Sri Melbourne Mahaprabhu Mandir
By the time Srila Prabhupada's dark limousine pulled up outside the temple, the men were chanting on the grass verge. Ladies lined the narrow walkway from the front gate to "Prabhupada House", their hands filled with flowers and rose petals, hastily distributed from a basket. As Prabhupada slowly walked up the path, his silver-handled cane tucked under one arm, he cupped his hands and humbly accepted the flowers. Prabhupada crossed the courtyard, slipped off his brown canvas shoes, and entered the temple now filled with fragrant frankincense. Someone rang a heavy, wall-mounted brass ship's bell. Temple pujaris blew three long blasts on conchshells. Accompanied by the first strains of the recorded hymn Govindam Adi Purusam that boomed over the temple speaker system, the doors drew back. Prabhupada and all the devotees prostrated themselves on the floor in obeisances.
Upon rising, Srila Prabhupada stood respectfully, scrutinising each altar, hands together palm to palm in a mood of reverential greeting. Apart from the main large temple Deities of Gaura-Nitai, Srila Prabhupada noted another smaller set of Gaura-Nitai Deities that graced the same altar. These usually accompanied the travelling sankirtana bus party that Sabhapati had recently organised. Prabhupada had been happy to hear that They had been cast and fashioned by local devotees six months before at a home-made foundry set up on the temple grounds. Although the finished Deities were a little rough, Prabhupada had been impressed with the devotees' industriousness.
Also present on the same altar were Guru Krpa Swami's small travelling Deities of Gaura-Nitai. After bowing down to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His multiple forms, and the altars of Radha and Krsna and Lord Jagannatha, he sipped three drops of sacred caranamrta and walked to his vyasasana to receive guru puja. He appreciated the exuberant kirtana, and at the end, along with the usual prayers of obeisance, added "Sri Melbourne Mahaprabhu Mandir ki jaya!"
After leaving the temple room, Ugrasrava helped Prabhupada slip his canvas shoes back on. Another ecstatic kirtana accompanied him to the red stairs leading to his quarters. As Prabhupada slowly ascended, the ebullient kirtana, now roaring with gongs and large loud whompers, reached a crescendo. Guru Krpa led the kirtana party wildly up and down the stairs as others in the foyer jumped high in the air, grinning and laughing. Prabhupada was happy to see the enthusiasm of his disciples. He turned to Pusta Krsna Swami at the top of the stairs. "This is a symptom," he said, "that things here are going on nicely."
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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