Re: My savings bank account No. 1452 with you.
Kindly refer to your letter No. FEX 21/2295 dated 20 July, 1969.
Please transfer Rs. 6,000 by mail order to your Calcutta branch, P.O. Box No. 313, Indian Exchange, for credit of my account No. 29/12802, and send me the debit note.
Also please let me know what is the balance at present.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Further, I beg to inform you that under your receipt No. 31/132 dated Calcutta 25-11-67 there are, in your safe custody, National savings certificates worth 24,000 Rs. These savings certificates can be cashed now having two years passed. Please let me know if you will collect this money and if you do so let me know what I shall have to do in this connection.
I am very much pleased to know that sometimes you enjoy the writing in my magazine, "Back to Godhead," and I am sure you are getting these regularly every month. Both your Calcutta and Vrndavana addresses are on the complimentary list. I understand also that Mr. and Mrs. B. K. Dirle, who came to your Calcutta Math to meet you, took interest in our magazines, and if you send me their address we shall be pleased to send them complimentary copies.
I am so obliged to you for giving shelter to Sriman Acyutananda Brahmacari when he was in Calcutta. Sriman Jaya Govinda das Brahmacari who saw you in Vrndavana is now staying in our center in Hamburg, Germany where he is in charge of "Back to Godhead" in German language. We are now publishing English "BTG" 50,000 copies per month, German "BTG" 5,000 copes per month and French "BTG" 5,000 copies per month. And very soon we may be able to publish a Spanish "BTG" from Mexico where two devotees, husband and wife are going to open a center.
According to authorized Vedic Scriptures liberation means to be fixed up in one's original position. The original position is that each and every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and as such it is the duty of every living entity to cooperate with the Supreme. This cooperation is devotional service. So you have taken some interest in this matter. Please try to propagate this philosophy amongst the educated circle in Calcutta, and that is the best humanitarian service.
Enclosed please find one picture of Acyutananda which I would like for immediate publication in BTG with the following caption:
"Sriman Acyutananda das Brahmacari, who is now visiting Calcutta. We have got a very good friend enthusiastic in preaching Krishna Consciousness, Mr. B. K. Ghosh M.A. LL. B. He is himself a great admirer of Caitanya philosophy and he is holding Sankirtana meetings every Sunday in different places of Calcutta and suburbs. The above picture was taken in a meeting where Acyutananda Brahmacari spoke nicely on Krishna Consciousness philosophy under the presidency of Honorable Mr. Justice P. B. Mukherjee of the Calcutta high-court, he is sitting just on the left of Acyutananda das Brahmachari. So gradually a nice center of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is growing with the prospect of headquarters at Mayapur, the birthsite of Lord Caitanya."
So far the Calcutta land is concerned, your ambition to have a place like Mullicks Thakurabati, the pilgrimage of my childhood, is also my ambition. When I think of Radha-Krishna, I think of first the Radha-Govinda Vigraha of Mullicks Thakurabati because from my very childhood I am devoted to the same Deity; but at the same time it is not an easy task to have such a big plot of land in Calcutta city at the present moment. Under the circumstances, if the small plot of land which is being offered can be had without any condition, then you can accept it. But if they make a condition that the land is offered for Deity worship, I do not think it will be feasible for you at the present moment because you are alone.
...show you all these things and try to follow as far as possible.
Acyutananda. His address is as follows: 35 Satish Mukherjee Road, Calcutta-26, WB, India.
Now I beg to draw your attention to my letter dated 13 January, 1970, in which I requested you to transfer Rs. 5,500 to your Calcutta Branch at Brabourne Road for credit of my savings fund account No. 2595. I have not heard anything either from you or your Calcutta office. Please let me know what is the fate of my instruction in this connection. Also kindly let me know what is the balance in my account at present.
You write to say that the copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Sharma was enclosed with my letter, but I do not find it. Anyway, I hope you have already instructed your Calcutta office to carry these Deities to different places of the U.S.A.
Mayapur is the birth-site of Lord Caitanya. It is a small village You cannot find it on the map, but near Calcutta you may find the place "Navadvipa," and Mayapur is part of this Navadvipa district. So far your planning to go to India, not only you, but I think several others, including Kirtanananda Maharaja and other advanced students, will go to India for preaching Krsna Consciousness. That will be a lesson to our so-called "secular" government. I came here with this purpose, so you have to fulfill my desire. I think it is coming to be true by the will of Lord Caitanya.
