700613 - Letter to Himavati and Hansadutta written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1970

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: 3764 Watseka Avenue
Los Angeles, Cal. 90034

DATE .....13th.June................19.70

Dear Himavati,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 9th June, 1970. I have already inquired from Krsnadas why I did not receive any letter from you. In one letter Hansadutta wrote me that you both, husband and wife, were going to Berlin. So after that I did not receive any letter from you. I thought both of you were gone to Berlin and thus I was expecting your letter. Now I see that you sent me one letter which is missing, otherwise it is my habit to reply all letters that I receive.
Anyway, letter or no letter, you are one of the advanced students, so you should know it perfectly well that wherever we may stay or whatever condition we may be put into, Krsna is our life and soul. We cannot stop your activities in Krsna consciousness. This motto should be followed very rigidly by chanting sixteen rounds and observing the regulative principles.
I have received your pictures and the Deity's pictures look very nice, but I think you should decorate the Deities with more flowers. Krsna belongs to the village atmosphere of Vrndavan and He is very fond of flowers. I think in Germany the flowers are very expensive, so as far as possible try to increase the quantity of flowers.
Regarding Lord Jagannatha, it is alright to install Him as you propose with fire ceremony. Bath Him with water and milk mixed and scented, accompanied by chanting Hare Krsna Mantra. Regarding the picture of Radha Krsna in Vrndavan, if it is a nice picture, then it can be hung elsewhere on the wall, and the backdrop to the Deities' Throne may be painted simply Vrndavan woods--that will be nice.
I hope Vasudeva is painting very nicely. So he should be encouraged to paint the Pancatattva pictures and Acarya pictures; they will be required in our different centers. In Australia they have requested such pictures, so ask Vasudeva to paint and send them there--this is his first assignment. It does not matter if they are a little crude, but he will improve with practice.
No, it is not proper that the morning Aratrik is performed with the Deities lying down. The Deities should be awakened with belling, then stand Them, then perform Aratrik. After Aratrik you bathe and change Their clothes. You should wake Them privately and also bathe Them privately. And if you want to go to Rathayatra in London, why not go. You have already instructed Sivananda, so it is alright.
So far your present program of Deity worship, for the time being whatever is going on that is nice.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

My Dear Hansadutta,
Please accept my blessings. Regarding the Rathayatra procession in London, the procession should be made like this:
Ratha [handwritten]

The arrangement is for seven kirtan parties, or if you do not have enough men, four parties. Each party must consist of seven men as follows: two mridanga, four karatal, and one dancer. One of the kartal players is lead singer, and the dancer dances freely up and down between the two lines of players three on each side as in the drawing. If there are only four parties, the arrangement should be that one party is on each side, and in back and front of the Ratha:
Ratha [handwritten]

So the dancer should dance very freely, you may distribute Prasadam and especially distribute our literatures from a table on wheels for the purpose.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:db

Srimati Himavatidevi Dasi
Sriman Hansadutta Das Adhikary
ISKCON Temple
2 Hamburg 6
Bartelsstrasse 65
West Germany

Regarding the Rathayatra procession in London, the procession should be made like this:

RATHA [handwritten]

The arrangement is for seven kirtan parties, or if you do not have enough men, four parties. Each party must consist of seven men as follows: two mrdanga, four kartals, and one dancer. One of the kartal players is lead singer, and the dancer dances freely up and down between the two lines of players three on each side as in the drawing. If there are only four parties, the arrangement should be that one party is on each side, and in back and front of the Ratha:

RATHA [handwritten]

So the dancer should dance very freely, you may distribute Prasadam and especially distribute our literatures from some small tables on wheels for the purpose.

this page belongs [unclear] Hansadutta letter. [handwritten]
13 June 1970 Hansadutta [handwritten]