740714 - Letter to Sridhara Maharaja written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1974

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Acharya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness

3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles, Ca., USA 14/7/74
Swami B.R. Sridhar
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
P.O. Nabadwip, Dt. Nadia
West Bengal, India

My Dear Revered Sridhar Maharaj:
Kindly accept my humble dandabats at your lotus feet. I am very much thankful to you for your kind letter 17/6/74 and your kindly accepting my invitation during the opening ceremony of our Krishna Balarama temple in Vrindaban. Of course it is provisional if your health is in good order.
I am so much thankful for your appreciating my preaching work in the Western countries. Fortunately these American boys and girls are so kind upon me that we are happily preaching this movement all over the world. This time my world touring covers many European cities like Rome, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt,; then I went to Australia to Melbourne, then to Chicago via Fiji and Hawaii. From Chicago I came to San Francisco and at present I am staying at Los Angeles. From here I shall go to Dallas, Texas. From there I shall go to West Virginia to our center New Vrindaban. From there I shall go to London. In London our Ratha yatra festival has been held up, and I think behind this obstruction there is some communal feeling. The local religious sect is not always happy on account of our movement being so fast growing. Especially thousands of young boys and girls are interested in this Krishna consciousness movement. So I think there is some plot to check up this fast growing movement. We are trying our best to counteract this opposing element but everything will rest upon Krishna.
Regarding your coming to Vrindaban during our festival, I may assure you that I shall arrange for your comfortable journey in the following way. One way is to come to the Dum Dum airport from Nabadwip by car, and then fly to Delhi, and then to Vrindaban by car, this will take a few hours only to reach Vrindaban. Another second alternative is to come to Howrah Station by rail, then take the Delhi Expression First Class, and come directly to Mathura, and from Mathura directly to Vrindaban. So as soon as you decide, everything will be arranged for your good self as well as one accompanying servant. If you so desire some of our god brothers whom you select may come with you, and you may let know there names, and I shall issue invitational cards to them.
Regarding preaching tour, it has become a little difficult for me because I have got the same heart trouble as you have, and still I am moving just to encourage these young boys who are working on my behalf.
You will be glad to know that our books are selling very nicely. Last year we sold about four million books, and this year within six months we have completed last years quota, and therefore we can reasonably expect to double the sale of last year. The only difficulty is that we are expanded worldwide organization, and it requires very acute management to keep up the status quo. So by Krishna's grace everything is going on nicely, and I am reaching India by the 26th of July.
I am yours ever sincerely,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/bs