Acyutananda is getting good opportunities to move amongst enlightened circle in Calcutta, so if some of our advanced students go to India for this purpose, that will be a great achievement. I am thinking of that plan always. In the meantime, let us publish as many books as possible within this year. I wish to go to India for this purpose in the beginning of next year.
Regarding our Indian centers, we are experiencing some bright glimpse because in Calcutta, as informed to you by Acyutananda, we may get a nice plot of land. So you can save money as much as possible for constructing buildings or Temples in India. The money saved in this connection either may be kept by you under separate fixed deposit in the bank, or may be sent to me for future utilization. I have sent money already to Acyutananda for purchasing a piece of land in Mayapur—that is not yet completed. Under the circumstances, no more money should be sent to India directly by you.
As you have desired that some Brahmacaris would go immediately to help you for developing the Calcutta and Mayapur centers, I have decided to send immediately at least two nice Brahmacaris to help you there. I have seen the rough diagram of the proposed Bhowanipur Temple, but I suggest that in some corner of the house there must be a garage, because in future I wish that you American boys should live elegantly to the tradition of your great country. But at the same time you shall preach the Sankirtana movement, becoming humbler than the grass and more tolerant than the tree as instructed by Lord Caitanya.
Please offer my blessings to all the boys and girls, and be happy. You will be pleased to know that Acyutananda is also doing very nicely in Calcutta. He is moving in very enlightened circles of Calcutta, and somebody is giving us a plot of land worth Rs. 80,000 for constructing a Temple there. When the Temple is constructed, I shall ask you to go there with your wife and preach Krishna Consciousness amongst the Indian community. Sometimes you desired to go to India, and Krishna will fulfill your desire to a greater extent. Krishna's service is so nice. Keep this faith always in mind and serve regularly—your life will be sublime.
You have asked me to disclose my dream about John, so I beg to state the incident as follows. I dreamt that John took me in a place at Calcutta and he was showing me a house, a big palatial building, which formerly belonged to a very rich man, and he was a famous musician also. I think therefore that John was previously that man to whom that house belonged, and now he has taken birth in England. It is quite possible that he has inherited his past musical talent, and because that man was very liberal and charitable, so he has acquired some wealth also, and now in this life if he properly utilizes his talent and wealth for Krishna, then surely he will achieve the highest perfection of his life.
Now our next program will be to lead a Sankirtana Party round over the world. It is already advertised in India from mouth to mouth that I am coming there next year with forty disciples. So I think we must keep this program in the beginning of our next year. There is already invitation in Africa. One party may go from London via other countries to Bombay, and another party may go from here via Japan to Calcutta, and then they will meet together.
I have already sent Acyutananda money for our own land, so first we must have our own land or apartment, then our devotees can go there. On the whole, he must first of all arrange for staying somewhere in our own place, otherwise it will be very difficult because India is very overpopulated, especially Calcutta.
But at that time on account of my selecting Goswami Maharaja to preside over the meeting, Sripada Tirtha Maharaja (then Kunjada) and Bon Maharaja also refused to accept my invitation. Anyway, by your blessings "Back to Godhead" although passed through many difficulties is doing well. First of all it was published in Calcutta, than in Allahabad, then at Delhi. In this way at last it has come to U.S.A. and my American disciples are taking care of this transcendental magazine. You will be glad to know that we are printing now 125,000 copies English edition, and 15,000 copies each of French and German editions. These are coming out every month, and very soon, maybe from the next month, we will issue a similar quantity in Japanese language.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 23rd April, 1970, with enclosed pictures of Lord Caitanya's Birthday procession as well as the Calcutta magazine section. I have immediately asked our magazine editors to publish the London pictures. This letter was mailed by ordinary surface mail, so it reached here just after one month. So in future send by aerogram or air mail.
One of our friends, Sri Sarafji, Chief Editor of the "Godarsana" magazine, has requested some photographs for an article which is to be published in the "Godarsana." Please send therefore some negatives of pictures of Sankirtana, Deities, and some other pictures of our devotees and temples to the following address:
Sri Tarachand Saraf
Chief Editor: "Godarsana"
11-7 Kalakar Street
Calcutta-7, India
Please send these negatives by Air Other mail as soon as possible.
