740109 - Letter to Gurudasa written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1974

Letter to Gurudas

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: Los Angeles

DATE .....................January...9......1974

Dear Gurudas,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 27, 1973 and I have noted the contents carefully.
Regarding transfer of money from the U.S.A., I have somehow or other arranged to transfer about $20,000; $10,000 of this is for purchasing land with a view to maintaining our temples in Mayapur and Vrindaban, and $10,000 for completing Vrindaban temple. I have already sent $4,000 to Mayapur for purchasing land there and I am coming to India by February 1st with the money for Vrindaban construction. In the meantime you can purchase as much material as possible and as soon as I reach India by February 1st, I shall pay them immediately for their bills. I am thinking of coming to New Delhi so when we meet in New Delhi we can pay the bills for materials you have purchased. Most probably you will be purchasing in New Delhi.

Temple construction must be finished by or before Janmastami. If you can finish my portion on or before my reaching India then I can personally go to Vrindaban and see what is the situation and how to manage. I can remain at Vrindaban through the month of February to estimate and supervise temple construction and then by the 1st of March I may go to Mayapur.

The money sent by Tamal Krsna Goswami is given by Bhogila (Patel, and Giriraj) told me that was his contribution for the temple. Never mind, you can employ all collections in India for the ashram, but the money I shall take will be devoted to finishing the temple. For finishing my quarters I don't think it will require more than Rs 5,000. Do the needful and I am coming with the required money. But what you have heard from Giriraj, some utopian 22 lacs, is not correct. So begin work immediately.

Regarding starting a school in Vrindaban, we don't want any school for studying philosophy. Simply a school for teaching our members sanskrit and Hindi. Dr. Kapoor has expressed his inability to teach language, that's all right, for the time being we don't require any philosophical teacher. Start with Hari Goswami for teaching Hindi and Sanskrit. Regularly he can teach 2 hours in the morning and 2 in the evening. He can be paid a reasonable remuneration, maybe at least Rs 200 per month. He can be assisted by another teacher available in Vrindaban. I have noted down the Punjab National Bank Account number, 6112, and I thank you very much.

Most probably, I will be leaving January 14th to Hawaii on my way to India. Our Hawaii address is as follows: ISKCON, 1578 Ala Aoloa Loop, Honolulu, Hawaii. Hope this finds you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami