August 29, 1970 : Calcutta

Satsvarupa: For the first time in almost three years, Prabhupada returned to India - to Calcutta, his hometown. Although it was late and the journey from Tokyo had been twelve hours, Prabhupada felt happy as he descended the stairway from the airplane. Some of Prabhupada's godbrothers and old Calcutta friends were present to receive him, and a kirtana party from the Chaitanya Matha was chanting. Indians crowded forward to place flower garlands around Prabhupada's neck, and as the garlands piled higher, Prabhupada removed them. But the garlands kept coming, and again they piled up, almost covering Prabhupada's face.

Prabhupada sat in the back seat, on his way from the airport to the home of Mr. Das Gupta on Hindustan Road. For the newcomers riding with him, however, Calcutta was foreign and unfamiliar.

Achyutananda and Jayapataka, however, were acclimatized to Calcutta and had learned to appreciate its culture. They had met high-class, cultured Bengalis who accepted them as sadhus despite their American birth. They had preached in many homes and had attracted curious crowds by chanting in public. They had not, however, achieved a solid foothold for ISKCON. But now Prabhupada had come to change that. He would preach wonderfully, just as he had done in America, and his disciples were eager to serve as his instruments. He would be their vital force, their inspiration, for he was empowered by Lord Chaitanya.