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Close-up of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Excerpted from "MY SIKSA GURU AND PRIYA BANDHU", Remembrances of His Divine Grace Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, compiled from selected interviews, lectures and writings by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja:

JHANSI
I went twice to visit Abhaya Caranaravinda Prabhu while he was preaching in Jhansi. The first time I traveled on the train with some of the brahmacaris; the second time I went there to see him with my Gurudeva. We stayed four or five days each time. He had made some connections earlier during his frequent travels there for business. Some people had a building which was suitable for a manha. Prabhu invited us to consider it for one of our manhas, but our Gurudeva was not prepared to settle there. He didn't have enough brahmacaris, and he also favored a larger city like Mathura. The gentleman who had originally invited him, icarya Prabhakara Misra, became his initiated disciple. I don't know whether he gave diksa to him or not, but he said that he had accepted this man. I think that he had given harinama only. At that time Abhay Caranaravinda Prabhu was translating Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and this disciple would help him to correct his Hindi because it was mixed with Bengali.

During his stay in Jhansi, Abhay Caranaravinda Prabhu personally brought a large and very beautiful murti of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu from Bankura (near Mednapore, West Bengal). This is where many Deities are made especially for the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. He had first ordered the Deity, and then brought Mahaprabhu to be established in that temple.

Prabhu invited Gurudeva and we came to visit there for the installation. Although we arrived for the program, the installment did not happen. This was because Guru Maharaja discussed with Prabhu about the manner in which those sponsors were allowing him to use the mandira. When he told us that they could kick him out, Gurudeva said he thought it might be better if a document was received. There was a discussion between Gurudeva and the sponsors and before all those people present he made a condition, "If you give the mandira to Pujyapada Abhay Caraaaravinda Bhaktivedanta Prabhu, then he will be the master of all these things. He will do everything according to our sampradaya." They, however, were in the mood that the temple should be in their charge and he would be like a priest. Both Prabhu and Guru Maharaja rejected their conditions.

They then brought that uninstalled vigraha here to Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha in Mathura. Prabhu had been doing some regular puja alone there in Jhansi, but the Deity was not yet officially installed. My Gurudeva and I came back first from Jhansi to Mathura on the train. Prabhu didn't come with us then, but after some days he returned with the Caitanya Mahaprabhu vigraha and put Him in the care of my Gurudeva. Then Gurudeva installed that very beautiful Caitanya Mahaprabhu here on the altar in our manha where He is still being served to this day.

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