Srila Prabhupada On Mayapur

NOVEMBER 1975 BOMBAY – ÇRÉLA PRABHUPÄDA is COMING! [Sarvamaìgala Devé Däsé] said, “I heard that Your Divine Grace said yesterday, during darshan, that the sannyasis’ business is to preach, the brahmacaris’ business is to assist the sannyasis and the grhast- has’ business is Deity worship. What about the brahmacarinis? Can we also worship the Deity?” “Yes, brahmacarinis can do.” Most of the Deity worship in Bombay was performed by single la- dies—Cintamoni, Moksa-laksmi, Ambikä, Känta, Sarvamaìgala, me, and others. Sarvamaìgala wanted to ensure that the temple authori- ties here, and elsewhere, wouldn’t use Çréla Prabhupäda’s words— ”Deity worship is the grhasthas’ business”—as an excuse to kick brahmacarinis off the altar. Çréla Prabhupäda confirmed that we could continue our Deity service. 5/5/74 BOMBAY – JAYATÉRTHA DÄSA You have asked about Gaura Nitai deity worship by the household- ers….That is for those who live far away from the temple and cannot attend. Otherwise, such worship is redundant; there is already deity worship going on in the temple and they should attend the aratis, not install their own deities. APRIL 1976 MÄYÄPUR – ÇRÉLA PRABHUPÄDA is COMING! In most temples the biggest offering of the day was the noon offering, called the raja bhoga, or the king of enjoyment, but Çréla Prabhupäda said, “Rädhä-Mädhava feast at night.” So, between two and three p.m., we’d start cooking the eight-fifteen p.m. offering of fourteen to sixteen preparations. Not following a fixed menu, but cooking according to the availability of ingredients—and her inspiration—Våndäban Bihäriné prabhu usu- ally cooked four subjees, puris, nimkis (a Bengali savory), one or two chutneys, one or two savories, hot milk and at least six sweets—two made from milk. With this offering, the Lord was offered betel nut

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