Ghee (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"ghee" |"ghee's" |"ghees"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Brothers -- Allahabad 1 January, 1955:

(12) Just after "Bhogarati" function, the members will be served with "Prasadam" which shall consist of the following items: (1) Rice, (2) Dal, (3) Capatis with ghee (4) 2 curry (5) Bhija (6) Khicheries (7) ___ (8) Sauces (9) Pampar (10) miscellaneous.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Aniruddha -- Los Angeles 14 November, 1968:

Arati is performed at 1 1/2 hour before sunrise to awaken the Deities. Each offering is made by moving it in 7 big circles, starting at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, and going clockwise round. First of all, burning camphor or ghee (5 fires if possible) is offered in this way, slowly circling them before the Lord. With left hand bell is being rung, and with right hand the offerings are made by circling. Next burning dhupa is offered. Then water is offered in a conchshell. Then a nice handkerchief is offered. Then a nice flower, as a rose. Then the Deities are offered a fan, nice peacock feather fan. And the last item is the blowing of the conch shell three times. Throughout arati there is bell ringing, cymbals, mrdanga, gong, harmonium, etc.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- New Vrindaban 10 June, 1969:

The article was very nice, and I can appreciate how you are assimilating this Krishna philosophy and conveying it nicely to others. Your descriptions of the Dadhibhanda Celebration sounds very thrilling, and here in New Vrindaban there is also nice supply of butter, ghee, milk and cheese due to the cow that they are keeping here. Regarding the draft lawyer, please try to expedite the matter, because there are many of our boys who may take advantage of this facility of being excused from the draft service. So when you are able to arrange for this it will be a very important achievement for our society. Regarding your suggestions for my travel plans, your ideas are very nice, and if I do not go to London, you can expect me to come to Los Angeles directly from New Vrindaban by the 10th of July.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 24 June, 1969:

So far as milk is concerned, I can arrange for financing in the matter of purchasing cows. The arrangement will be like this, that I shall ask all the centers to finance at least for one cow, and you will have to pay them back the price by supplying ghee. Suppose somebody advances $200 for purchasing a cow; you will have to repay the debt by supplying $200 worth of ghee. After that, the cow becomes your property. But to produce this ghee means there must be regular churning. The men should be engaged in producing vegetables, tilling the field, taking care of the animals, house construction, etc. and the women shall do the indoor activities. Of course, those who are engaged in typing, like Syama Dasi, they cannot do any other work. So you may arrange things in this way. Please request Satyabhama to send me back the Krishna Book immediately.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Dinesh -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1970:

Salt should be added to the vegetables after they are in masala, it should not be cooked directly in the ghee. Regarding recipes for a cookbook, I think Yamuna devi has made one collection of Prasadam recipies so you may contact her in this connection.

Please offer my blessings to your good wife Krishna devi and child. It is very encouraging to me that Visnu Arati is being raised from her very birth in Krishna Consciousness and is spontaneously chanting Hare Krishna. No other yoga system can be so practiced even by a little child.

Letter to Krsna dasa -- Los Angeles 18 February, 1970:

The next day, the devotees should celebrate amongst themselves with a small scale feast. You may hold the celebration open to the public on the following Sunday. The preparation to be offered specially on this occasion is bhuni kichri: Fry equal parts dal and rice in ghee and massala. Add two times water as dal and rice, and add vegetables (if you use more ghee, use less water). Cook it until it is dried and the rice is soft.

I am very glad to learn that Michael and Henning are both very sincere boys, and Henning is an expert carpenter. If they go to London to help Syamasundara with building the Rathayatra car, that will be a great service. Please offer them my blessings; and the more they become enthusiastic in Krsna's service, the more they will feel transcendental bliss and become advanced in Krsna Consciousness.

Letter to Harer Nama -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

So far chaunce is concerned, I think you have been wrongly advised to burn the cumin seeds and chilis until they are very black. The chili should be added to the hot ghee just after the cumin seed begins to darken in color, and both of them should become brown, but not black or burnt. I think this adjustment with a little trial will improve the dahl for offering to the Deities.

But I see that you have many such questions about our philosophy. Under the circumstances it would be very good if you come to Los Angeles for some time to learn these questions and answers in the daily classes here. This is a good opportunity to clear up any doubts or misunderstandings, and the best program is if you come here for study. I am personally lecturing here weekly especially for our devotees.

Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 24 June, 1970:

Regarding your first question, while Lord Jagannatha is on His Ratha, and for the duration of the festivities for eight days following, bhuni kicrie may be offered along with other preparations. So for Rathayatra day feast should consist of bhuni kicrie which you make by first frying the dahl and rice in ghee. Also fry the vegetable with little ghee and massala. Then after the kicrie is cooked add some sugar, not enough to make it sweet, but just a little sweet taste, and some nutmeg, cinnamon, and other sweet spices. In this way it is like push pana. Other preparations may be a fruit salad, sweet rice, puris, a chutney, and a vegetable which is neither wet nor dry.

There is no need of a curtain for covering the Lord as He is being carried to His throne. For the eight days following July 5th the best thing is that Their Lordships remain in some new place very gorgeously decorated for Them and the program should be as much offering of feasts and Kirtana as possible.

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 30 November, 1970:

Your program to visit nearby cities and towns with a travelling party is nice. Krishna Das has also started this program in Germany and the success has been good.

Regarding worship of Tulasi, it is not very much important. Simply all the devotees may offer a little water every morning and in the evening offer obeisances and ghee lamp (one wick) and circumambulating three times repeating the mantras that I have given you. The plant may remain in the garden.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- Bombay 4 April, 1971:

And the same can be done in the mental hospital as well. Distribute prasadam there also. Preaching at these and other big institutions is solid work, so try to increase this activity.

The suggested ceremonial gifts for the Spiritual Master are as follows: grains; fruits; spices; ghee; flowers; clothings and garments; bedding, shoes, umbrella; asana; sacred thread; utensils; lamp; bead bag; kunti (neck) beads; incense; ornaments; money. No, the third floor is not too high for my quarters. When I was in Montreal I was on the fourth floor.

So far as arranging for one engagement in the art gallery, I shall be glad to accept this invitation when I return. Let him be in contact with our temple and when I go there I shall accept this invitation.

Letter to Damodara -- Bombay, India 11 April, 1971:

I am so glad to hear how you are increasing your program at the schools and colleges and teaching classes there also. That is very encouraging. This university teaching should be vigorously done and our literatures introduced as well. It is an ideal opportunity to do so. And you are getting free ghee from the city school system. That means support of the local government. That is very nice. If you can gain the sympathy there of the government, local state or national, that will so much enhance our prestige. So go on trying for it.

Letter to Dinesh Candra -- Los Angeles 13 July, 1971:

P.S. In answer to Krishna Devi's questions: I have not received your cook book as of yet; mustard seed, etc.—these are exciting spices and should be avoided; Vegetable ghee is all right if real ghee is not available or easily acquired.

So far my coming to Israel, I will be glad to come but I do not know yet if it is possible. But when my program is fixed up I will let you know, probably by the first week in August.

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Nairobi October 9, 1971:

I have not heard for many days about Kuala Lumpur activities and also Hong Kong. I hope you might have received news from them. So I wish that you may stay for some time in Delhi to recoup your health. Delhi climate is now very good. So you take in the morning sugar candy juice. Just soak some sugar candy overnight in water and take early in the morning and that will help you. Don't take any fatty vegetables (too much ghee and spices). Take green vegetables in salad with lime juice. Green papaya boiled is also nice.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Hayagriva -- Madras 13 February, 1972:

I have read your Cow Protection Report, and I am very much encouraged, especially by your proposal to supply our centers with ghee. This should be done, and you can take money. Now I wish to donate 5 cows, so kindly send me the cost of 5 cows and I will send you check.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Tejiyas -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 15 August, 1973:

If possible arrangements should be made so that the kitchen can continue to cook and Prasadam distribution may go on continuously, in Delhi this is not difficult. If you do so the richer section of the public will contribute food grains, flour, ghee etc.

