So Kṛṣṇa is accepted by the authorities as Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And what is Bhagavān? Bhagavān means that one who is fully equipped with six opulences. Fully equipped with all opulences means Bhagavān is the richest personality. How much rich Bhagavān, or God, is, we can understand that we are proud of possessing a few acres of land, and Bhagavān means who is the proprietor of the whole universe. Therefore He is considered the richest. Similarly, He is considered the strongest. And similarly, He is considered the wisest. And similarly, He is the most beautiful personality. In this way, when you find a person the richest, the most beautiful, the most wise, the strongest—in this way, when you find, that is Bhagavān, or God.
Acres
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
During the time of Rājīvalocana, there was a scarcity of finances for the worship of the Jagannātha Deity, and it is said that the Nawab of Dacca, whose name was Shah Sujā, donated 1,185 bighās of land (about 395 acres) in the Bengali year 1060 (A.D. 1653). The land being the possession of Jagannātha, the village was named Jagannātha-pura. It is said that when Kamalākara Pippalāi left home his younger brother Nidhipati Pippalāi searched for him and in due course of time found him in the village of Māheśa. Nidhipati Pippalāi tried his best to bring his elder brother home, but he would not return. Under these circumstances, Nidhipati Pippalāi, with all his family members, came to Māheśa to reside. The members of this family still reside in the vicinity of the Māheśa village. Their family name is Adhikārī, and they are a brāhmaṇa family.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura adds in his Anubhāṣya: “In the Bengali year 1283 (A.D. 1876) a bābājī of the name Nitāi dāsa arranged for a donation of twelve bighās of land (about four acres) for the temple where Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura worshiped. The management of the temple later deteriorated, but then in 1306 (A.D. 1899), through the cooperation of the famous Balarāma Mullik of Hugli, who was a subjudge, and many rich suvarṇa-vaṇik community members, the management of the temple improved greatly. Not more than fifty years ago, one of the family members of Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura named Jagamohana Datta established a wooden mūrti (statue) of Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura in the temple, but that mūrti is no longer there; at present, a picture of Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura is worshiped.
The place where Nityānanda Prabhu appeared is called Garbhavāsa. There is an allotment of about forty-three bighās (fourteen acres) of land to continue the worship in a temple there. The Mahārāja of Dinājapura donated twenty bighās of land (about six and a half acres) in this connection. It is said that near the place known as Garbhavāsa, Hāḍāi Paṇḍita conducted a primary school. The priests of this place, listed in a genealogical table, were as follows: (1) Śrī Rāghavacandra, (2) Jagadānanda dāsa, (3) Kṛṣṇadāsa, (4) Nityānanda dāsa, (5) Rāmadāsa, (6) Vrajamohana dāsa, (7) Kānāi dāsa, (8) Gauradāsa, (9) Śivānanda dāsa and (10) Haridāsa. Kṛṣṇadāsa belonged to the Ciḍiyā-kuñja at Vṛndāvana. The date of his disappearance is Kṛṣṇa-janmāṣṭamī.
CC Madhya-lila
The temple of Lord Śiva mentioned here is situated in Pītāmbara, or Cidāmbaram, which lies twenty-six miles south of Cuddalore. The deity of Lord Śiva there is known as Ākāśaliṅga. The temple is situated on about thirty-nine acres of land, and all this land is surrounded by a wall and by a road that is about sixty feet wide.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
There is a verse, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, I am so satisfied that I have no desire to ask You." Why? Sthānābhilāṣi tapasi sthito 'ham:(?) "I came to accept this severe type of penance just to acquire the land of my father, or just desiring the possession of a few acres of land or any... But I have seen You. Who are You?" Deva-munīndra-guhyam: "Who is never seen even by the great demigods or great sages or great men by many years penances. Therefore my profit is that I came to search out some particles of glass, broken glass, and I have got the diamond. So what I have got to ask You? I am now satisfied."
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Produce. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). Kṛṣṇa never says, māṁsād bhavanti bhūtāni, matsyād bhavanti bhūtāni. Never says. Annād. Anna, anna. Anna means food grain. Produce sufficient food grain. So the... In the village side you go, hundreds and thousands of acres of land is lying vacant. Nobody is interested. Now they are interested (in) opening slaughterhouse. Kill the poor animals and eat, but don't produce food grain. The whole world, this rascaldom is going on. I have traveled over many countries, all over the world. In Africa there are so much vacant land. In Australia there are so much vacant land. But nobody is producing food grains. They, they have kept some cattles, these cows. They are automatically maintained. There is grass. And when they are fatty, take them and send to the slaughterhouse and eat. But the land is lying vacant. The land is lying vacant.
Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). In the chapter "Kṣetra and Kṣetra-jña," "The Body and the Proprietor of the Body," Kṛṣṇa say that the soul is kṣetra-jña and the body is kṣetra. Actually, you are doing. Kṣetra means just like you work in the field. If you have got one acre of land, you do your tilling, agricultural work, in that. If you have got 100 acres of land... So similarly, we have got a particular type of field of activities, this body. I can do something; you can do something else. So this is kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. But this is... So far individual living entity, soul, is concerned, he is also all-pervading. All-pervading means within this limited body. So long I am present within this body, anywhere of the body I feel, I am present here. You pinch; you feel, "Yes, there is pain." That means I am present there. I am present there. This is called consciousness.
So government is also advertising "Go to the village." Actually that is life. Go to the village. Mahatma Gandhi also wanted to organize this life, but unfortunately you have changed. Now we have got place in Hyderabad about six hundred acres of land. We are also trying here. We have already done in Māyāpur. We are producing our own food, our own cloth, own milk, and we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the simplest life. This life is meant for not working like hogs and dogs. That is the instruction. Nayaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). This is the business of the stool-eater hogs. But what is meant for human life? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1). Just rectify your existence. You are not to die.
Brahmānanda: The acreage... For a cow to eat requires so many acres for that one cow, and then that cow is slaughtered and it only feeds a few men, whereas that same acreage could feed hundreds of men by grains.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: Seventeen times.
Prabhupāda: So these things are to be noted, how they are engaged in sinful activities. And the solution is given in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "Produce food grain." Annād bhavanti bhūtāni.
Suppose you are a businessman. Formerly, in any part of the world... We have seen in your country, in my country. There are many old churches, old mosques, old temples. In India there are temples just like a fort. Acres of land occupying big, big temples. So who has constructed these temples? Must be rich men, businessmen, landlords, princely order. Why? Because they wanted to satisfy God. Either you manufacture, either you construct a church or temple or mosque, it does not matter. The idea behind is that he wanted that he has labored so hard, he has accumulated so much money, "Let me spend something for God." But at the present moment there are so many skyscrapers, but nobody is constructing a nice church. This is the result of godless civilization.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
So if you get milk, fruits, vegetable and food grains, the whole economic problem is solved. We have already started this example in New Virginia. A group of men, we have got about five hundred acres of land, and we keep cows, and they work to produce some vegetable and food grain. So they don't go outside for solving economic problems. At the present moment—now I am coming from India—in Bombay there is strike, railway strike. People are in so miserable condition to go to their work fifty miles, forty miles, hundred miles, for earning their bread. This kind of economic situation has increased the problems of life. Rather, if we accept this economic problem solution, then anywhere, any part of the world, you live. You don't require to go outside, hundred miles, two hundred miles, five hundred miles. No.
Prabhupāda: ...nice, constructed very nice cities.
Ravindra-svarūpa: This part of the city is a very large park. There's almost eight hundred acres of land that has been set aside. They are not allowed to construct there. It's the only place.
Prabhupāda: Just like in Hawaii. (break) ...New Vrindaban, how far it is?
Kīrtanānanda: From here? About three hundred miles.
Prabhupāda: Three hundred. Not much. (break) ...the husband and wife, they cannot live long together.
Kīrtanānanda: But we are developing very nice householder couples at New Vrindaban, very good families.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Hindi) ...they are offering their... We have received one letter, telegram, from one gentleman. What is his name? Patel? Bhogilal Patel. He's very rich man. So I was sometimes a guest in his house. He is very friendly. He comes to see me in Bombay. Old man. He is older than me, one or two years. But he has sent me one telegram, "Swamijī, take this land, one hundred acres of land in Ahmedabad."
Indian man: In?
Prabhupāda: Ahmedabad. Yes. So... There are so many. One gentleman has offered land in Mahabaleshwar. This is very costly place.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Very nice. And wherefrom other offers we have got?
Haṁsadūta: Hyderabad we have.
Prabhupāda: Hyderabad he has already... That is six hundred acres of land. What is the name of that place? Do you remember?
Haṁsadūta: Where? Hyderabad? No. We call it New Naimiṣāraṇya.
Prabhupāda: No, we have named New Naimiṣāraṇya. A very nice place.
Indian man: You'll get a lot of offers. And as you rightly said that these Vaiṣṇavas, they want to become maṭha-deśas, they want to become like kings. They don't want to leave their empire and go out, working hard like you and spreading the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Initiation Lectures
She must learn this science, this very nice science, and you all Godbrothers and sisters will help her. Anyone who is trying to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, he should be given or she should be given all kinds of facilities. You'll be glad to learn that our Hayagrīva brahmacārī, he is taking one land in West Virginia, 136 acres of land. So I've advised him to develop it into New Vrindaban. So I have got today his letter, the document he is preparing through the lawyer. So it is also a nice project. If by Kṛṣṇa's desire we can develop a center just exactly prototype of Vṛndāvana, it will be very nice. Those American boys and girls who cannot go so long distance, 14,000 miles, they will have facility. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facilities. Simply we have to be very sincere and everything will be done nicely.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: At the present moment, we have got fourteen temples: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Buffalo, Boston, and Montreal, and Seattle, and one in New Vrindaban. We have purchased about 130 acres of land and developing there, New Vrindaban. And we have got now a temple in London, in Germany, Berlin. And we are in negotiation with Florida friends and we have sent one of our representative in Hawaii. So we have got so many temples. Gradually it is increasing. And boys and girls, especially younger generation... My, amongst my disciples, the oldest disciple is thirty-five years old. Otherwise they are between twenty to twenty-five.
Journalist: You're starting it?
Prabhupāda: He has secured a land, about 138 acres.
Journalist: May I ask you why you picked West Virginia?
Hayagrīva: Well, it's mountainous and it's very economical living there.
Journalist: Yes, it is mountainous. Well, I mean there's mountains here too. I'm not being facetious. Again, I'm just curious.
