Surat

Expressions researched:
"Surat"

SB Canto 3

SB 3.1.24, Translation:

Thereafter he passed through very wealthy provinces like Surat, Sauvīra and Matsya and through western India, known as Kurujāṅgala. At last he reached the bank of the Yamunā, where he happened to meet Uddhava, the great devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 71:

The chariot of Lord Kṛṣṇa started for Hastināpura accompanied by many other chariots, along with elephants, cavalry, infantry and similar royal paraphernalia. Bugles, drums, trumpets, conchshells and horns all produced a loud auspicious sound which vibrated in all directions. The sixteen thousand queens, headed by the goddess of fortune Rukmiṇīdevī, the ideal wife of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and accompanied by their respective sons, all followed behind Lord Kṛṣṇa. They were dressed in costly garments decorated with ornaments, and their bodies were smeared with sandalwood pulp and garlanded with fragrant flowers. Riding on palanquins nicely decorated with silks, flags and golden lace, they followed their exalted husband, Lord Kṛṣṇa. The infantry soldiers carried shields, swords and lances in their hands and acted as royal bodyguards to the queens. In the rear of the procession were the wives and children of all the other followers, and there were many society girls also following. Many beasts of burden like bulls, buffalo, mules and asses carried the camps, bedding and carpets, and the women who followed were seated in separate palanquins on the backs of camels. This panoramic procession was accompanied by the shouts of the people and was full with the display of different colored flags, umbrellas and whisks and different varieties of weapons, dress, ornaments, helmets and armaments. Shining in the sunlight, the procession appeared just like an ocean with high waves and sharks.

In this way the procession of Lord Kṛṣṇa's party advanced toward Hastināpura (New Delhi) and gradually passed through the kingdoms of Ānarta (Gujarat Province), Sauvīra (Surat), the great desert of Rājasthān, and then Kurukṣetra. Between those kingdoms were many mountains, rivers, towns, villages, pasturing grounds and mining fields. The procession passed through all these places in its advance. On His way to Hastināpura, the Lord crossed two big rivers, the Dṛṣadvatī and the Sarasvatī. Then He crossed the provinces of Pañcāla and Matsya. In this way, He ultimately arrived at Hastināpura, or Indraprastha.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 7.7.28, 32-35 -- Mombassa, September 11, 1971:

So this is one of the process that not only one should serve the spiritual master with faith and love, but he should always think of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophy is..., they say that "You think of the spiritual master, he is God." That is Māyāvādī. Just like we have been in Surat, there is some Rāma Mandir without Rāma. This is rascaldom. They have placed their photo of spiritual master but no Deity. This is Māyāvādī. Ours is not like that. Ours is side by side. Not only spiritual master, his spiritual master, his spiritual master, along with the Deity. Tat liṅgam, we are calling(?) the form. So tasya liṅgānām mūrtinām. Liṅga means mūrti. The liṅga is sometimes... Some liṅga is also... Just like śrī-liṅga, pūr-liṅga, the feminine gender, masculine gender. So here liṅga also means the mūrti, the form. Liṅga means whether he is a puruṣa, or he is a woman or man, or his form. Liṅgānām mūrtinām. Mūrtinam īkṣaṇa. Īkṣaṇa means seeing. Therefore, the Deities should be very nicely decorated, the temple should be very much cleansed, all-attractive. People may come and immediately become attracted by the Deities, īkṣaṇam, with devotion. That is the system of temple worship. Unclean temple worship or no decoration, no flower, this is useless. If you want to introduce temple worship, that should be properly done so that any man who comes immediately become attracted with the form, īkṣaṇam. That facility should be given to the ordinary man. If he comes and he hears the chanting, the kīrtana, the bell sound, the karatāla sound, in this way gradually he becomes attracted. As we have seen, many students come in this way. They live and they become devotee. So these chances should be given.

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 13, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, yes. So if anyone believes in the śāstras, they should take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is intelligence, to take advantage of authorized scriptures. You'll find in the Bhāgavata, There is a history of Candragupta, and "The Yavanas will become kings." That means English occupation, Mohammedan occupation. Everything is there. And Buddha's appearance, kikaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati. Kikaṭeṣu means in the Bihar province in India. Bhaviṣyati. Because Bhāgavata Purāṇa was written five thousand years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,600 years ago. So therefore it is stated, bhaviṣyati: "In future, just in the beginning of Kali-yuga, Lord will appear as Buddha. His mother's name will be Añjana, and his business will be to cheat the atheists."

