|
 Reacting, in a letter to a life member, to the news of the sales agreement on the Juhu land in Bombay being cancelled, Srila Prabhupada said “I shall be the last man to give up Hare Krishna Land to the rogue Mr N.” Even Prabhupada’s disciples were having difficulty understanding Prabhupada’s unbreakable determination, but Prabhupada saw Bombay as the most important city in India—the gateway, and he had promised the deities, Radha-Rasavihari. He had prayed “Dear Sir, please stay here, and I will build You a beautiful temple”. Prabhupada had a keen fighting spirit to keep the land. He was vigilant, militant, holding his ground against Mr N.
His protectiveness of the Deities extended to his disciples also, and he felt responsible for his thousands of disciples.
During the last week of January, 1973, Prabhupada met with Mr N who accused Prabhupada and the devotees of being connected with the CIA. After some angry words, Prabhupada told Mr N that they would vacate the land in the morning or even that very night and demanded the deposit be returned. Mr N. shouted, “I will remove the Deities myself! I will break the temple and remove the Deities!” Mr. N. then stormed out of the room.
That week Mr N. was hospitalized after a severe heart attack. Two weeks later he died.
Mrs N carried on the fight after her husband had died, and one day without warning, she launched a violent attack on the temple and the devotees. On the morning of June 1, a demolition squad authorised by an official in the city government swarmed over the property. Nearly one hundred demolitionists with blowtorches and sledgehammers, began to knock out the steel supports of the kirtana hall, and proceeded methodically toward the Deity house, wherein Radha-Rasavihari stood. As Manasvi had been trying to close the doors to the altar to protect the Deities, she was wrestled away, and the others were grabbed by the legs and arms and carried away. Police dragged the women away by their hair. Several phone calls were made to a sympathetic tenant, who phoned his brother a wealthy businessman and friend of Bal Thakura, the leader of one of the most influential political parties in Bombay. The emergency of a Hindu temple of Lord Visnu , being demolished under the order of a Hindu municipal officer, was then halted, and Prabhupada told the devotees to organize the local ISKCON sympathisers and life members to protest the attack by mass publicity. This episode, Prabhupada said, had been part of Krishna’s plan; the devotees should not be afraid.
Mr Vinoda Gupta, of the Jan-Sangh political party, which favoured maintaining India’s Hindu culture joined with Kartikeya Mahadevia and others to form a “Save the Temple” committee. Government officials and many of Bombay’s leading citizens offered sympathy and assistance. Thus the plan of Mrs N and her lawyers backfired.
The devotees had no actual permission to rebuild the temple but decided to rebuild over the weekend, when Giriraja discovered that Mrs N had filed for an injunction, preventing ISKCON from rebuilding. Justice Nain when he learned of the new temple on Monday, declared, “What is built is built. No
one can destroy the temple.” Prabhupada considered this a complete victory. Prabhupada was residing in Mayapur in an uncompleted building hoping to regain his strength and health. He Observed the difficult conditions his disciples were experiencing. Prabhupada felt affection and deep gratitude for those devotees dedicating their lives to the Mayapur project. One night he called Bhavananda to his room and began asking him about the devotees. Suddenly Prabhupada began crying, “I know it is difficult for all you Western boys and girls,” he said. “You are so dedicated, serving here in my mission. I know you cannot even get prasadam. When I think that you cannot even get milk and that you have given up your opulent life to come here and you do not complain, I am very much indebted to all of you.”
During this time Bhavananda said that Prabhupada had introduced them to many of the details of Indian culture and he was seen to be re-establishing the old aristocratic mood from the early 1900s or 1920s.
Prabhupada’s vision of the Mayapur project was that the city would be the fulfilment of the desires of the previous acaryas (Krishna conscious teachers). It would be a city of fifty thousand, and would become the spiritual capital of the world with its gigantic temple and living quarters. Thus the influence of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would increase, and His prediction would manifest: “In every town and village My name will be chanted.”
Prabhupada went to Calcutta from Mayapur on June 27, 1973 and was considering his itinerary, planning to visit London and the house given by George Harrison.
After eating a meal cooked by his sister, Bhavatarini (known as Pisima to the disciples), Prabhupada became very ill, and the devotees feared he might be about to pass away. The old kaviraja (Ayur-Vedic doctor), diagnosed severe blood dysentery. Prabhupada then requested fried puris with a little patala (an Indian vegetable similar to a small squash), and salt. This was the cure given to him by his mother during his childhood. A few hours after taking the food, Prabhupada remarked, “My mother was right.”
A telegram arrived from Syamasundara in London about the greatest Ratha Yatra ever held. Prabhupada would be picked up at the airport in a helicopter and flown to the main event. The parade would proceed down Picadilly Lane, climaxing under a large pavilion at Trafalgar Square.. Although Prabhupada appeared physically unfit to immediately fly to London to the active preaching that awaited him, his disciples submitted, accepting this as another miracle by Krishna.
Sources: Your Ever Well-wisher by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami.
|
; "Image")