Hayagrīva: No, it's very economical living there and it's also nicely located because we have temples in New York and in other areas in the east. So it's sort of like, between the east and the west, so it's sort of centrally...
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Allen Ginsberg: We have a farm also now in upstate New York. There we have vegetarian table also in the farm. We have a cow, goats. But...
Prabhupāda: From economic point of view, if one man has got a cow and four acres of land, he has no economic problem. That we want to start. He can independently live any part of the world. Simply he must (have) one cow and four acres of land. Let the people be divided with four acres of land and a cow, there will be no economic question. All the factories will be closed.
Allen Ginsberg: Four acres, you think?
Prabhupāda: Four acres.
Allen Ginsberg: Maybe.
Prabhupāda: That I am instructing Kīrtanānanda, to show this example in New Vrindaban.
Allen Ginsberg: Are you going to be able to do it on four acres?
Kīrtanānanda: I hope so.
Prabhupāda: Is it very difficult? Four acres of land per head?
Allen Ginsberg: I just this last night was in Minnesota, which is flat, very fertile, very rich land.
Prabhupāda: Where it is? Which province?
Prabhupāda: Where it is? Which province?
Allen Ginsberg: Minnesota. Midwest. Further west. Talking with a poet who also is a fellow sādhana, whose family is from that area for many generations, whose brother has a thousand acres of land, and he himself has 160 acres of land. And as farming is done now in America, apparently 160 acres is not enough to support a farm economically because farming is done now in such large scale with machines.
Kīrtanānanda: You can use those machines if you want. If you want to live in the so-called American style, that is so. But if you're willing to adopt the Vedic way of minimizing the material needs in order to pursue Kṛṣṇa consciousness, what does one need? He needs sufficient food to keep the body healthy and a place to lay down. So four acres is plenty.
Allen Ginsberg: Where do you get the... How do you feed the cow, or would you?
Kīrtanānanda: On four acres you can do it.
Allen Ginsberg: You can get enough hay for a cow, for...?
Prabhupāda: Fodder. Yes. We grow.
Guest: On food, it depends on what part of the east?
Allen Ginsberg: He's a farmer.
Guest: Whereabouts? What part? Cause a cow has to have about three acres for grazing.
Guest: Whereabouts? What part? Cause a cow has to have about three acres for grazing.
Kīrtanānanda: So at most five acres. It's in that vicinity.
Allen Ginsberg: See we are interested in this problem of minimizing.
Prabhupāda: So let us cooperate.
Allen Ginsberg: And doing organic farming and minimizing the effort and also the material demands.
Kīrtanānanda: You can grow sufficient vegetables on a fraction of an acre.
Allen Ginsberg: Yes. We had a big vegetable garden this year, too. I've been doing farming... Peter has been doing a great deal of farming.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Try. You just try it immediately. You take one newspaper and comment on the current news. Any one of you... Every one of you can do. And show me how you have given. Then you start immediately. We have got many things to do. We have Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is the bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka maheśvaram (BG 5.29). What these petty politicians and three acres of land? Their stage is three acres of land; our stage is the unlimited. That I have mentioned in the second volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So what news they can publish? Three acres of land. We have got the innumerable universes. We can supply so much news, provided people are ready to read it. We have published so many books, they are not even able to read these books. So the other devotees, (laughs) they cannot ri..., come at five o'clock. That is the test. Yes. One who cannot rise early in the morning, he is not spiritually serious.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. My headquarter is in Los Angeles. Now we have made very big headquarter in Bombay, Juhu. Twenty thousand square yards. We are constructing a very nice temple there. And similarly, we have got another headquarter at, by pīṭha, in Lord Caitanya's birthsite, Navadvīpa. There also we are constructing very big temple. It is eleven bighās. What is a bighā? About four acres.
Guest (1): What about England? London. How is your movement doing?
Prabhupāda: Yes, London is very... There is also. We have got very nice temple near British Museum, 7 Bury Place. And all Europeans, they come to see our temple from Germany, from France. Because we have been advertised in cooperation with the Beatles. The Beatles, Beatles, the George Harrison. You do not know his name? He is very famous man. Yes. So we have produced some records in cooperation with George Harrison's organization.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Mother: And then they came, when Dunkirk was evacuated, they came back in all these little boats that they escaped in, and they got together and they billeted them... And I was living with my godmother in Sholden (?) in Devonshire. And we had eight acres. And the Army put up huts for them. And they lived there for about eight months until more Indians were sent to make them back to strength again, the regiments, big enough. And then they went overseas again. Some went to Burma, some to Italy. I don't know where they went, of course, but they were very good...
Prabhupāda: They went to die, after all.
Prabhupāda: So you are thinking in that way. "How I shall provide this population?" That is the old woman's crying. Without sufficient knowledge. We do not believe in this, all rascaldom. We believe in God. If God can create... just like animals. They do not cry. They're increasing. The hogs and dogs, even lower animals... This is demonic economy. A man is holding thousands of acres of land and he's thinking of overpopulation. Why not he distributes the thousands of acres of land to the people? They would produce their own food. That is the, that is the defect of so-called socialism. But here we give a right type of socialism.
Yogeśvara: He thinks he has a fairly clear idea of what our program is now.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Professor: Ācchā.
Prabhupāda: So you can come sometimes. No you can stay there. It is very nice place. We have 17 acres of land, open, with a lake. It is a royal palace.
Professor: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are installing our Deity next 21st. So if you have time, I invite you. It is not far, London.
Professor: London is not far. Yes.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Professor: The 21st of September?
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That, they are raising funds for millions of years. (laughs) I know that. Birla about... Yes, about fifty years ago there was contemplation of, that Birla would construct a very big temple in London. But there was no temple at all. Now since I have gone, I have established two temples, not very big, but still one of the temple is on the seventeen acre of land. A little outside London. One big musician, George Harrison, he has donated that temple, fifty-five lakhs. And we have got one temple in rented house...
Indian man: 10:30 for darśana.
Prabhupāda: 10:30. What is the time now?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Haṁsadūta: You know the lady in the front here. There's this lady, Miss... Um, I can't think of her name. She called us yesterday, and she said it is much bigger than the land which we have purchased here, which is four acres. We bought four acres. So she didn't say how big it was. She didn't tell us. But she said there's several houses on it. And it will cost approximately 38,000 pounds. So it seems to be quite a sizable piece of land. And the man who owns the property, he knows that we are interested in it, and he is willing to work with us. And so far as we are told, that nobody knows about it. It is confidential.
Prabhupāda: You don't distribute. You live only, till the ground and take your food. Where is the question of distribution? Whatever you can till, you take so much land. God has enough land. Why do you possess more? One acre of land is sufficient for producing your food. Why do you take more?
Satsvarūpa: Nobody should own excessive.
Prabhupāda: No. Therefore God's representative, king, is wanted. He'll divide. "All right, you take this." That is king. King means God's representative. Naradeva. Therefore, according to Vedic scripture, the king is so respected, guru is so respected, father is so respected—because they give guidance. "You live, Kṛṣṇa conscious, like this." That is their duty. The king is simply planning how to collect taxes, this tax, land tax, sale tax, income tax, this tax, this... So his only business is to plunder: "Let him work, and I shall take it away."
Prabhupāda: Yes, everywhere. The only difficulty is there is no water, no supply of water. In the rainy season this will be all green immediately, immediately, without any delay. So, the only difficulty—there is no water.
Guest: In Gujarat now the same problem is there and they are digging well, five-acre well, just we have dug at Māyāpur, and collecting water. Rainwater is collected that way. So here also it can be done for a small farm. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...saṅkīrtana, then water will come. You haven't got to do anything. Otherwise the words of Gītā will be false. Yajñaiḥ... Yajñād bhavanti parjanyaḥ. The formula is there. You perform yajña and the water will be supplied. They are not performing yajña.
Jayatīrtha: ...palace, fifty-five rooms. Each room is big size with a marble fireplace and the floors are marble and there's a marble winding staircase and several big rooms. And it's got its own chapel, very beautiful. And then the land is very beautiful, 250 acres, as far as you can see.
Prabhupāda: So it is worth taking?
Jayatīrtha: It seems to be. The price seems to be about the right price.
Prabhupāda: So down payment has been made?
Jayatīrtha: Yes, it's already... It's now in our name. It's been transferred.
Prabhupāda: And when they are moving?
Jayatīrtha: Some devotees have already moved.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Jagadīśa: Why? Because it's such a huge place and it's not in a very exclusive neighborhood. It's surrounded by a six foot high stone wall. It's on four acres of land. And in the room that...
Prabhupāda: Six million?
Jagadīśa: To rebuild it because of all the onyx, marble. There is $100,000 worth of gold leafing work throughout the house.
Brahmānanda: What was it used as?
Jagadīśa: It was the Fisher Mansion. Fisher, you know, "Body by Fisher." And the man was a little eccentric. It's a Moorish style.
Jagadīśa: There is one big watermelon on the vine up there. Perhaps it's ready to eat.
Prabhupāda: We are getting similar land, 600 acres, in Hyderabad.
Nityānanda: We can go this way, here. This is all our machinery here.
Prabhupāda: Hm. So already some machine idle. You had to spend so much, but they are lying idle. That is not good. That is the defect of machine. If you cannot ply it, then it is dead loss.
Brahmānanda: If you cannot what?
Prabhupāda: It is dead loss if you cannot work with the machine.
Brahmānanda: Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. They are starting?
Brahmānanda: They are starting back.
Nityānanda: Down the road we have fifteen acres of sorghum, grain for the cows.
Prabhupāda: And everything for the cows, but what for the man? They will give everything for cows because they will eat cows, other farmers. But you utilize the animals for growing your food.
Brahmānanda: The idea is we should maintain the animals, but then the animals should provide foodstuffs for the men.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Hm? Tax means... Everyone must have some income for maintaining. So brāhmaṇas, they(?) doesn't require any... They will live on the contribution of the society. Because they are giving for free service, so valuable service, knowledge, so they are provided by the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas. So they have no anxiety for earning livelihood. Things are coming. Just like we are maintained. At least people give to me contribution. So similarly, brāhmaṇa will live at the cost of others' contribution. That is source of income. Kṣatriyas, they'll levy tax. Kṣatriya is given land. Now he divides the land. I have got, say, two thousand acres of land. So I divide to the vaiśyas, one thousand this man, one thousand this man, one thousand. So on condition that "I give you this land. You produce foodstuff or utilize any way. You give me twenty-five percent."
