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As Prabhupada entered the front door, he was adorned with three long flower garlands. After removing his shoes, he entered the long, narrow temple which had been gaily decorated with flags. An initiation ceremony was scheduled for straight after the guru puja. A large, coloured canopy hung over a sacrificial arena built of small volcanic boulders. The whole area was decorated with marigolds and roses.

As the Deity doors opened, Srila Prabhupada stood, gazing lovingly at Sri Sri Radha-Giridhari, who stood together under a dome-shaped canopy. Krsna, plump and blackish, appeared like a young boy. Radharani, charming and effulgent with a white complexion, stood beside him. Behind the Divine Couple, a sequined backdrop reflected the altar lights in rainbow hues. Prabhupada noticed that on either side of the central carved wooden altar were provisions for more Deities to be installed. On the left-hand side was a canopy over an empty base, presumably for Gaura-Nitai. On the opposite side, under another canopy, were very small forms of Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra, Who stood in front of a space for larger Jagannatha Deities.

Prabhupada appeared happy. He turned to Yasomatinandana with wide open eyes. "Oh, you've made arrangements!" He confirmed with Pusta Krsna Swami, "He has made arrangements, so we will install Guru and Gauranga and Jagannatha."

Prabhupada walked the length of the temple room to receive guru puja. He mounted the white marble steps to his ornate new vyasasana, trimmed with an attractive pink lotus-petal design, and leafed with pure gold. Devotees stood in two rows, one on each side of the temple, and worshipped their spiritual master with the traditional arati ceremony, accompanied by the song Sri Guru Carana Padma.

As the kirtana commenced, devotees came up one-by-one, offering handfuls of fragrant rose petals at their beloved spiritual master's feet, before bowing prostrate on the floor. Prabhupada nodded his head and smiled, appreciating the sincere loving service of the devotees. Majestically, he gathered handfuls of flowers in his right hand and sent a cascade streaming into the crowd of devotees who starting dancing as though magically infused with life. It was the loving gesture of an exalted father blessing his tiny, inexperienced children.

Although his children in Auckland did not see eye-to-eye, at least for the time being they were all together, serving their spiritual master side by side. By worshipping Srila Prabhupada as one, chanting together, taking prasadam together, they would please him. As Prabhupada had written Bhurijana: "It is a natural thing for the brothers to fight, as long as they all stay obedient to the father."


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu