(Part 2) Srila Prabhupada’s history with the Simhasan

In July 1974 Srila Prabhupada came to New Vrindaban. The following year Prabhupada wrote a letter to the New Vrindaban devotees saying he would visit again in August 1975 and stay a whole month! The whole community became abuzz with the mantra, “Prabhupada is coming! Prabhupada is coming!”

Every devotee was thinking intensely how to please Srila Prabhupada with their service. Kuladri Prabhu in the meantime had been planning on pleasing Srila Prabhupada by transforming Radha Vrindaban Candra’s altar by offering a new throne (Simhasan) to the deities during Srila Prabhupada’s visit.

 

So Kuladri Prabhu had traveled to Bombay to arrange the carving of a teakwood Simhasan for the deities. After checking  on their progress, Kuladri took the drawings personally to show Srila Prabhupada who was also in Bombay at the time.

 

After inspecting all the details and asking some questions, Srila Prabhupada was pleased with the design and gave his approval, saying “very nice”. As Kuladri rolled up the drawings, Srila Prabhupada asked Kuladri “How much did you pay?” When Kuladri answered, Srila Prabhupada said, “Oh, you have paid too much.”

 

Undeterred, Kuladri traveled back to New Vrindaban to get things ready for Srila Prabhupada’s visit. When Srila Prabhupada changed his plans and did not come to New Vrindaban in 1975, still the Simhasan was offered to the deities on Janmastami 1975.

 

Srila Prabhupada then let the devotees know that he would come to New Vrindaban the next summer.  So, on June 21, 1976 Srila Prabhupada arrived in Bahulaban and was ecstatically greeted outside the temple by dancing Brijabasis.

Bowing down in front of Their Lordships inside the temple, Srila Prabhupada then stood praying with folded hands in front of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra and Their new altar.

 After a few moments Srila Prabhupada slowly turned to Kuladri who was standing next to him and with a gleam in his eye Prabhupada said, “It was worth it.” Kuladri was ecstatic.

Later Srila Prabhupada explained, “When you find something valuable, be ready to pay the price. Just like, Krsna Consciousness, the most valuable thing, we should be prepared to do whatever it takes to attain it!”

Devotees’ Reflections on a Sacred Relic (Part 1)

The Simhasan of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra

On the evening of Lord Nityananda’s Appearance, there was the very last darshan ever of Lord Jagannath on Their beautiful altar They stood on for the last 40 years. 

Although we were happy to see Them dancing to Their new altar, I began to meditate how so many beautiful altars in Iskcon are actually expansions of that very altar (Simhasan).

Lord Jagannath began receiving worship on that altar at the RVC Temple in 1984.

Before that, from 1975 to 1983 that very altar was the home of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra at the original Bahulaban farmhouse temple. 

When Radha Vrindaban Candra was offered that altar, it set the standard as it inspired the creation of ISKCON deity altars around the world! The artisan family who carved that Simhasan operated out of a tiny obscure shop in Bombay using simple hand tools while squatting on the ground. They did not know anything about Iskcon or New Vrindaban. Nor could they imagine that their exquisite work would produce a worldwide demand for their craft. Soon dozens of Iskcon temple presidents from around the world were finding that small shop and ordering altars for their Deities in their temples! 

For myself and the older Brijabasis the inspiration was something far more personal and important. In those days we lived in an unbelievably austere environment with very little vision on what an opulent offering to Krsna might even be. It was hard to conceive of what “progress” was and whether we were actually carrying out Srila Prabhupada’s dream of creating a New Vrindaban in the West. 

We didn’t have daily book scores or guests visiting the temple each Sunday to enliven the atmosphere. But we did have Radha Vrindavan Candra and we gave them the best we had. At that time the best we could offer the deities was a wicker gazebo enhanced with aluminum leaf from Home Depot. 

 

After the morning program our whole day was spent working hard to build New Vrindaban dealing with extreme cold, hunger, no hot water, no washing machine, and barely having any supplies.  Many left, not being able to see beyond the daily struggles. 

And then……one day while going to take prasadam in the old Bahulaban farmhouse temple I saw a large, 4 ft. X 6 ft. blueprint taped up on the wall. It was a detailed drawing of a beautiful hand carved altar that was being made for Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra by artisans in India. It was unlike anything we had ever seen!  

Devotees gathered in front of the drawing gleefully discussing how it contained carved pastimes from Krishna Book and beautiful Indian architectural features. I remember wondering if it would ever be a reality or if instead it was just propaganda to keep us going.

On the day the Simhasan actually arrived, it was transcendental bedlam! Devotees like Kuladri, Sudhanu, Soma, and Samba unpacking crates, figuring it out, putting the pieces together, all during the morning japa period! As the amazing Simhasan slowly manifested before our tear filled eyes, inside me was shouting,“It was not propaganda! It is real! We are real! And our dream of building Srila Prabhupada a New Vrindaban will become real!!!”

Like when a valuable jewel is placed in a setting makes it most perfect, so Their Lordships were placed in the center of that masterpiece, on Janmastami morning, 1975.