Prabhupāda: Let us go this way. (break) ...Bon Mahārāja's land? No.
Dhanañjaya: Not all. This fence...
Brahmānanda: That's his building there?
Dhanañjaya: Yes. He has 28 acres of land.
Prabhupāda: Where? He has altogether 83 acres, so far I know. What is this? (break) ...this way, this way, from back side. Then? (break)
Brahmānanda: ...going on in that Pagala āśrama?
Gurṇārṇava: Very slow.
Dhanañjaya: They say another five years before it's finished.
Prabhupāda: By that time he may be finished.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I wish to.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Have you seen that land which has been given to us in Nellore?
Member: Yes, it is very near to me. You see, in Nellore, one lady has donated about ninety acres of land.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: With a house.
Member: With a house which will cost nearly four or five lakhs or even more. Very costly. And they also ...
Prabhupāda: Which season is good? I shall go there.
Member: Yes, sir. You are welcome.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Vana means forest. What is this?
Dhanañjaya: This is garden.
Prabhupāda: Acala-vihāra Gosvāmī. (break)
Dhanañjaya: ...and down here where they're growing about two acres of tulasī. They just grow tulasī plants for the temples, for Bankibehari and other temples. The fragrance is so nice.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...built. Nobody living. Only locked.
Dhanañjaya: This is where the gardener keeps his tools. (break) ...in there, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Oh, there. (break) Tired. (break) Now you can take him back. (Child crying)
Prabhupāda: Yes. And they brought tea from India and other places and sell it in America. Their whole policy was they exploit the whole world and bring money in London. That's all. And one who will do that, he will be honored by the state, given Earl of some small village. It has no value. Earl of this whole…, this man…, place, Lord of this. (laughter) A few acres of land and he is Lord of Chelmsford. And they will be given big, big post, governor, viceroy.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why did Nehru, though… He was so closely associated with Gandhi, and Gandhi was for getting the foreign products out. Why did Nehru go so much against that policy? Why did Nehru?
Devotee (2): Oh, yes.
Mahāṁsa: Most of the land at the farm is black cotton soil, very favorable for growing cotton. So a piece of that we can take, ten acres or so for growing cotton, and spin our own cloth.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is required. Why purchasing cloth, twenty-two rupees per pair? No? What is the charge nowadays?
Mahāṁsa: It's about three, four rupees per meter.
Girirāja: For two dhotīs you'd need fifteen rupees.
Prabhupāda: Fifty?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You have got sufficient arrangement for cultivation?
Jayapatāka: We need... We don't have enough cultivation land for the amount of devotees we have.
Prabhupāda: So how many bīghās (5/8 of one acre) there are?
Jayapatāka: But that land...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is it?
Jayapatāka: Even from here you can just see without going all that way there. The thing... This is the lake.
Prabhupāda: Lake?
Indian man: Indira Gandhi.... They have now made a new one formula called "Twenty-point formula." And in that, one part is that any society, saṁsthā (indistinct), or individual, he can keep a land, twelve acres.
Prabhupāda: Society also?
Indian man: Anyone. But gives two crops, and which give up one crop, they can keep thirty acres. And more than that, the government will take every, and they will distribute to all the farmers.
Prabhupāda: Then?
Indian man: They are doing in Haryana and Punjab. They have taken all the land. And there are many big, big gurguras. They have a land hundred acres, fifty acres, something like that. So they have given them.
Prabhupāda: So without government award it will be risky. They can take away.
Indian man: Ten bīghās she extracts.
Prabhupāda: But who is working as farmer? Who is working as farmer? The government is eager to give them land, but who is working? Nobody is working. They are going to the factory. Even whatever land is still available, they are not being worked out.
Prabhupāda: That's utilization. Why they should be paid for nothing?
Indian man: The small farmers who has a few acres of land, they are selling to a party, and they are getting a money. They knew that "After two or three years we will pose our set-up to the government that 'We are landless,' and the government will give us some money."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: "We will get the money now and we will also get the land."
Prabhupāda: Just see.
Acyutānanda: They're doing it by taxing...
Guru-kṛpā: With their land-ceiling, they are banning all the..., more than twenty acres.
Acyutānanda: They have a law. If you have the high, dry land, you can have fifty acres per person. And if you have wet land, rice growing, irrigated, you can only have twenty-five acres. So I said, "Suppose you have dry land, and then you irrigate..."
Prabhupāda: The difficulty is that they have no standard idea, their. So they can do anything. And because they are in power, they can pass law whimsically, whatever he likes. (break) ...that bābu candra mantrī. (?) You know this?
Prabhupāda: Baltimore.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The new Miami temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Oh, very nice.
Satsvarūpa: There are ten acres. That's just a tiny bit.
Rāmeśvara: They have nice mango trees?
Satsvarūpa: Oh, yes, they have many, many, a whole orchard with irrigation pipes.
Rādhāvallabha: This sign on the door of the Tokyo temple says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Temple."
Mahāṁsa: Yes, Prabhupāda, even if they take away... Even if they take away 600 acres, they have a right on 250 acres, so we will get the 250 acres. So minimum we'll get. We won't get... Maybe we won't get the full 600 acres, but we'll get 250 acres. Because even if they come under the Ceiling Act, then 250... They can keep the rest they will get. Then they can give, they can sell, they can do anything.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...can get?
Mahāṁsa: Yes, as soon as they can... Either one decision is that "Yes, you can keep the whole 600 acres." And the other decision is "No, you have to... We will confiscate. You can only keep 250." As soon as that decision is made, I will get the document for transferring the trust deeds.
Mahāṁsa: It grows wild there. And out of the 600 acres, there's about 200 acres which is very fertile, and the other area is kind of dry. So it is fertile. So we would invest lot of money on cultivating all year round. So if we get 250 acres, then we'll get the good area.
Yadubara: We can choose our own land?
Madhudviṣa: Yes. (break)
Prabhupāda: So that...
Rādhāvallabha: There will be a second rail on this other side, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We will put that up today.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...now the visitors?
Prabhupāda: You know, if Kṛṣṇa is virāḍ-rūpa, so big mouth, so big belly, that, whatever you give, that is not sufficient. So here we are spreading Kṛṣṇa's mouth very widespread. Here is the plan for Māyāpur temple. This is the.... This is only residential quarter. Real temple is not yet constructed. It will occupy 350 acres of land. So you are the pillars of this construction work. We are doing all your construction work on your contribution. So go on preaching and distributing books. If we get the.... We are.... Books are.... As your pushing on the sale is very nice, then the customers are also there. These are American Express? No, no.
Prabhupāda: Hm. So how did you like?
Guru dāsa: Well, the piece of land is nice.
Prabhupāda: Nice.
Guru dāsa: It has trees on it, some. It's a little bit more than an acre, and the buildings are not very big.
Prabhupāda: They can be repaired.
Guru dāsa: Yes. It would be very easy to add on or construct or do whatever you want. And it's, I'd say about five to seven minutes walking.
Prabhupāda: Not far away.
Prabhupāda: And another the thing is that Ramakrishna Mission has constructed temple of Ramakrishna. Nobody goes there. It is lying barren.
Dr. Patel: You were planning to raise a temple in Kurukṣetra?
Prabhupāda: Yes. I have applied to the government for land, twenty-five acres land.
Dr. Patel: Very big. But is that land available to us?
Prabhupāda: Yes, available. And we have asked government to give us 350 acres of land in Māyāpur to construct Vedic planetarium, 350 feet high. It will require eight crores of rupees minimum. I shall exhibit there all the planetary system, bhurloka, Goloka...
Guru-kṛpā: Prabhupāda, we just got here.... Now we've just gotten one farm, two hundred acres. We're purchasing this next week. For eleven thousand dollars, two hundred acres.
Prabhupāda: Very cheap.
Guru-kṛpā: And it is up north. It is just like India, very hot, and you can grow everything. Hot all year round.
Prabhupāda: So grow fruits, flowers, grains. Keep some men. It is very nice. (break) ...stones(?), they can go.
Guru-kṛpā: Yes. They're aren't very attracted to it.
Prabhupāda: So grow fruits, flowers, grains. Keep some men. It is very nice. (break) ...stones(?), they can go.
Guru-kṛpā: Yes. They're aren't very attracted to it.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: A little over fifty dollars an acre? Very reasonable.
Prabhupāda: Very cheap. Very cheap.
Guru-kṛpā: Less than that.
Prabhupāda: That New Orleans, our farm? It was nice.
Guru-kṛpā: Māyāpur is the best farm.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And it will be still better when our plan is made.
Prabhupāda: Let them organize that.
Rāmeśvara: Jagadīśa was telling me that there are some boys who are donating seventy-five acres of farmland about four hours from Los Angeles. It is the best farmland in California. So he wants to develop this, because they have given it to him, specifically to make a farm and eventually to have the children of Gurukula live there. So perhaps we could invite Yamunā.
Prabhupāda: As soon as you make Gurukula, government immediately stops.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Stopped. That's the same (indistinct). The government can't raise objection. Better to keep it real small. Children are learning, then they are sent to India when they're eight or ten. The children here are doing very nicely.
Devotee: The children here are doing as nicely as in Dallas, I've seen.
Prabhupāda: Yes, small groups, small group.
Prabhupāda: The government is promising.
Ambarīṣa: Oh, that's good.
Prabhupāda: We have already applied for twenty-five acres. Mr. Candrali,(?) he wanted to make some profit out of it.
Ambarīṣa: Yes.
Devotee (1): I think you won the heart of that government official yesterday by saying that Kṛṣṇa's black and we worship Him. (laughter) He liked that.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct)
Ambarīṣa: Yes, Detroit River, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Māyāpur. My idea is to attract people of the whole world to Māyāpur. So we are just trying to acquire three hundred fifty acres of land from the government. It is going on under consideration. Some men are against and some are in favor. But those who are against, they have counted ninety?
Hari-śauri: Ninety against, two thousand for.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Māyāpur itself.
Hari-śauri: The local farmers.
Yadubara: That would be a separate building from the temple?
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are acquiring 350 acres of land for life for constructing a small township...
Yadubara: I think we...
Prabhupāda: ...to attract people from all the world to see the planetarium.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is this near the temple?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Planetarium name, actually it will be temple. But all round, things will be... Anyway.
Yadubara: I know before the idea was to have it inside the main temple.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Prabhupāda: He wants to give us some land?
Devotee (2): Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: Fifty acres.
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: In India we have been offered so many land. But we have no men (indistinct).
