710222 - Letter to Hayagriva written from Gorakhpur

Letters by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

February 22, 1971

Sriman Hayagriva Das Adhikary
c/o New Vrindaban
R.D. 3, Moundsville, W. Va. 26041

Akash-Ganga Bldg, flat no. 7
89 Bhulabhai Desai Road
Bombay-26, INDIA

My Dear Hayagriva,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 30th January, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. At present I am staying at Gorakhpur, an important city in Northern India and we having very good preaching work in India. The membership program is helping us moving from here and there and we have spent about Rs. 12,000/- at Allahabad Kumba Mela. Very soon I shall be going to Bombay where we have got our center at the above given address and we are paying Rs. 3000/- per month. We occupied this floor by advance payment of six months rent, or Rs. 18,000/-, but the quarter is super-excellent and just now I've received a letter from Madhudvisa Maharaja saying that the work in Bombay is going on nicely. Arrangement is going there to hold a continuous meeting in a public park accommodating about 10,000 men in congregation. I'm also trying to get a land plot within the Gorakhpur university campus. The idea is I wish to start some centers in the university campuses so that we can influence the students to take part in this movement and our next attempt will be to open centers in the Industrial areas. Similar attempt also may be made in your country and Europe.

In India we require more men from the U.S.A., our trained devotees, because India is taking a special interest in this movement on account of American participation. The estimate is that we require at least 100 American devotees in India. We have got invitation from various parts of India and one Sankirtan Party under the leadership of Hansadutta, is leaving for Allagar, Mathura, Madras, etc. Then all of them will meet in Bombay and we propose to hold a grand installation ceremony in Bombay by the end of March. After finishing this job, I'm contemplating going back to U.S.A.

There is a chance for opening a branch in Israel. I've already advised Dinesh and his wife Krishna Devi to go there. One Jewish boy Yacov Shames is willing to help us in this connection. So we have been getting various invitations from all over the world. One letter we have received from Mahatma Gandhi Organization in GUYANA, S. America. They also want us. I do not know the address of Vaikunthanath and Saradia who have gone to Trinidad. The reply sent to the Gandhi Organization, a copy is enclosed herein. I could not write Vaikunthanath directly, so you can convey my blessings to the couple because they have taken courage to go there for preaching work. I am so glad for their adventure. So you can advise them to visit Guyana if possible and open a center there.

Your scheme for South America boat journey is very pleasing to me. Regarding Coffield's farm missing from our hands, it is due to our negligence. We should have immediately purchased that land but unnecessarily we prolonged negotiation. Now the only chance is that you pay something more than the present proposal and you purchase the land as soon as possible. I think if you give some profit to the present proprietor, he will spare the land. Regarding the Gita missing verses, you can immediately let me know the verse numbers, and chapter numbers and I will send you the purports, etc. and without delay. I do not remember who wrote about Sankara's versified meditation on the Bhagavad Gita. If you send one copy of this, I shall see how much it is suitable.

The label of Spiritual Sky incense sent by you is very nice. I have received one letter from Kirtanananda Maharaj and I have replied it. In every letter I see that you are very much anxious for my return and I thank you very much for such eagerness. Most probably we shall meet together in U.S.A. by the first week of April, 1971.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife Shama Dasi and staunch Vaishnava son Samba. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb

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