Touching down at Sydney's Kingsford-Smith airport, Prabhupada and his entourage quickly crossed the tarmac. A group of devotees received Prabhupada respectfully at the terminal door, and soon he was en route to the temple. Since Mohanananda's phone call a few days before, the Sydney devotees had been immersed in a blissful fever of transcendental temple refurbishment. The somewhat run-down house in Glebe now had banana palms planted in the front garden. The temple windows were bordered with gold lattice work. Indian-style gold-painted wooden fretwork arches bordered the verandah and the creaky iron gate had been oiled.
As Prabhupada walked in the front gate, he appeared very happy with the improvements. Those that he seemed not to notice were quickly pointed out to him. And the devotees were ready for Srila Prabhupada this time. In the hallway, before he entered the temple room, one young brahmacari bathed Prabhupada's feet with warm water mixed with fragrant rose petals.
When Prabhupada entered the temple room he saw it had been transformed. Vaibhavi had spent long, sleepless hours on a scaffold, brushing gold over the embossed plaster patterns on the temple ceiling. The labour of love was well worth it -- the result was quite impressive. Someone also pointed out to him the multicoloured ceiling rosette, surrounding a new chandelier, and a matching chandelier in the Deity room. The devotees had painted the skirting board and wall trims gold. The Hare Krsna mantra, in bold red Sanskrit lettering, now adorned the area above the arched wall dividing the Deity room and the temple. Many new posters with gold-painted frames now decorated the temple walls.
Prabhupada nodded with satisfaction at all the improvements. And seeing this, all the devotees felt their hard work had been well worthwhile.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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