Svarūpa Dāmodara: I also got a letter from Manipur, that Life Member, Kulavida Singh, he was concerned that the young people are now giving up the religious thought, so he wanted to establish some sort of school...
Prabhupāda: Yes. Bombay is just like garden. As good as your place here. No. Not so big. It is seventeen acres, and Bombay is five. Just go on. (prasādam being served) Give him whatever you have got to give. But don't give much. When he wants something more.... Waste not, want not. Give more, that preparation, you should give more. (laughter) That is called (indistinct). You can bring it, prasāda.
George Harrison: I'll just wash my hands.
Prabhupāda: You can wash here. The sink is there. Here is also water. You can put the bowls outside, here, so that there will be sufficient place. Our Indian system is like this. That's all right. Sit down, you also sit down.
Prabhupāda: Give him, give him, give him. No, that is the different. Oh, all right. We are just attempting a big planetarium in Māyāpur. We have asked government to acquire land, 350 acres. That is negotiation going on. We shall give a Vedic planetarium.
George Harrison: Is that the one you were talking about? With all the...
Prabhupāda: In the Fifth Canto.
Gurudāsa: The planetarium will be 350 feet high and show the cosmology of the spiritual world.
Prabhupāda: The construction will be like your Washington capital, like that.
George Harrison: A big dome.
George Harrison: Hm, very nice. I work from the house. I have a studio, recording studio in the house. So I don't have to go to London anymore.
Prabhupāda: Oh, you have all arrangement there. That's very nice. How many acres?
George Harrison: It's about thirty-five.
Prabhupāda: Oh, very good area.
Devotee (2): Do you get (indistinct).
Mukunda: Yes, only five hundred pounds.
Devotee (2): Really? Amazing.
George Harrison: Five hundred pounds!
Devotee (2): Really? Amazing.
George Harrison: Five hundred pounds!
Mukunda: Yes, for four acres.
George Harrison: That's quite cheap.
Mukunda: Yes, we were really surprised. But if it hadn't been for that, we'd have had no cow pasture. Cows are out there.
Prabhupāda: We have got one cow, many cows in Philadelphia. The milk bags, she gives hundred and two pounds daily.
George Harrison: Of milk? Who owns this? Who milks the cows?
Gurudāsa: Some of the devotees.
Hari-śauri: A very big mansion on the riverside.
George Harrison: Colonial house?
Prabhupāda: Not as big-four acres of land—but the building is very costly. One room will cost now three hundred thousand dollars. So nicely made.
Hari-śauri: They estimated it would cost about fifteen million to build such a house now.
George Harrison: Yes, they probably wouldn't even bother or be able to, at least. Is it an old house?
Hari-śauri: Fifty years old. It's very solid, though, very good condition as well.
Prabhupāda: And on the house on bottom, there is river. Not directly, but an offshoot of river. People come, rowing. A very nice situation, and because it is black quarter, nobody was purchasing.
Prabhupāda: No, France.
Jayatīrtha: Yes, south of Paris. It's near a place called Valancey. Very nice place.
Pradyumna: French chateau.
Mukunda: It's on about 250 acres.
George Harrison: Really?
Mukunda: Huge fields, beautiful place. Show you a picture of it.
George Harrison: Yes. So that's one of the goals now, one hundred and eight temples.
Jayatīrtha: Should be able to do it this year, I think.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Hari-śauri: That's fifteen, fifteen acres? Something like that. No, more.
Prabhupāda: Miami climate is like this.
Hari-śauri: Oh, very nice. They have a mango orchard.
Prabhupāda: Oh, also coconut.
Hari-śauri: Oh, yes, very good dobs there. Detroit was also very nice.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Detroit. (break) ...Mālatī?
Bhagavān: Mālatī? She was there.
Indian man: Yesterday I met one life member who belongs to a very reputed family in Bombay who has donated about fifteen acres of land to Swami Cinmayananda on the Vehar Lake side. Now he has become our patron member yesterday.
Prabhupāda: Behar Lake?
Indian man: Vehar Lake. I think we have gone to see that big temple nearby. So this family has got about thirty, forty acres of land on (indistinct) the side. Very beautiful site.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...that to know God there is no necessity of education.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā.
Indian man (3): I had written to you, and I think Mr. Saurabha had forwarded my letter to you, to which I got a reply, and I was asked to come and meet you today. I just require to is it the right program of the right place or right tell you what I had in mind or perhaps have in mind? I have about thirty acres of land at Udaipur, in Rajasthan. I was trying to make a campus with studios, laboratories, and residential places for these producers, stars, casts, and things. When discussing with Mr. Saurabha I was amazed that some spare land which we had thought of utilizing for horticulture, we could better utilize it for cowherds to have say one hundred cows. I have been thinking, apart from this cowherd business, I have been thinking about this campus for some time back.
Prabhupāda: The interior, near Orleans. So we have got very nice, beautiful palace. We have installed Gaura-Nitāi and Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.
Indian man: (Hindi) Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.
Prabhupāda: Ha. Four hundred acres land, we are producing our vegetables, vegetables, fruits, and food grains, milk, and two hundred devotees, they are living very happily. (converses in Hindi) It is, for health it is very nice. (Hindi)
Mahāṁśa: We were planning on your staying over there, and this last night this thing happened. So this morning we tried our best to complete your room, but then finally it was not coming off, so I...
Prabhupāda: He has given?
Jayapatākā: Favorable reply. He said, "This is a good project. It will help the district." He only said that they should maybe get three hundred acres instead of 350 or like that. He reduced something. Then that went back again to the Commissioner, who was a Christian. He's the one I mentioned. He wrote bad report. Then when Choudhuri got it, he wrote a very good report. He wrote a very good report. He said that there's no question of Hindu or Muslim. Just like in Bangkok they have that one big Viṣṇu Temple. Or the Taj Mahal. This is no longer any type of religious. This is for all mankind. Similarly this Māyāpur will be a monument for the whole mankind.
Prabhupāda: For the whole world.
Jayapatākā: The Chief Minister wrote. He said, "Because of the impassioned... He said "I would have refused this application except for the impassioned appeal of one of my senior officers, namely Mr. Choudhuri. They are asking for three hundred acres of land but the East India Company, they asked only twenty acres of land and they have conquered the whole of India." (loud kīrtana in background)
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Jayapatākā: "East India Company, they have asked only twenty acres of land but they have conquered the whole of India.
Gargamuni: "They ruled India for two hundred years."
Jayapatākā: Oh. "Ruled India for two hundred years."
Prabhupāda: Who said? Chief Minister?
Gargamuni: The Chief Minister wrote that the East India Company purchased twenty acres of land and rules India for two hundred years. That was his reply to our application.
Prabhupāda: Chief Minister said?
Gargamuni: Yes. They're afraid that by taking this, we will rule India.
Jayapatākā: Anyway, that's a very frivolous statement. That was a frivolous statement.
Prabhupāda: No, that, ruling over India, they politically ruled.
Prabhupāda: Chanting is the main thing. Chanting and distributing prasādam.
Jayapatākā: If we get prasādam, then... I think that they all contribute some grain. They are very poor agricultural people, but there's no theft there. I asked. There's one man who has three acres. Three bighās of land he's giving. So they just grow their rice there and...
Prabhupāda: You can ask that instead of making paraṭā, a light khicuḍi in the morning. That is...
Hari-śauri: Instead of that sabji and everything.
Prabhupāda: No, sabji can make.
Jayapatākā: Khicuḍi instead of paraṭā?
Prabhupāda: So khicuḍi will be easy, like...
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. So if there is milk, there is food grain, there is vegetable, so what do you want more? Enough we can grow. They have got two hundred acres of land. Some portion of the land they are utilizing. That is becoming sufficient for them. And if they grow the whole land, they can make good trade. Just like in Philadelphia they are producing so much milk, they are selling outside fifteen hundred dollars per month. Fifteen hundred dollars, how much it is?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Fourteen thousand.
Saurabha: Twelve thousand.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...directly, because he wants to meet you. Actually he wasn't... After meeting you he'll decide. Twenty-five acres of land. It has a dak(?) bungalow.
Saurabha: Yes, we went there about one and a half months ago.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We saw the place.
Prabhupāda: So can you... You have... Give me a site plans.
Saurabha: Yes, I... Approximately?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: Both our... Pennsylvania farm has 100 acres of woods.
Prabhupāda: Especially in America. There is enough place. And England also. There is enough place. They are not being utilized.
Maṇihāra: Even my father, he has one big house with some land, one or two acres of land. I put this to him, I told him, "Why you cannot just live simply? You have enough room for one cow, which is enough milk for you and for four people that live there." Two sisters. Like that. One cow. "You can grow vegetables, you can have an apple tree, a pear tree. Like this you can have everything. You don't need to buy anything."
Prabhupāda: That is real execution of the mission of Kṛṣṇa. Not to keep Kṛṣṇa within the boundaries of certain areas. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). He's the father of all living entities. They should know it. We have got many other films also. How we are giving protection to the cows in different farms, how we are getting sumptuous milk. Two years ago there was an article in the Navabhārata Times in Delhi, big article, one full page, first page. And the heading was that New Vrindaban (Hindi). They gave this heading. And they gave all details how to use the land New Vrindaban in Virginia, we have got one thousand acre of land and they are utilizing it. How they are living peacefully. So we want to make an example here with this six hundred acres of land, if it is given to us.
Prabhupāda: That chief minister.
Indian man (3): Have they done so?
Prabhupāda: Not yet.
Indian man (3): I had about 2 acres was available, except that. (talks about land he owns-indistinct)
Prabhupāda: We are trying for another big scheme in Bengal. We have applied to the government to acquire land, 350 acres, a big planetarium. Planetarium. We have described the planetarium in our Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that planetarium it is said that the moon is above the sun planet. By one million six hundred thousand miles.
Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got the biggest farm.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Six hundred acre farm.
Prabhupāda: As we have organized New Vrindaban farm, and Philadelphia farm, so the farm was also to be organized by you. That was the contemplation. So six hundred acres of land. Very nice land. Very nice land. Six hundreds and it is not with (indistinct) like Vṛndāvana, but very fertile.
Harikeśa: It can produce enough food to feed the whole society.
Indian man: Irrigation system?
Harikeśa: Do you want me to take care of?
Prabhupāda: We have applied for 350 acres of land from the government. The process is going on. If we get, then we shall spend crores of rupees for... The description is...