So far I am concerned, I cannot say what I was in my previous life, but one great astrologer calculated that I was previously a physician and my life was sinless. Besides that, to corroborate the statement of Bhagavad-gita "sucinam srimatam gehe yogabhrasta samyayate" (BG 6.41) which means an unfinished yogi takes birth in rich family or born of a suci or pious father. By the grace of Krsna I got these two opportunities in the present life to be born of a pious father and brought up in one of the richest, aristocratic families of Calcutta (Kasinath Mullick). The Radha Krsna Deity in this family called me to meet Him, and therefore last time when I was in Calcutta, I stayed in that temple along with my American disciples. Although I had immense opportunities to indulge in the four principles of sinful life because I was connected with a very aristocratic family, Krsna always saved me, and throughout my whole life I do not know what is illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating or gambling. So far my present life is concerned, I do not remember any part of my life when I was forgetful of Krsna.
So far we have received sympathetic letters from the following places: Calcutta Bombay, Madras, Lucknow, Gorakhpur Nainital, Almora, Ambala, Ajmere, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Vrndavana, etc.
You are preaching in Calcutta in educated circles, that is alright, but there is no use of your going to the interior villages. My principle is that where my other Godbrothers cannot preach I shall go there. On my behalf you should follow this principle, also. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja did not very much like preaching amongst women, so you should also avoid such meetings. Now Jayapataka and yourself combined together shall preach in English this Krsna consciousness philosophy amongst the educated circle and perform Kirtana.
I am surprised that the mail parcel containing the following articles has not reached you. Maybe it is delayed, but still if it is not yet arrived I shall send you a second batch on hearing from you. There was a copy of a letter addressed to Hanuman Prasad Poddar which covers all your questionnaires, so I am sending herewith another copy which will cover all your questions. Furthermore I am also giving you answers in sort of your questionnaires.
1. Before 1959 I was householder. Calcutta is my birthplace. Our house was at 151 Harrison Road, now Mahatma Gandhi road. This house was originally purchased by late Siva Prasad Jhunjhun Mullick and I think at present the Govinda Bhavan is situated there. This was done long, long ago.
At the present moment I am seventy-four years old complete. I was by profession chemist and druggist, and in the beginning I was manager in a very big chemical firm of Calcutta. I was educated in Scottish Churches College, appeared for my B.A. in 1920 and then joined Gandhi's movement and gave up education. I met my Guru Maharaja in 1922. I was born in a Vaisnava family—perhaps you may know Kasinatha Mullick Thakuravati—so by the grace of Krsna from the very beginning of my life I was Krsna conscious by family tradition and my father's caretaking.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 20th July, 1970, and noted the contents., But it is the old story. Anyway, I am hoping against hope that very soon we shall have a place either at Calcutta or at Mayapur.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5th August, 1970, forwarded from L.A. At present I am living in our Tokyo center. I left L.A. on the 7th August and I have come here via Honolulu. Most probably I shall be going to India (Calcutta).
Your letter dated 10th August, 1970, addressed to our L.A. Temple redirected here has been duly received by me. I have sent several letters and a telegram from this place to your new address, but I have received no reply of them till now. On the 15th August, 1970, Tamala has sent you the following telegram: "Srila Prabhupada desires to come Calcutta/ Immediately telegram 6-16, 2-chome Ohhash, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan or telephone Tokyo 466-2935 to Tamala, Sudama, Kirtanananda or Madhudvisa and confirm reception accommodations—Tamala."
Regarding Deities, we have three pairs of Deities lying with Scindia Steam Navigation. I am sending herewith the copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Trivedi today. With this copy of the letter both you and Acyutananda can see Mr. Trivedi and on the strength of this letter you take delivery of the three pairs of Murtis. We shall install one in Mayapur, one in Calcutta and one in Gorakhpur.
I have got many inquiries and friendly invitations from many different parts of India, simply we want our place at Mayapur immediately, then everything will be in order. We will require a huge amount of money for constructing a Temple in Mayapur especially. I am glad that you are getting good collections also and there is good prospect of getting more. So if we work sincerely keeping faith in Krsna and Spiritual Master there will be no difficulty at all in our preaching work.