Allen Ginsberg: To cheat the atheists.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sammohāya sūra-dviṣam (SB 1.3.24). Sūra-dviṣam means atheists. Surat. Sura-dvisam means those who are envious of Lord's devotees. That means atheist. So to bewilder them. What is that bewildering? This atheist class, they became so much absorbed in this animal-killing, they forgot everything about God. So they said, "What is God? We don't mind." So Lord Buddha says, "Yes, there is no God." Lord's philosophy is: "There is no God. Void. There is no God. But what I say, you follow. Yes. That's all right." But he is God. Is it not cheating?

Allen Ginsberg: Yes, except that he claims to be neither God nor not God.

Prabhupāda: Huh? But he never said that "I am God." He said there is no God.

Allen Ginsberg: No. He doesn't say there's no God either. He says...

Prabhupāda: That's it. That's anyway.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: So we made some life member. Is there any possibility of getting, enrolling some life member? That...?

Guest (1): Life member means...?

Prabhupāda: Institution. We want some life members. Otherwise how we can conduct this institution? (indistinct) Through telegram? Or reply?

Haṁsadūta: I think it was returned.

Prabhupāda: Who sent?

Haṁsadūta: Gita Bhavan Sect.(?), Gita Bhavan Marg, Indore. "Please reply definite arrival time, Surat. Very anxious. Janwal, care of (indistinct)." That's how he replied.

Prabhupāda: So there we are already engaged. Cannot go Surat immediately. Let us follow that.

Haṁsadūta: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is his version. Version. There is no cost. Simply (indistinct).

Haṁsadūta: So what is the program there?

Prabhupāda: Never mind. "Due to heavy engagement, cannot go Surat immediately. Letter follows."

Devotee (2): Motorcycle...(indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Are you sure, that motorcycle? Can? To go and come back here for attending meeting here? By train? How far it is?

Haṁsadūta: About fifteen minutes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right. That's all.

Room Conversation -- December 21, 1970, Surat:

Prabhupāda: These books are... Now we have some custom difficulty. Books are lying in the port, but we have some custom clearance permission difficulty. Just this morning we have received news from Delhi. Now everything is complete. So now we shall get the books, say, within a fortnight.

Guest (3): Within a fortnight.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): In Surat, unable to permanently enter in Surat?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you give us some place, we'll immediately open. Just like in Indore we had been. Somebody has given us a land. Not only land, but they are going to prepare a temple also there. And the residential quarters, we shall arrange to construct. So this land is about 400,000 square feet.

Guest (3): In Surat?

Prabhupāda: No, in Indore. Yes. So if we get place, we can start. Our program is international. And it is not difficult for us. We can start a branch even underneath a tree. We begin... I began in New York like that. I was chanting underneath a tree in a park. Yes.

Guest (4): (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. To the members, not to the public. It is very difficult for import-export, and sales tax, this, that, so many botherations government has created. Therefore our proposal is that... Thank you. We don't sell. No. Simply who becomes a member, we give him. You give us something, and whatever we have got, we give you. Business finished. Not finished, but business established. (laughs) Then if you read our books, if you inquire, then we get opportunity to explain. And our distribution of books means that is indirectly propagating our mission. Yes. So therefore we have adopted this way, that only to the members. That's all. We have printed that "These books are not for sale in India." Yes. Because the government machine is so implicated-sale tax, this tax, that tax...

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with John Griesser (later initiated as Yadubara Dasa) -- March 10, 1972, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That nonviolence. Kṛṣṇa is number one violent. (chuckles) Number one. There is no limit of His violence. Just see.

Yadubara: Don't you have... In the material world, sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right and sometimes use violence?

Prabhupāda: Only satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa is right. All wrong. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, that is right. Otherwise everything wrong.

Yadubara: A man in Surat brought up the question of the British in India.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Yadubara: A man in Surat brought up the question of the British in India, and he felt they should be thrown out.

Prabhupāda: Surat?

Devotee: In Surat.

Prabhupāda: Surat, what happened? One man questioned?

Devotee: A man in Surat brought up the question of whether the British should be removed from India.

Prabhupāda: British? I do not understand. What is his real question?