Jagadīśa: "Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON plans, the Māyāpur project will extend to a complete Vedic city with fifty thousand inhabitants, its own university, airport, and stadium. It will also claim the world's largest planetarium with 410 foot high Temple of Understanding..." (break) ...civilization.
Prabhupāda: Yes, the enquiry is finished. Now government is considering to give that land. (indistinct) that land. There were many others, land offers in Hyderabad, but I wanted to start this institution in the, on the birth site of Lord Caitanya. Otherwise we have got better land. We have asked government for 350 acres but we have already bought in Hyderabad, 600 acres. Here also we can get immediately 500, 600 acres, like that. We have already got another plot of land, 100 acres in Ahmedabad. So there are so many lands available but I wanted to start this project in Māyāpur, the birthsite of Lord Caitanya. Therefore we are (indistinct). If they say no, then we shall attempt it somewhere else.
Prabhupāda: You have got the contemplative man with you. (indistinct)
Indian man: Yes sir.
Dr. Kneupper: This will be over 300 acres if it's...
Prabhupāda: Three hundred fifty acres.
Dr. Kneupper: It's a large city. Fifty thousand, did you say? People? How many people were there?
Jagadīśa: Fifty thousand.
Dr. Kneupper: Fifty thousand.
Prabhupāda: Expecting fifty thousand. The real (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Devotee: It's made to look like a desert but it's actually very lush and it looks a lot bigger than two acres.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) ...these things are (indistinct), you can keep cows. Eh?
Devotee: I'm not sure if we can keep cows in there because it's inside of the city and sometimes they don't allow the cow within a certain zoning. And now the only problem we might run into with this is that it's not zoned right now for a church or a temple but...
Prabhupāda: Don't say "temple."
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Devotee: One of her cows, Premadhana. She's given it to us. We've had it now for five or six and we have built a nice area for her. We have ten acres of land for her to roam around on. She's very happy.
Prabhupāda: So take your country (indistinct) Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then surely we shall get the government. This is the prediction of a politician, "Kṛṣṇa conscious, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is spreading like a epidemic. That I'm afraid within ten years they'll get the government."
Devotee: I know.
Prabhupāda: If the young man joins, immediately.
Devotee: Not only the small boys. Some of the bigger boys, they also like.
Prabhupāda: No, it is very nice. They'll live.
Mahāṁśa: They surveyed this whole hundred acres around here, and they said anywhere in this hundred acres, you'll get water. You can dig and you'll get water. This hundred acres has good underground water supply.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Mahāṁśa: And the land is very good, this soil here, this black soil, very good for cotton. It is called black cotton soil.
Prabhupāda: So you grow. Cotton requires water?
Prabhupāda: No. Yes, so immediately arrange for that. He is very important man. If he comes you can all mature consultation about this female, about managing. He is practically doing. He has one thousand acres of land.
Mahāṁśa: Oh, yes, it's not a joke.
Prabhupāda: And he is practical business man. So immediately... And besides that, he is already sympathetic. He is becoming interested more. So he can do so many things for us. He is a very nice man. So he volunteered to come here. So bring him immediately. So arrange. From tomorrow we go there. If it is not finished, then he may be given that place. I am at here. I shall stay. Or he can be given this room; I can go there. In this way... Because the doors are not yet fitted.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Mahāṁśa: So by Kṛṣṇa's grace we have been given this plot of land which is 565 acres exactly, in two villages, that is, Dublipur(?) and Kanaipali villages. Lands are situated in the jurisdiction of these...
Guest (5): Dublipur(?) and what is the other?
Mahāṁśa: Kanaipali. And the lands were originally in the Venkateshvara Gorakshini Trust, and they have transferred these lands to ISKCON Venkateshvara Trust under the chairmanship of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. So our interest here is to...
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: We are getting eight thousand.
Dr. Patel: Yes, you are very good. Mine is hardly half an acre.
Prabhupāda: The other day Girirāja told me we have got eight thousand.
Hari-śauri: A year.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: But these coconuts, there would be more coconuts if they are looked after, all these, putting fertilizer on and watering them. All these houses behind here, they should be very planned out. This is all filthy. Behind it is very filthy. All these tenants will be segregated on one side, this side. And those living, they will be taking possession and...
Prabhupāda: So...
Haṁsadūta: From that money, nothing has been spent yet except five thousand rupees which went for the first well which was dug, which is not particularly good. They went to a 105 feet, and the well is suitable for about three acres of land. Now, since just this small trip that I made from Hyderabad to Bombay, I can understand the reason that nothing is growing in that part. It's because there's no water. Even if you dig, you don't get much water. That big square well, which is already there right behind the gośālā, there is no water in it. It does not fill up. It doesn't fill up. It's not the kind of well you pump out and then it fills up.
Guest (6) (Indian man): I could not go because without discussing this farm in Bombay.
Gargamuni: No. They never even wrote him. They didn't care. And there's still a foundation. From 1948 there is a foundation there of a building which was started in 1947 or '48, and I was very surprised because the building has a frame of steel girders, not cement but steel, big steel girder. It has a frame. I think it's about a two-story building, say half the size of Māyāpur building, half the size. And the frame is still there. I asked Pañcaratna who went there if it was still there or whether it was blown away by the war. He said, "No, it is still there." So there's already a building. There's a stone wall around the property. I think it's around, maybe, about three-quarters to an acre. But it's in the heart of the city. It's in a good area, a very populated area but very nice area also.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hari-śauri: But this is talking in terms of millions of people who are engaged in America in the cities.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Let millions... The land is also millions' acres. We shall utilize gradually.
Rāmeśvara: Now, what I am thinking is this, that you have mentioned many times, several times, that there is a conflict which is inevitable between Russia and America.
Prabhupāda: Hm. No, if they understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, both of them—now we are publishing—then there will be no conflict on...
Rāmeśvara: If Russia...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "ISKCON farm report: Port Royal, Pennsylvania, report for year 1976. ISKCON Incorporated of New York owns a prime farm in Juanita County of Pennsylvania. The land is nearly four hundred acres in size, valued at around five hundred dollars per acre, or two hundred thousand dollars. In addition the buildings on the property consist of the following: barn worth $40,000; outbuildings worth $10,000; calf barn $25,000; equipment $50,000; residential building $45,000; guesthouse and public kitchen and prasāda pavilion $75,000; and silos $20,000. Total, including land, $465,000. The purpose of this land is to produce foodstuffs to meet all the needs of the farm community as well as the needs of our temples in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.
Prabhupāda: (chuckling) "Idle brain, devil's workshop." Then?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "In the year 1976 we cultivated 5 acres of vegetables, including 24 tons of potatoes. We also have 25 beehives, which produce 100 pounds of honey per hive. There is also a fruit orchard with a 150 trees, including apples, pears, peaches, and plum trees. Lastly, we are fortunate..."
Prabhupāda: Those fruits are nice fruits.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Lastly we are fortunate to have two natural pure water mountain springs running continuously all year. The water is being bottled and then distributed." And we take that water to New York.
Prabhupāda: Very good report. It is worth seeing, worth considering our... If we develop our farms in India on this basis, it will be very nice. We have got greater land. You have got 450 acres; we have got 600. No? Now it requires development.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mahāṁśa was calling for this because he said that by showing this... He wants to get a big grant of money.
Prabhupāda: They simply want money. That's all. Money will only be supplied. Let them show some work.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Paramānanda may be able to come to help there.
Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible within that small (laughs)...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not in that area. But I'm just thinking in terms of programs, that one time you wanted in Gorakhpur to do something.
Prabhupāda: That you can do in Hyderabad. Six hundred acres.
Hari-śauri: At least we have our gurukula in Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: Yes, Vṛndāvana.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Was that your plan for Kurukṣetra, to have a university there?
Prabhupāda: If you can develop all this, you don't require separate. But if the government donates the land or give us acquiring, then we can do something. That life member, big life member, came to see?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That you can get. There are many old houses. I do not remember what is that neighborhood. That is forlorn practically.
Jayatīrtha: Hm. There are many places like that. So we have to find a place like that, about three quarters of an acre, half an acre to three quarters of an acre, and build a building, taller building, with the temple and auditorium and museum and hotel rooms.
Prabhupāda: Like New York. Like New York?
Jayatīrtha: Not quite as big as New York. (laughs)
Prabhupāda: That house is very good, our New York temple.
Hari-śauri: ...for myself? That boy who was with me from Australia, I've sent him back this morning. He's gone back this morning. There is actually two or three major things going on there, so I have to try to get back as soon as possible. There is a purchase of the farm, eight hundred acre farm, which comes up in about seven or eight days, and then we have to consider whether to buy that building in Sydney. You've seen that picture already. And also there's a big court case coming up in Melbourne. The deprogramming thing is going on there also. But this time the court case is being pressed by... It's a civil case. The police wouldn't take it up. So the girl who was kidnapped, we are pressing charges, but through her against the parents. So this is going to be a big case also. So that's coming up in the end of April. So I have to see what the presentation is like and get more information from Ādi-keśava and make sure that we will press it very strongly, the whole issue. Someone just sent a newspaper clipping about the whole thing. I expect to be going to Delhi in about two days, to try to speed up the process of getting a re-entry permit. Then once I do that, I can go on. (long pause) (break)
Girirāja: This evening, the chief guest is going to arrive at about a quarter to seven.
Prabhupāda: Who is the chief guest?
Prabhupāda: Nei. Develop farms.
Hari-śauri: There's an eight-hundred-acre farm we are getting in Australia. The devotees are very enthusiastic for it, because in the past we haven't been able to make so many new devotees. They are not very much attracted to living in the cities in Australia. But they think that the farm... Then that will expand a lot. Probably this region we can grow everything, fruits, all kinds of tropical fruits, and cows.
Prabhupāda: Fruit, grains and milk. Vegetables. Finished everything.(?)
Prabhupāda: Ahmedabad. Yes, yes.
Guru dāsa: It is a very high hill station, very clean air. And the house is sixty-three rooms. It's a mansion. And one hundred acres.
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Guru dāsa: And full of trees and jasmine flowers.
Prabhupāda: It will make nice scenery.
Guru dāsa: Beautiful. Heavenly scenery.
Prabhupāda: Hm.
Guru dāsa: No. Actually, my opinion is that it would be a great endeavor to take it, because the house needs also some repair. Although it is in good structural condition, it needs cleaning. But the only advantage is that there is no place left in Kali-yuga like it. Because it is such a beautiful mansion. And one hundred acres and a lake and in a hill, that's the advantage.
Prabhupāda: And what price does he want?
