7 feet tall Tulasi Devi

Govinda Dasi: Srila Prabhupada always loved to have Tulasi gardens right in front of the Lord's temples. That way, all visitors would first honor Tulasi Maharani, and then approach the Lord's temple. However, our Tulasi plants had gotten far larger than we expected. We read that the plants usually would reach 3 or 4 feet tall, but our plants had grown to be well over 7 feet tall! Perhaps due to the mild climate of Hawaii, and the rich volcanic soil, Tulasi Devi thrives in Hawaii.

As a result of the Tulasi plants' enormous size, the front entry to the Manoa temple was becoming narrower and narrower. So Goursundar asked Srila Prabhupada if the Tulasi plants could be pruned back, in order to widen the entry way. Srila Prabhupada very adamantly said, "No, you *cannot* cut Them. That is a great offense. But you can tie back the branches." So we tied the branches back to widen the entrance.

The Tulasi plants continued to grow, however, and so after some time, the entry way was again being blocked. The plants were now much taller, so that the tops of the Tulasi plants reached skyward, and there was only space to enter beneath Them. Temple guests would have to duck down under the branches just to enter the temple courtyard!

So, again Goursundar approached Srila Prabhupada, asking what could be done. He explained that everyone had to duck down to go under the Tulasi branches as they entered the temple grounds.

Immediately Srila Prabhupada's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Oh, they are having to bow before Tulasi before entering?" Then he chuckled, and said, "Very good. This is very good. They are bowing their heads before Tulasi and then coming to the Lord's temple. This is very good!" And that was the end of the discussion. He did not see it as a problem, but as a spiritual asset.

Now, at our present temple in Nuuanu, the Tulasi garden is no longer located at the front of the temple, where it was for many many years. For many many years, the huge Tulasi plants greeted the guests, and all the devotees chanted their rounds while repeatedly circumambulating the round Tulasi garden right in front of the temple. Srila Prabhupada sat on the balcony above and chanted japa while admiring this centrally located moon-shaped Tulasi garden. Now, due to years of poor management, the Tulasi garden has been replaced by grass and small ornamentals like pansies and impatiens, mostly due to ignorance of the importance of Srimati Tulasi Maharani. And our Tulasi garden has been relegated to some other area off to the side of the temple.

I personally believe that our Hawaii Temple will really flourish once again when Srimati Tulasi Devi is again placed in front of the Lord's Temple where She belongs. That way, Srimati Tulasi Devi's mercy is readily available to everyone who visits the Lord's Temple.