Śyāmasundara: Should the British have been violently thrown out of India?

Yadubara: But if somebody is stepping on you, then you should take action to remove those people.

Prabhupāda: Yes, our position is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, not for personal self. Ordinary world activities. Serving Kṛṣṇa and the result of such service is the same. In the material world, doing something and result of the doing is different. Our means and end is the same. Just like Kṛṣṇa advises Yudhiṣṭhira to speak lie to Droṇācārya. It is a means. The means is also Kṛṣṇa, and the end is also Kṛṣṇa. That is Absolute. Absolute... We must have clear conception of what is the Absolute. In any circumstances, the quality of the Absolute remains the same. What was the question in Surat?

Devotee: Whether the British should have been forcibly removed from India.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is ordinary duty. If you encroach upon my freedom, I have the right to kill you. That is recommended.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: One has to understand that a lady should be respectfully called as mother. You call as mātā or mother, it doesn't matter. Yes, some rascals inquire from them that, "Do you know Sanskrit?" Where is the condition that unless one knows Sanskrit he cannot be a devotee? Where is that condition?

Guest: In the same way you see early Christians inquired, "Do you know Latin?" And that's why the whole of England wrote it and said we will do only in English.

Prabhupāda: So, one bābājī... I think that you were in Surat?

Devotee:: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You were Surat? He was asking, that bābājī, that, "Learn Sanskrit then you'll understand Bhagavad-gītā." So I immediately asked him that, "You go away, you go away from this place."

Guest: Not at all.

Prabhupāda: So he supposed.... I went to preach in the Western countries. Did they know Sanskrit? Then how they have become Vaiṣṇavas? It is a training, it is a training. It doesn't matter whether you know Sanskrit or not Sanskrit. But some rascals inquire, "Do you know Sanskrit, otherwise you cannot become..."

Guest: It is good to learn as many languages as you can, but if not that doesn't matter anything.

Prabhupāda: So far I am concerned, although people say I am Sanskrit scholar, but we are not educated as Sanskrit scholar. Whatever Sanskrit we have learned from this book only. A Sanskrit scholar is different, he learns grammar 14 years.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1974, Bombay:

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: If someone said to us that "You are worshiping samādhi," what is the answer?

Prabhupāda: Samādhi, we are offering respect to the ācāryas. Yes. Not that we are simply worshiping samādhi. We are worshiping Kṛṣṇa also, side by side. It is not that... Then samādhi worship is finished. That is ācārya. Ācārya is, although worshiped as the Supreme Lord, but the Lord is also worshiped. And these Māyāvādīs, they give up the worship of Lord. So therefore they are Māyāvādīs. In Māyāvādī temple you'll find the picture of the guru and not the picture of Kṛṣṇa. I have seen in Surat, one temple of "Rāma." There is no Rāma. Guru is Rāma. That's all. Guru brahma, (Hindi) (break) ...caittya-guru, because he has merged into the existence of Lord, he has become Lord. "Merging-Lord. Daridra-nārāyaṇa, merging-nārāyaṇa." This is...

Devotee: The Jains have the same kind of philosophy also.

Prabhupāda: Everyone. All philosophies, they are more or less Māyāvāda. All Māyāvāda. Different types of Māyāvāda philosophy. Therefore they should be discarded. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Indian man: Prabhupāda, there is a place here, near (indistinct). That's about sixty, eighty miles from here. (indistinct) mentioned to you before. (break)

Prabhupāda: That's what they're eating, that lamb's flesh.

Indian man: Now Prabhupāda, even Jains eat meat.

Prabhupāda: Who cares for them? In Gujarat they are eating fish?

Indian man: No. Eggs. They have started eating two lakhs of eggs in Ahmedabad.

Indian man: Ahmedabad is a very big meat-eating center.

Prabhupāda: In Surat I was guest of that Jariwala. So on the morning walk I went to the riverside. So I saw so many fisherwoman carrying the big basket. So I asked the driver, he was Mohammedan, "Why these fisherwomen here?" He said, "Nowadays, all Gujaratis, they're eating fish."

