By Vrsabhanu dasa
Disciples of Srila Prabhupada from the USA and Canada started preaching in France in the late sixties and a lot of people joined the Hare Krishna movement. On a brief visit to Paris in 1971 Srila Prabhupada gave a lecture at the Olympia Theater. The Deities of Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra had already been carved by a French devotee, Dayamrgya dasa. Srila Prabhupada considered Paris a very important city for preaching and he visited again several times. It was in 1973 that he installed Sri Sri Radha Paris-Isvara. Sri Sri Nitai Sacisuta were later installed by his disciples. After many years of struggle, the devotees in Paris managed to purchase a property that became the new home for the gorgeous Deities.
The Deities of Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in Paris were definitely carved by a French devotee, Dayamrgya dasa, but this was at the end of 1972 and not in 1971 as the article mistakenly claims. I joined the Paris temple in 1971 and we offered prasadam and performed arotik with a Gouranga altar with a picture of Lord Caitanya on it at that time.