Prasad.Life - About

Gopati dasa joined the Cleveland temple toward the end of 1972 following his older brother Jagadisvara dasa. After six months washing pots, prepping and assisting Dharmaraj Das, he took the helm of the Cleveland temple kitchen. In 1975, he learned from Ananda Prabhu while preparing Raj Bhog offerings for Krishna-Balarama. After many months, Gopati returned to the USA, cooking in Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. Gopati participated in many celebrated ISKCON Deity installations, notably Radha Kunjabehari in Detroit, Kishora Kishori in Chicago, Radha Muralidhara in Cleveland, Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan and Radha Manohar in Montreal. Additionally, he was a collaborator in numerous Janmastami, Gour Purnima, Rathayatra and Mayapur-Vrindavan festivals while also managing daily prasadam and feast programs. He ran Govinda’s restaurant on East 55th in NYC and worked with Kirtiraja dasa's diplomatic entertaining program in Washington DC, at the same time operating a prasadam catering business with Alankara dasa. He designed the kitchen and created the first menu for the Devasadhana restaurant in the Detroit temple and spent a year in Montreal operating Chez Govinda’s restaurant.

For 20 years Gopati dasa was chef and owner of an award-wining vegetarian restaurant in the Detroit area. Later, he became an author and vegan blogger in San Diego, focusing on organic foods in farmers market economies. Since then, he has been a plant-based food expert in the world of consumer packaged goods. Gopati dasa currently resides in the Detroit area, works as a consultant and meditates on cooking for Krishna.

Gopati Dasa Excerpt

...The Sunday feast was something else. What we did in Chicago was to combine kirtan, serving the feast prasadam, the overall temple experience. It was a production and everyone had a role. The feast program was organized to give a taste of spiritual life as Srila Prabhupada had taught us. We were channeling his message and energy. We ended up having hundreds of people show up. Uttamasloka was the temple president and orchestrator, facilitator and visionary. Many other great devotees played a role and took this taste around the world with them. To name a few: Sivaram (now swami), Aindra, Sripati, Uttamasloka, Vaisesika, Divyanga, Visalaksha, Kalalapa, Urmila dd, Bhumi devi, Sikhi Mahiti, Ramakeli, Barhismati, Tranakarta, Visnu Datt, Gaura. We would run to kirtans with enthusiasm. We had to be there, it was the highlight of the day.

It was the pinnacle of our expression. With the feast, it was the opportunity to share. It wasn’t just about consuming prasadam. How prasadam was served was done as recognition that this food was tasted by Krishna, which made it spiritual and non-different from Him. Appearance, size of portion, the order of servings and how it was placed on the plate was considered. Serving was part of honoring. Prasadam was like an exquisite jewel, that evoked awe, beauty and true satiation.