking outside the box, literally.

The proposal tries to create a link with the TOVP, failing to do it so. The result: a structural mess. There is no city, just two things separated from each other.

Architecturally speaking, there are elements that could be design to articulate spaces and volumes to create transitions. Can be done, “patched” to some degree, depending on the skills of the projectors, the one that will do the architectural designs. But is this the best solution? No, definitely not. Clear ideas bring clear results; on the contrary, confusing ideas bring confusing results.

Therefore, AT HIS POINT THE IDEA OF DEVELOPING THE CITY IN A VASTU SQUARE IS NOT APPROPRIATE. It’s whimsical. The proposal is trying so hard to push the leftovers of a great implementation in the old Master Plan to the new situation, but it’s not working.

There are two aspects to consider in the developing of the Mayapur city, which are very important to understand:

This proposal recognizes three elements: the temple, the square, and the south avenue.

QUESTION: How will be organized the rest of the city outside of the square? What’s the structure? How will be the streets and blocks?

ANSWER: It proposes to be “filled organically”. Which means, no clear structure, but rather, a great ‘void’ to be filled somehow, ‘as you go’ without planning.



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1. The technicalities of the architectural concepts on one hand; and

2. The Vastu Sastra concepts we are trying to implement.

The Master Plan presented by the Master Plan Committee addresses the Vastu issues, putting all the emphasis in that. But at the cost of generating a viable city structure. Vastu is considered; urban concepts and overall integration are not. Where are the streets? Where is the city grid? How do we integrate the city to the landmarks, the TOVP and the Samadhi? There is no answers.

Also, the Vastu sides of that square obviously won’t act as ‘walls’, borderlines to the expansion of the city. Historically, that was tried out by Georges-Eugène Haussmann, commonly known as Baron Haussmann. He was the one that envisioned the creation of big boulevards that will act as border limits to the expansion of the city. But that proposal failed to act in that sense. 1

Therefore, the big square will be an urban event in the overall layout of the city, but won’t be the city itself, failing to fulfill its purpose. Also, how are we going to ‘fill up’ the rest of the city? What structure will hold them? Where are the streets? Where is the city grid? The solution of this proposal is that the remaining of the city outside of this square will be “filled organically”. But, what does “organically filled” mean? It means chaotically filled.

On the contrary, a city based in the development of a logical and expandable grid allows us to consciously plan the expansion of the city in a programmed manner. Failing to do so will only bring chaos.

So, in the end, it all comes to choose what is more important for us:

1. To develop a Master plan that endeavors itself to place Krishna in the center; or

2. To develop a Master plan fully Vastu compliant, but that’s neglecting the importance of placing Krishna in the center.

Another important aspect to be considered is that the Vastu implementations can be resolved in other ways. Having a grid based on square blocks allows us, for example, to implement the Vastu in each specific squares. Or, the zoning and distribution of the different activities done in the city can be placed in valid Vastu’s ways too. The important point here is that the Vastu will not work ONLY in a big square and that we can find other solutions.

In a nutshell, this proposal is NOT a valid urban structure. This is not proper urban design; this is whimsical design. It’s wrong.

Sri Dham Mayapur deserves the best of the best; it’s Lord Caitanya’s abode. We want to build a city that will become a showcase to the rest of the world on how we place

1 The Baron Haussmann made the Boulevards well-known in his re-shaping of Second Empire Paris between 1853 and 1870. Several Parisian boulevards replaced old city walls; more generally, boulevards encircle a city center, in contrast to avenues that radiate from the center. Boulevard is sometimes used to describe an elegantly wide road, such as those in Paris, approaching the Champs-Élysées. Famous French boulevards: Avenue Montaigne, Montmartre, Invalides, Boulevard Haussmann. Frequenters of boulevards were sometimes called boulevardiers. Among other ideas, the Boulevards were conceived as boundaries to the city, “walls”that will prevent it from developing further. Time proved that the expansion of the city couldn’t be force to stop at that Boulevard limit, and that, rather, the city continued to grow behind those boundaries.

Krishna in the center. We want it to be magnificent too. Srila Prabhupada instructed us to worship the Lord in the aishvarya mode, not in the raganuga mode; we are not that advanced. Therefore, we should present the Lord in His glory and magnificence.

Also, the temple we are constructing is not a “humble” temple either. It’s not Radha-Ramana’s temple, a bit hidden from the outside world in Vrindavan. No, rather, is a magnificent ‘mansion’, in which the Lord resides blissfully and bestows His mercy to the rest of the World. So, we should not try to hide our temple, but rather, we should portray it in its maximum glory.

“ Sri Dham Mayapur deserves the best of the best; it’s Lord Caitanya’s abode. We want to build a city that will become a showcase

to the rest of the world on how we place Krishna in the center. ”

Comparison of the EXPANSION POSSIBILITIES of both Master Plans

The “Vastu Square” Master Plan of the Committee There is no possibilities of expansion in this proposal. The city is limited to the square, and no prevision is made in how it will expand.

Our own “Grand Avenues” Proposal The GRID allows us to have an expansive pattern that takes care of the growing possibilities of the city.



