You will be glad to learn that day before yesterday morning at about 9 O'clock Sri N. C. Chatterji the big advocate and President of the Hindu Mahasabha came to our Sangha with his secretary unexpectedly. It happened that about a fortnight past we had a Path Kirtana function at his residence at 7-B, Pusa Road and in that evening we had some talk about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He appeared to be wellversed with the matter of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. I therefore invited him to come to our Sangha and he replied that he would try. After a week I reminded him again by letter and in response to my letter he came here all of sudden. Practically all the members were out at that time and myself along with two other Brahmacari and Vrindaban received him. He was acquainted with our activities and was offered Prasadam which he accepted and took it with him. I have asked him to come again when your holiness come back.
Residence (Letters)
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
With reference to the inaugural meeting of the Delhi section of the League on 22/12/55 the gentlemen named above have been selected to be the executive members. The immediate program of work is to find out some suitable place for the central office as also to provide the place of residence for the workers.
By the by by I may inform you that, as you know I am passing my days in Bombay in great inconvenience for want of a suitable residential place. I may remind you in this connection that your goodness promised me some place in your flats as soon as one of them is vacant. I understand that some are going to be vacated soon and I shall request you to help me by giving me a flat and thus mitigate my difficulties.
Late Pandit Jyoti Prasad Sharma father of Sri Krishnaji was also known to me and during his life lime whenever I used to come to Delhi, Late Pandit Jyoti Prasadji would provide me with residential place. His good son is also following the foot prints of his noble father and as secretary of the Nawal Prem Sabha, he is doing good service in propagating Rama Nama all over the city.
This west 72nd street is just in the centre of the city and I see there is a suitable place also now vacant for this restaurant business and if you come here for a day or two you can see the place and decide if you can start the business. The house is suitable for residence of the restaurant keeper and you see all these personally if you come here for a day or two.
1966 Correspondence
I am also glad to learn that you are now thinking of New York on receipt of my letter and it may be that you have to come here again if there is the Radha Krishna Temple as contemplated. The money is there, the Deities are there, the house is there, the men are there but the sanction is not there. Your residence was somewhere near the Columbia University I think.
You have asked me to write something about Mr Paul. He is a young man of twenty three years old. He was attending my class at 72nd St. along with others and when there was theft case in my room he invited me to his residence. So I am with him and training him. He has good prospect because he has already given up all so called bad habits. In these country illicit connection with women, smoking, drinking and eating of meats are common affairs besides that other habits like using toilet papers after evacuating etc.
1967 Correspondence
In any case I will have to go to Canada by the end of April as it is already arranged and if it is possible to get the permanent residence Visa. I think we may pay Mr. Ypslantin further $150.00. If not then I do not know what to do. Better consult our other Lawyer friends. What can I advice more. Man's artificial civilisation has created so many artificial laws that we, although God's men, have difficulties to travel in God's countries on God's business.
Residential quarters for students and others on terms of our rigidity is very good project. We should increase this project like Y.M.C.A. organization without any profit. We shall supply nice Prasadam at cheap rate and we shall give shelter to persons who will abide by our rules. That will help in increasing the numbers of devotees because they will attend our lectures and take our Prasadam and will have opportunity to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam etc. I think we should make an experiment of this project during the world Exposition.
I can understand the hint which you give me about Himavati and Hamsaduta. As a matter of fact woman is like fire and the man is like the butter pot. They must keep apart for healthy atmosphere. But in your country the social system is different. In fact in our society, at least, we should make separate arrangement of residence for the boys and girls. Gradually we have to organize like that.
1968 Correspondence
P.S. I am leaving S.F. on the 8th March, 1968. Most probably I shall get my permanent residence Visa in U.S.A. ACB
Sankirtana party can give us enormous help if we can organize it very nicely. I want therefore a permanent residential quarter at New York, so that my personal supervision of these things may go on. For the present, I would like to stay in my apartment at 26 Second Avenue, if cooking for the Temple can be arranged elsewhere.
But still, for everyone, Vrindaban's atmosphere is very sweet. But so long we have not completely freed our material attachment, even Vrindaban residence becomes uncongenial. Just like in the case of Kirtanananda, it was so happened. This seeking for solitude is simply a reaction on our past nonsense activities, or it is negation, voidism.
I am a bona fide religious minister and I have got bona fide certificates confirming my religious ministership, and I have got 8 centers who require my help in the current condition. And therefore, if it is possible, try to get my permanent residence as religious minister. In our last attempt to get permanent visa on the basis of religious ministership, it is not rejected.
Precaution you may take, but as you grow larger, if they are suspicious then they may cause trouble. Because you can dress yourself and live peacefully at your home, but if your neighbors are always suspicious, then there may be always danger. Therefore, why should we make our residence in such a place. And I think no Brahmacari will agree to go there and live in such uncomfortable situation, with suspicious neighbors.
Consciousness at that time. Another point is that I would have preferred to have permanent residence visa in USA rather than in Canada, and I have heard that if somebody adopts me as a child or something else, I can get the permanent visa. But if you adopt me as your old child, probably the visa department will laugh, that what you will do with an old child who is going to die very soon. But, if there is possibility to adopt me as old father, then you can try for it. If there is any law that you can adopt any old man as your father, and take care of him, then you can inquire from the Los Angeles immigration department and try for it.
There is a Bengali proverb that if one is a poor man, he can go to some friends' house and accept food and then come back, but one should never accept residence in other's house. That is very inconvenient. Of course, for a Sannyasi like us, we can live anywhere and everywhere, rather we should not have our own place.
Concentrate in one temple, and then we shall extend one after another. Immediately the scheme should be to have a temple in the center as you have already taken the plan, and residential quarter for the Brahmacaris, or Grhasthas, and let us go ahead with that plan at first.
There is already a friend in Bombay who is inviting you to stay with him, so why don't you take advantage of this opportunity? I have already advised Brahmananda to send you the letter of guarantee so you will have it from him in due course, or by the time this letter reaches you. In the meantime, I hope you might have received the six month extension residential permit. But you must prepare for going to Bombay. I am giving herewith one note to Parvat Maharaja which you will please show him.
Please accept my blessings. I am very much glad to receive your letter dated the 11th Oct., and it is good news that you have got a nice room for residential purpose. And you have got now good assistant, Mahapurusa, so combined together, try to establish a very nice center in Hawaii.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter of Oct. 28, 1968, along with Jadurani's. There is some difficulty of our temple here, therefore my return address is given to my residential apartment, as above. So you can write me letters to this address. I hope the enclosed statement of certificate of your being an ordained Brahmin will help you.
Please accept my blessings. I have not heard anything from you in about a fortnight, and I am anxious to hear how you are doing there. It may be there is some mail delay due to my leaving Seattle, for Santa Fe, and then coming here to Los Angeles. You can write me at the above address, my residential apartment. And you will be pleased to know that I am now accepted with the USA Immigration Department as Permanent Resident, with option to apply for citizenship.
Regarding my health, I am glad to inform you that it is in better condition than that last year when I returned from India. I am feeling no more headaches nor any severe buzzing sound—but still some buzzing is going on. After all it is a broken house and I cannot expect all the comforts of a newly built house in an old broken residence.
One of them has got a child and as soon as she is at least two years old, she may be sent under your care. New Vrindaban is just the suitable place for keeping cows and children. It will be an ideal residential quarter, completely for spiritual life and I hope for the future the Americans must evaluate this enterprise as very very valuable.
1969 Correspondence
Our present temple in Montreal has very nice space so our first consideration is how to make the temple room nice. So I do not know how this house shall be suitable for all of our purposes. It may be very suitable for residence and prasadam distribution, but unless there is nice arrangement for a temple, how will it be possible to rent it? So unless I understand how you intend to arrange for a nice temple like the one you have presently, a little difference doesn't matter, I do not know how you can accept such house. I shall be glad to hear further from you about this.