So either on receipt of this letter or prior, as soon as I get your telegram for receiving us, then we shall start for Calcutta.
We have ordered one consignment of Khole, pakwaz, and karatala. They are lying with Dwarkin and Son due to the Calcutta dock strike. If they have not yet been dispatched, please take delivery of them for our use in India.
It has been arranged that we are going to Calcutta on 29th August and our Calcutta address is as follows: ISKCON; 37/1 Hindustan Road; Ballyganj; Calcutta-29.
On receipt of your telegram dated 18th August, 1970, I have decided to start from here for Calcutta on the 29th August, reaching there in the evening of the same day. I hope you have received my telegram reading as follows by this time.
"We six arriving Calcutta Saturday 29 August 7:40 evening KLM flight number 864 Letter follows"
I understand that nowadays many strikes are being observed in Calcutta. These are not new things because from our childhood we know Bengal is the origin of all political agitation. Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal and He said that simply by chanting Hare Krsna Mantra everyone will have perfection by one's idealistic way of life. Now it is the time for the Bengalis or for the Indians to understand that this Hare Krsna Mantra will also bring in the perfection of communistic ideas. If you can therefore arrange a small meeting with the Bengali Communist leaders, I can try to convince them how Krsna Consciousness Movement is very much congenial for their purpose.
I hope the Mayapur land purchase is by this time completed. In your previous letter you wrote that if I am present there it will be done. Immediately also for this purpose I am going to Calcutta.
I received the pictures previously along with your letter and I have replied the same to your Sydney address. Now in New Vrindaban you will be meeting all your God-brothers, especially the GBC members and try to make a strong program for pushing this movement on. Our immediate program is to send a strong party of sankirtana to India. By Krsna's Grace our place to stay is already arranged both in Calcutta and Mathura. If the GBC members can arrange to send at least twenty initiated devotees to India. I think by your exemplary character the Indian public will be surprised and they will take to your way of life. This is the second phase of my missionary activities. I want to take some of my exemplary character devotees for performing sankirtana in India so that they may see what is their defect. Your spiritual strength will depend only on the basis of unflinching faith in Krsna and the Spiritual Master, chanting sixteen rounds on beads and following the restrictive items.
In reply to your letter dated July 2nd from Calcutta, I had to send a reply to you dated July 9th, 1970, and the copy of the letter is again enclosed herewith. I hope in the meantime you had some meeting with the Prime Minister of India and I am very anxiously awaiting your reply to this.
I know you are very busy in your professional work, but still I am giving you trouble because I know you love this cause. I am confident of this great Krsna Consciousness Movement for worldwide peace and prosperity. I am therefore coming to India as of the 29th August, 1970, to meet all respectable Indians to help me in this great Movement.
The Murtis which are donated for being established in my different centers are still held up under different pleas, so to undo this deadlock we have to take some immediate measure. I was very much encouraged when you promised to see the Prime Minister of India and other Ministers in this connection. Kindly therefore get this matter sanctioned without delay.
I shall be staying in Calcutta at the following address:
37/1 Hindustan Road
Ballyganj
Calcutta-29
and will expect your reply early as possible.
Regarding shipping of the books, I hope you have already received message from Tamala Krsna. Teachings of Lord Caitanya and KRSNA books should immediately be shipped by S.S. Viswa Kirti and the shipping documents may be sent to me directly at my Calcutta address as follows:
37/1 Hindustan Road Ballyganj Calcutta-29
Perhaps you know that we are starting for Calcutta on the 29th August reaching there on the same evening. One Japanese student also is going with me and he is helping our cause by translating from English to Japanese. He will continue his work as translator and it will be easier for him to understand intricate subjects in my presence.
I am very glad that Hamsaduta has gone to New Vrndavana and I have requested everyone of the Governing Board Commission members to formulate a solid program for advancing Krsna Consciousness Movement all over the world.
I am feeling well here, better than Los Angeles and on the 29th August we are starting for Calcutta. The address is as follows:
37/1 Hindustan Road
Ballylganj
Calcutta-29
Certainly I shall call you for the World Sankirtana Party as soon as you are quite fit to walk. I hope that Tamala Krsna will correspond with you and your husband in this connection.
