Yellow Mercedes for Srila Prabhupada

Partha Sarathi Das Goswami: Srila Prabhupada was sitting in the garden in the afternoon, This is at 59 Muller Street in Yeoville. Prabhupada was listening to Harikesa brahmacari reading from the Caitanya Caritamrta. We would also offer Srila Prabhupada some juice. If my memory serves me correctly, it was pineapple juice. My sitting posture means I was having difficulty staying awake because our schedule was so intense.

The lady sitting on the chair is Rocani Prabhu, who joined from Rhodes University. She was given an inheritance and used some of that money to purchase the Cato Ridge farm in 1976, a year after Srila Prabhupada left South Africa.

The Cato Ridge farm was 120 acres and cost R50 000, which in those days was a lot of money. Now it may valued at around R5 million. She is making a flower garland. She sat on the chair because she had an issue with her hips.

In the photo is also a nice shot of a young Ramanujacarya Prabhu. He was our cook. On the left, is the yellow Mercedes, which was rented by our life member H. K. Gokul for Srila Prabhupada's use. He was a wholesale businessman in Diagonal Street.

The weather at that time was a little bit on the cold side, especially in Durban. In Johannesburg, which was the second part of Srila Prabhupada's trip, the weather warmed up a little.