Lord Jagannatha will pack His bags and He will come to live with us
Kusa: There was an amazing incident that took place on the beach at Jagannatha Puri. Srila Prabhupada had been extended an invitation to come for a book dedication event. Prior to that engagement Govinda dasi tried to go in and see the Jagannatha deities at the temple in town and it erupted into such a dreadful mishap. Because the custom was that no western person could enter the temple, she had this concept to pretend that she was an old Indian lady with a cane and a big chaddar. At the evening aroti as she tried to go into the temple they spotted her and ripped off her chaddar. They grabbed her cane, and started beating her with it as she came running out. I was outside waiting for her as I didn’t feel that brave. We both went in and offered dandavats to Srila Prabhupada. She explained with great emotion, “I’ve just been beaten by the chokidars at the temple and I can’t believe this has happened, Srila Prabhupada!” His eyebrows went up and he was really disturbed and visibly moved at Govinda dasi’s plight. I was just quietly taking it all in. The next day when Srila Prabhupada accepted the invitation to the book dedication, he arrived with his sannyasis and a great entourage of devotees. A large dark skinned brahmin handed a book to Srila Prabhupada that he accepted and put it to his head. He said, “I have not read it”, and handed it back to the pundit. Prabhupada immediately began to launch in to this incredibly merciful monologue to them. He said, “Jagannatha is Jagannatha. He is not Orissanatha. He is not Purinatha. His devotees will be coming to visit Jagannatha from all over the world. Why you are not letting in His devotees? Why you are not allowing His devotees who are coming from all over this world to come and get darshan? This is not good.” He said, “They must be allowed to come in and get darshan of their Lord. If you do not let them in, Lord Jagannatha will pack His bags and He will come to live with us.”
Reference: Remembrances by Sidhanta Das- Folio Vedabase
