They recrossed the rather sparse backyard and entered the small shop-front that had been a grocery store, at the fore of the semi-detached building next door to the temple. Mohanananda described to Srila Prabhupada how he planned to sell books there. For the moment the devotees had a small supply of bead bags, incense, and a few racks of thin Indian cheesecloth clothing. Srila Prabhupada, pleased and smiling, asked a few questions. By this stage, many more devotees had joined the touring party.
Prabhupada next visited Vaibhavi's art studio, a small cluttered annex between the temple and the shop-front. A half-finished painting of Krsna and Arjuna on a chariot stood on an easel. The room was untidy, and Prabhupada said nothing.
Mohanananda had been saving the best thing for last. Now back at the front gate, Mohanananda proudly indicated his ultimate preaching tool -- the double-decker bus. As Prabhupada stepped on board, his eyes opened wide and his eyebrows lifted slightly. He walked halfway up the stairwell and looked into the top deck. "Mmm," he said. "I could live in this." The devotees laughed.
Standing with his left arm on the polished stainless steel pole, he commented how much he appreciated the preaching potential of such a bus and the concept of having a travelling temple. He encouraged Mohanananda to push on with the project.
Prabhupada's tour finished at the front of the temple building. He quickly walked up the three or four marble steps which were lined with olive-green glazed tiles decorated with ceramic grape leaves, then crossed the small cream-and-red tiled veranda. He was followed close behind by Raghunatha's seven-year-old son, Radha Ramana, who wore a small "Prabhupada hat" and carried a little pink flag. On the veranda, Prabhupada noticed the Radha Krsna Temple sign adorned with lotus petals and swans. Prabhupada entered the hallway. Slipping off his saffron canvas shoes, he paused momentarily, glancing up at the pink and yellow pastel walls, the small, framed paintings and lead-light windows above the doorways. He then proceeded to the temple room, with its highly polished wood floor, and finally to the Deity room, which was separated from the temple by an arched wall. There Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha stood resplendent on a lace-covered lotus petal throne, a mirrored slab beneath Their feet; above, hung an ornate square red canopy embroidered with multi-coloured flags bordered with golden tassels.
Prabhupada stood reverently, hands clasped together in respect. The Deities were dressed simply but attractively -- Krsna in golden dhoti and turban and Radharani in matching sari. The morning sun, shining through the bay windows directly behind Radha Gopinatha, was filtered through elaborate gold-painted wooden latticework, and shiny, translucent pink lace curtains. On either side of Radha and Krsna stood a large, full vase of fresh flowers.
In front of Radha Gopinatha were a couple of cream-coloured marble steps, the upright surface of which was upholstered in shimmering gold cloth. At the front of the altar were two side wings, similarly upholstered. On the left-hand side on a semi-circular piece of pink marble, under an embroidered canopy the same shade, stood a picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates, along with pictures of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. The right-hand side of the altar, a mirror image of the left, housed the smiling forms of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. Prabhupada looked admiringly at the whole arrangement.
Highly-polished brass arati utensils -- a bell, spouted pot, incense burner and lamp -- lined the three top marble steps at the very front of the altar. The entire Deity room floor was covered with neat gleaming white floor tiles. The walls were yellow, and the skirting boards were trimmed with gold. It was gorgeous -- certainly a contrast to Radha Gopinatha's spartan beginnings one year before. Prabhupada offered his full obeisances on the floor, and the devotees immediately did the same.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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