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Murari -- 74, Marine Drive, Bombay 20 Nov. 17, 1970:

Here in India we are very encouraged by the favorable response of the Indian public, especially in Bombay. We shall begin on December 2nd a tour to Indore, Surat, and other places. Still, Guru Maharaja has instructed me to take this movement to the western countries, and especially he was favorably disposed toward London, so the West must be our first order of business, and I am most pleased that my disciples are opening many new centers there. Why don’t you open some more centers in the British Isles? If you can do this, in cooperation with your zonal secretary Shyamsunder, it will be to your great credit. New centers must be managed by strong men, trained in philosophy, samkirtan, deity worship, cooking and temple business. With these qualifications there is every chance for a successful program in any city of the world. So kindly train up men in your London center to open many centers in England.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 24 November, 1970:

P.S. If there is inconvenience, you may all come to Bombay. Your friend Jariwala has invited us to go to Surat in full strength. You may all go there directly or come to Bombay and we shall go together.

We are seriously trying to purchase a nice house here, so if possible send all collections (including the promised 25,000/-)in favor of International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Before coming here please ship the deities to U.S.A as it was arranged and see Mr. Trivedi of Scindia Steam Navigation in this connection.

Letter to Puri Maharaja -- Bombay 2 December, 1970:

Tomorrow I am going to Indore; from Indore I shall come to Surat. From there I shall go to Gorakpur. From Gorakpur I shall go to Allahabad, and most probably from Allahabad I may go to Vrndavana.

So far as Mayapur is concerned, I do not think I shall be able to attend the Gaura Jayanti celebrations at there. The reason is that I have no place of my own, and certainly there will be too much crowd during the occasion. Therefore, I want to avoid this occasion. Sometimes after we may visit.

I shall go to your place from Vrndavana or from Allahabad, and we have to arrange in that way. We are thirty men and women all together. Whether you want us all to visit? Perhaps if we go from Vrindaban we shall have to take advantages of the Grand Trunk Express. Of course there is sufficient time now, and I shall be in regular correspondence with you on my tour, but I accept to visit all the places mentioned by you when I go by that side.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Indore 5 December, 1970:

I am planning to reach Surat on the 12th instant and my address at that time will be as follows:

c/o Bhagubhai Jariwala

Jekisondas Nathaubhai Jariwala

Motorcycle Building

Begumpura, Surat

We shall remain in Surat up until about the 20th December.

In the meantime one gentleman has come to me here in Indore and he has offered us one small Krsna Temple in Vrndavana with room for about 20-25 men. He has written to the man there to receive you when you go. So you may go immediately as soon as possible go there for the purpose of seeing the Temple whether it is suitable for us. The name is as follows:

Chhatrabihariji's Temple; Gopinatha Bazar; Vrndavana. It is in care of our friend Sri N. C. Zamindar, of Indore. So please go there and see it and do the needful. Let me know how things are going on.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Syamasundara -- Indore 9 December, 1970:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated 4th and 5th December, 1970, respectively, as well as one telegram dated 7th, December regarding the Surat program.

Gorakhpur has already sent us money for going there, therefore we should give first preference to going to Gorakhpur and them from Gorakhpur we shall make further program. So for the time being the Surat program may be postponed. I am arranging to go to Gorakhpur by the 17th December and if you have no important program in Bombay, then all of you may come to Gorakhpur. From Gorakhpur we shall go to Allahabad or maybe to Vrndavana. That will be settled there. So let me know if you are all starting for Gorakhpur by the 17th instant.

The best way for you to go is to purchase reserved tickets from Bombay through Gorakhpur according to the following schedule. Leave Bombay on the 17th December by the 5 (down C.R.) Punjab Mail AC departing at 15.20. You will arrive at Bhopal Jn. by 6.20 next morning. Most probably we shall join you at Bhopal with tickets reserved on the same train. The 5 Punjab Mail will then reach Jhansi at 11.40. At Jhansi the train divides and one part goes on to Luknow called the 43 (down C.R.) Jhansi-Lucknow Mail departing Jhansi at 13.20 and arriving Lucknow at 20.05. From Luknow the Lucknow Express (E.R. down #16) departs at 21.15 and arrives in Gorakhpur at 3.05.

Letter to Tamala Krsna, Syamasundara -- Indore 13 December, 1970:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 6th, 1970. Regarding the land in Bombay, we shall prefer to have that vacant land at 5 lakhs. That is a better place than Mr. Shedh's building. From your letter everything is encouraging, still you should post me daily one letter. I am anxiously awaiting your full report from Bombay in letters.

