St. Louis/Chicago devotees, mid seventies, anybody out there? Options

[Tapati]

I joined St. Louis temple in 1975, and I am wondering if anyone is in contact with devotees like Danta devi dasi, Jagan Murti devi dasi, Dakshinevari devi dasi, or others. I am also happy if St. Louis devotees from other eras show up and can relate how the temple developed. Angrezi and I discovered we'd both been there, at different times.

I didn't know the men for obvious reasons, we were very strict about not associating. I remember being "chastized" because I asked a brahmachari not to cut up my orange one morning as I wanted to take it out on sankirtan. But I am happy to hear from them too.

I already ran into Tilak years later, and she had split up with Makanlal.

Some of us ended up in Chicago (Atmarama, for instance) and I'd love to also hear from Chicago devotees of that era. We met some of the Detroit devotees at Ratha Yatra. Basically, let's have a midwest reunion!



This post has been edited by Tapati: Dec 11 2005, 11:17 AM

[0Maryada0]

Didn't I read somewhere that a directory was being made of all Alachua devotees?

That directory is in its 3rd year, but only exists in print. There are too many names in there for me to type out.

Sesa is the only other black-bodied devotee in the picture, next to BTS.

Again, give me names (men or women) and I'll check for you who is floating around here.

[Tapati]

Danta devi dasi, Jagan Murti devi dasi, and Keli Cancala devi dasi from St. Louis
Danasila devi dasi, Suprabha devi dasi, Subhada devi dasi, Damayanti devi dasi, Kalalalapa devi dasi, Sadbhuja devi dasi, Ananta Sesa devi dasi, Jaggadhatri devi dasi and Urvashi devi dasi from Chicago (Lalana passed away recently). I am sure I'm forgetting several...

I never got to know Urmila well but it's nice to know she's doing so well for herself.

I also lost touch with Srilekha and Sri Govinda, who were in Chicago and then went to L.A. where we continued our friendship.

From L.A.: Muralivadana dasa, found Nalinikanta already, Sri Prada devi dasi, her sister (don't know whether she received an initiated name but she used to call herself Nitai since her name was Nita, they are twins), Yogamaya devi dasi, Braja Sakhi devi dasi, Sacidevi (Karandhara's former wife), Kanka devi dasi, Mangalananda and Lakshmi Pati...more are in my head as faces, I'll have to think about the names. All Prabhupada disciples I knew in mid to late seventies.

I am in touch with a few people from that era or have been in the last several years, so I have not added their names. I knew Jadurani slightly but I doubt she'd remember me. There were lots of devotees I knew by sight.

I knew Daruka and his wife, who later ended up in New Vrndavana...but let's not go into that. We lived in the same apartment complex, two doors down.

In St Louis and Chicago I was still Bhaktin Teri.

You can see I didn't really get to know men until I was a householder in L.A. In fact, at that age I wasn't really thinking about marriage, although other women seemed to be.

[metamorphosis]

just adding one name from the picture, the brahmacari on the right standing in that line in the front.........VEDATMA prabhu.

Oh! How i wish i could get into touch with him! And appologize to him for not listening more carefully and accepting. He was the very first devotee to point out some faults in the "zoned out acharyas". He named the vyasasana "nose bleed vyasasana" because it was higher up than Prabhupada's. He sang a joyfull song of "vande hum new guru". and all the time the sanyasin where i joined was saying that he was bogus now i found out that the sanyasi was the bogus one.

But after a while Vedatma was gone, and i have this awfull idea that he did not just leave, but was "removed". I never was able to tell him "goodbye".

He helped me in many many ways, he shaved me up after my first week in the brahmacari ashrama, he gave me neck beads first, he helped me chant hare krishna and gave me my first beads and bag. He chanted 60 rounds daily and inspired us all to chant and be happy.

Oh! If anyone knows what happened to him, or where he is now!

Ps. Isvari Pati is also in that row, with his head partcially covered.

[Tapati]

If we keep working on it maybe we'll name all the men in the picture. Makanlal was in back, in householder white, slightly to right of center. I forget the name of the householder on the left side of the picture but he was Jagan Murti's husband and they were involved in the farm project associated with the temple. So I did not get to see her as much as I liked.