What you have heard about me that I have left the U.S. for the time being is more or less correct. I left L.A. on the 7th August. I lived for one day in Honolulu on my way to Japan and then I have come to Tokyo on Saturday the 8th August, 1970. I am starting for Calcutta on the 29th August to see if the World Sankirtana Party could be organized and to see if our Mayapur Temple could be constructed.
The Mayapur matter is lingering since a long time, so we are going to Calcutta, seven including one Japanese Brahmacari, to complete the transaction.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your very encouraging letter dated August 27th 1970, redirected from Japan. I was anxiously awaiting for this letter because since you have opened the new Temple I received one telegram at Los Angeles inviting me there at New York for which I was very much obliged, but I decided to come to India. I am receiving also many other letters which are not very encouraging in the matter of the activities of the four Sannyasis, so in Calcutta we have come and last Saturday, the 29th August, there was very nice reception at the airport. So at the present moment I am in mixed up condition both encouraging and discouraging.
New York is very much attractive for me because New York is the starting place of my activities in your country and when I had no place of preaching, one Armenian gentleman offered me a two storied building in Brooklyn with a nice hall downstairs for only $125 per month, but at the time I was paying only $70 for my apartment and I could not bear at that time to pay 125 dollars. That situation continued for at least one year and then I was bold enough to accept an apartment for $200. In this way the Society extended with so many branches and now you are paying $1,450 per month, so it is very encouraging. I thank you very much that you have already allotted a nice apartment for me, an entire first floor, so if I had the wings of a dove I could fly immediately to Brooklyn and enter my apartment. Anyway, in future I wish to go there. For the time being keep it nicely. By the grace of Krsna, wherever I go you all my disciples give me a very nice place for residing and in Calcutta also Sriman Acyutananda and Sriman Jayapataka, who are going to be Sannyasis tomorrow, they have given me a very nice apartment. So I am now 75 years old. I never thought how far I shall be able to travel such a long distance. But as people say I am still younger, then maybe sooner or later I shall come back to New York again.
I have seen your many pictures sent by you and they are all very encouraging. Kindly send me more pictures whenever possible. In Calcutta we are trying to open a permanent center.
Regarding India, first of all I am trying to fix up a center in Calcutta and then I shall call you as your presence is needed. In the meantime go on constructing New Vrndavana.
Here in India I am trying to establish a branch. We have come here eight strong Vaisnavas and Tamala Krsna is also with me. We are getting encouragement and there is similar situation in New York and other U.S. cities. Yesterday morning Tamala along with other two devotees went to the downtown quarters and they immediately gathered about five hundred men and collected 25 rupees also without any magazine or literature. Books and magazines worth about $60,000 are coming from Tokyo very shortly, then we will have vigorous preaching work in Calcutta. We are already in a very nice house, five stories, and we are getting another still better house in North Calcutta.
You have already opened up several branches like Tokyo and Sydney, so please continue this opening of centers as many as possible in Fiji, Melbourne, etc. While we were coming through the Philippines on the way to Calcutta from Tokyo we learned that in Manila they are also interested in our Movement for Krsna Consciousness, so that is another open field.
I am in receipt of your letter dated Sept. 5, 1970, and the essay "THE SPIRITUAL MASTER: EMISSARY OF THE SUPREME PERSON" enclosed therein. I have read it, and am glad that you have understood the matter so thoroughly, and have now substantiated your conclusions with so much scriptural proof. Actually, that is our method of preaching, simply to repeat the message as it is coming down from higher authority. Here in Calcutta everything is going nicely. Hundreds of people join in our Sankirtana Party daily in downtown Calcutta, and I am confident that this mission of Lord Caitanya's will be successful if only we continue to push on this great movement, without any personal motivation.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 15th, 1970, the contents of which have given me great satisfaction. Sriman Hanuman has already arrived here in Calcutta and from the pictures he has shown me of your temple and devotees I can understand that everything is going on very nicely there.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 8/11/70, and I have noted its contents with great hope and enthusiasm. Under the expert leadership of such sincere students as yourself and Rupanuga and Karandhara in the U.S. the GBC is taking on the responsibility that I desired. Similarly in Europe Syamasundara is working hard. So by Krishna's Grace everything is taking shape. Here in India also the work is pushing forward, and daily we are getting reports of support among the influential members of the community. Half of our devotees have just opened up another center on the other side of Calcutta, and last night there were more than 200 persons singing and dancing at our place.
Your letter dated 22nd August, 1970, addressed to me at Los Angeles is now redirected here in Calcutta. Perhaps you have heard that I have come back to Calcutta for distributing some of our books and literature and I am staying at the above address temporarily.
Regarding propagating the Name of Sri Mayapur as Birthplace of Lord Caitanya, it is going on regularly in our different literatures and books. If you kindly take the trouble of coming here conveniently, I can show you how we are giving publicity to the Birthsite of Lord Caitanya. Perhaps you know that I begged from His Holiness Sripada Tirtha Maharaja a little piece of land at Mayapur for constructing a home for my Western disciples, but he refused the proposal. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura wanted that the American and European devotees would come to Mayapur and the prophecy is now fulfilled. Unfortunately they are loitering in the streets of Calcutta without having a suitable place at Mayapur. Do you think it is alright?
Yes, in Calcutta we are getting good coverage practically every day and in every meeting the slide show makes the whole thing very impressive. So anyone coming from L.A. cannot only bring my UHER recorder from Karandhara but also slides and specially nice pictures as well as some large posters of your Spiritual Master and Lord Caitanya.
I think you will remember that I called you not Gargamuni but Gargamoney. So whenever I required some money I approached you and you were kind to pay me immediately. So please continue your capacity in this way to supply money to the Society. That will please Krsna. I am immediately in need of $250,000 somehow or other. Collect this money and both of you come here. We shall open a very gorgeous branch in Calcutta. Calcutta is my birth-place, so all of you as my disciples do something unique in Calcutta. That will be fitting service to your Spiritual Master.
Yes, here in Calcutta things have been very much favorable for spreading our Movement ever since arriving here. We have got now two centers in Calcutta and things are very promising.
RESOLVED
A meeting of the President, Secretary, Treasurer and Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Calcutta Branch, at 37/1 Hindusthan Road was held, and it is passed by resolution that a local account be opened with the Central Bank of India, Ballygunje Branch.
In the meeting the following gentlemen were present:
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acarya
Tamala Krishna Das Adhikari-President
Acyutananda Swami-Secretary
Jayapataka Swami-Treasurer
Out of the four, checks will be signed by any two.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Since we have come to Calcutta many boys are coming to us even they were very much subversive to the social orders. People are very much appreciating our Movement. Wherever we go for preaching work hundreds of men gather and they contribute liberally according to their capacity. We have already two centers in Calcutta and trying to have our own center in the most important neighborhood of this city.
Now if your preaching work in Bombay is going nicely, then you can stay there for some time and do preaching work as they are doing here in Calcutta. Otherwise, you can immediately come here and work jointly. We are expecting to have our own place by the end of this month. When you come, you should send a telegram with the details of your arrival.
Here in Calcutta we are daily travelling to different engagements and the response is very favorable.
I have instructed Mr. Siddheswar Sen for registration of our Society in India and he was to do that after the Puja ceremonies. But in the meantime I have left Calcutta, so you have to see him immediately and do the needful. He will make the necessary papers and you have to pay only Rs. 50 for the fee of registration. The London Memorandum of Association is already in his possession and he will make the necessary corrections to fit the Indian situation. The copy is with him. Simply see that the new registration under Society Acts Number-1860 is made and let me know the result.
Now I have received one telegram by Jayapataka, intimating Ramananda's arrival as well as asking my advice regarding the construction of our Calcutta centre at Jaju's place. I have already written one letter to Jaju, the copy of which is sent herewith. Both you and Kirtanananda Maharaja or Acyutananda Maharaja must see him immediately to inquire if he agrees to my proposal mentioned in the letter. The plan is already made complete and if he agrees, then immediately the construction may be begun.
How many life members have been made since my departure? How many you have made and how many Acyutananda Maharaja has made? Until the Society is registered, you should go on depositing the money in my book fund account with the Central Bank of India, Ballyganj Branch. My passbook is with Jayapataka. He was advised to send it to Bombay. Please let me now if he has done it, if not keep this passbook with my next letter.
So kindly send me immediately a general report of Calcutta situation. I am sending herewith a note for Ramananda; please hand it over to him.
I hope you are doing well along with Hamsaduta and shall be glad to hear from you the reports of your activities. I shall be glad to know also if you want to stick in Calcutta only or if required you may come to Bombay. We are very much serious to open a branch in Bombay very soon.
I have written one letter to Mr. Jaju, and he has just replied briefly. Please see him and whether he is really serious?
Please keep me informed how things are going on in Calcutta.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 15, 1970. I am so much pleases that you are carrying on the Street Sankirtana Party as we have instituted in the Western countries even though you have sometimes only one companion. This spirit is most satisfactory and this work is proven as the basis of our successful movement in the United States, so please go on more enthusiastically than ever with my blessings and you may rest assured that Krsna will always help you in any difficulty.
Please keep the standard in our Calcutta center and certainly things will be further increased by Krsna's grace.
I am very much sorry that since I have come to Bombay leaving Calcutta I did not receive any letter from you. I hope everything is going nicely there. I do not know also how many life members have been created since my departure for Bombay.
I was informed by Tamala from Bombay that the Hamilton House at Dalhousie Square is available for purchase. If it is so, immediately all of you see the house how far it is suitable for our purposes.
So far the terms of purchase is concerned, we shall accept any reasonable price provide the place is better suitable than Mr. Jaju's place.
Enclosed herewith please find the copy of the letter addressed to Mr. Jaju and immediately see him and do the needful. I am very much anxious to have a center in Calcutta, so both those places are very suitable for our purpose. Now you have to decide which one we shall take and work for it immediately.
I left Calcutta on Sept. 29 and came to Bombay to attend the Bharata Sadhu Samaj conference and then again from Bombay to Amritsar I went to attend the Vedanta Samelan conference. Now I have come back to Bombay again and the return address should be c/o Kailash Seksaria; 74 Marine Drive; Bombay-20. I've received your kind contribution of some valuable books and I've gone through them with great interest. Although I've had no chance to study these books thoroughly, still I can understand the spirit of the writings.
Your tendency to give Srila Jiva Goswami the proper position a philosopher is very much appreciated. Some years back I attended a meeting in Calcutta wherein Pramathanath Trakvhusna, the learned Sanskrit scholar, was present. He said about Jiva Goswami very highly that there was no comparison with Jiva Goswami and any other philosophers of the world. Gaudiya Vaisnavism is very much proud of having such a great acarya as Jiva Goswami. Your tendency to present Bengal Gaudiya Vaisnavism in its proper perspective is very much welcome. We are trying to present Krishna Consciousness all over the world in a very scientific and philosophical way, and as such your help in this connection will be of great value. I do not know whether it will be possible for you to join us whole-heartedly, but if you can so do, it will be of great value and we can immediately start a Bengali edition of BACK TO GODHEAD magazine under your good editorship.
I beg to thank you very much for your Bengali letter dated 16th, October, 1970. In Calcutta, the following inquiry should be made immediately: Madhudvisa Maharaja wrote me a letter which is missing, that somebody is willing to pay to my book fund 11,000 rupees on my return to Calcutta. So please inquire from Madhudvisa Maharaja if my immediate return to Calcutta will be helpful in this connection. If so, he can send me immediately a telegram and I shall go to Calcutta by plane. So far your acceptance by my other disciples is concerned, in the beginning there may be some inconveniences but if your decision is to work with us without any reservation, then there will be no difficulty. When I come to Calcutta this will be adjusted. Another thing is that since I've come to India, I've received many Hindi and Bengali letters. So if you work as my Indian secretary, it will be of great help to me. I shall be glad to know your decision in this matter. You have inquired from me about your future activities with our mission. Therefore this is the first offer to you.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 5th, 1970. Now I am in India, extensively touring all over the land. From Calcutta I have come to Bombay, then from Bombay to Amritsar, then again down from Amritsar to Bombay, for the last two months. I am trying to establish a center in Bombay along with some influential friends.
I have not received any letter from you since I left Calcutta—neither from Kirtanananda Swami nor Acyutananda Swami. I do not know how things are going on there. I shall be glad to hear of your activities and enrollment of life members. In the meantime, I've received one invitation from Madan-mohan Mintri (enclosed) which speaks for itself. The copy of the reply is also enclosed herein. If you receive any letter from him, you can consider the case for going there with him with full party.
