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February 17, 1972 : Visakhapatnam

Satsvarupa: A broad beach of white sparkling sands and the Bay of Bengal's warm, clear waters were special features of Srila Prabhupada's visit to Visakhapatnam. Puri Maharaja's small asrama, where Srila Prabhupada stayed, was only five minutes from the ocean, and every morning Prabhupada and his entourage of about fifteen devotees would take long walks along the seashore.

Puri Maharaja's asrama was a simple single-story building of about eight rooms. When he offered Prabhupada a room next to his own, Prabhupada was pleased, accepting it as an expression of friendship. Prabhupada relaxed with his godbrothers, Puri Maharaja and Ananda Brahmacari, speaking with them in Bengali. Puri Maharaja said he appreciated Prabhupada's work and his Western disciples.

Prabhupada's disciples had already seen formal exchanges of obeisances between Prabhupada and his godbrothers, as when in Bombay they had seen Prabhupada get off his vyasasana and offer dandavats to his godbrothers. But in Visakhapatnam they saw more intimate dealings. They saw for the first time Srila Prabhupada living comfortably, at ease, in the same quarters as his godbrothers. And they didn't feel themselves being treated condescendingly or superficially, or being regarded as oddities. Through Prabhupada's guidance they began to learn more of the essential friendly and humble exchanges between Vaishnavas.


Reference: Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Volume 5 - Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami