701218 - Letter to Karandhara written from Surat

Letters by Date, 1970

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

CAMP: c/o Bhagubhai Jariwala; Motorcycle Bldg. Begampura; Surat
December 18th, 1970

My Dear Karandhar,
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your two telegrams and letter dated December 6th, 7th and 6th, 1970, respectively. I have just come to Surat from Indore as we are travelling often now and I have just received your letters addressed to Bombay from where my mail is regularly forwarded.
I have already telegrammed you in return regarding the money contributed by Sai and his followers. The money is to be kept for the purpose of purchasing one very nice house in Calcutta for which we have already begun serious negotiations. You have utilized $500 for the Berkeley Center's immediate need, but this must be repaid by them so the entire contributed sum must remain intact as I have instructed by telegram. It is a very good news that the disciples of Sai and Sai himself are now coming to join with our ISKCON. Because they were chanting Hare Krsna, they developed some love for Krsna and therefore they have decided upon this right course of action. So they are all very welcome and you can give these good souls all encouragement so that they may not feel any inconveniences. They must live with us according to our standard practices and they shall surely advance in Krsna's service.
So far the current estimate for printing the revised and complete edition of Bhagavad Gita, you may immediately go ahead with this project and it is very much encouraging to me that you are eager to do so. However the proposal for using the money contributed by Sai for this purpose is not feasible. That money is already reserved. The London Temple has taken Krsna books worth $20,000, so they should send the requisite $17,000 for the publishing of our Bhagavad Gita As It Is in new enlarged edition immediately. I understand that the KRSNA book is selling there very well, so they can easily do it. I hope your international attempts for placing our books in libraries and selling our KRSNA books in particular is going on. [handwritten] I am always anxious to know that our programs are going on nicely.
I am very much happy that you are now attempting for opening up some centers in South America. It has long time been my desire to have some of our branches there. So you train up some qualified men and send them and if they can do something there it will be a great achievement. Simply they must chant Hare Krsna, observe the regulative principles and read our literatures sincerely and their success is guaranteed.
So far the overseeing of the temples in your Zone, I am very glad that you are travelling there and preaching and thus feeling enlivened. Just see that the standard of purity is strictly maintained and the standard of enthusiasm for spreading Lord Caitanya's Movement is increased.
Please offer my blessing to all the nice devotees of Los Angeles Temple.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS:ds

Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary
ISKCON Temple
3764 Watseka Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
U.S.A.

P.S. I think with Sai's money in 10,000/$ denominations four bills you have to come to India. Shyamsundar will write to you. [handwritten]

Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary
ISKCON Temple
3764 Watseka Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
c/o Bhagubhai Jariwala
Motorcycle Building
Begampura, Surat
INDIA