Next, if it is possible, let him cast some plaster of Paris Radha-Krishna murtis of the size you have got in the New York temple. If not, he may go for a few days to New Vrindaban and make schemes and plans for residential quarters and press accommodations, etc. If possible, Advaita may also go with him for a few days. In this connection correspondence may be opened with Hayagriva and Kirtanananda.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated January 18, 1969, and I have carefully noted the contents. Regarding the house, you must know that it is in a residential area, and I don't know if you can get a license for a temple there. In the present temple, there is no temple license but we have freedom to chant and dance as we like. However, if we chant and dance in this new house I am wondering if the neighbors will not object.
Your Sankirtana Movement there is growing in popularity, and therefore you must immediately have a nice place. I think that for this purpose the five-story building is quite suitable. The first floor can be used as a meeting room or kirtana hall. The second floor can be used as temple room. The third floor can be used for prasadam distribution. The fourth and fifth may be used for residence and propaganda office.
The room in Vrindaban where you are residing may also be kept so that it may be utilized when necessary. But so far as I am concerned, I am becoming older and older, and my life may be finished at any moment. As I have got my permanent residence in America, it is indication of Krishna that I shall live here to organize this movement to the best possible extent.
So I am reading your letters carefully and I shall answer them duly. In the meantime, you consider my appeal and do the needful jointly. For Aniruddha my instruction is that immediately there is no program in New Vrindaban because unless there is suitable houses for residence, we can not begin any work there. So I have instructed Hayagriva to make houses first. Then we can consider programs for going there. Now there is other important matters such as Back To Godhead which we should try for.
Please accept my blessings. I am glad to inform you that we have reached Hawaii in due time on Monday afternoon and immediately we met the devotees who came to receive us and I have come directly to Govinda dasi's residence. This place is very nice. It is just on the seashore and from the room on the second floor we can always see the seaview, so it is both scenic and healthy atmosphere. But it is a very distant place from our temple.
For the time being there is no regular school because there is no sufficient accommodations for living, but soon it will be done when our children can be taken care of properly. I hope that by the time your Candramukhi grows such arrangements will be completed. Regarding my residence, I have already decided that Los Angeles will be suitable, at least for eight months of the year, I do not know how the heat is during June and July though.
The best thing is to rent a big house if you cannot purchase a big one. But in all cases, I shall prefer a big house which can accommodate our temple and residence quarters. If possible, the book-binding department will be included also. If you purchase a small house, then again you will have to rent some other house for other purposes.
Your proposal to keep my apartment by arrangement with Mr. Chudy by the residence of Vaikunthanatha there is very nice. If this is done, I shall be pleased. So far as my goods are concerned, they must be packed in trunks with inventory taken of where each item is being kept.
The temple in the city is not finished being constructed yet, neither is there sufficient space. It can be used as office and residence, but as a temple, it has no sufficient space.
So I think Hare Krishna Mantra is already known to the Japanese youngsters. If you take this opportunity in cooperation with them, I am sure it will be successful. I am glad they are offering you free residential quarters at least for one month.
1970 Correspondence
Also I may inform you that we have found out a very nice church in residential quarter; and we are negotiation with them, but they are asking price which is very exorbitant. We are trying to bargain, but I do not think it will come down near about $200,000, and the down payment is estimated near about $65,000.
This center three years before, when I first visited, was in very poor condition but for the last year, since we are regularly sending Sankirtana Parties, the situation has improved with great speed. Now we are negotiating for a property which has got a big church as well as a residential house attached, and let us see if Krishna will help us.
In other words, the spirit soul, when he is fully liberated from material contamination or designation, he no longer transmigrates to another material body after death. He is transferred to the spiritual world for eternal residence in one of the spiritual planets known as Vaikunthas. The abode of Lord Krishna is the highest Vaikuntha planet, known as Goloka Vrindaban.
I am looking forward for that day, and I am pleased to learn that you are coming here in the month of April. By that time we may have a very new residence and church in Los Angeles which we are negotiating to purchase. The residential quarters consists of thirty rooms, so you will be very comfortable to live here with us, and I hope at that time you shall decide finally about joining us wholeheartedly.