The women are:

1st row, left to right--Atmarama, myself, Bhaktin Pat (slightly above but on same row), and Jagan Murti

2nd row, Keli Cancala (sister of artist Jayarama), Tilak (temple president's wife), and a visitor, don't remember her name but her brother had just joined and shaved up, he's in the picture too, near the guy with hair (also a visitor). We had such a small temple we put the visitors in the picture to bump up our numbers.

Keli Cancala had a fiery temper and was a real hard case, in charge of the women's ashram. When I was dragged home by my family, I left some things there because I intended to come back. Among them was my autograph album from my school days and my autographed picture of Leonard Nimoy. She threw all that stuff away, and others stole my Krsna Conscious decorations made by my friend Carolyn. My bad for not taking the stuff with me. Meanwhile my mother threw other items away. OH right, I am not supposed to be attached.

[metamorphosis]

Oh! I also recognized Yamuna Pati who is just to the left of the sign when looking at the picture. So now i am thinking that i had from that temple 3 close friends. I called there last year just to hear the voices of those who are there now!

[0Maryada0]

Danta devi dasi, Jagan Murti devi dasi, and Keli Cancala devi dasi  from St. Louis

There's a Jaganmurti dasi in Alachua.

From L.A.: Muralivadana dasa, found Nalinikanta already, Sri Prada devi dasi, her sister (don't know whether she received an initiated name but she used to call herself Nitai since her name was Nita, they are twins), Yogamaya devi dasi, Braja Sakhi devi dasi, Sacidevi (Karandhara's former wife), Kanka devi dasi, Mangalananda and Lakshmi Pati...more are in my head as faces, I'll have to think about the names. All Prabhupada disciples I knew in mid to late seventies.

Murlivadana or Murlivadaka? The latter was in charge of the boys ashram in Alachua and later the head of the Child Protection Office, until it came out that he himself was a child abuser. He then moved to St. Augustine. No clue where he is now.

If with Mangalananda you mean the musician (Michael Cassidy), he visits Alachua every now and then. Still makes great music. I sat in on a couple of his concerts at Nalinikanta's home. You can get his contact info at his website:

http://www.averagesoul.com

There is a Laxmipati das in Alachua as well.

Tapati, if you want, send me a PM and I will give you some phone numbers.

[Dhyana]

What a beautiful picture, Tapati! The person who took it must have thought carefully before shooting. The men's raised hands combine so nicely with the structure behind, it's reminiscent of a chakra symbol.

I thought it must be you, in the center and up front. You look so fresh and trustful.

(My husband just came in, took a look at your pic and said, "She must have been giving hard time to all these brahmacaris"!)

[Tapati]

What a beautiful picture, Tapati! The person who took it must have thought carefully before shooting. The men's raised hands combine so nicely with the structure behind, it's reminiscent of a chakra symbol.

I thought it must be you, in the center and up front. You look so fresh and trustful.

(My husband just came in, took a look at your pic and said, "She must have been giving hard time to all these brahmacaris"!) 

Hahahaha! I was at my low weight of 150 and thought I was still horribly fat. If only I had the perspective to really see myself as I was then. But I wasn't really thinking about brahmacaris and they were extremely strict about keeping us from speaking to each other. Like I said, I got in trouble for merely asking a brahmacari who served and cut up our oranges not to cut mine so I could take it with me on sankirtan.

Our Tulasi pujari knew enough to know I was really attached to Her and when I was sobbing over being taken back home he gave a picture to the temple president to give to me. I wish I could remember his name. That was the sweetest thing a brahmacari ever did for me.

I will look at the photographer name when I get home...somehow I'm thinking it was Muralivadana. (yes, with an n) I think that I remarked to myself that I didn't know then we'd become friends later on. We used to trade sci fi books back and forth.

[Tapati]

Danta devi dasi, Jagan Murti devi dasi, and Keli Cancala devi dasi  from St. Louis

There's a Jaganmurti dasi in Alachua.

From L.A.: Muralivadana dasa, found Nalinikanta already, Sri Prada devi dasi, her sister (don't know whether she received an initiated name but she used to call herself Nitai since her name was Nita, they are twins), Yogamaya devi dasi, Braja Sakhi devi dasi, Sacidevi (Karandhara's former wife), Kanka devi dasi, Mangalananda and Lakshmi Pati...more are in my head as faces, I'll have to think about the names. All Prabhupada disciples I knew in mid to late seventies.

Murlivadana or Murlivadaka? The latter was in charge of the boys ashram in Alachua and later the head of the Child Protection Office, until it came out that he himself was a child abuser. He then moved to St. Augustine. No clue where he is now.

