the sketch, and it was very impressive. I returned toMayapur and showed the sketch to the temple authorities. Everyone wanted this same sthapati to carve the Deity. Once again, I was sent back to South India to try to convince him. I went straight to the house of the sthapati. I was feeling very anxious. What could I do but pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva to
be merciful and agree to manifest Himself in our temple in Sri Mayapur Dhama? I had hardly said two sentences when the man very matter-of-factly said he would carve the Deity. The story of how he came to this decision is interesting. The sthapati had approached his guru, the Sankaracarya of Kanchipuram, about our request. His guru ’ s immediate reply was, “ Don ’ t do it; Your family will be destroyed. ” But then, after a moment ’ s reflection, he asked, “ Who has asked you to carve this Deity? ” When he heard that it was the Hare Krishna people from Navadvipa, he become very concerned. “ They want Ugra-Nrsimha? Are they aware of the implications of sculpting and installing Ugra-Nrsimha? Such Deities were carved over 3,000 years ago by very elevated sthapatis. There is a place on the way to Mysore where a
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