And if you carry flags, festoons, and pictures in that procession, starting from a big park like Hyde Park or St. James' Square and then pass over some important streets, especially the residential quarters, that will be a great success. In that procession, you can distribute our literatures of various kinds—books and magazines also. I think that will be a great successful program.
Recently we have purchased a big church property consisting of four different houses, namely; the lecture house, the temple house, the Acarya residence, and the quarters for the devotees both male and female, along with a small garden and parking land for the visitors' cars.
The three sets of Deities should be taken to and kept safely by Jayapataka Maharaja at his new residence. In the mean time I am seeing to their clearance through customs by a clearing and forwarding house in Bombay that has a branch office in Calcutta, and I shall inform Jayapataka Maharaja when this has been arranged.
1971 Correspondence
So as soon as you receive the deed you should give these plans to the government, get them sanctioned and begin construction. In the design you will find a portion especially meant for my residence. So it will be a great pleasure for me to go there and live with you for some time. Since 1965 or before that there was a plan for me to go to Trinidad.
Immediately we require a big house either in Vrindaban, Delhi or Agra for accommodating foreign tourists. You can therefore please go to Agra and see Sri L.D. Bansal, Bansal Building, Subhash Bazar, Agra-3 (business phone 74255, residence phone 75459). You may remember that he came to Delhi and Vrindaban to arrange with us a pandal program in Agra. He has got a house for disposal which he says is very nice and big.
1972 Correspondence
A copy of a registered letter from one of the Sevaits Madan Mohan Goswami is enclosed and he has already taken possession in my absence of the verandah of my entrance door. You know very well and all residents of Vrindaban know it that my residence is there at Radha Damodara Temple but they are now trying to get me out, although I am paying the rent regularly and there is some advance payment also.
I have received your letter dated December 30, 1971, addressed to me to my Madras residence. I thank you very much for the same. The Japanese quotation for printing my Bhagavad-gita complete edition is already there, and I think nobody can compete with their price in any part of the world. The best advice I can give you is therefore to get the book printed in Japan immediately.
I don't think there is any question of Ksirodakasayi's ability to manage everything there, and he is appointed president by me, so what is the question? So far designing the temple is concerned, it is nice that you have got the honourary services of one Mr. Suri to help us. Govindaji temple is there, and a common 3-story as residential quarters may be built, so there is no difficulty for designing. One set of plans should be drawn up of Govindaji's temple, including dimensions, and one copy of them may be sent to Saurabha in Bombay.
So if they are living far away, like in Laurel Canyon, then another temple should be started. Unless there is arrangement for another temple, it will be not a nice proposal. Temple worship and prasada must be partaken, otherwise it will be ordinary residential quarters like karmis.
Unless it is absolutely necessary we should not purchase land at such high price. For the time being we are going to construct the residential quarters and then we shall take up the temple portion. So I think we can wait for some time. If we become very eager to purchase, naturally they will want to raise price. More demand, higher price, less demand, lower price. That is the economic law. So do the needful according to the situation. But things must be done very nicely.
You have gone to Kanpur and met with the Singhania family and you have had some very cordial dealings with him, so in this way, if you canvass him very sincerely and gently he can alone build our Vrndavana temple, and we shall build the residential quarters. So you maintain this close relationship with Sri Singhania and gradually try to convince him of our activities around the world.
He can tell him that he wanted to help us in New York, and in this way, very mildly, if he is canvassed he alone can construct the temple and we shall construct the residential portion. So far the temple design is concerned, in cooperation with these two gentlemen architects we can build in Vrndavana on a very grand scale. It is a new thing that American and European Vaisnavas will come to Vrndavana, so it is the duty of rich men like Singhania to construct something very nice for the foreigners so they will come and see.
This is a good idea. And you can introduce the Bhetnama system, whereby one person purchases the use of one room or some rooms for his lifetime, and whenever he may come to stay the room must be vacated immediately for his residence for as long as he likes, but if he leaves, someone else may use the room in his absence.