Regarding Surat, how can we go? We have not received any money. So it should be postponed. We have received two telegrams, but no money.

In the meantime I have received two letters from Jayapataka Swami in Calcutta.

I have received one telegram from Gurudasa in Delhi reading as follows:

CCP granted also official letter clearing books waiving demurrage sent to all ports trying Indian 18th—Gurudasa

So I am very anxious to know what you have been able to do in the matter of receiving the books.

Because of the proposed meeting with Indira Gandhi on the 18th instant, our Gorakhpur program is not fixed up. If you have already purchased tickets in the meantime, you may go there as planned, but our arrival from this end is not yet ascertained.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Surat 17 December, 1970:

I have just arrived in Surat from Indore and I have received all of your letters here brought from Bombay. We arrived on the morning of the 16th instant, and our reception here is most promising and cordial.

You have written that there is some critical remarks about us from some parties, do not care for it. We do not mind for the dogs barking. Let us go on with our business.

Letter to Karandhara -- Surat 18 December, 1970:

I have just come to Surat from Indore as we are travelling often now and I have just received your letters addressed to Bombay from where my mail is regularly forwarded.

I have already telegrammed you in return regarding the money contributed by Sai and his followers. The money is to be kept for the purpose of purchasing one very nice house in Calcutta for which we have already begun serious negotiations. You have utilized $500 for the Berkeley Center's immediate need, but this must be repaid by them so the entire contributed sum must remain intact as I have instructed by telegram. It is a very good news that the disciples of Sai and Sai himself are now coming to join with our ISKCON. Because they were chanting Hare Krsna, they developed some love for Krsna and therefore they have decided upon this right course of action. So they are all very welcome and you can give these good souls all encouragement so that they may not feel any inconveniences. They must live with us according to our standard practices and they shall surely advance in Krsna's service.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Surat 28 December, 1970:

Our program here in Surat is very successful and we are terminating it for the time being when we depart for Bombay on the 2nd January. From Bombay we are catching the 1 down (via Nagpur) Howrah Mail Train leaving on the 3rd at 6.45 PM and reaching Calcutta on the 5th at 8.25 AM. So I will be glad to see you there if you can arrange a nice reception. We shall be coming either two men or four.

In the meantime the rest of our party is going to Allahabad for establishing our Magh Mela Camp.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Surat 28 December, 1970:

The $28,000 plus $800 contributed by Sai may not be touched for any other purpose until you hear from me. Dai Nippon's debt regarding BTG should be liquidated by the Department of BTG. Why the debt should be cleared with a contribution which Krsna has sent for another purpose? I can understand that from London the payment is not regularly coming from the very beginning, so in order to counteract this anomaly I shall be sending someone out of the four important members to check out the condition of London. Most probably Hamsaduta will very soon go there.

At present I am at Surat, which is very nice city in India. People are very responsive and we are getting practically every day a Life Member. There is an important meeting in Calcutta on the sixth of January, so I may be going there on the 5th of January, 1971. I am writing you this letter in great haste on account of being concerned about a Mayavadi Sannyasi being present among you. Therefore, if he completely surrenders to our principles and lives as other newcomers live, then he can be allowed. Otherwise there is no need of his staying with us.

Letter to Syamasundara -- Surat 30 December, 1970:

I am very glad that you are working in Bombay with great enthusiasm. As you say that Bombay is like a dream for Krsna Consciousness, you may take the Bombay Center very seriously and do it nicely. The program of work of two parties working canvassing Life Members is very nice. The only thing is we require immediately a nice place to keep your assistants. If the Jolly business is not settled up, then you immediately try to have some place on rental basis.

We are all leaving Surat on Sunday the 4th January, 1971, by the Flying Ranee, reaching Bombay Central at 10.30 AM the same morning. I hope by the time I reach Bombay the registration of the Society and other things might have been finalized. Please keep the Tandberg tape* recorder ready.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Surat 30 December, 1970:

I hope everything is going on with you all well in Calcutta, I was expecting your letter at any moment, but I have not received any word from you since you went there. This morning I have sent you one telegram requesting you to send me a complete report immediately.