If with Mangalananda you mean the musician (Michael Cassidy), he visits Alachua every now and then. Still makes great music. I sat in on a couple of his concerts at Nalinikanta's home. You can get his contact info at his website:

http://www.averagesoul.com

There is a Laxmipati das in Alachua as well.

Tapati, if you want, send me a PM and I will give you some phone numbers.

Yes, the singer, I'll have to check out his current music. I still have pictures of our sons playing together.

Muralivadana worked with bbt, a photographer/artist type. At one point in the early 80s he tried to organize a "where are they now" directory of Prabhupada disciples.

I'll PM you tonight when I have more time. Thanks so much! I'm thinking we should get one of these directories.

[Tapati]

I will look at the photographer name when I get home...somehow I'm thinking it was Muralivadana. (yes, with an n) I think that I remarked to myself that I didn't know then we'd become friends later on. We used to trade sci fi books back and forth. smile.gif

Yes, I was correct, the photographer was Muralivadana das.

I've always thought that was a great picture, nicely arranged and showed off our pretty painted archway.

[Tapati]

As you can see, one of the women on my "want to find" list just joined. I put this project on the back burner with all my troubles at work and such, but in January I can get back to rounding up some of my old friends from St. Louis/Chicago/L.A.

Bhaktavasya also spent time in Chicago, of course, and knows what became of some of the women there.

Lalana's son was on the Istagosthi forum before it closed, which is how I learned of her passing away.

[Dhyana]

Is Danasila on the picture?

[Tapati]

Is Danasila on the picture?

No, the picture was St. Louis devotees and she was in Evanston then. But I believe I have a picture somewhere of Chicago devotees that she was probably in, and we were all in a picture with Prabhupada--though it is difficult to make out individuals as there was a huge crowd. That was a gathering in front of the temple before the Chicago Ratha Yatra that year.

[metamorphosis]

just adding one name from the picture, the brahmacari on the right standing in that line in the front.........VEDATMA prabhu.
Ps. Isvari Pati is also in that row, with his head partially covered.

My ol' friend Isvari called recently and we got back into touch, then in a email i asked about Vedatma Prabhu, who was very instrumental in my joining and finding a taste in the chanting etc. He shaved us up, gave us neck beads and sat with us when we chanted 64 rounds a few times. He also sang the song, "Vande Hum NEW Guru" when the "new guru" came into town. That was also a big help for me, in the long run.

Well Isvari knew Vedatma's "karmi" name, and with that and the location of St Louis, i found him!

I just got off the phone with Vedatma, he lives in his own bhajana kutir, he is kind of like a babaji as he was so many years ago. I thanked him again and again for all his help in the past, and told him that i did not get to say good bye, i am so relieved to hear from him. He does visit the St Louis temple, but they treat him like a "newbie" even though he has been chanting and following now for over 30 years!

Now i am going to work to find out where in the world is Rajendranatha Prabhu.

[metamorphosis]

 gallery_471_55_95901.jpg ( 3.88K ) Number of downloads: 63

[0dayalu0]

 gallery_471_55_95901.jpg ( 3.88K ) Number of downloads: 63

My friend why do you put this picture of my lowly self in this place?
This is the kitchen in the St. Louis temple in 1977.

[babu]

 gallery_471_55_95901.jpg ( 3.88K ) Number of downloads: 63

My friend why do you put this picture of my lowly self in this place?

meta is into manboobs... he's also into miniskirts (gamshas)... i always thought his intense focus on efficient lota usage was for sadhanic brahminical cleanliness reasons but then i found out there were other reasons he wanted a squeaky clean butt

[metamorphosis]

 gallery_471_55_95901.jpg ( 3.88K ) Number of downloads: 63

My friend why do you put this picture of my lowly self in this place?
This is the kitchen in the St. Louis temple in 1977.

You must have made a "TyPo" since this is a lowly place for such a nice Brahmana like you.  Monk_praying.gif ( 18.45K ) Number of downloads: 52

[Dhyana]

meta is into manboobs... he's also into miniskirts (gamshas)... i always thought his intense focus on efficient lota usage was for sadhanic brahminical cleanliness reasons but then i found out there were other reasons he wanted a squeaky clean butt

Clean butt is all right, but a squeaky butt? Eeeek

(Just joking )