Presenting Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deties to Prabhupada

Janaspriha Dasa: The year 1973, I was in Mexico City temple. Udharana Dasa and myself wanted to have Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities. Around that year Srila Prabhupada had requested that devotee artists were send to Mayapura to learn how to make dolls in Mayapura. Madan Manohara Dasa was sent to India. When Madan Manohara Dasa came back he brought back with him a small Sri Gaura Deity alone without Sri Nityananda. So we made a few copies of Sri Gauranga out of clay and Udharana Dasa painted them very, very beautifully. Some were yellow, some were pink.

Out of the Gauranga Deity we made a set of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai pairs. Their Lordships were almost the same; the only difference was that Sri Gauranga's base was a little bigger than Sri Nitai's. I went to Los Angeles temple to get my second initiation (because Srila Prabhupada cancelled his visit to Mexico city temple in November 1973).

So I got the idea to bring a set of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities. In the Los Angeles temple I wanted to personally present them to Srila Prabhupada, but Srila Prabhupada's servant, Srutakirti Dasa told me that it was better to present the Deities to Srila Prabhupada himself. I would have preferred to deliver Them personally, but anyway I delivered Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai to him. I was waiting outside of Srila Prabhupada's room, when I delivered the Deities to Srutakirti Dasa. I told him that the devotees wanted to know if they can have a set at home to worship Them.

Srutakirti Dasa came back with a big smile on his face and he told me that when Srila Prabhupada saw the Deities he opened his eyes very big and said with a low voice, "Jai Gaura Nitai!" Srutakirti Dasa asked Srila Prabhupada if the devotees can keep Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities at home to worship Them. Srila Prabhupada said that all the devotees must have Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities.

Srila Prabhupada was very mercifully allowing me to give him a small present in the form of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai Deities. I was the messenger to present and deliver the Deities to Srila Prabhupada and he very kindly accepted Them and kept Them on His Divine Grace's altar at his darshan room in New Dvaraka in Los Angeles.

I would like to mention and thank Madan Manohara Dasa, who allowed me to make copies out of his Deities Sri Gauranga. Also I would like to thank Udharana Dasa Prabhuji who made the copies and painted Them, along with some other helpful devotees (who I'm sorry that I don't remember their names at present). All Glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Mexico Yatra 1973 Kijaya!

(I still have my own set of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai made in Mexico 1973.)