At the end of July/beginning of August I spent three weeks in the Sydney region - one weekend in the devotee community of Western Sydney, and two weeks at the main temple of North Sydney.
North Sydney is the home of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha - the Deities Srila Prabhupada brought on his lap when flying to Australia. In those days, the devotees were not at all ready and qualified to receive Their Lordships, and at the installation Srila Prabhupada offered the famous prayer: "Please, my dear Lord, you kindly teach these mlecchas now how to worship You nicely...!"
I had spent almost 4 years in the Brahmacharini-Ashram in this temple - from 1985 to 1989. In those days, Radha Gopinatha were in the Darlinghurst temple at King's Cross - the nightlife district of Sydney - and Radha Gokulananda were at North Sydney temple. Later, those Deities moved to a farm called New Gokula, and Radha Gopinatha moved to North Sydney.
I stayed in the Guest Room at the temple and was well taken care of by so many ladies from the congregation. The devotees arranged a lot of programs for my visit - morning classes, home programs, a matajis' sanga, Sunday feast programs and seminars on the weekends. Jhulan Yatra was a sweet event - many devotees came to swing Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. On my daily walks I discovered huge bushes with lavender which I collected and decorated the swing with, together with little white jonquils. It looked noble and elegant, filling the atmosphere with a wonderful blend of fragrances...
For Balarama's appearance I was invited to offer the morning- and also the festival lecture on the glories of Lord Balarama. And I spent a blissful time at the book-table, distributing the books I published and connecting with devotees.
I stayed in the Guest Room at the temple and was well taken care of by so many ladies from the congregation. The devotees arranged a lot of programs for my visit - morning classes, home programs, a matajis' sanga, Sunday feast programs and seminars on the weekends. Jhulan Yatra was a sweet event - many devotees came to swing Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. On my daily walks I discovered huge bushes with lavender which I collected and decorated the swing with, together with little white jonquils. It looked noble and elegant, filling the atmosphere with a wonderful blend of fragrances...
For Balarama's appearance I was invited to offer the morning- and also the festival lecture on the glories of Lord Balarama. And I spent a blissful time at the book-table, distributing the books I published and connecting with devotees.
One day I requested the devotees to drive me out to Colo River - the place where Krishna had captured me, and where my spiritual journey in Krishna consciousness had started. In the beginning of May 1985 I came to this farm called Bhaktivedanta Ashram, situated on the beautiful banks of the Colo River. In those days, Radha Gokulananda were residing there. I came as a volunteer - simply to work in the garden and receive free food and accomodation. I had no clue about Krishna consciousness, yet I was desperately searching for a higher meaning to life.
At that time, Radhe Syama Prabhu from Switzerland was the head pujari and immediately engaged me in the pujari room, polishing the paraphernalia, cleaning utensils and even cutting up the fruit offering. I enjoyed creating a whole artistic arrangement with all the different fruits, nuts and whipped cream on the offering plate, sometimes making sweet balls and Simply Wonderfuls and decorating the whole arrangement with little flowers - I was not even wearing a sari but was still attached to my hippie clothes...! The devotees were so merciful unto me.... While I was engaged in service, Radhe Syama Prabhu was preaching to me non-stop - I was very suspicious and had so many questions which he answered to my full satisfaction. And he gave me "The Science of Self-Realization" and Bhagavad-gita to read. After one week I moved from the Guest Room to the Brahmacharini-Ashram... Finally, Krishna had captured me - after so many lifetimes...
I only stayed at the farm for some six or eight months - after I started going out on sankirtan and collection I moved to North Sydney, which was in those days a newly opened preaching centre, initially without any Deities.
The property at Colo River was flooding a lot during the wet season - once we had to move big marble Radha Gokulananda to a shed situated on a raised area around 300 meters away from the temple building. When the floods rised more and more, most devotees had moved to North Sydney. In the end, the temple building was under water, and the remaining devotees had to be rescued by helicopter - it even hit the news on TV...! After this episode the leaders decided to sell the property, relocate Radha Gokulananda to North Sydney, purchase a new property which is now New Gokula, and bring Radha Gokulananda there.
At that time, Radhe Syama Prabhu from Switzerland was the head pujari and immediately engaged me in the pujari room, polishing the paraphernalia, cleaning utensils and even cutting up the fruit offering. I enjoyed creating a whole artistic arrangement with all the different fruits, nuts and whipped cream on the offering plate, sometimes making sweet balls and Simply Wonderfuls and decorating the whole arrangement with little flowers - I was not even wearing a sari but was still attached to my hippie clothes...! The devotees were so merciful unto me.... While I was engaged in service, Radhe Syama Prabhu was preaching to me non-stop - I was very suspicious and had so many questions which he answered to my full satisfaction. And he gave me "The Science of Self-Realization" and Bhagavad-gita to read. After one week I moved from the Guest Room to the Brahmacharini-Ashram... Finally, Krishna had captured me - after so many lifetimes...
I only stayed at the farm for some six or eight months - after I started going out on sankirtan and collection I moved to North Sydney, which was in those days a newly opened preaching centre, initially without any Deities.
The property at Colo River was flooding a lot during the wet season - once we had to move big marble Radha Gokulananda to a shed situated on a raised area around 300 meters away from the temple building. When the floods rised more and more, most devotees had moved to North Sydney. In the end, the temple building was under water, and the remaining devotees had to be rescued by helicopter - it even hit the news on TV...! After this episode the leaders decided to sell the property, relocate Radha Gokulananda to North Sydney, purchase a new property which is now New Gokula, and bring Radha Gokulananda there.
| Now I was excited to travel out to Colo River, and we took some gulab jamuns and little books with us to offer to the new proprietors. To my disappointment, nobody was home at the place - they had once again been affected by the recent huge floods around a month before. I checked out the building and looked inside through the big windows where the temple room used to be - it looked pretty chaotic and deserted. Over the internet we could see that the owners had changed three times over the last 20 years - probably because of being in a flooding area. Somebody had invested quite a bit of money and made it into a nice little Guest House, with some additional extensions and a swimming pool in the back. It was an overwhelming and almost a spiritually-emotional experience for me to now visit this place again where I started my journey in Krishna consciousness - after more than 35 years...! A heart-moving parikrama... So many old memories came up - almost like a previous lifetime.... On the 16th of August I traveled out to New Gokula - just in time for Janmastami.... Your servant, Devaki dd |  |
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