Historic meeting with Mrs Nair

Jagat Purusha Dasa: Regarding the disturbances that took place, the difficulties that we had in dealing with the property, many devotees know this story of the great challenges that took place. But eventually those challenges were overcome. Mr. Nair who was the great arch enemy of the temple because he had sold the property twice before he sold it to ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada asked a few devotees to immediately occupy the land, and then of course, the rest was history.

But I do recall that after the departure of Mr. Nair, the next time Srila Prabhupada came, he wanted to have a meeting with Mrs. Nair. He wanted to try and settle all of the property issues talking with her. So, a meeting was arranged between Srila Prabhupada and Mrs. Nair in a building that was owned by Sumati Morarjee. Between the temple property and the beach, there was a very nice bungalow, and had a very nice thatched roof. It was not the home of Sumati Morarjee, but it was within her property in one of the buildings. So that was the place that was designated for Prabhupada to have this historic meeting with Mrs. Nair with the hope that she would agree to hand over the title, and accept the final payment so that all the legal issues could be finalized.

I knew that this meeting was going to take place. And only, I believe, Tamala Krishna Maharaja, probably Giriraja Maharaja, possibly Srutakirti, Prabhupada's servant were in that building when this meeting was taking place. I only heard later on what actually did take place.

But what I knew was that there was history in the making in this building. So I spent my time while the meeting was going on, circumambulating this bungalow chanting japa. It was a very exciting time. So here is an opportunity to be with Prabhupada, when you cannot be with Prabhupada. I felt very close. I felt like I was in the middle of it all. Not quite in the middle, but close enough to the middle for it to be a very exciting time.