Your idea to get our men made as official government guides is nice, also if the government agrees to build one or two room in our temple that will be good. If respectable gentlemen become interested in our Krishna Conscious Movement then our temple in Vrindaban will stand first, because all other temples in Vrindaban gather general mass of people without philosophical understanding. Some 50 years ago some Christian priest went to Vrindaban and inquired from many residents why Krishna enjoyed Rasa dance with other wifes which is against the Vedic principle, but nobody could satisfy him.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 30 September, 1973:

Temple is nice. We cannot compromise to satisfy others. The neophyte preaching programme is very good, and this should be introduced in all our centers. Regarding the devotees getting sick, they are not accustomed to eating fatty foods. Therefore, I suggest boiled vegetable taking only little ghee and capati without any ghee.

Tusta Krishna Maharaja, Siddha Svarupananda Maharaja and Sudama Vipra Maharaja are good boys and if there are any difficulties, I shall rectify these on my return to Los Angeles via Hawaii.

Regarding the Lord Caitanya murti, it is not at all good and I do not approve. Lord Caitanya is stout and strong. There are so many pictures which you can follow. So have the artist start a new murti.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 5 December, 1973:

Regading the Government loan for our tourist hotel, we have already invested twenty lakhs so they may loan us at least 1 crore. Do it carefully. If we construct a very attractive hotel many tourists will come just like the Holiday Inn.

So far as the arrangement with Australia for trading books for ghee, go ahead and do it with my permission. Karandhara has agreed.

If you think there is a good opportunity for getting surplus food grains from the U.S.A. then you may come here for sometime to work on this scheme after Giriraja and Mohanananda have returned to Bombay.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 7 January, 1974:

So I have already asked him but I will say again, how you require him at New Vrindaban and how he should work nicely there with the cows, under your guidance.

You inquire whether you can make cheese? Why cheese? Make sufficient ghee. If you can send ghee to India that would be nice service as there is scarcely any ghee there. Cheese is not good. We should produce ghee so all our centers can have enough ghee.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:

Better to have Gaura-Nitai, Radha-Krsna, and Lord Jagannatha—that system must continue.

Regarding what to do with the skim milk after the ghee has been produced. So far I have experience in India, after churning the butter the remnant is called gohle this gohle is called sour milk. Sour milk can be taken by the members of New Vrindaban along with food. In India in villages they have enough milk and sour milk is taken in place of water or in dahl with salt and pepper. So sour milk should be taken by the devotees and ghee used. Cheese is very valuable. Sometimes it is used by sweet meat shops in India and it is called khurcha. If you like you can make cheese but we require much quantity of ghee. My idea is that in India there is a great scarcity of ghee, but I don't think it is practical to send ghee from New Vrindaban to India. Anyway, go on developing New Vrindaban into an ideal community, and I shall be pleased to see the new additions when I come there.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 7, 1974.

Regarding the confusion you have about receiving book from India, you may go ahead and send ghee in exchange for the books. I have already discussed this with Karandhara. The books were given to India. From India there was no possibility of sending money. Therefore if you get the books you should send ghee in return.

I have seen the monthly book distribution report and your name, Australia, is first among the world distributers. This is very pleasing to me and indicates you are leading all others in preaching and spreading the mission of Krsna Consciousness.

As for obtaining a deity after the style of Bankebehari, we shall discuss that further at another time whether it is possible.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:

As for obtaining a deity after the style of Bankebehari, we shall discuss that further at another time whether it is possible.

I am going back to India via Honolulu on next Monday. I am very much encouraged by your activities in selling books. So not only you shall supply ghee in exchange of books supplied by Gargamuni Swami. In the future we may need large quantities of ghee in our different centers because after going back to India I shall see that in every temple food distribution goes on nicely. Australia is famous for producing wheat and milk products. My question is whether you can supply as contribution to our ISKCON centers in India, wheat and ghee in exchange of books. If it is possible then consult with the Trustees of BBT and consider the matter and do the needful.

