Preserving the Jackfruit Tree from Prabhupada’s Birthplace in New Memorial

The jackfruit tree under which Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of ISKCON was born on 1st September 1896, is now withering and needs attention. It is situated at Srila Prabhupada’s birthplace in Kolkata, which was opened in 2021. A memorial is being built here and the preservation of the tree is a part of this project.

“It seems like the whole life of the jackfruit tree was for Srila Prabhupada. The tree was completely green after celebrating the inauguration of Srila Prabhupada’s birthplace in 2021. But gradually, it started leaving its body,” said Radharaman Das, the Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata.

Due to the tree’s present condition, Radharaman consulted an expert devotee from Pune who removed the soil from around the tree and found that the whole tree was hollow from the inside. Srila Prabhupada had expressed his desire that a memorial should be built on his birthplace. It has been decided that the tree will be removed and preserved in the memorial.

Radharaman Das said, “We will remove the whole tree and transfer it to the memorial. There, if we cover the tree and keep then it will survive for the next 10,000 years provided it gets yearly maintenance and is kept covered in a glass with proper chemicals meant for preservation.”

To ensure that Srila Prabhupada’s legacy endures through the ages, an endeavor is being made to both save the tree and immortalize its essence in the form of a bronze replica.

Radharaman Das continued, “An exact replica of the tree should be there. The deity of the tree should be there. So, I thought of constructing a tree of bronze since it is a good material. The fiber dais is being made now, after which the bronze casting will occur. We are also thinking of carving the names of the disciples of Srila Prabhupada in the bronze replica.”

ISKCON Kolkata has acquired 3,600 square feet of land at Srila Prabhupada’s birthplace, which is very small to build a memorial. Efforts to acquire more land are already being made. The bronze casting is also quite expensive, approximately 2 crores INR. 

It is encouraged that everyone should contribute to preserving the legacy of Srila Prabhupada. To learn more about this important project, please visit their website, email them, or call their WhatsApp for additional details. 

To donate, see the details below:

For Indian donors:

UPI: ISKCON@rbl

A/C Name: International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Bank: RBL Bank

Savings A/C No: 309002157355

IFSC: RATN0000167

Donate through Razorpay:

https://rzp.io/l/SPBL

For foreign donations:

Please call WhatsApp: +91-9811237146