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Worldwide examples of the urban concepts utilized in our proposal

Examples of Avenues with grand viewsThe use grand avenues that meet important monuments at the end of them had been widely used on major urban and architectural interventions, generating those astonishing perspectives. Some of those examples are:

The Taj Mahal (Agra, India)

One of the most architectural buildings of the world, gets enhanced by the frontal perspective it presents. The length of the front is twice it’s width (300 and 600 meters respectively), to give it the proper distance for appreciating it.

The Capitol (Washington DC, USA)

This major urbanistic intervention connects the Capitol in one extreme to the Lincoln Memorial in the other extreme of the axis. In the middle rests the famous Washington obelisk, a nice peaceful lake, and The World War II Memorial. An enjoyable strip of green parks connects al these elements.

Being the states a democratic country that values the importance of it’s congress, they build this major urban intervention to enhance the Capitol. The result: the enhancement of the Capitol is clear and the perception from him from even very far away.

Palace of Versailles (Paris, France)

Another major urbanistic intervention that was developed under the Louises reigns. The very strong axis goes from East-West, and goes over the bed of Louis 14! The magnificent view is breathtaking.

Saint Peter (Vatican City, Italy)

The biggest church in the world has a huge open space in front of it, the Saint Peter Square, designed by Bernini. He envisioned colossal colonnades around an elliptical space in front of the church to assemble the crowd in front of the church to get blessings from the pope. You can perceive the church from far away too.

“ In the development of the city of Mayapur we face a big challenge, and we need to make some tough choices: do we want to have a

properly professionally planned city, or do we want Sri Dham Mayapur to grow spontaneously, according to the specific needs of the

moments, without further planning? This is the big choice we need to make.”



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What do we want for Mayapur?In the development of the city of Mayapur we face a big challenge, and we need to make some tough choices: do we want to have a properly professionally planned city, or do we want Sri Dham Mayapur to let it grow spontaneously, according to the specific needs of the moments, without further planning? This is the big choice we need to make.

There are also some major considerations to be made:

1. The way Mayapur is growing now is in the second group; buildings are built in different places of the compound, based on the individual needs of the different departments, without any proper and integral planning. WE HAVE TO STOP THAT NOW!

2. We need to address the urgent need of creating a valid solution for the Master Plan, and start to implement it.

3. We need to get professional assistance in the development of the Master Plan: architects, town planners, landscapers. That if we want to do the best for the city of the Lord.

4. We need to find the monetary resources to fulfill these goals.

In this proposal we understand we are proportioning several important concepts:

• We are proposing a city with a GRID, with STRUCTURAL AXES, with ORDER.

• We are proposing to design a city that’s intimately integrated to the TOVP.

• We are proposing a city with generous and airy roads and sidewalks, decongested.

• We are proposing a green city with a big park around the temple, that will give the proper space for appreciation, along with beautiful gardens and a theme park and exhibitions with the pastimes of the Lord.

• We are refloating old and still valid concepts from the Master Plans of 1998 and 2002, like the creation of big Avenues, the Caitanya Avenue and the Prabhupada Avenue, the width of the streets, etc.

• We are proposing a city thoroughly designed from the landscape point of view.

• WE ARE PROPOSING TO DESIGN A CITY. NOTHING LESS.

We humbly request you to consider all these points. Our city depends on your input.

Your servants

Raivata dasArchitectural Assistant & Senior Graphic Designer

Vraja Kumara DasArchitectural Render Professional

About the Authors

Raivata DasRaivata Das had been working as a professional Graphic and Web Designer for the last 15 years. Previous to that, he studied architecture in the Facultad de Arquitectura de la República Oriental del Uruguay for six years, in which he was considered one of the top students.

He was called to work for the book “Urbanistic Proposals for the City of Montevideo” with the renowned architect Thomas Sprechman, which opened him the door to work on the Master Plan for the city of Bella Union, a city in the north of Uruguay. He will work hand to hand with two renowned architects from Uruguay as Chief Architectural Assistant, having other three assistants to supervise below him. He designed a residential complex of 234 houses for a new neighborhood in Bella Union, and also a school and community center.

Because of his design skills, he was called to become an honorary teacher at the University he was studying. At that time, he decided to give up his studies and join the ISKCON temple in Montevideo, for he was advised to “change his creative skills to distributive skills” and become a full-time sankirtan devotee, which he did.

Although he hasn’t practice the architecture over the last twenty years, he still has a very good grasp of the technicalities and concepts around projecting architectural and urban developments.

By the Lord’s arrangement, he felt pushed and inspired by Him to develop a valid alternative proposal for the city of Sri Dham Mayapur with Vraja Kumara Prabhu.

Vraja Kumara DasVraja Kumara Das had been working for the last 6 years as an Architectural Render Professional. He had been interacting with architects since then, and building a truth worthy reputation in the field. He had rendered and developed many professional presentations, both in 3D and video.

When he came across of the Mayapur Master Plan’s current proposal, he felt pushed to try to bring a better solution for Lord Gauranga’s city.


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Mayapur Master Plan -The Grand Avenues Proposal - 2012

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