Srila Prabhupada

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), of which Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Temple is a part, was founded by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the year 1966, in New York City. By 1977, when he left the planet, he had established 108 temples all over the world.

Even after his departure he continues to inspire men of this mortal world spiritually, through his writings, through his biography, and through his followers. And today, there are more than 500 temples of ISKCON all over the world.

Radhanath Swami

In 1971, Radhanath Swami got associated with ISKCON. In 1973, Radhanath Swami took spiritual initiation from Srila Prabhupad. In 1986, Radhanath Swami landed in Mumbai and started the Radha Gopinath temple. And now, in 2010, this beautiful temple and its flourishing community serves as a befitting offering at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupad, and demonstrates that miracles can indeed spring from dedication and love.

Initially, Radha Gopinath Temple was confined to just a single room in a dilapidated building. However, instead of focusing on fund-raising for a glamorous temple of bricks and stones, Radhanath Swami focused on building temples in the hearts of spiritual seekers who visited the then single-room temple: Radhanath Swami dedicated himself to uplift them spiritually.

Miraculously, as Radhanath Swami meticulously built beautiful temples within hearts, the external temple structure also expanded and evolved: it expanded with gradual acquisitions of more property within the same building, and it evolved in beauty with innovative renovations chipping in. This entire gamut of acquisitions and renovations was mostly funded by Radhanath Swami’s newly developed congregation; it was their heart felt offering of love to Srila Prabhupad and Radhanath Swami. Now, in 2010, Radhanath Swami’s steadily growing Mumbai congregation numbers over three thousand, and Radha Gopinath Temple stands as a beautiful sandstone marvel.

Do visit this spiritual sanctuary at Mumbai. We assure you that your visit to “Radhanath Swami’s offering of love to Srila Prabhupad” will be a memorable one.

Once Radhanath Swami told me that I wear dhoti and kurta, traditional Vedic attire, for temple festivals. A casual suggestion from his side, it felt like a golden opportunity from my perspective. Here was a chance to please him, to reciprocate with the shower of his selfless affection. I adapted myself to the new wears.

Later, I discovered that all my friends had a similar dhoti-kurta story.

I mulled over it. Most aspects of Vedic culture are too alien in the modern context. Though they might appeal to the intellect, to adapt to any of them is hard without the motivating factors of inspiration and love.

— Dr. Ajay Sankhe.

Stories from Radhagopinath Community of Love

Radhanath Swami was abroad when the news of Srinivas’s passing away reached him. Srinivas belonged to a different Sampraday, spiritual tradition, than ours. Our community’s only interaction with him would be once in a year when he helped us in the organization of Nagar Sankirtan, a spiritual event, in Poona, a city close to Mumbai.

Radhanath Swami shook our limited conceptions of a spiritual community when he suggested on phone that as many members as possible of our congregation immediately pay a visit to Poona: the family of Srinivas may now require our support. At that time it dawned on me that unlike many of us, Radhanath Swami always saw Srinivas as a part of our own spiritual family

— Dr. Ajay Sankhe(BVH)

Wow! That sounds good. I went closer…. closer….closer……closer….. too close. Initially I stood near the entrance of Mafatlal Bungalow…now I stood close to the tent where devotees gracefully danced with raised arms in tune to the song of God’s holy names. Suddenly…..

I am Mr. Hrishikesh Mafatlal’s driver for more than 30 years now. Somewhere in the early 80’s, when he was amongst the richest men in the country, he got associated with what I thought then as some kind of spiritual group. I then saw him dedicate himself to his spiritual path more and more. I also saw that his Guruji, Radhanath Swami, was a nice person.  But I never took any interest in the stuff myself. I thought it was only for saabs, big people in society. I kept distance.

Every year at Mafatlal Bungalow they started having some kind of festival and thousands of devotees of Krishna used to come. For three days they would have many programs. Radhanath Swami would give lectures for many hours. Then they would sing god’s name and dance. The dance would be very graceful. I liked all that but would observe all these from far, from the gate.

