720121 - Letter to Jayapataka written from Jaipur

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: January 21, 1972
Camp: ISKCON Bombay

My Dear Jayapataka,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter undated, and I have noted the contents carefully. So far the printing of Gitar Gan for which you have sent quotation, you may take other quotations also, and I am flying to Africa tomorrow but I shall return first week in February, so when I return I shall send you the manuscript which I think is now finished by Mr. Chakravarty in Bombay. Of the paper samples, the heavier stock of map litho at 80 grams per square meter is preferred by me, and the cover paper is all right. We have estimated 100 pages, so I suppose the price will be proportionately lesser or greater if we have more or less pages?
Regarding Mayapur festival, if we cannot do anything there, then because there is very good prospect in Africa I may remain there and not return to India. I especially wanted to stay in India for this Mayapur celebration, but if there is no scope, or if our men are not able to do anything, then I can return via Africa. But why not it is held? Nobody will check us if we simply go there as ordinary pilgrims. But you try for permission for all our men. One form has been sent to all our men outside of Calcutta to apply for the permission. I understand that all Calcutta men they are already applying directly from there. These forms will be sent to you immediately by our men, and you can push seriously with every possible effort to get permission for all. Such festival should be held very grandly. Gurudas has gone to Delhi, so he can take further permission from there. There is good chance the ban may be lifted by the 15th, so as soon as five men can go, they should go there immediately to make preparations for a grand festival. I do not think there will be difficulty if we just go there like the ordinary pilgrims and set up our camp there for kirtan continuously. Anyone will see we are only serious devotees of Lord Chaitanya and not Pakistani spies. So I think you should plan that we shall definitely be coming to Mayapur and hold a grand festival there for Lord Chaitanya's Appearance Day celebrating. You may collect advertisements for Mayapur on this basis that somehow or other we shall go there.
One more thing, those One-Rupee Coupons, they may be given one book of Gitar Gan also, and 50% will go to Book Fund, 50% to Building Fund. In this way 10,000 books will be distributed very easily.
Hoping this will meet you in good health and happy mood.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/sda