Letter to Dr. Ghosh:

Recently in our experience there was attempt to drive away the British. This revolution changed India from dependence to independence, but factually the situation has deteriorated from bad to worse. We are old friends, we know that in Allahabad when I was there, ghee was selling for 1 kg. per 1 rupee, and now its costs 20-25 rupees per kg. In this way, things have not improved, in so many ways. This is due to imperfect leaders.

Therefore our propaganda is to educate people to accept Krsna as the perfect leader in all fields of activity, and if people take to it seriously they will be happy in this life and after quitting this body he goes back to home, back to Godhead. There is no difficulty in understanding this philosophy in full brain and it is the urgent necessity that it be spread all over the world.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Melbourne 1 July, 1974:

You can also arrange to have the Her Govinda dramatical players and our own players as well. There should be abundant prasadam for whoever comes all day long. The kitchen should go on. So see there is sufficient stock of rice, attar, ghee, etc. The life members should be especially cared for and invited. We shall manage our own affairs. If they come that is good but if not we shall manage. From our side everything should be done nicely.

All big officers in Mathura and Vrindaban should be invited. Goswamis and godbrothers also. Also invite local Marwaris and invite Parthak also. Practically by distributing a general invitation card we shall invite everyone. All the inhabitants of Vrindaban will be invited to come and see the deity and take prasadam.

Letter to Giriraja -- Vrindaban 8 August, 1974:

Regarding getting the USA money for your Sunday feast program, no that is not required. Local people can contribute. There are many temples that are getting donations from the public. In Bhuleshvar there is one Hanuman temple, and they are getting grains and ghee from the public. If you try, you can also get.

Letter to Madhavananda -- Vrindaban 16 September, 1974:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 10, 1974 hand delivered by Paramahamsa Swami with enclosed color photos and cans of ghee. Your success there has given me great pleasure, and I thank you very much for your sincere service in fulfilling the mission of my Guru Maharaja. In the foreign countries you are getting so many Indians, and they are not getting even here in India. Now in U.K. the Indians are getting life. They are Krsna conscious, but now they are getting the chance to serve Krsna. The pictures are wonderful, and I am getting them framed and will hang them in my quarters here. We are creating new life for the Indians in England.

Letter to Ramesvara -- West Bengal 25 October, 1974:

Within our movement Mayapur temple is the first. "Nowhere do we have such a nice temple in such an open place," Prabhupada remarked on one morning walk. In Bombay a shipment of 2,000 kilos of Australian ghee has been sent by Madhudvisa Maharaj. It will be sold to the Indian temples and used for the festival for the opening of the Vrindaban temple to be held after the Gour Purnima festival in April. For the Mayapur festival ghee will be supplied by each and every devotee who comes. Everyone should bring one tin of ghee. It can be brought for personal use.

I mentioned to His Divine Grace that air fares will be increased next year due to the petrol shortage, and this might affect the number of devotees who attend the Gour Purnima festival.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Mayapur 25 October, 1974:

In India ghee is needed in our temples. I want to know if you can supply ghee by exporting it from USA. The quantity is 100 lbs. for Mayapur and 100 lbs. for Vrindaban per month. I am prepared to pay you for it in dollars at the fair market price.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Mayapur 25 October, 1974:

In India ghee is required for our temples. I want to now if you can supply 200 lbs. per month in exchange for books.

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Bombay 23 November, 1974:

Without the spiritual master's order, nobody can utilize the service of a godbrother as one's personal servant. We address each-other as prabhu, so how can we engage our godbrother as servant? Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu engaged Govindadas who was His god brother as His servant, but that was only on the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's spiritual master.

So the best thing is that Bali Mardan live with me. This is the only solution.

