September 6, 1977 : London

Ranchor: On Janmashtami, Prabhupada visited the Bury Place temple in Bloomsbury for the last time. The German devotees went with him, his white Rolls Royce followed by a string of white Volkswagen buses jumping the lights to keep up with him all the way down Finchley Road.

Prabhupada was carried into the temple room to the sound of conches and kirtan as the curtains were pulled back to reveal Radha-Londonishvara. The devotee performing arati turned to offer incense to offer Prabhupada and was astonished by the scene. Prabhupada sat right at the foot of the altar, gazing fixedly at Krishna, his eyes streaming tears. As Prabhupada accepted the incense he looked up at the devotee, whose heart melted when he saw Prabhupada's soft smile.

Around him, tier upon tier, were the temple devotees and the massed members of the German yatra; at his side stood his faithful servants wiping away his tears. It seemed that the whole spiritual world was assembled for Prabhupada to say farewell to his beloved Radha and Krishna, whom he had brought here by his devotion eight years earlier. Now he was back one last time, the tide of his love carrying him to the Manor and finally as far as the feet of Radha-Londonishvara.

One more visit remained. Girigovardhan drove the Rolls a few blocks west to Soho Street, where the previous year Prabhupada had approved the purchase of a small building. In Bloomsbury time was finally running out for the temple, under notice from Camden Council, and there was a proposal to move Radha-Londonishvara to this new building. Prabhupada looked up at the fasade. On the first floor a row of windows marked a decent-sized room - intended as the Deities' new home. He nodded his approval.