[2][3] Charu Das, an American by birth, left the United States in order to protest and avoid the Vietnam War.

After spending several years with a community of Krishna devotees, Charu left Australia and returned to the United States where he served in several positions for ISKCON.

Charu Das first visited Utah in 1975 when he traveled to Brigham Young University (BYU) to sell books for a trust under ISKCON.

From March through October the temple usually holds entertainments such as art and photography displays, tour guides, cuisine tasting, cultural exhibits on India, a gala pageant of the epic Ramayana, the burning of a 20-foot (6.1 m) high effigy of the demon Ravana, weddings and receptions, guided llama tours, and fireworks.

Visitors can buy different colored powder (gulaal) imported from India, to throw at each other and into the air at specific times throughout the day, while live bands perform music.