In the meantime, our plans have been changed so that I will come to Calcutta from Bombay by plane and not by train. Our whole party is leaving Surat on the 4th January and we shall reach Bombay on the morning of the 4th. From Bombay I shall fly to Calcutta by Indian Airlines flight number IC-175 leaving on the 5th January at 6.15 PM, reaching Calcutta the same evening at 8.20 PM.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Surat 1 January, 1971:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 18th, 1970, redirected to me here in Surat we have had a very successful preaching program during the last two weeks. Also in hand I have your letter dated 26th November, 1970, which is also acknowledged.

The most important thing is that the money donated by Sai should be kept as I have directed you for some concrete project, specifically the construction of a large center here in India. So you please keep it intact and wait further instructions what to do with the $28,000. Otherwise, it is a bad policy to send good money after bad money as in the matter of paying some past debts. That is not good business proposal. I am sure those debts will be liquidated in due course by other means as I have suggested to you before and you have also indicated that in some time hence the BTG debt will be cleared.

Letter to Sudama -- Surat 1 January, 1971:

At present I am in Surat on the 4th Jan. 71. I am going to Bombay, from there I shall go to Calcutta on the 5th evening by plane, on the 7th there is an important meeting in Calcutta. Our present Calcutta address is 11b Jatindra Mohan Avenue c/o Goendha, Calcutta. Please immediately let me know by wire to Calcutta address whether KRSNA Vol: II has been shipped already or not. I am very anxious about it.

Letter to Randas Agrawal -- Surat 2 January, 1971:

Since I've come to Surat I've not heard from you. I hope everything is going well with you.

Out of the many life members, Maharaja Bharatasingh gave one check numbered 0011644 from the State Bank of Indore and this is now returned with remark "refer to Drawer." This is the first time that we've got such experience. I am therefore handing over the check which is enclosed. Kindly see the Maharaja Bharatasingh and if he'll kindly pay us cash it will be very much appreciated. In realization of the cash, kindly deposit it in the Central Bank of India, Indore Cloth Market Branch, for mail transfer to the head office in favor of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Please let me know what action you have taken in this connection. You can write our Bombay address as given above. I am going to Bombay tomorrow.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Surat 2 January, 1971:

In the meantime, our program in Surat is going on very well. I have just finalized the arrangements for my coming to Calcutta and you may revise the information sent in my previous letter dated December 30th, as follows:

We shall fly by IA flight Number IC-175, departing Bombay on the Fifth January at 5:30 PM (17.30) reaching Calcutta by 7:45 PM (19.45). Please arrange for our reception.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Allahabad 11 January, 1971:

In the meantime we have come from Surat to Bombay and from Bombay to Calcutta and tomorrow morning we are going to Allahabad to attend the Adha Kumbh Mela festival. We shall be going all 40 strong devotees and there are an expected 7,000,000 going there also for the month of Magh. I expect that by this time you are touring Europe and especially overseeing London Temple, so I am expecting another letter from you soon reporting the situation there. Anyway, I shall address this to your Buffalo Temple.

I was glad to know from you that in your tour of the East coast temples everything is going on nicely. Please encourage our devotees to continue in their good efforts to spread this sublime Movement. The standard of purity must be kept intact along with firm faith in Spiritual Master and Krsna, then everything will go on smoothly. I have just received a letter from Bhavananda from New York and it appears that there are many persons regularly attending our classes and following the regulative principles as well as chanting Hare Krsna Mantra. That is the success of our preaching work when there is this result of more persons joining, so I am confident that things are going on.

Letter to Mulchand Deomal -- Allahabad 31 January, 1971:

You are so kind upon me that you are taking very serious interest in my Krishna Consciousness Movement. Certainly Krishna will benedict you with progressive devotional service for Him and I shall always pray for your higher spiritual life. I wish to request you to come and live with me but that you have already said will not be possible for you. So your help to my book fund is very much welcome. You have so kindly desired to contribute Rs. 500 in this connection. So you can conveniently directly send this money by Mail Transfer, to my book fund account, no. HSS 14538 in the Central Bank of India, Gowalia Tank branch, Bombay. The procedure is that you go to the local Central Bank in Surat and ask them to transfer your money by mail which is technically called M.T. So there will be no difficulty. You can simply intimate me that you have transferred such and such amount through the Central Bank at Surat. Then I'll take care of it.