As soon as the first residence is finished, no more cash will be sent, only books. Therefore, you must work very hard to sell the books. Not that money will come from somewhere and we shall eat and sleep and so-called chanting. We must work hard like karmis, but not for sense gratification but for Krishna.
If we take this place then I shall make London my world or European headquarters, and I am applying also for British residential status. I have cancelled the program temporarily in Nairobi for completing my business in London, so I shall remain here until the end of August, and then fly to New Vrindaban as scheduled.
Kindly transfer the above account with all balance to your Branch No. 366, 3849 Main Street, Culver City, which is nearer to my residence at the above address.
But I think their plan may be to give us the temple only, because that cannot be sold, and no one can maintain it any more, and then we shall have to buy the residential buildings, the compound all the other buildings there, and that is their trick to get money for those buildings, by so-called offering us the temple without having to pay anything for it, because they cannot sell it anyway.
Thank you very much. In Vrindaban I wanted a temple like Radha-Govindaji's and a simple residential quarter, but it has not yet begun due to so many reasons. Now when you have gone please do begin something without any delay.
So far advising you in this connection, what can I say? Now you must be able to judge these things as you have got experience and you are there, what can I do from such distant place? If you think it is nice, then try for it. But one thing is, there is no residential place, so what is the use? But if that can be arranged somehow there is no objection. We are not so much after big, big buildings, we are interested to preach only.
1973 Correspondence
One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things . . . One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service . . ." such person is described by Krishna as "very dear to Me."
I am leaving for Australia by 2nd February to visit our ISKCON center there and I shall be returning in March to officially open the first residential block of our World Headquarters at Sridhama Mayapur, District Nadia, West Bengal.
It is not very good policy to move the deities once they have been installed. First thing you should try to get the authorities to reverse their classification of us as a church. Because factually we are not a church. It is true that our congregation is not increasing, simply the inmates are becoming more numerous. We should be classified as a residential temple. This is actually the case in India and it is the same case in Los Angeles. We simply have a bigger family therefore our temple is bigger.
Yes, we want to begin the temple construction immediately, so let them approve the plans. In the meantime finish the fencing, cleansing, and painting the residential quarters. If possible make the privy a little usable. It is not a practical idea of Mr. Birla to first collect half the money and then construct. People will pay as the construction goes on.
Regarding the Government's plans to construct a three crore tourist lodge, why not give the money to us, and we can construct? If this money is used for four such buildings as we have got plus a temple, this will satisfy the Government as well as our needs. You should try to get them to invest in our residence building construction. Tourists will come due to our canvassing. The Government can construct, and we can manage.
Concerning our Vrindaban project, along with the residential quarters, the remaining work on my quarters must be finished up immediately for my residence.
Meanwhile construction of the Vrindaban Temple should go on with whatever you have there. The Temple construction should go on first and later the residential quarters. You may assure the life members that they will surely get their residential quarters without fail, but first the Temple must be built. The $100,000.00 being transferred is for the Vrindaban project and other arrangements will have to be made for the new kitchen and pavilion in Mayapur.
1974 Correspondence
Regarding you report on construction progress I am glad to hear the building is roofed, however what about the backside residential quarters? Please give me up to date information on all phases on the construction.
I do not wish to discuss about activities of my Godbrothers but it is a fact they have no life for preaching work. All are satisfied with a place for residence in the name of a temple, they engage disciples to get foodstuff by transcendental devices and eat and sleep.
Please accept my blessings. I am very much anxious to know how far the residential quarter is constructed. Our deadline of completing the whole temple and residential building is the end of July. Whether it is possible? I want to know it definitely, before I go to Europe. You kindly send me immediately a detailed report. Otherwise, I will have to go there immediately and see how things can be completed by the deadline date.
I am glad to hear, although there were many difficulties, that Madhudvisa Maharaja will be able to return to Australia with permanent residence status. Please have him write me as soon as he returns. I do not have the exact date of your Rathayatra in June, although I think it is June 21. As for going there my present itinerary is that I am going to Rome on May 23 for a week, then a week in Geneva and then a week in Paris.
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 14, 1974 and have noted the contents. I was very glad to learn that you had such a nice Janmastami celebration and that even our Mr. Setti was dancing during the kirtana. Actually it is due only to him that the plans for the residence quarters were approved by the Municipality. I have today received in the mail a receipt from the Municipality for the amount of Rs. 4,230/- as fees for cultural center.
Regarding BBT lending Bhaktivedanta Manor dollars 25,000 for purchasing a house in Letchmore Heath, the BBT has no money, that is what I think. It is lending to Australia Dollars 100,000 and prepared to lend to Paris Dollars 100,000. I do not know that after lending this money there will be anything more. Lending for opening a temple is the business of BBT but not lending for residential quarters.
Regarding the Parikrama in the village if they object, then don't agitate them unnecessarily. They are Christians, so why do it? You say that the houses are being put up for sale, but where is the money to buy them? What about the Life Member fees you are collecting? If you are keeping them for temple construction, they may be used to purchase these houses for the householder devotees. BBT loan is not meant for residential quarters. You purchase and they will pay rent and you get interest. Use the temple construction fund for this purpose. You say that you have gotten L50,000 in pledges, but we will require much more.
He wants roads parks, gardens, like the descriptions of Dvaraka in the Krishna Book. Prabhupada personally surveyed the sites for a large lake as well as the second residential building. He called for a wall with a large front gate to be built. Work on a spacious kitchen complex near the Bhaktisiddhanta Road is progressing, but Prabhupada ordered that a second story should be added so that women and householders can live there and that the kitchen operation in the present residential building be moved there so that additional guest rooms can be added in the present kitchen and women's quarters. A dollar 25,000.00 Prasadam Distribution Pavilion attached to the new kitchen complex will also be built. Gargamuni Swami has pledged half the cost, and Hamsaduta Prabhu has sent dollars 4,000.00 from Germany and promises more. 1,000 people will be able to be served prasada at one sitting.
You can also have photo exhibits of all the Ratha Yatras we hold in London, San Francisco, Melbourne, Toronto, and Philadelphia.
I am herewith returning the map of the fencing where I have indicated that the gate near the residence house is not necessary and should be removed.
. Therefore I think for now you should remain there in __, executing your devotional service, preaching nicely, caring for the Deities nicely. Try to get some type of permanent residence permit for Russia. If you can not get this residence permit then I think it is better not to go there. We shall see as Krsna desires.
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 11th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Regarding your going to Moscow, if as you say, there is a chance of your getting a residential permit, then you should go there and try to get it. If your husband has a plan, that is very good. By Krishna's grace you may be able to stay there and spread Lord Caitanya's movement.
Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 1st, 1975. Please excuse me for my late reply, as I was very very busy in Vrindavan for the opening ceremony of our Krishna Balarama Temple. As I was scheduled to come to Bombay after the ceremony, I thought I shall call you at my Bombay residence, (Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Bombay) and talk with you in detail. But circumstantially, I stayed in Bombay for a few hours only because from Vrndavana, I went to Delhi, then to Kuruksetra as I was invited by Sri G.L. Nanda in a big meeting, and again I came back to Delhi, then to Bombay and on the same night, to Perth, Australia, where I am now staying.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 1, 1975 along with your elaboration of the word LIFE. It is very interesting. Regarding your question at the end, yes, the soul is eternal and it is transmigrating from one body to another. Therefore the body is undergoing evolution, not the soul. Just like if I come to the USA from India, I have to change my residence. I personally do not have to change, but my residence changes. So, the soul travels from one body to another and always remains the same. I shall be looking forward to your elaboration of the word MATTER.
The Chand Society flat may not be sold. It can used as office and residence of Vaikunthanatha and Yasomatinandana. Two rooms used as residence and one room office and stock. The BBT should provide facilities for offices and stock go down. BBT should pay for the rooftop go down. By my calculation you should be able to sell in India at least four lakhs of Rupees worth of books per month. You simply have to organize it.
