770724 - Letter to Giriraja from Tamal Krsna
Vrndavana,
July 24, 1977
From: Tamal Krishna
Bombay
My dear Giriraj Prabhu,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada has received your two letters dated 19th and 20th of July, 1977, respectively, and has instructed me to write you.
His Divine Grace was very pleased to hear the Center for Vedic Culture and Education will be completely finished including all of the marble work inside as well as the front small domes and three major domes, in time for the Grand Opening. Prabhupada laughed very heartily and said, “Very good, very encouraging,” when you described the three sample guest rooms and how you expected that many gentlemen will rush to experience the wonder of Hare Krishna Land. Prabhupada is glad that your regular Committee meetings are going on and said, “Continue these. Do everything cooperatively and do not disturb the atmosphere.” Prabhupada was also very delighted to know that you are planting 200 more coconut trees and said this was a very nice proposal.
Regarding the Thana farmland, His Divine Grace said, “I cannot understand whether it can be properly managed. We cannot divert our attention. I do not wish to invest money and unnecessarily divert our attention at this time.” So Srila Prabhupada is not very enthusiastic about taking this farmland now, doubting that we can manage it, and thinking that it will divert our attention too much. Your contribution to Doubling It, drew praises from His Divine Grace. He was also happy to hear that you were teaching a regular course in the B.G., but more happy even to know that many books were sold at the Somaiya College program. Prabhupada called your Sunday Festival Program “real preaching” and when you described how many gentlemen immediately volunteer to become members and some are asking to contribute for guestrooms, He said, “Bombay is a rich city. You can collect enough money if properly tackled in so many ways. Money is very easily available.”
Prabhupada laughed again very much when you stated regarding IOB 'in this atmosphere of transcendental bliss people are depositing more money than the bank ever expected.' His Divine Grace said, “The bank is very satisfied; that is good.” After hearing your letter of the 19th of July, Prabhupada said, “I am very glad to hear your report. Thank you. Be happy and make others happy, that is our vision. That can be done only by preaching this Krishna consciousness.” Your description of the unlimited feature of the Lord was corrected by His Divine Grace: “God has ten hands. When He takes with His ten hands, how much you can protest with your two hands. But when He gives with His ten hands, how much you can take with your two hands?”
Regarding the offer of land in Vrndavana of Sri P.M. Rungta, Sri Bishambar Dayal and myself went to see the property. Bishmabar is quite knowledgeable in these matters and did some investigating there- after. The land was originally bought by Badri Prasad and Madana Mohan.
It is 15.61 acres, not 50-60 acres. Perhaps Mr. Rungta is the son of Badri Prasad or Madan Mohan. It is Sirdari land. This means that the land was originally acquired by being leased for 99 years from the Rangji Temple. Some time after leasing the land it was actually purchased outright and made Sirdari. Sirdari land is those who have their land and cultivate it but they cannot sell it unless they deposit 20 times the revenue of the land–in this case the revenue is Rs.170/-per year–so they would have to pay 20 times Rs.170 to the government. Once you pay this revenue the land becomes bhumidhari, which means you can sell it outright. So as yet they have not paid this revenue and it is still Sirdari. They also cannot sell it unless they take permission from the District Magistrate because their is checkbandi in this area. Checkbandi is a system of combing many small parts of land, and since this property is within an area where they want to do this, if you sell any property you have to first take permission from the govt.
The value of the land is at most Rs.50,000/-, and the other buildings and pump are worth hardly Rs. 20,000/-. The well is sour and gives sand and will have to be drilled. The rooms next to the well are nearly completely unusable, being in the worst condition, and occupied by Babajis. Thus the whole property is worth maximum Rs.70,000/-only. If you are going to negotiate with Mr. Rungta, do not tell him any amount but ask them how much they are willing to sell for. Just between you and me, the land is wonderful and Prabhupada would very much like to acquire it, but this we should not tell Mr. Rungta, nor should you disclose immediately how much we are willing to pay, until he first gives you his idea of what they want to sell it for. Of course if he can get someone else to buy it and then donate it, that is best, but that sounds to me like something which will never take place. In any case we are very interested in the land, so try to negotiate successfully for it.
Srila Prabhupada has been putting all over His body throughout the day a powder composed basically of calcium carbonate which absorbs water through the skin. As a result of this powder recommended by one Ayurvedic physician of Vrndavana, as well as some medicine also given by the same physician, the swelling in His body has nearly reduced to normal. Prabhupada continues to work with great enthusiasm in His translating.
We are advising Svarupa Damodar Prabhu that the first conference of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, which he had contemplated holding in Vrndavana, from October 14th through October 16th, will better be held in Bombay from October 28th through October 30th. His Divine Grace prefers that it be held in Bombay since our auditorium and guesthouse** will be completed, whereas there is no hall here in Vrndavana. Furthermore Srila Prabhupada will be present in Bombay for most of October so He will not be able allow a conference if it was in Vrndavana. Svarupa Damodar Prabhu will probably be corresponding with you in this regard for making further arrangements. Please see that all the construction is finished as promised by your goodself and Surabhir Swami. Hoping this meets you in the best of health.
Your servant,
Tamal Krishna Gosvami
Secretary to Srila Prabhupada
[handwritten in the margin:] It will be finished, will it not?