Letter to Central Bank of India -- Gorakhpur 15 February, 1971:

I beg to inform you that I am travelling all over the country and whenever there is some collection I transfer the money by mail transfer. I had no difficulty anywhere, but here in Gorakhpur it is the first time that a branch has charged for the transfer. Previous to this they did not charge. Neither in Surat, Amritsar, Allahabad, Indore, etc. did they charge for my mail transfer.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Yadubara -- Los Angeles 21 May, 1972:

I am very pleased to learn from you your system of filing of all life members to insure that they receive all our literatures. Our life members in India must be kept alive. This literature will keep them alive, plus kirtana. So far the Gujarati translating work done by Srimati Sharda M. Vyasa, for the time being, let us produce magazines in English and Hindi languages and perhaps at some later time we may be able to print in local languages our BTG also. But for that there must be many, many subscribers. So for the time being, you may compile Srimati Vyasa's translation work into a small book and print locally. Gujarati is important language, so I do not think there is lack of market. Your idea for distributing our literatures in outside cities by sending altogether in one parcel to one person is very much appreciated. In this way all our members in one place may be advised to take delivery from him. Just like in Surat. Books may be sent to our Mr. Jariwalla and he can advise the others to take delivery from him. In this way we save postage and we do not risk that some mails may be lost or stolen. I shall look forward to seeing you and your good wife Visakha dasi in Bombay when I return there this autumn.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1972:

I have written to Gargamuni Maharaja that his traveling sankirtana party should concentrate for distributing our literatures there in Bombay suburbs. The money is in Bombay. What is the use of going village to village when the village people not only can they not read in English but also they have no money. And we will not be able to preach to them. So I think best thing is to thoroughly travel into the suburbs and all sections of Bombay city, sometimes going to Thana, sometimes to Poona, somethimes to Surat, like that, and distribute our books in these places and collect. I have instructed Karandhara to order from Dai Nippon all of our English literatures to be printed in very cheap paper back editions for sending to India for raising building funds. In addition, I am requesting our Hindi translators to translate more and more of my books into Hindi language and these will be printed in Japan in cheap editions as well. So you will not lack for books there in India, and by selling these books very widely you can collect immense funds for building projects in Bombay, Vrndavana, and Mayapur.

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 21 June, 1972:

Ahmedabad is a great industrial city. It has got more than 100 big, big mills and if all of the mill-owners and officers become our members, from Ahmedabad and other cities in Gujarat, such as Baroda, Surat, Dvaraka, Rajkot, like that, you can collect millions of Rs. Also, I remember in Bombay at Akash Ganga there was some invitation from some important persons living near Dakot in Gujarat sometimes before. Whether they have been contacted? If we can open a Center in Dvaraka or Dakor, that will be very nice. In Gujarat State we can open a Center in every city because the people are so much dedicated to Krishna. In Gujarat we can very soon make our movement very popular, because by nature they are devotees of Krishna.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1974:

Now Krsna is sending you new devotees to help in India. Yasomatinandana is a good boy, now utilize him properly. We are planning that he can open a center in Surat and he will attract many Gujaratis. He is sincere, learned, enthusiastic and qualified. Keep him nicely engaged. He has left $7,000 with me for starting a center in Surat. This money I have deposited in the Mayapur-Vrindaban Fund and when I shall start a center in Surat I will draw from that fund. For our arriving devotees they should all be coming on student visas for learning Sanskrit and Hindi languages and thus they can stay for 3 years. I have arranged this with the Consulate General in New York for the student visas for our men. I think Giriraja has written to you by now and he knows of this arrangement. Yes, Mohanananda is a very intelligent worker, now work cooperatively with him. The only fear I have is that you may fight. Please do not. That will ruin everything we have done. If there is any misunderstandings which arise, as they will, settle them up. You are all qualified American boys, now push on this glorious mission without letting it be hampered by personal differences. I am glad to hear you have a nice secretary there in Aditya; now take care of sending the BTG out regularly. There are some complaints in this department. So make Bombay the center for distributing BTG to life members.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Yasomatinandana -- Mayapur 15 February, 1976:

I approve your distribution ideas, namely subscriber agents, news agents. The subscription drive is a solid program. And if you regularly publish and get registered, you can get a one or two paise charges (postal concession). All right, you may take advertisements. Go ahead and educate the public regarding our philosophy and ISKCON activities. Also in the future there are many cities such as Bombay, Surat, and Calcutta with large numbers of Gujaratis, you may arrange for getting subscriptions there. Gradually as you work there, you will get local men to join you.