Regarding ghee for India, what is the price? Australia is also sending in exchange of books. We have received from Australia ghee for Rs. 10-per kg.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 4 December, 1974:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 25, 1974 and have noted the contents. Yes, it is a good idea to ship ghee 1200 lbs. twice yearly. You can ship once in January and once in June. I shall talk further with you, when I come there next month. In the meantime you can let me know to which port the ship generally comes to India, whether to Bombay or Calcutta. Which port is nearer?

1975 Correspondence

Letter to P. S. Garg -- Bombay 16 January, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 6th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I thank you for your concern for my disciples' health. Actually, they are getting ghee and other milk products daily along with capatis, dhal, and rice. They are also taking fruits and vegetables daily. Some of them are getting very fatty. Any way the food is there, if they are getting skinny and thin, it might be some other cause.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 21 January, 1975:

I have received information from Ramesvara that 50,000 big books will be distributed every month in 1975. Introduce the books as far as possible. That is the success of our mission.

Please send the next shipment of ghee immediately, as it takes quite a while for it to reach India. Shipments should be sent regularly every six months. The amount that you sent last shipment was good, send that much twice a year.

You are so humble and so sincere, this is a sign of your success. May Krishna bless you more and more. Krishna has placed you in that position. Now, you should always be fully conscious of your great responsibility.

Letter to Manasvi -- Tehran 13 March, 1975:

Give Siddhasvarupa Maharaja nice facilities for preaching. He can attract many people by his preaching. Regarding the shortage of men that you mentioned, I have spoken to Kirtanananda Svami and asked him to try and arrange for more men to come. And regarding the cows on the farm, try to make some ghee also. That will be very valuable.

I have accepted the persons whom you have recommended for 1st initiation. Their names are: Linda—Lilasravana, Kathryn—Kamini, Cynthia—sita, Joe—Yasodala, Ronald—Ranganatha. Their beads can be chanted by Kirtanananda Svami. Also I have accepted Laksmana dasa for 2nd initiation. His thread and mantra sheet is enclosed herein. Let him hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra in his right ear. Keep the standard of devotional service very strict there.

Letter to Aksayananda, Dhananjaya -- Honolulu 26 May, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 17th, 1975 and have noted the contents. I was very much encouraged by this nice report you have given. Continue to organize the guest house. This is very important. Do it very nicely with the co-operation of Dr. Verma. In the evening, you must have many varieties of first class ghee-cooked preparations offered to the Deity and you can sell the prasadam. The L.A. standard is good, but still you should have a better standard. You should make kacoris, samosa, etc. If it is required, a professional confectioner may be employed. The Deity worship must be done very gorgeously. The 24 hour chanting is very encouraging to me. Please continue all as I have given you. I have full faith in both you. Kindly execute the routine work very nicely. Please send me a weekly report of how things are going on.

Letter to Hasyakari -- Honolulu 26 May, 1975:

Cow protection is the business of the vaisyas and along with our preaching, this is the most important work. We must have a good section of Brahmanas in our society and we must also have a good group of vaisyas who can grow grains and tend cows, and thus supply the society with food-grains and milk products from the cow like ghee, curd, cream, etc. If you can help in Mayapur it would be very much appreciated.

I have accepted the devotees you have recommended for initiation. Their names are: Stephen—Sundarakara, Janet—Jaganmurti, Patricia—Premaka. Their beads may be chanted by Kirtanananda Swami. The thread for Phanamandita dasa is enclosed and the mantra sheet is also enclosed with the gayatri mantra. Let Siladitya devi, Mahavegavati devi, and Phanamandita dasa all hear the tape of myself chanting the gayatri mantra through the right ear.

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Bombay 9 November, 1975:

At least we can offer the degree of DD—Doctor of Divinity by affiliating ourselves with some neighboring recognized university.

The farming and opening the restaurant are correlative—in farming you produce enough milk and milk products, at least ghee, and the ghee is dispatched to the restaurant in the city and with that you prepare first-class samosas, kacoris, vegetables, halava—so many things people will like very much. The principle is that not a drop of milk should be misused.

Letter to Palika -- Bombay 13 November, 1975:

Yes, the separation of man and woman is desirable. If Yamuna and yourself can develop such an institution of a woman's asrama, that will be nice. You are all elderly devotees. I think that this will be a good idea.