In 1993, during this festival one day, as they sang and danced, I got so attracted to everything that was happening that I went closer to where all these big people were; they were dancing with arms raised; I could see that they were very happy. I stood silently on the side. Suddenly, Radhanath Swami came and with a smile, pulled me inside the group. I also danced. But afterwards I became fearful. Are! What will my saab(boss) say? I allowed his guruji to touch me! How audacious of me to have danced with these big people! I should have perhaps kept my distance. For many days I was expecting some kind of punishment or reprimand from Mafatlalji. But nothing happened.

In 1994, again during the festival one day I went close and stood as the devotees danced in Kirtan. I couldn’t restrain myself from afar. Suddenly, someone came from the side and pulled me into the Kirtan. I became fearful, but when I saw who it was, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Mafatlalji himself. He was encouraging me also to sing and dance with him.

Since then I have been a part of this family of Radha Gopinath Temple where there is no distinction made between the poor and the rich.

Stories from Radhagopinath Community of Love

My daughter passed away afflicted by a disease when she was only in her teens. Trauma gnawed at me relentlessly. At this hour of need, Shyamala Gopi provided solace simply by her presence: being of the same age as my departed daughter, she felt like a daughter to my heart.  Seeing my resiliency in her association, her parents, members of our congregation, encouraged her to stay at our house in Poona. During that time Radhanath Swami visited us and spoke words that my subconscious self perhaps yearned to hear. “Shymala Gopi is your daughter now, so don’t feel lonely”.

Circumstantially I had to shift to Mumbai. Shyamala came along; she risked her comfort for mine. “Rita and her husband Bimal have been very kind to me. They have encouraged their daughter to stay with me so that I don’t feel lonely,” I worded the gratitude I felt before Radhanath Swami. A quick wave of satisfaction swept across his face before an intense expression took over. It looked like he had a serious point to put across. “This is what I want in the congregation.  Each one should feel so much in the heart for the other,” he spoke in a hushed tone. Then with a radiant smile expanding across his face, he turned to Shyamala. “Remember. Eternally you have two mothers.”

- Mrs. Jyotsna Arora

Stories from Radhagopinath Community of Love

Cooped up in a war ridden ambience, my heart yearned for an escape: perhaps my parents loved me, but their fights at home had made home a warring zone and I was like a captive civilian. Finally, I found my escape in drugs, alcohol and sex.

But once free, I felt like a fugitive, and my heart yearned all the more—now for the shelter of a real home. And I found that shelter when I stumbled upon the Radha Gopinath Community. It became my newly found home, my real home. Radhanath Swami became like my affectionate father. His sweet words, sweeter than any I had heard before, healed my broken heart.

-Rippon Sadh

Stories from Radhagopinath Community of Love

The hall in the temple building was dark except for the flicker of a single candle. The electricity had failed, but Radhanath Swami continued with his dinner in the gloom, as shadows from the candle light danced on the walls. I sat besides him while my seven year old daughter Kamal Manjari sat facing us. In her innocence she shyly extended her hands, indicating that she wanted something off his plate. Radhanath Swami grinned and placed a morsel in her tender palms as his loving gaze nourished her with his affection. This was one of the very first exchanges between the two, back in 1987 when the temple had just started in our neighborhood. Within a short time Radhanath Swami became like a loving father, not just to Kamal Manjari, but to our entire family. But with passing years, as more and more people queued up to seek his association, our personal exchanges with him diminished. Still, even today, within a few moments of exchange, Radhanath Swami gushes into our hearts a flow of affection that sustains the intimacy of our relationship.

Now Kamal Manjari is married and is settled in the United States. A few weeks ago when she had been here, she desired to meet Radhanath Swami. Since Radhanath Swami ran on a very busy schedule at the time, she followed the usual protocol of first fixing an appointment. Later when she met him, Radhanath Swami spoke words that brought to life her memories of those initial exchanges with him that she had basked in, of the intimacy she shared with him in her childhood innocence. He said,“Kamal Manjari, from when did you feel the need to take my appointment? I felt very bad when I heard you did.”

Stories from Radhagopinath Community of Love

“Don’t  you know? The Radha Gopinath temple is a safe haven for smugglers. Every Sunday after their bhakti programs the bhakti yogis transact in their turf,” an acquaintance, a local goon, had chimed in during one of our underground get-togethers. That struck a greedy chord with many in our group, but I was the one who dared to venture into the ‘bhakti den.’, run by Radhanath Swami.

On Sunday I was in time for the bhakti meeting at Radha Gopinath Temple. All through the proceedings and even after, I strained to look for something sleazy, but every aspect of the program seemed to radiate nothing but purity.  Crestfallen, I decided never to fall pray to rumors again. I had neither found gold nor was the stuff discussed of any interest to me. But before leaving for good, I went for one last try. “Where’s the gold? I want to buy some,” I inquired from a monk casually, pretending to be a regular buyer. “What gold?” he retorted. “The smuggled gold,” I said confidently. Silent moments passed as he sized me up. Then he replied, “Perhaps you came a little late. The interactions get over before the program begins.” As I went back, I silently thanked myself for mustering the courage to question the monk.

Next Sunday I reached one hour before the program was scheduled to start, but found nothing. The proceeding went on like the previous Sunday. In the end, I went searching for the same monk in desperation. With a sorry look on his face he said, “This Sunday we decided to avoid transactions due to security reasons.” “Never mind,” I replied, as I silently resolved to come back the next Sunday.

Sunday after Sunday the monk gave excuses, and I kept coming back. In the first few visits I had detected the ambience of affection in the temple faintly attract my heart. I had dismissed it as worthless and sentimental. But with every passing Sunday, while I slowly realized that I was cheated by the monk, the attraction I felt for the place grew stronger until it compelled me to genuinely try out the bhakti stuff. When I tried, I discovered real gold, the treasure of the soul.

As I got sucked deeper by the Bhakti waves, the shores of criminal tendencies went farther and farther away until it completely disappeared from vision and thought.

- by Nathu Shinde

Stories from Radhagopinath Community of Love

“Don’t you know? The Radha Gopinath temple is a safe haven for smugglers. Every Sunday after their bhakti programs the bhakti yogis transact in their turf,” an acquaintance, a local goon, had chimed in during one of our underground get-togethers. That struck a greedy chord with many in our group, but I was the one who dared to venture into the ‘bhakti den’ run by Radhanath Swami.
On Sunday I was in time for the bhakti meeting at Radha Gopinath Temple. All through the proceedings and even after, I strained to look for something sleazy, but every aspect of the program seemed to radiate nothing but purity. Crestfallen, I decided never to fall pray to rumors again. I had neither found gold nor was the stuff discussed of any interest to me. But before leaving for good, I went for one last try. “Where’s the gold? I want to buy some,” I inquired from a monk casually, pretending to be a regular buyer. “What gold?” he retorted. “The smuggled gold,” I said confidently. Silent moments passed as he sized me up. Then he replied, “Perhaps you came a little late. The interactions get over before the program begins.” As I went back, I silently thanked myself for mustering the courage to question the monk.
Next Sunday I reached one hour before the program was scheduled to start, but found nothing. The proceeding went on like the previous Sunday. In the end, I went searching for the same monk in desperation. With a sorry look on his face he said, “This Sunday we decided to avoid transactions due to security reasons.” “Never mind,” I replied, as I silently resolved to come back the next Sunday.
Sunday after Sunday the monk gave excuses, and I kept coming back. In the first few visits I had detected the ambience of affection in the temple faintly attract my heart. I had dismissed it as worthless and sentimental. But with every passing Sunday, while I slowly realized that I was cheated by the monk, the attraction I felt for the place grew stronger until it compelled me to genuinely try out the bhakti stuff. When I tried, I discovered real gold, the treasure of the soul.
As I got sucked deeper by the Bhakti waves, the shores of criminal tendencies went farther and farther away until it completely disappeared from vision and thought.