Guru dāsa: The price he didn't say yet. That we would have to negotiate.
Prabhupāda: Not only you, others also, you can see first of all. If we can utilize, otherwise...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How would we utilize such a thing?
Prabhupāda: That you consider. Otherwise, why you should unnecessarily...?
Prabhupāda: Another rascal.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "He said that industry must rest on a secure foundation and a healthy land-man relationship. It cannot rest where man owns thousands of acres of land and villages, but stays in Calcutta or Patna and is only interested in collecting money."
Prabhupāda: That I say always. Hm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: We have already seen the defect.
Prabhupāda: We have got two temples in London. One in the city, and one in the border of London. That is very big temple. Seventeen acres of land. George Harrison has given us that property.
Guests: (talking about George Harrison)
Dr. Sharma: No, you are mistaken. George Harrison is a different... Rex Harrison is a British actor.
Prabhupāda: George Harrison of the Beatle group.
Dr. Sharma: Beatle group, oh. Rex Harrison is an actor...
Guest (2): They are singers.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, it's not in the middle. It's on the side, one of the sides of the... And there's a river, this Imphal River. It almost surrounds this little forest. And this forest is full of monkeys and so many birds, and they are very natural. It is about seven acres. It's not very big. Seven acres of land.
Prabhupāda: Seven acres.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seven acres is a big plot.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah. And other one is here. lt's called Vishnupur. Vishnupur is... There was a Viṣṇu temple. It was constructed in fourteen hundred and..., about 502 years ago, a temple. The temple is still there. It was built by a king called Kyambha in Manipur about that time. And he worshiped this Viṣṇu, and that place is called Vishnupur, that Viṣṇu. And this is... Actually this is a nicer place. That is ten acres. But this is a little away from the town, but the congregation is very good here. Comes from all places, from Burma...
Prabhupāda: How they can fabricate in their own way? From... (pause) Rather, they have criticized that "This fantastic thing, it is going to be like Aurobindo's city, list of fifty thousand, 404 acres." They are not taking it very seriously. Otherwise why he has remarked? Indirectly he has said, "This man is speaking like lunatic." They are not taking very seriously. That very remark shows that "It is going to be meet the same fate." So many fantastic ideas.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did you see that article yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did you see that article yesterday?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Śrīla Prabhupāda? It's time for massage?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Bhavānanda: Time for massage. (break)
Brahmānanda: Sixty-five acres.
Prabhupāda: He's already Peace Corps(?)?
Brahmānanda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Government will like.
Prabhupāda: Agra?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I heard also someone was proposing. One man who's staying here now is proposing four acres in Agra. They went today to see it. I think Bhagatjī went and also Akṣayānanda Mahārāja. They'll give you a report on it.
Prabhupāda: Supply of ghee from that dairy land would be very good.
Bhāgavatāśraya: We are also trying. We want to get some place near Delhi also.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These are linked up-Delhi, Vṛndāvana, Agra.
Bhāgavatāśraya: And Chandigarh. All those four centers.
Prabhupāda: Four corners.
Yaśomatīnandana: They're having a very nice farm in Ahmedabad.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Yaśomatīnandana: One hundred acres. It's all very nice level land, and we have planted crops in 150 bighās. That is about...
Prabhupāda: So you give some... We are getting many other land. If your becomes ideal, you can teach them. People are coming for chanting?
Yaśomatīnandana: Yes. One gṛhastha is there, and the first week he went there, every night three hundred people were coming.
Prabhupāda: That's it.
Yaśomatīnandana: Just now this is the first year, and it has not been used for three, four... It is not that fertile. It is not too much fertile. For rice you have to prepare the ground. Some part of it is there. Once we develop, then we can develop it for rice. That area is doing maximum rice. Bhogilal's men grows fifteen lakhs' worth of crops every year. He has thousand acres, and most of it is even unfertile. Only in certain part of it, fifteen lakhs.
Prabhupāda: So why not our farm?
Yaśomatīnandana: We cannot get that much. But we can easily go up to two lakhs.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Per year.
Yaśomatīnandana: Per year. This is at least.
Prabhupāda: Yes, he has made this.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very beautiful. I think it's even more beautiful than Hyderabad. It's hundred acres compared to six hundred acres, but all hundred acres is cultivable. And secondly, it is not far from the city. It is only like from Juhu to Churchgate. It's even less than that.
Yaśomatīnandana: Eight miles.
Prabhupāda: It is nothing.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Nothing. It took us fifteen minutes by scooter to get that. So I suggested to Yaśo that we should make that farm like New Vrindaban. Let us build a temple there...
Prabhupāda: Three, four rooms, one cottage. They will come and live comfortably.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very beautiful land, all green, all hundred acres cultivable.
Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa has given this facility.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That I thought can be the best project. And it's not far from the city.
Prabhupāda: It is not at all. It is within city. Eight miles is within. If you go to see some friend, you have to go eight miles.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And I told them they could buy scooters.
Prabhupāda: This farm...
Prabhupāda: So accept his invitation and fix up.
Governor: Very good trees. Mango trees. There are more than two hundred mango trees in our compound. Various fruit trees. Beautiful everything. Nearly 200 acres of land is in our compound, very fine, and very cool. The sea ... There is our one small bungalow on the sea also.
Prabhupāda: So when you think it will be suitable?
Governor: I am going tomorrow to Ahmedabad with our chief minister. He has come here. Ahmedabad I stay for four days. I go to Bombay. And from Bombay I'll be in Madras on 8th back. Then I am there.
Prabhupāda: Eighth, August. So we can if you think. So kindly submit my application to the Prime Minister.
Hari-śauri: With these farms that is very easy to do. No unemployment. Everybody can work. Next to our farm in Australia there is one man. He has five hundred acres of land, but he sends his wife out to work because he's so lazy, he does not work the land. Simply they put some cows there to become fat and then kill them. He has five hundred acres of land. (break)
Prabhupāda: Husband does not do.
Hari-śauri: This is the modern disease. Everyone is so lazy. You have always pointed out that there is so much land unused. Now no one wants to work. It is much simpler for them to go and work for eight hours a day in some office and get some bits of paper money and then buy from the grocery store.
Brahmānanda: Or even if they're farmers, all they do is just graze cows. And they don't do any work. They just have the cows eat, and then they sell them.
Prabhupāda: And maintain slaughterhouse, eh?
Prabhupāda: Good field.
Jayapatākā: Yes, although it's a village-type area, it seems to be good field. The people are not at all envious but quite cooperative. Also just about a quarter mile from the mandira there's a gośālā which has got 33 acres, about 100 bighās of land and about 100 cows. Cows are not so good cows, but there's nice, pākā buildings and good facilities. It's managed by some Marwaris. So they're willing to give that over to us in the future if we want. It's very nearby the temple. When I was there I gave a lecture at one temple, and about two, three hundred people came without any advertisement. In Haridaspur, at their Janmāṣṭamī festival they had... Two thousand people came. They had a huge crowd. And every one of the villagers, they organized the whole thing there, the leaders, gathered firewood, helped with distribution.
Prabhupāda: And rice, ḍāl?
Guest (1): Paddy is good this year. They have grown. There was drought. For one month there had been no rains when it should have been, in September. Whole of September was dry. Otherwise entire twenty acres of paddy they had, and six acres which is fed from irrigation from tanks is very good. Paddy, maize also. (break)
Prabhupāda: Things are improving.
Guest (1): Yes, they are. There is no worry as far as the management of the temple and farm is concerned.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mahāṁśa is doing nicely.
Guest (1): Both are very much dedicated and devoted.
Prabhupāda: People are coming?
Gaura-govinda: Yes, people are coming. In Bhadrak they have eight acres of land there. It's cultivated land. If we can manage ourselves, then that will be nice. Now this Mahārāja has given it to other agents. They'll take half and give the half. Nobody was there to look after it. So if we look after it now personally, and take it up ourselves, then it will be managed nicely. And there are two cows also, it has got.
Prabhupāda: The arrangement is nice.
Bhavānanda: Fifteen bighās, that's five acres.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So why not purchase?
Bhavānanda: Right where the, where we want to put the temple. It must be a group of men that the prices vary per bighā.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why not purchase?
Śatadhanya: Jayapatākā Mahārāja is very anxious to purchase that land. It's exactly where the site for the big temple, at that location. Fifteen bighās.
Prabhupāda: Whether he can purchase?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Whether he can purchase? If you don't go to Māyāpur, Śrīla Prabhupāda, all of Māyāpur will come here to be with you. Now, if you get a little stronger, we can go.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should I go on reading, Śrīla Prabhupāda? He says that book distribution is doubling there also. He says, "On the farm we are doing spring planting, and this year seven acres is being put into crops, an increase over last year, since the population has grown. The farm is now famous throughout the country as..."
Prabhupāda: If you give me some rest, I can sit down.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If we give Prabhupāda some rest...
Upendra: Some pillows.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Back rest. (break) "...with your permission we would like to come and visit you sometime later this year, as it has now been so long since I have had your personal association." Do you give him permission to come visit you?
Prabhupāda: Why not?
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
In the morning class there are not less than 25 students and in the evening there are 30 to 50 students. And I think they are gradually understanding the philosophy seriously. Sriman Mukunda Das has in view a plot of land about sixty acres for the society and he wishes to organize our community camp there. It is very encouraging.
Please reply this letter point by point and let me know the progress of the house purchasing negotiation. Hope you are doing well with greater enthusiasm even though I am absent. Please take care of Jadurani so that her painting work may go on very nicely. She is entrusted with great responsibility.
1968 Correspondence
I understand that the land is very big area; I heard that it is 320 acres of land, and in the letter addressed to Janardana, you expressed your desire to convert this beautiful piece of land into New Vrindaban in U.S.A. I wish that you may try for this New Vrindaban to your best capacity, and Krishna will give you all help. And if this piece of land is turned into New Vrindaban then I shall forget to return to Indian Vrindaban. I am getting older and older, so actually if I get a peaceful place as described by you, the rest of my life will be continued in translating Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Goswami literature, assisted by some of my disciples like you. So anytime you take me to your new hermitage, I shall be very glad to go there.
This news is very encouraging. As we are spreading our Krishna Consciousness in your country, we need a center in Florida, and if Mr. Fugate cooperates with this movement, certainly he will be very much benefited. So you can keep him alive by correspondence and send him our books and literature to read. So the ten acres of land which Mr. John Fugate wants to utilize for some spiritual cultivation center can well be utilized in developing a New Vrindaban. In San Francisco, they are developing a New Jagannatha Puri and in Florida we shall develop a New Vrindaban, and it may be that Montreal can be developed into New Mayapur (The Birthplace of Lord Caitanya).
You will also be glad to know that Hayagriva Brahmacari has taken a 99 year's lease on a very large plot of land about 134 acres, for constructing New Vrindaban. So Krishna is giving us gradually facilities to make progress in Krishna Consciousness, and if we work sincerely, there will be no scarcity of help in every respect. I have received the copy of the initiated disciples of the society.
It has a farmhouse and several other structures, well, streams, hills (govardhana, as named by Swamiji) pasture grounds (a cow will be acquired soon), ghat, pond, woodland, all situated on 138 acres.
Prabhupada has requested that 7 temples be established there. Its main activity will be cow protection and to show the world that simply by living with cows and land and chanting HARE KRISHNA a perfect society will prevail.
A great deal of work is required and Swamiji has requested at least four devotees to go there immediately. New Vrindaban lacks so-called necessities as hot running water and toilets, so that only stout and sturdy devotees are needed, especially those with carpentry experience and can do manual labor.
Similarly, Annapurna and Ananda are going to open a center in Vancouver, and you know also that Hayagriva and Kirtanananda, with the help of several other devotees are developing New Vrindaban in 138 acres of land in West Va. Also, Dinesh and Krishna devi are going to Florida. In Florida we have 10 acres of land arranged by Dayananda and Nandarani. So all my disciples here are doing marvelously in spreading Krishna Consciousness. In San Francisco, Jayananda arranged a grand meeting yesterday amongst the Gujarati community here and most probably we shall very soon have our own gorgeous temple in San Francisco. So everyone is doing very nicely and I hope that you two also do something wonderful in India.
1969 Correspondence
Music and dance and distribution of prasadam are the main items of my Krishna Consciousness propagation, and they are acting so nicely. Perhaps you know that I am organizing here a community center in West Virginia on a land of about 200 acres, and it will be a replica of Vrindaban. So it is my ambition, as foretold by Lord Caitanya, that the people of the world will be happy under the banner of Krishna Consciousness, and let us try our best for this greatest philosophy of life. Of course, medical and other relief work to the distressed persons are not objectionable items, but actually the people of the whole world are suffering on account of lacking in Krishna Consciousness. Anyway, I am trying, practically, struggling single-handedly in this great endeavor, and my financial strength is practically zero.
You will be pleased to note that I have established temples in the following important places: London, Hamburg, New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, Montreal, Vancouver, Boston, etc. In each of these temples we will require one pair of deities. Besides that, we have secured about 140 acres of land in West Virginia where the scheme is to construct 7 temples. We wish to develop a township there called New Vrindaban for our growing Krishna Conscious community. Similarly, an attempt is being made in England also for which we are requesting legal documents. So I hope you will cooperate with us, and induce others to cooperate with this movement. The Americans have enough money to purchase the deities, but I wish that the Krishna devotees of India should come forward and cooperate with this movement by contributing pairs of deities. I shall be glad to hear from you soon.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your encouraging letter dated April 14, 1969, and I am very glad to learn that Mr. George Harrison has given a letter of guarantorship to the Camden Council. One other thing is that Mr. Harrison is purchasing 172 acres of land near London, and it is expected that he will construct a temple of Radha-Krishna there. This is also very encouraging news. If you think that he is serious about it, then I shall send you a nice plan for a Radha-Krishna temple, a facsimile of Govindaji's temple in Vrindaban. It is very expensive, with stone work, and if Mr. George Harrison at all constructs a Radha-Krishna temple, it should be unique in this part of the world. He has got the money, and he can do it. So when he is serious about it, I shall give a nice plan for the temple.
1971 Correspondence
Please let me know whether the dharmasala has been given for our center in Delhi. Regarding Birla Temple Trust land, yes, take some plot immediately which is very nice and we shall immediately begin one Hare Krsna Sankirtana Festival as we held in Bombay. At least four acres are required; then we shall construct one very nice Temple and preaching work will start. Panditji is also known to me.
I have advised to send you 50 sets of books immediately, so all the proceedings from their distribution should be divided 50% to the Building Fund Account and 50% to the Book Fund Account and the respective banks are as follows:
The eyes should be nicely painted. You have got the idea; you have seen many pictures and I am seeing from here that you are doing nicely.
From Bombay I may go to Russia (Moscow) and then to London and then N.Y. and then I will be coming to L.A. You will be glad to learn that we have purchased about five acres of land in Mayapur, the birthsite of Lord Caitanya and we have proposed to hold a nice festival there from Janmastami day for two weeks. At that time the foundation stone will be set down. I wish that all our leading disciples come to India at that time. There are 50 branches, so at least one from each branch should attend the function and Sai also may come at that time. From L.A. while coming to India I must come to Hawaii as I did last year and then after the foundation stone function I will come again back to U.S.A. The contemplation of sitting at Hawaii for my translating work is still alive. Now it depends on Krishna what I have to do in the future.
I am so much obliged to the devotee-residents of Vrindaban for their giving me the civic reception.
We want to open a centre of magnificent proportions in Vrindaban City, as was discussed with Your Honor by my secretary, Sriman Ksirodakasayi das Adhikari. I therefore request you to give us the one-acre piece of land near the Dak Bungalow for this purpose.
Regarding land on the Yamuna-side, if there is flood, it will be difficult to be there. They wanted to give ____ 4 acres near the Town Hall. Give a copy of your ____ to me. Make inquiry why my letter was not received at Vrindaban P.O. I am sending the receipt.
So far our program for India, at present we are trying seriously for a nice house in the aristocratic section of Bombay, or also for a large plot of land of several acres near Bombay, to establish our India headquarters. Bombay is the richest city, the gateway to India, and in all respects the most important city. So we must have something here. Otherwise, when funds are there we shall construct very nice centers in Vrindaban and Mayapur, that's all. Let many foreign students and disciples come to India for staying with us in these places. We shall be content to sit down there, chant and have kirtana very vigorously 24 hours, if anyone calls us we shall go for a few days and have program. Our real interest is in the western countries. The trouble in India is we cannot preach.
1972 Correspondence
Regarding your proposal to incorporate under the title "Trinidad and Tobago Society for Krishna Consciousness," that's all right. I am very much pleased that you have been given nearly one acre of land, and even though it is not in the most populous neighborhood, still, we can utilize it in the manner you suggest by first building up a smaller place there and keep it as an asrama. Later on, if we get many devotees and friends, we may develop there like we are presently doing in Bombay, where we have just purchased a large 20,000 sq. yd.
Just now I am on the plane towards Hong Kong (Apr. 19th), where I shall stay overnight, and tomorrow I shall go to Japan. Our preaching in Australia and New Zealand was very successful, and in New Zealand we shall very soon have our own temple, as our new disciple there, Gaura Krishna das, has already given 3 acres of land in Auckland.
I am very glad to note that you are increasing always by enrolling many Life Members. That is the heart of our expanding progress in Africa, making Life Members, so go on like this and make many many hundreds and thousands of Life Members in Africa.
You can go to Australia, there you have got enough field for your dancing. Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland are very good field and you will have very good assistance from Mohanananda. In New Zealand we have already got one land of 3 acres. You are now a veteran devotee and very sincere, so you organize everything in Australia and New Zealand. Here, Sudama is taking sannyasa to overhaul the whole of Japan. I see these Japanese as better than the Americans, they offered me their obeisances immediately.
So you may not be disturbed that Ksirodakasayi is coming back there, I shall ask him to remain here for developing London center. Today we are looking at a very nice place of 75 acres near London with Mr. George Harrison, who has found the place and wants to have our asrama there. He is coming to see me daily and he is a very nice boy and I like him very much. If we get this place, I shall make London my permanent world headquarters. Practically I am British by training, so I am also trying for dual Indian-British citizenship. I still remember that you both helped me very much by opening this London center, and it is the most important center in the world, so I am very much thankful always.
I am in due receipt of your latest letter, undated, along with two advance copies of Back to Godhead #46 and #47. I have handed over these copies to Mr. George Harrison who is enjoying them very much. Yesterday he has taken me to one 75-acre farm near London which he has found for our London asrama. 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.
Anyway, you are on the spot, you can do the needful by consulting amongst yourselves. Formerly it was understood that Mr. Nair would not charge interest. Anyway, if you have to charge interest, better go to the bank. There is a proposal that somebody wants to donate seven acres of land at Ahmedabad, 17 miles from the town. This proposal was sent by Paramahamsa das Brahmacari, and I have already replied his letter. So if it is convenient, some of you can go see the land, and if it is favorable, we shall go and develop an asrama there. There was a reference in the letter of Mahamsa that the President Giri can open the foundation stone ceremony of our temple, as he is a friend of Mr. Somani. I have already replied his letter, and you can see it. If it is a fact, I have suggested that the ceremony can take place on Wednesday, September 20.
Regarding the new altar, Sri Guru and Gauranga altar would be appropriate. If you are able to make that show in the theater for the public of our kirtana and aratrika, etc., that will be very very nice. And I am very much pleased to hear that you have purchased some land for asrama and that you will be having cows there on six acres. I shall be anxious to see that place when I come back from India.
1973 Correspondence
If the court allows that contract to be superceded, we are prepared to pay 14 lacs. But, neither of us should agree to purchase at a price above what is stated in the contract. And, she must sell to either of us. On this line the pleading should go on in the court.
Regarding Grand Pardi land, try your level best to secure at least one acre of land, and Mr. S.K. Thirani Chairman of Kores Ltd. is prepared to contribute 7 lacs for the temple. So in case we have to part with the Juhu land, we shall construct a very nice temple in the city at Grand Pardi, and if we do not lose the land we shall construct two temples in Bombay: one in the city and one in Juhu. So we shall try for both of them.
1974 Correspondence
We just have to adjust in order to raise as much crops as possible for the animals and men. I have seen many farmers near New Vrindaban working nicely with tractors and growing food. One day Kirtanananda Swami hired one and within two hours he tilled many acres of land very nicely, although it was not even land. So in Mayapur it is even land; in a few hours we can till all the land we possess. My point is if somehow we cannot utilize the land then why purchase it at such expenditure? Self help doesn't mean Rs 10,000 spent monthly.
Your decision to peacefully and legally take over possession of the forty acres of land. So proceed as quickly as possible with the lawyer so that the land is legally ISKCON's with yourself as trustee, and then we can take it and use it for Krsna.
2) Yes, you must get the payments being made on the sale of the land donated to ISKCON by Siddhasvarupa transferred to our account and not to Gaurasundara.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 25, 1974 and have noted the contents.
It is good news that you have so sufficiently taken possession of the 40 acres of land there in our society name, under control of Gaurasundara. Now you require $5000.00 to cover expansion for cows, farming and unpaid debts of Gaurasundara. As for the devotee, Bhavatarini Devi, who is there, she has asked me what to do with her large inheritance of $41,000.00. I have asked her to deposit it in our Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust Fund which we have at the Liberty Bank in Honolulu. Now you can withdrawal $5000.00 required by you from this balance by the Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust at the Liberty Bank.
I also request you to draw an exact similar plan like that of our Vrindaban temple and send it to Trinidad at the following address: ISKCON, 21 C Penbroke St., Port Of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies. The idea is that we have got a land there, one half acre, and we want to construct a similar temple like Vrindaban there. So I hope at your earliest convenience you will send the site plan at least to Trinidad as soon as possible. We have a proposed temple in Bhaktivedanta Manor, Letchmore Heath, London, and I hope in the meantime you might have received the same request from Madhavananda Prabhu.
What is the price and what are the facilities? Regarding the book distribution increasing in Philadelphia. yes we are getting such reports of increasing book distribution from all over. In L.A. they have sold over 600 copies of the new Srimad-Bhagavatam in one weekend.
Atlanta facility of 10 acre and 3 building sounds very nice. Purchasing or renting doesn't matter. Only here in India is a purchased house more important than a rented house. The prasadam program must be continued and increased. It is very good program for attracting the students. They have never tasted this kind of foodstuffs. Regarding Miami that you want to replace Abhirama, yes a capable man must be there, what can be done. But I have already written that he can marry that girl and divorce his wife.
I am in due receipt of your letter November 2, 1974 and have noted the contents. I have also received the enclosed clipping from Ottawa and the information about the property. This property must be considered by the GBC. If it can be properly utilized, it is nice, for Varna-asrama College and dairy farm. With 100 acres for cultivation you can make much production. The land is attractive. If it can be utilized by the opinion of the GBC, then it is good. I think it should be utilized. For which center will it be purchased?
1975 Correspondence
Please also keep in constant contact with Laxman S. Agarwal and his genius wife also. Try to encourage them to construct the temple in their factory as soon as possible.
Also keep in constant contact with that Oriya Minister of Defense. I forget his name. Try to get some acres of land near the Buddha Jayanti Park. I wish to develop a Janmastami Park there and invite all the residents of New Delhi there to observe a grand festival on Janmastami day. I wish to construct a grand temple of Krishna Balarama and keep many cows in this park. The residents of New Delhi will be very much encouraged to visit this park. That is my ambition. Both the Deputy Minister of Defense (the Oriya Minister) as well as Mr. Agarwal can give us substantial help in this progress.
My idea is that if this temple can be used for our movement, then we do not need to construct a separate temple. If it is not possible to utilize this temple, then we can construct our own temple and for constructing temple and varnasrama college, we shall require a big plot of land—at least 10-15 acres or more. Whether this plot of land is available through the government acquirement. So, these are the immediate questions which I place before you. Kindly let me know the answers as soon as possible.
Pancadravida Swami is leaving to go to South America, and Gopala Krishna cannot send any man there. You started there in Hong Kong, and I have full confidence in you to make it successful.
I am presently en route to Bombay, and I have stopped here for one day. Here we have got a very nice land of 250 acres with a big French castle. They are starting to grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and they are keeping cows. It is a very nice place about 180 miles from Paris. So you may keep me informed of your program by replying to me in Bombay.
At the present moment I am staying in our French castle in the village of Lucay-le-Male. We have purchased recently 250 acres of land with a big palace. Some photos are enclosed herewith. I am now organizing in Europe and America many farm lands so that my devotees can live there peacefully, grow their own foodstuffs, produce cloth, and save time for chanting Hare Krishna. This scheme has been successful in New Vrindaban, West Virginia; New Orleans; and Pennsylvania. So the same attempt is being made here in France. This place is a little interior from Paris about 180 miles, and there are about 100 devotees already. They are growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and keeping cows with great enthusiasm.
I have received recently one letter from Dhananjaya in which amongst other things he gives me the following information: "Now Bon Maharaja is prepared to make a proposition regarding allowing the construction of the Gurukula on two acres in his college property. He has assured us that the land will be registered in the Society's name."
I am in due receipt of your letter undated with enclosed check for $500. Thank you very much. I am very glad to hear that everything is going on nicely, especially your developing your new 250-acre farm. Yes, if you can get the government to support our project, that would be big triumph for us. They are spending millions and millions of dollars trying to keep the young people from turning into hippies, drug-addicted, and we are actually doing it. So why they should not give us some support?
Regarding the Hyderabad project, you will be the principal man for finances. I have received report that they have planted 20 acres of paddy, some being bashmati and rest local variety. Regarding Dr. Wolf, why has he gone against us? First of all consult with Svarupa Damodara. What is his complaint? Regarding the reports of Japan, therefore the police have stopped Gurukrpa. I have sent Trivikrama Maharaja and one man to go there and maintain the center and preach. There is good potency there. I do not want to see it closed.
1976 Correspondence
The first business is that the GBC must see to the management of their zones. Still, I require a permanent secretary. In addition, one GBC man may come and go.
Here we have been given a nice piece of land measuring nine acres. The local people are very enthusiastic and the plan is to construct a Radha Krishna Temple complex.
Now that the Dallas Gurukula has been closed we have opened many smaller regional Gurukulas on some of our farming communities, such as our farms in Vancouver, Pennsylvania, and also Mississippi as well as others. It is best if you go to one of these regional Gurukulas where you can be nicely engaged in Krishna's service, and your young daughter can go to Gurukula.
Concerning the 88 acres of land there in Alabama, you can contact our GBC secretary for that area, Balavanta das Adhikari, c/o Iskcon Atlanta, 1287 Ponce de Leon Ave., N.B., Atlanta, Georgia 30306. He can assist you in this connection.
You can continue to work at trying to get the park for constructing our temple there as previously planned. Keep me informed as to the progress.
So far the land in Jagannatha Puri is concerned, we can have a nice temple on 21 acres of land.* You can negotiate the rental fees and inform me accordingly before proceeding further with this project.
That will not suit us. In any case send me a site sketch of the available land, giving length and breadth. However, we do not want some land on one side of the canal and some land on the other side of the canal. All the land must be in one piece, together, not separately. If the government gives us 30 acres of land then we shall attempt, otherwise, let it be postponed. We are not anxious to construct next to the Bengali temple, but send the dimensions of the available land in any case.
The Gurukula in Bombay was to be financed by Brig Mohan Mota. Giriraja, myself, and he talked together.
You should personally negotiate with Mr. Gupta as Caitya Guru is not so important to deal with him. I wrote one letter to Gopala Krishna dated May 20, 1976, wherein I mentioned that we must have the land all in one piece, not some on this side of the canal, and some on the other side. If the government gives us 30 acres (which was proposed to me by Gopala Krishna) in one piece, then we can attempt. If the land next to the Bengali temple is too small, we are not particularly anxious to construct next to the Bengali temple. But we must have the land in one piece sufficient for our purposes. Also, I will require a sketch of the available land, giving length and breadth. But you should personally do the transaction with the Chief Minister, don't depend on Caitya Guru.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 24, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care.
Concerning the "report" which you submitted to the District Magistrate in Nadia District, you mentioned only 300 acres being given to us. I think that we originally had asked for 350 acres. There is no objection that they give the land in two phases as mentioned but the total land required was 350 acres as I recall. What kind of jobs does the M.L.A. want? Yes, in such a big scheme, so many assistants will be required. So any qualified men's assistance will be considered. Do your best and simply depend on Krishna. We are not acquiring the land for sense gratification. It is for Krishna's Glory. nimitta-matram bhava savyascin. 11.33. Just like Arjuna was asked to fight by Krishna, so it was Prabhupada's dream to make Mayapur a transcendental city.
In this connection we have applied to the government for 350 acres of land and the matter is in the process. However, Damodara Maharaja and Madhava Maharaja are trying to frustrate our attempt. I shall quote the portion from Jayapataka's letter to me:
"After the report (request for land) was submitted, the District Magistrate sent some land officers to come here to our site to inspect the lands and their position, nature, etc. During this time the local people some how or other came to know about the acquisition. This was mainly transmitted through Damodara Maharaja initially, some persons say. Some local farmers raised a petition against the land acquisition, with about 90 signatures.
The body is a temple of disease, janma mrtyu jara vyadhi (BG 13.9). Disease is our inevitable companion. We still have to execute our duty of Krishna consciousness as far as possible and Krishna will help us. We are going to have a very big project at Mayapur. We have to acquire 350 acres of land from the Government and construct a spiritual town at the expense of Rs. 200 Crores. The plans and contemplations are going on in different phases, now when Caitanya Mahaprabhu will be pleased it will be taken up.
After Vrndavana, I may return to Mayapur by the month of December and I hope by that time you will be quite fit to come and meet me. Thank you very much for your enquiry.
Therefore, we are publishing one local magazine from Hyderabad. A copy is sent herewith. If you like I can advise the managers in Hyderabad to send you a regular complimentary copy.
By the middle or end of November I may be going to Hyderabad. There we have got 600 acres of land to develop a farm project. We have got one very nice temple in Hyderabad City. As we are doing in Mayapur and many other places, I want to develop self-sufficient centers with cloth and food production by the devotees locally and save time as much as possible to devote themselves to chant Hare Krishna.
Otherwise we have no such intention. We want a temple, a gosala and agriculture. A community project as in Europe and America. We are making similar attempts in India in several places. Immediately I'm going to Hyderabad to organize the farm project there. We have 600 acres. We have the permission from the government. There is no question of ceiling.
You may call the gosala: ISKCON Gosala and Farm Project Trust. The trustees shall be; myself as chairman, Pranlal Bhogilal, yourself, Gopala Krsna, Mahamsa, Hamsaduta, Karatieya Mahadevia, Aksayananda, and the life member you have mentioned in your letter (You haven't mentioned his name, but you say that he is an actor and has a farm of his own).
| Page Title: | Acres |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 14 of Apr, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=4, OB=0, Lec=12, Con=103, Let=45 |
| No. of Quotes: | 164 |