It was pointed out to Srila Prabhupada that of all the temples in Mayapur our mangol aratik at 4:15 A.M. is the first of the day and that at Chaitanya Math it is suspected to take place after sunrise. When asked if he wanted to see the new temple for Bhaktivinode Thakur that has been constructed near the entrance at Yoga Pith, Prabhupada replied, "I do not want to see how he has made Bhaktivinode Thakur the gatekeeper."
Within our movement Mayapur temple is the first. "Nowhere do we have such a nice temple in such an open place," Prabhupada remarked on one morning walk. In Bombay a shipment of 2,000 kilos of Australian ghee has been sent by Madhudvisa Maharaj. It will be sold to the Indian temples and used for the festival for the opening of the Vrindaban temple to be held after the Gour Purnima festival in April. For the Mayapur festival ghee will be supplied by each and every devotee who comes. Everyone should bring one tin of ghee. It can be brought for personal use.
I mentioned to His Divine Grace that air fares will be increased next year due to the petrol shortage, and this might affect the number of devotees who attend the Gour Purnima festival. Prabhupada asked me, "How much foodstuffs have you eaten in your whole life?" Quite a lot I had to admit, not understanding why he asked this question. "And what is the cost of all these foodstuffs?" That I could not say. "So, do you stop eating because there is so much cost? No. You go on eating and whatever is the cost, you spend. The principle is that if you have got money, then you can spend, but if you do not have money, then you cannot spend." So as many as possible should surely come if the money is there.
One evening Srila Prabhupada revealed what he said was his theory, that the moon is covered with ice, to explain why the moonshine is so pleasant. Moonrays are very soothing, and we find in many places describing the pleasing effect of the moon, nitai-pada-kamala, koti candra-susitala, ye chayaya jagat judaya. This is because the moon must be covered with ice.
In the morning after his lecture from the Prayers of Queen Kunti in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada takes great pleasure in the kirtan with the devotees singing and dancing very nicely. The large temple area affords ample space for everyone to take part in the [indistinct] dancing, and as we move to and fro up and down the temple Prabhupada pelts us with handfuls of flowers. Afterwards he circumambulates the Deity house of Radha Madhava three times, each time ringing the temple bells three times and turning around completely in front of the Deities.