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Kitchen cleaning

The temple cooks received grave news that night. "Prabhupada," said Bali-mardana Swami, "will not go ahead with the Deity installation tomorrow unless the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned". The devotees rallied, and prepared for an all-night cleaning marathon.

But the Deity installation was still in doubt. Bali-mardana had also informed Prabhupada that there were insufficient brahmanas available. Without a qualified crew of pujaris, or priests, the more demanding Deity worship could not be maintained. After much discussion, it was finally decided that two Melbourne devotees would be given both first and second initiation the next day. This was only under the strict condition that they stay and worship the Deities as their full-time service.

That night, all the kitchen fittings were removed, dismantled, and fully cleansed, the walls scrubbed, scraped, and repainted. By early morning the kitchen had been totally transformed. Bali-mardana gave a final inspection and, albeit reluctantly, gave his permission for the installation.


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

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