Regarding the farm, if by getting money from the cash crops, then do that and improve the place. Construct temple and residential quarter. Somehow or other you have to keep the men who are there engaged. If they are allowed to become idle gradually they will again become hippies. If the farm cannot be utilized, then it may be sold.
You cannot sell the Hawaii house. It is a good house, and I do not approve selling it. If you want to expand, then you can purchase other houses for residences. I do not want any of our houses to be sold. I have no objection to your moving the farm on the same island with the temple, but you can purchase a farm separate and keep the present house. What will be gained by selling the house? I do not like this idea.
From here I shall go to London for one or two days, and from there I shall take one Quantas plane which goes directly to Bombay in eight hours. Then I shall see Bombay affairs where we are constructing a very big temple and residential quarters. There are six houses of two stories already on a spacious land of 20,000 sq. yards. We have already constructed one floor more on each house to accommodate our devotees, and still we are constructing another two towers for receiving guests, as well as a very big temple in that land.
Dr. Babbar
Civil Surgeon
District Medical Hospital
Mathura
(Residence: Dawnpier Park)
Dear Dr. Babbar:
Please accept my best wishes. I wish to introduce to you Mr. Govardhana Sharma, Token No. 0404, Tiamic Shop, Escorts Ltd., Faridabad. He is in need of some service from you, and I request you to kindly give him assistance.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Regarding Spain, yes, don't risk anything. You've got sufficient engagement in the other European cities. Do everything slow but sure. The new French Back to Godhead is very nice. Amsterdam temple has also grown to 55 devotees. This is a credit, not that the temple should be a place simply for good residence. It should be a place where there is constant activity in Krsna's service.
His office is at Raj Bhavan, Calcutta. He wanted to help me in any way in the government affairs. So immediately see him with some prasadam and flowers. His office phone number is as follows; 23 29 19, 221681/476, 230177-79. His residential number is as follows; 44 53 22.
1976 Correspondence
If they refuse to give us in so-called charity the whole land then we can purchase the vacant land at the price mentioned in the document and because we have already installed the foundation stone, we do not wish to go back. We shall construct the Temple and Residential Quarters as we see fit. But we cannot follow their dictation. The idea is that the land, both vacant and occupied, must be given in a real charitable mentality, not to take advantage of our ability and get a temple and then create some trouble.
For any others who are engaged in important Society projects, they must get something for maintaining their children at Gurukula. So far as Prasadam and residence, they are already getting that free. But sometimes, grhasthas make their own arrangement for cooking. For that we can give no expenditure.
You say my apartment will be ready by mid-March but without an elevator, how can I use it? Here in Mayapur we have begun construction on a 67 room Residential Quarters along the Northern boundary of the land to be ready for use by Gaura Purnima. I have asked Tamala Krishna to send his Radha Damodara party's collections to pay for it. Caitya-guru is engaged to help oversee the construction.
Please accept my blessings. Last year at the Mayapur meeting it was decided to build another residential building. Now the festival is fast approaching, so construction has begun today on a very long residential quarters. Due to urgency, I have asked Tamala Krishna to supply funds immediately. So whatever money his Party sends should be credited against their book bill. Also in the ratings it should be shown for book distribution, not as a Mayapur-Vrindaban Fund donation. They are sending the money as usual, simply I have asked them to send it directly to India.
Now work is proceedingly full scale here on the new residential building and in Bombay work is beginning under the guidance of Larson and Tubrow. So Rs. 7 Lakhs will be required immediately this month for Bombay. In your BBT Trustees report you say that $200,000.
I have seen a house situated at 12 Ring Road, New Delhi, which is your property. Immediately we need a house for our residential purposes. My disciples are mostly Americans. Our main activities are to preach philosophical and cultural literatures, a list of which is also enclosed. It is understood that the house is for sale and if you kindly give us some concession rate we can immediately pay you. So kindly do the needful. I am sending you Gurudasa Adhikari to take care of this on my behalf.
