Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava & Aṣṭa-sakhīs History

The Installation of Life-Sized Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava

It wasn’t until 1980, however, that Prabhupāda’s desire to see life-sized deities in Māyāpur would come to fruition.

Jananivāsa Prabhu takes up the story:

“Big Rādhā-Mādhava were installed on Gaura-pūrṇimā of that year (1980). The temple was in the Lotus Building then, and They were worshipped there until 1986 (View Photo Album), when the first four gopis (Lalitā Sakhī, Campakalatā Sakhī, Citrā Sakhī and Tuṅgavidyā Sakhī) arrived. The other four (Viśākhā Sakhī, Indulekhā Sakhī, Raṅgadevī Sakhī and Sudevī Sakhī) arrived in 1992.”

“Then he made a gesture with his hands, the same gesture as Rādhārāṇī, and he said, ‘Rādhārāṇī will be dancing, because when She is dancing, Kṛṣṇa can never leave Her.’ He then gave the dimensions for Radha-Madhava and the other deities. He said, ‘Kṛṣṇa will be six feet four inches. Rādhārāṇī should be five foot ten inches.’”

(‘He’ refers to Śrīla Prabhupāda.)
Source: “Full of Abundant Grace”, Mayapur Magazine, 2006.

History - The Arrival of the Eight Gopīs

It wasn’t until 1980, however, that Prabhupāda’s desire to see life-sized Deities in Māyāpur would come to fruition.

Jananivāsa Prabhu takes up the story:

“Big Rādhā-Mādhava were installed on Gaura-pūrnimā of that year (1980). The temple was in the Lotus Building then, and They were worshipped there until 1986 (View Photo Album), when the first four gopis (Lalitā Sakhī, Campakalatā Sakhī, Citrā Sakhī and Tuṅgavidyā Sakhī) arrived. The other four (Viśākhā Sakhī, Indulekhā Sakhī, Raṅgadevī Sakhī and Sudevī Sakhī) arrived in 1992.”
Source: Article "Full of Abundant Grace", Mayapur Magazine, 2006

Radhapada then sponsored the carving of the eight gopis. Four were installed in 1986, and four in 1992.
Source: The Center of Attention: Radha Madhava, Jananivasa Dasa (ACBSP), BTG, 1999

Based on the recollections of devotees who were present in Śrī Māyāpur during the installation:

In 1986, a set of eight Gopī Deities arrived in Śrī Māyāpur. According to the recollections of Dayārāma Dāsa, the Deities were transported to Māyāpur by train. Upon their arrival, the Deities were inspected, and it was found that four of them had sustained damage during transit. These four Deities were therefore not installed at that time. It was later understood that these four Deities may have already been broken and repaired with glue before beginning their journey. The movement and handling during the train journey may have caused the previous damage to become visible again. As a result, only the remaining four Gopī Deities were installed in Śrī Māyāpur that year. Replacement Deities were subsequently prepared, and in 1992 the remaining four gopīs were installed, completing the full group of eight gopīs on the altar.

In the present altar arrangement, the four gopīs installed in 1986 are situated on the right side of Śrī Mādhava, while the four gopīs installed in 1992 are situated on His left side.

Information - Jananivasa Dasa recalled this conversation at the Yamuna Dasi Memorial in Vrindavan in 2013.
There was once that, when she came, after she left India with Prabhupada, she didn’t come back for many many years. And then finally she came, and she came to Mayapur, and she was, she said,” I have to tell you a story.” She said, “ When I was in Vrindavan with Gurudas, we were making Krsna Balarama temple. And then I went to Bombay to see Srila Prabhupada to ask him some instructions.”
So she started to explain, and Srila Prabhupada said,” So you can make Radhe Shyamasundar, They can be life-size.” And she said, “ But Srila Prabhupada, They are already made.”
“You can’t make life-size?”
“No, Srila Prabhupada.”
“ You can get the Astha Sakhi then. You can make Astha Sakhi life-size.”
She said, “But, Prabhupada, the deities have already been made, the altar has been made and…”
“Vishaka and Lalita, you can make life-size.”
“ No, Prabhupada, everything has already been made, and it’s all small size.” Then Prabhupada didn’t say anything else, about this. Then she told me, she said, “ Here look, there is Radha Madhava, and the Astha Sakhis. This is what Prabhupada was talking about. This is what Prabhupada was visualizing.  Because Vrindavan and Mayapur are non-different,” She said, “ This is exactly what Prabhupada told me he wanted, life-size Radha Krsna and Asta Sakhi.”