711228 - Letter to Giriraja written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1971

Letter to Giriraj (Page 1 of 2)

Letter to Giriraj (Page 2 of 2)

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date:   December 28, 1971
CAMP:  ISKCON Bombay

My dear Giriraj,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated December 8, December 16, and December 22, plus your telegram stating "Ratnamiyer invites you exclusively Feb. 3rd to 13rd Stop Congress Grounds impractical Cable reply." I am very pleased that you are such determined and enthusiastic devotee that almost single-handedly you are organizing Madras program and making many life-members also. I think by now you must have been joined by other men which Tamal Krishna has dispatched from Delhi. If not, they shall be there shortly. I have instructed Rsi Kumar to send you the Bombay account numbers immediately. I am very encouraged by your thoughtful plan to organize very nicely all our men in India. I can understand that you are very eligible to be among the biggest leaders, so I have all confidence in your Madras programs. There appears to be some feeling of dissatisfaction with the way things are being managed in India, so I have simply said that if you all get me at least two life-members daily in India, then I shall do the rest. So I am pleased to hear from you that you are making many life-members there: that is the proof of our preaching strength. Wherever there is preaching strength there is also success, no matter it may be pandal-show, or making members, travelling Sankirtan party, whatever it may be--just maintain our strong position of purity of routine work and preach and distribute literature, that's all.
So far our program for India, at present we are trying seriously for a nice house in the aristocratic section of Bombay, or also for a large plot of land of several acres near Bombay, to establish our India headquarters. Bombay is the richest city, the gateway to India, and in all respects the most important city. So we must have something here. Otherwise, when funds are there we shall construct very nice centers in Vrindaban and Mayapur, that's all. Let many foreign students and disciples come to India for staying with us in these places. We shall be content to sit down there, chant and have kirtan very vigorously 24 hours, if anyone calls us we shall go for a few days and have program. Our real interest is in the western countries. The trouble in India is we cannot preach. There are language difficulties and the people think they already know everything. But now many foreign tourists are interested to come here to taste the spiritual life, so we shall concentrate on that field. Recently we have received one letter from Cox and King's, one of the world's biggest travel agencies, requesting us to kindly assist them by providing facilities for all the tourists coming from foreign places who are interested in seeing the real spiritual life of India. So in this way we shall work here.
As for the pandal program in Madras, that is all right what you have suggested. I may not come, but an adequate party will come there to assist you. Simply you must correspond with Tamal on these points. After the Madras program, we shall all go to Mayapur. I think that Bhavananda and Nara Narayana are organizing a very nice festival there. If you think that I should come there to Madras, then I shall also come. What do you think?
I am most pleased especially to hear that you are distributing many books.* Go on increasing books, and go on increasing my pleasure. You are doing very very nicely in Madras, and except for you I think there is hardly any devotee so hardworking and with such good ability to persuade men to help us. So far transportation, etc., you arrange all of that with Tamal Krishna.
I think the Delhi deities along with Nanda Kumar will be coming there soon.
Hoping this will meet you in good health and cheerful mood.
Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

* We cannot agree to give books unless they pay outright in cash. One thing, if they return unsold books we may replace them with new books, but we cannot give credit. [handwritten]

P.S. Hari bol : I have just received the address of a very important man from London named Robert Frazer, who is a big art director in England, a close friend of George's and the other Beatles who become famous a couple of years ago for giving up his famous gallery to see spiritual life. He is also very rich, knows a lot of people . So please look him up at:     134, Kalakshertra Colony,
                    off Elliots Beach Rd.
                    Adyar; Madras 20,     Jai:

Shyamsundar das