fb add

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

homas Garden Maharajah sat on the cement and mud floor in front of his steel trunk with the picture of Radha Govinda i brought him from Jaipura, and translated Srila Prabhupada's books with fullest attention hardly saying a word for hours. I got him that picture because he used to call out for Govinda at night while "sleeping".

Manage

Like

· Reply · 25m · Edited

Thomas Garden He strictly ate once a day, noonish, dahlma, capatis rice, hardly any ghee, no sugar. I did not know he was diabetic, and fancied a little goor in the dahl, but one day he fasted rather than eat it, so i learned not to do that! Otherwise he enjoyed my cooking, very simple.

Manage

Like

· Reply · 23m

Thomas Garden For a feast one day the New York devotees visited us, so we prepared tomato chutney also. Delicious! Everyone sat in the semi-covered veranda courtyard, and ate from palm leaf plates. until well satisfied. Local brahmans typically prepared the large Sunday feast offerings, though i also cooked for the devotees maybe some samosa, or like that. I purchased one can of ghee and a pkg or two of country kitchen premixed spices for the cooking that day so that the Sunday food was a bit special. That was what i had learned to do in Canada. By thew way, Gour Govinda was exactly like every other iskcon devotee in habits and thinking, and laughed at the idea of 64 rounds etc for iskcon. He was also not fond of excessive mantras, but knew the traditonal ones more than we commonly used at that time. He was Prabhupada dasa 100%.

Manage

Like

· Reply · 1m · Edited

Thomas Garden My relationshisp with Srila Gour Govinda was in some ways ways like i was furthering and protecting him, though mostly he was watching out for me.

Manage

Like

· Reply · 18m · Edited

Thomas Garden Hes was at first most reluctant to preach to Srila Prabhupada's disciples, considering us his superiors. He would not sit on any pillow or elevated seat for his lectures. I went through a time getting him to accept a pillow i had sewn, white with blue flowers and such, for him to sit on . I had to explain it to him; the villagers will see the holy man and be impressed and then they will listen better! He finally agreed to sit on it.

2

Manage

Love

· Reply · 15m

Thomas Garden I did many services like provide my mosquito net when we were doing an out program. I gave him mine and went to sleep on the hill top where the breeze kept the bugs down. Nilamadhava So i was fortunate to render some intimate village type services. We were living in Vrndavana, Bhubaneswara, village life, cows and everything. very simple and all happy. Hare Krsna. I wish it had continued. We were determined to build this Temple though, and we knew things would change, but it was our service. I was a young man, quite committed, and remain so to this day to an extent, but am unaware what goes on there now. I am a well wisher of all the Bhubaneswara devotees. Even Pundara prabhu. I have defended the glories of SGGS among the nonitsacon communities as best i could.

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

my time there was very happy simple cottage, no furniture, no lamps, just one bulb and a poorly covered switch that electrocuted you every so often. The chunky black phone was there sitting on the floor; you could never reach anybody anyway. It was funny, someone would rarely wish or need to use it, and Maharajah would laugh at them and shake his head and hand.

There was a water jug, big red one, with metal cup, and it kept kunda giri water very cold. we had one bicycle, and every so often Vaisnasva das would taske the jug to Kunda giri nearby to refill it. Miraculous ehaling ehalthy water, pilgrimage place. We used to drink by holding the cup up high and not touching ti with your lips, and sometimes the cold water would spalsh onto your kurtas. most refreshing!

[Tamohara dasa ADMIN.]

https://youtu.be/FAv43Q9NuyY