The devotees in Sydney had worked hard to transform the little cottage in Glebe into Radha and Krsna's temple. The devotee population had more than tripled in only six weeks and spirits were high. A new altar had been built for Radha-Gopinatha, as well as a new vyasasana for Srila Prabhupada. Trees and shrubs were being planted in the garden, and painting and decorating were going ahead full-swing.
Janne, now Jagattarini, had married Bhurijana, an older disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and had been assisting her husband in spreading Krsna consciousness in Hong Kong. For Jagattarini, living in Hong Kong was austere. To gain a little relief, she had requested her husband to allow her to return to Australia to visit her parents in Melbourne, and then be present for Srila Prabhupada's tour of Australia.
Today she sat in on a post-breakfast meeting arranged by Mohanananda to discuss preparations being made for Prabhupada's visit. At one stage, a devotee entered the room and handed Mohanananda a telegram which he casually opened. Suddenly, his jaw dropped. Prabhupada was arriving that day! They had not expected him until Sunday, and, what's more, Syamasundara had mentioned an arrival time already two hours past!
The temple erupted in panic. As Mohanananda frantically announced the news, Jagattarini ran outside to arrange a car to pick up Srila Prabhupada. After a few minutes, a small greeting party of devotees, with a hastily-made garland, sped off down Hereford Street for the airport.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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