I'll Build you a Temple: The Juhu Story
Author: Giriraj Swami
Publisher: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 757
38 pages of photos
In August 1965, just weeks before Srila Prabhupada set sail for America, he passed a neglected four-acre plot near Srimati Sumati Morarji’s residence on Juhu Beach, outside Bombay. Sumati Morarji, a prominent shipping magnate, had arranged for his passage to the U.S., and as Srila Prabhupada glimpsed the land, he envisioned it as a potential site for a Radha-Krishna temple.
Realizing this vision took 13 years of relentless effort, including six years of battling a corrupt landlord, deceitful agents, and municipal officials, while enduring immense hardship. Despite countless obstacles, Srila Prabhupada’s determination and sacrifices prevailed, and on January 14, 1978—Makara Sankranti, just two months after Srila Prabhupada’s passing—the Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari temple was inaugurated by his devoted disciples.
In the seven years leading up to the temple's grand opening, Srila Prabhupada spent 554 days in Bombay, more than in any other city. In 1972, he appointed Giriraj das Brahmachari, a disciple he had met in Boston in 1969 and who had joined him in India in 1970, to spearhead the Juhu project. Praising him, Srila Prabhupada remarked, “He has not trembled in any circumstance. That is his qualification.” Giriraj Swami served as temple president and later as Governing Body Commissioner from 1972 to 1999, raising funds and overseeing every detail of the project. He was the only devotee to remain closely involved from start to finish.
When the Juhu land conveyance was finalized, Srila Prabhupada leaned back in satisfaction and proclaimed, “It was a good fight. Someone should write a book about it.” He had long encouraged Giriraj to write, telling him as early as 1971, “You should write. This is your first business.” Inspired by these instructions, Giriraj Swami later took on the task. Reflecting on his work, His Holiness Radhanath Swami noted, “No one else could write this book like His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja, because he was there from the beginning to the culmination."