At least visa should not be limited to three months, six months, like that. The devotees should be accepted as permanent residents on our recommendation. If it is a question of economics, then they can bring food, and cloth from abroad sufficient for themselves and others. Neither they are going to occupy big, big tracts of land for residential purposes. No, they are trained up to lay down on the floor for taking rest. Whatever is required we shall do, but let them stay. The government allows Christian missionaries to stay, and the foreigners come to learn Indian religion, they are not allowed to stay? This is not a very good policy.
There is no hurry to build the exhibition hall in Mayapur if you have not yet made the site plan for the city. Also, the basement of the buildings means a risk of flood, also these buildings are for residential purposes. How can it be used for exhibition? Try to give me more information about these basements which you mentioned as I am not familiar about them, or at least wait until I return before going further on the exhibition hall plan.
I do not think that it will be a good idea to construct my residence over the Gurukula as it will be very noisy with the children there so close. You can begin the "kutir" as you mentioned by the side of the present tank, but it may require some trees and flowers and plants, then it will be alright. It is alright to have the guest rooms as shown in the plan of 3-6-76. I like the idea of being near the west gate as I want to go to the Ganges daily and during the summer I can take bath there.
Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of one letter from Srivatsa Goswami, 45 Dumrao Bagh Colony, Assi, Varanasi 221 005, India. He has written that Santosa das met him at his residence in Vrindaban and proposed to give Srivatsa Goswami all of my books in exchange for a set of "Goswami literature" edited by Sri Puridasa; all this was done without my sanction. Why has Santosa asked him for this? No one told him to do so. Write to him and ask him who gave him permission to do this!
Concerning our proposal to be presented to the Parliament, anyone coming from ISKCON should be given permanent residence. India's original culture and religion is being spread all over the world, and out of their religious feeling if they come to stay in Vrindaban especially, why the government should harass them.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8 September 1976. I am very very sorry to learn that your father has expired. Your father was my class friend and neighborhood friend. During the time of your grandfather your whole family was living at Varanasi Ghose St. Our residence was on the same street and because we went to the same college, Scottish Church College, and were in the same class, we were very intimately connected since 1916, more than 50 years.
1977 Correspondence
I have heard that you are still not allowed to live in the Berkeley temple. You must fight this and continue the case until we win it. I have read your program for the grand opening of the temple, but I think it will be wiser to make our worship private. Declare that the building is our residence, and that wherever we live we worship the Deity. It is our private residential worship, it is not a temple. Argue like that. As for hiring the bhajan group Bharati Mandal, they are not as good as our bhajans. They eat anything and everything but no bhakti.
The best thing will be if you and your family stay in Poland over a long period of time so that you can train the interested persons. At the same time others may come and go visiting for book distribution. You should try to get residency and if you can get property there that is very nice. That is our main business, that by our association we should try to train people up in our philosophy and principles. Yes, I approve your idea to have a sankirtana party in America to support the Polish preaching. You have got good intelligence so utilize it properly and Krishna will help you.
I was staying in Risikesh hoping to improve my health but instead I have become a little weaker. Now I have come back to my home, Vrndavana. If anything should go wrong, at least I will be here in Vrndavana. Vrndavana is for residence, Bombay is office for organization, and Mayapur is for worship of the Supreme Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Bio data
Previous name: Sankara Pyne
Mira Pyne
Present name: Sankarasana Das
(initiating name) Jalatala Devi Dasi
Permanent residence: 63, P. Tollygunge Road
Calcutta, 700 033
Spiritual Father's
name: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Year of initiation: 1974, Sri Dham Mayapur
full disciple of Srila Prabhupada
(1st and 2nd initiation)
Relationship with
Srila Prabhupada: Grand Nephew and Grand Niece
Date of joining Krsna
Consciousness movement: September 1970 in Calcutta
| Page Title: | Residence (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, JayaNitaiGaura |
| Created: | 22 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=102 |
| No. of Quotes: | 102 |