Alfred Ford and wife keen to visit Jagannath temple in Digha
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We eagerly look forward to visiting this divine abode of Their Lordships and consider it our greatest fortune to be able to offer our humble pranams and heartfelt prayers at Their lotus feet. It is no exaggeration to say that the golden state of West Bengal will be restored to its original glory with this temple at Digha and the much-anticipated opening of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Sri Dham Mayapur in 2027.
This will place West Bengal as a major spiritual destination on the world map," Alfred and Sharmila said in a joint statement.
"Our heartiest felicitations to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for this sacred endeavour! The magnificent grand mandir is truly worthy of the Lord of the Universe, Sri Jagannath," they added.
Alfred Ford, who joined Iskcon in 1975 and was christened Ambarish Das, is chairman of the Sri Mayapur Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
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He expressed his keenness to visit the Jagannath temple when Iskcon Kolkata vice-president Radharamn Das invited him and Sharmila, also known as Svaha Devi Dasi, to the temple.
Alfred Ford's mother, Josephine Clay Ford (1923–2005), was the daughter of Edsel Ford (1893–1943), who was the son of Henry Ford (1863–1947). Henry Ford shot into prominence after the introduction of the Ford Model T in October 1908, which became the first mass-produced affordable automobile at the world's first assembly line for cars in Michigan, US.
Alfred Ford's father was Walter B. Ford II (1920–1991), whose family was prominent in chemical manufacturing in the Downriver area south of Detroit.
In 1974, Ford became a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, whom he first met in Dallas. He made his first trip to India with Prabhupada the next year. Since then, he visited India and Mayapur several times. Alfred's wife, Sharmila, hails from a Bengali family.
While the couple visited various Krishna temples across the world, they never had access to the Jagannath temple in Puri as only devotees of Hindu descent are allowed there. Though the Digha temple is a replica of the Puri shrine, it does not distinguish devotees based on birth, religion, nationality, or race.
"While the tradition in Puri restricts entry only to those born as Hindus, the Digha temple welcomes all who come with a sincere heart and respect for Lord Jagannath," said Radharamn Das.
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