If you produce milk, you should not drink milk very much. Rather, you should save it and convert it into ghee and then sell it to the householders and centers and thus maintain your asrama. The excess quantity of ghee may be exchanged by trade. Kirtana is our first duty. The Deity worship should be simple and the eating should be as meager as possible.

Letter to Jagadisa -- Bombay 20 November, 1975:

So this business should be discouraged, otherwise, if they do it, our men will again become karmis. Our business is simply book distribution. So far increasing the New Orleans' farm, yes, if you have got more men, you can get more land. You should make a stock of ghee from the farm and if possible open a restaurant in the city for attracting people. You can prepare samosas, kacoris, rasgullas, sweetballs: In Honolulu they are doing nicely, this restaurant. You can take information from Srutakirti das. And the farm will get money by selling ghee to the restaurant. And also you can sell the ghee to the Indian people in the city.

Regarding the Deities of Gurukula, Lord Kalacandji, why you should move? The Deities shall stay. If you want you can install another set of Deities in a new place. There's no question of selling the building; it must be maintained.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Jayatirtha -- Mayapur 22 January, 1976:

Just try to improve the Prasadam system so nicely that one will not want any other arrangement. Another thing, is that the grhasthas may be encouraged to do agriculture. In the Indian villages like in Vrindaban, they get enough ghee for their personal use, and sufficient excess to be sold to the merchants, who then also get some money. Cow protection means good food and good trade. So I can give you suggestions how to manage everything, but it is up to the GBC to practically execute all these points.

You cannot survive without my mercy and I cannot survive without your mercy. It is reciprocal. This mutual dependence is based on love—Krishna Consciousness.

Letter to Citsukhananda -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976:

The proposed farm project in nothern California is approved by me. Such projects as well as constructing temples, protecting cows, gathering milk, then making ghee, then opening Hare Krishna Restaurants are all good programs for grhasthas.

Letter to Balavanta -- New York 8 July, 1976:

By coming to America, the Indians have not improved their material condition. It is welcome that they have come to us. Wherever one lives he should continue Krishna Consciousness. The enclosed photo of the Mississippi farm Deities is very nice, super excellent. The Deity must be very nicely worshiped, dressed, and fed, etc. In so doing you will always be peaceful and enlivened. From the extra ghee, you can contact Boston restaurant. They can perhaps purchase it. Sell ghee and you'll have good income. If possible in the city of New Orleans, open one restaurant. Someone can go to Boston and see how they are organizing things. You can study the history of how cow-slaughter became prominent in the West and then use for preaching.

In Miami there are so many mangos and coconuts. I am enjoying the dobs from Florida. The orange ones especially are very nice. I am taking one each day. From the green mangos you can make pickles.

Letter to Krishna Mahesavari -- New York 11 July, 1976:

We are giving protection to the cows with great profit. We are getting huge amounts of milk from which we are preparing lovely yogurt, dahi, sandesh, rasagulla, gulabjamon, etc. We have sufficient quantity of ghee for preparing kachori, samosa, and other very palatable confectionaries. The people of this country are gradually taking this idea very seriously for vegetarian diet and stopping cow killing in a practical way. We have got more than 100 temples all over the world and attached to every temple we are opening farms and in many cities restaurants, and all of them are going on very successfully.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Harikesa -- Bombay 6 May, 1977:

I am very pleased to know that our activities are going nicely in Scandinavia. I know that Vegavan is a very intelligent good boy. The place as you have described it that they are thinking to get sounds very nice. I know how dedicated all of the distributers of my books are in Germany where it is not easy to work. Please find enclosed one letter to the sankirtana men.

If you can overflood all India with ghee as you propose, that will be a great service. But what you describe sounds like a dream. As far as what to do with the ghee, it may be better that we take it directly. If we take it there will be no question of any black marketing. Rather we can take all of the ghee and advertise that everyone wanting free ghee apply through ISKCON. Does that sound alright?