Makanlal das Remembers Srila Prabhupada
Prabhupada Memories
Interview 01
Makanlal: In 1969, the temple was located on La Cienega Boulevard and Tamal Krishna Maharaj wanted a vyasasana for that temple like the one Nara-Narayan had built in San Francisco. So, for the Los Angeles temple, Nara-Narayan built another vyasasana for Srila Prabhupada. When Srila Prabhupada accepted that vyasasana, with tears in his eyes he declared before all the devotees, “I am not fit. But on behalf of my Guru Maharaj, I must accept.” We could understand that a maha-bhagavata pure devotee is always fit to receive that level of honor. But Prabhupada was humble. Not artificially, but from his heart he humbly felt, “This should be offered to my Guru Maharaj, to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. I will not take it for myself. As his representative I will accept it. Only on those terms.” Nara-Narayan had designed the vyasasana, which had a wooden gold-leafed railing around it, after an old black-and-white photograph of the throne of the King of Jaipur. Srila Prabhupada, being well educated, must have known exactly where the design came from because he said, “This is meant for kings.” And he accepted it with great humility. Then, on the Appearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, Prabhupada would not sit on the vyasasana. To honor his Guru Maharaj, Prabhupada sat on a cushion on the floor, and he put a photograph of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur on the vyasasana. That is the proper etiquette. |
To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 32 - Jagadatri dd, Giriraj Swami and 6 others
The full Prabhupada Memories Series can be viewed here and also at www.prabhupadamemories.com
Following Srila Prabhupada
Interview DVD 01
Makanlal: A total of about 15 people who immediately after the festival moved into the temple in San Francisco. The temple was just a very narrow storefront with Dutch-style doors that Shyamasundara had built. So a great family environment. There was no mangal arati in those days, there were no books in those days. So it was actually the power of the chanting of the Holy Name and the incredible charisma of the Rathayatra Festival that was drawing the devotees into the temple. |
Interview DVD 02
Makanlal: He gave instructions about the dancing, I know that, for that year. I think it was 1970 that he told the devotees how to dance, in front of the deities specifically, based on the descriptions that are in the Chaitanya-caritamrta. At that time, the Chaitanya-caritamrtawas not available. In one group, Lord Nityananda would be the dancer in front of one chariot. In another chariot, I think it was Advaitacarya may have been the dancer. Like that. It was basically for the pleasure of the deity, then you have an ecstatic dancer. Not to impress the crowd but, in Krishna consciousness, for the specific pleasure of the deity. |