In early August of 1968, Srila Prabhupada began to encourage my husband, Goursundar, and I, to go out and open temples. We had been traveling all over the United States with His Divine Grace for nearly a year, and were then staying in Montreal, Canada, near the newly opened Montreal Iskcon temple. At that time, there was only a handful of small storefronts that we called “temples”--one in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, one in Boston, one in New york, one in Seattle, one in Santa Fe, and of course the one in Montreal, that was a renovated bowling alley.
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to go somewhere that had a warm climate, since my health suffered so much in cold climates. He suggested Florida or Hawaii. Goursundar chose Hawaii, more as a stepping stone to Japan, since Srila Prabhupada wanted him to open a temple in Japan as well. Goursundar, born in a military family, had lived in Asia as a child, and was very inclined to go there.
So in early September of 1968, shortly after we arrived in San Francisco, Goursundar left for Hawaii. He went ahead to pave the way, leaving me alone to manage Srila Prabhupada's travel and household arrangements on the mainland. Soon thereafter, Srila Prabhupada left for Santa Fe for a brief visit, then Seattle for a month, and then Los Angeles.
When we arrived in Los Angeles, the former storefront had closed, and there was no temple at that time, so the Deities--Lord Jagannath, Kartamashayi, and Srila Prabhupada's small Radha Krishna Deities--were kept in one room of our apartment. Soon after, the old church building on La Cienega was secured, and it became the main Iskcon Hare Krishna Temple in Los Angeles.
Shortly thereafter, I left for Hawaii on January 4, 1969, right after Goursundar secured an old beach house in Kaaawa, on the windward side of Oahu, a 45 minutes drive from Honolulu. It was a large old Hawaiian style house perched on the side of a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Located on a seven acre strip of land that stretched from beachside to mountain top, it was only a short walk from Swanzy Beach Park. We soon closed our tiny storefront temple in Honolulu, and this beautiful cliffside setting served as the first Hare Krishna Temple in Hawaii. There were swaying palm trees, lush vegetation, and a panoramic view of the deep blue Pacific Ocean. It was here that Srila Prabhupada first experienced the warm and welcoming climate of the Hawaiian Islands, which he often compared to his native Bengal.
A few weeks later, we received a telegram from Srila Prabhupada with his planned arrival date. We were so unprepared, having little in the way of pots and pans and household conveniences! Yet he was scheduled to arrive, so we began making arrangements. I contacted the local TV stations, the newspapers, etc., and we made ready his room to the best of our ability. Murari and Lilavati lived in Honolulu, and Murari's carpentry skills provided us with a big altar that turned our living room into a temple room. Kartamashayi, my Child Krishna Deity, had come with me from Los Angeles, so He was the central Deity on our altar. And of course, Srila Prabhupada’s Radha Krishna Deities, that he always carried with him, were soon situated on our newly constructed altar.
Srila Prabhupada’s first arrival in Hawaii was shown on local television, and though he was yet unknown, we did our best to publicize his visit and lectures. He came to stay with us in Kaaawa for about a month, along with Sudama, who was on his way to Japan. Our first Hawaiian temple consisted of Srila Prabhupada, Goursundar and myself, Kartikeya, Mahapurusha, and for a short time, Sudama. It was a meager beginning, but being blessed by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, it soon flourished and became well known in these Islands, as Iskcon Hawaii.
Srila Prabhupada wanted us to go somewhere that had a warm climate, since my health suffered so much in cold climates. He suggested Florida or Hawaii. Goursundar chose Hawaii, more as a stepping stone to Japan, since Srila Prabhupada wanted him to open a temple in Japan as well. Goursundar, born in a military family, had lived in Asia as a child, and was very inclined to go there.
So in early September of 1968, shortly after we arrived in San Francisco, Goursundar left for Hawaii. He went ahead to pave the way, leaving me alone to manage Srila Prabhupada's travel and household arrangements on the mainland. Soon thereafter, Srila Prabhupada left for Santa Fe for a brief visit, then Seattle for a month, and then Los Angeles.
When we arrived in Los Angeles, the former storefront had closed, and there was no temple at that time, so the Deities--Lord Jagannath, Kartamashayi, and Srila Prabhupada's small Radha Krishna Deities--were kept in one room of our apartment. Soon after, the old church building on La Cienega was secured, and it became the main Iskcon Hare Krishna Temple in Los Angeles.
Shortly thereafter, I left for Hawaii on January 4, 1969, right after Goursundar secured an old beach house in Kaaawa, on the windward side of Oahu, a 45 minutes drive from Honolulu. It was a large old Hawaiian style house perched on the side of a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Located on a seven acre strip of land that stretched from beachside to mountain top, it was only a short walk from Swanzy Beach Park. We soon closed our tiny storefront temple in Honolulu, and this beautiful cliffside setting served as the first Hare Krishna Temple in Hawaii. There were swaying palm trees, lush vegetation, and a panoramic view of the deep blue Pacific Ocean. It was here that Srila Prabhupada first experienced the warm and welcoming climate of the Hawaiian Islands, which he often compared to his native Bengal.
A few weeks later, we received a telegram from Srila Prabhupada with his planned arrival date. We were so unprepared, having little in the way of pots and pans and household conveniences! Yet he was scheduled to arrive, so we began making arrangements. I contacted the local TV stations, the newspapers, etc., and we made ready his room to the best of our ability. Murari and Lilavati lived in Honolulu, and Murari's carpentry skills provided us with a big altar that turned our living room into a temple room. Kartamashayi, my Child Krishna Deity, had come with me from Los Angeles, so He was the central Deity on our altar. And of course, Srila Prabhupada’s Radha Krishna Deities, that he always carried with him, were soon situated on our newly constructed altar.
Srila Prabhupada’s first arrival in Hawaii was shown on local television, and though he was yet unknown, we did our best to publicize his visit and lectures. He came to stay with us in Kaaawa for about a month, along with Sudama, who was on his way to Japan. Our first Hawaiian temple consisted of Srila Prabhupada, Goursundar and myself, Kartikeya, Mahapurusha, and for a short time, Sudama. It was a meager beginning, but being blessed by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, it soon flourished and became well known in these Islands, as Iskcon Hawaii.