Here I am working in Bombay to establish one Krishna Consciousness Headquarters for India. There are many big influential industrialists in Bombay and the climate is very nice. So it Krishna desires, we will have a temple here. If I get such a nice temple, I may call all the men who are in India to come here, and at that time you may come also. Presently Hamsaduta, Acyutananda Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Madhudvisa Swami, and some others are in Calcutta. Kirtanananda Swami is with Ramananda in Gorakhpur and Gurudasa and Yamuna with some other devotees are in Delhi. So everyone here is trying to establish a temple and we will see where Krishna wants us to have it.
From your letters, you seem to be a little unhappy so I would like you and Himavati to come here and live with me in Bombay as soon as possible. All the things which are being left behind should be taken and put under Jayapataka Maharaja's care, including my books, table, etc. The three sets of Deities should be taken to and kept safely by Jayapataka Maharaja at his new residence. In the mean time I am seeing to their clearance through customs by a clearing and forwarding house in Bombay that has a branch office in Calcutta, and I shall inform Jayapataka Maharaja when this has been arranged. Then they will be sent to the U.S.A. as we originally planned. So let Jayapataka Maharaja take good care of them in the meantime. Please see that the unpacked Deities are packed and boxed very securely, as are the others. Please give Jayapataka Maharaja the shipping documents for the Boston and L.A. shipments and tell him to momentarily not try to clear the books on his own as we are arranging for this clearing and forwarding agent to also handle the book shipments. So for the time being he should just keep the Bill of Lading documents safely in hand and eventually he will hand over the documents to the clearing and forwarding agent in Calcutta, whose address I shall inform him of later.
You should get the society immediately registered through Mr. Sen under the Societies act, not under the Companies Act. Please do this as quickly as possible, as men are expecting us to be a bona fide institution. I have asked Hamsaduta and Himavati to come and live with me here in Bombay. Now, I think the remaining members in Calcutta, except for yourself, can go to Gorakhpur, as Ramananda has asked for six more men. Since you are the president in Calcutta and there are so many businesses still pending, you should remain in Calcutta. I have instructed Hamsaduta to hand over to you for your sole care all the things that are remaining in 37/1 Hindustan Rd. flat, including my books, table, etc. In addition three sets of Deities there should be taken by you and kept carefully. See that the unwrapped set is securely wrapped and boxed as the others are. Also you can take from Hamsaduta the document Bill of Lading for the shipment of books from L.A. and Boston. I am arranging through a forwarding and clearing house in Bombay, which has a branch in Calcutta, to clear these books, so once I know the address of the Calcutta branch office, I will inform you and you may bring them the documents.
Our first business now is to establish at least three temples in India: One in Calcutta, one in Bombay, one in Vrindaban, and if possible a fourth one in Delhi. People should say that these Americans have come here and they have built this wonderful temple. We must do something tangible. Actually here in India the street Sankirtana Party has not got so much importance as in the U.S and other Western countries where Krishna Consciousness is being newly introduced. Here in this country if we are out on the streets too much, it will be misunderstood as begging. Here in Bombay I have instructed devotees only to go out on Sankirtana party if they have no other engagement. Simply to dance in the street and to eat and sleep, that will not be considered real preaching work here. If you establish a temple, that will be real pracara. I have given you the hint how to purchase the property- by making life members. Yourself, Acyutananda Swami, Jayapataka Swami and Hanuman can divide up and go and see important men. There are so many big men in Calcutta who can become our life members if you convince them. This requires unwavering strength and enthusiasm to fulfill the desires of the Spiritual Master. When my Guru Maharaja ordered me to spread this movement to the English speaking countries, I did not know how I could do it, but I never lost faith nor did I ever forget this order. Now I am wanting that we will have some temples here since our organization is international. And for this purpose money is required. One has to create money but you must know how to do it. So you have got the means to make life members. Distribute all of these books which we are getting and purchase that Hamilton Building. That will be your credit.
While you are in Calcutta try and purchase the Hamilton property. If you find you are not able, then you can go to Gorakhpur as I have written in a letter to Jayapataka Maharaja but the best thing you can do is to work combinedly to establish a Calcutta center.
I am so glad to hear from you after some time. I have been recently travelling all over the land of India and just recently I have come back to Bombay where I have received your letter redirected from Calcutta. I am so much pleased that you are carrying on our Krsna Consciousness program with such nice enthusiasm and devotion in St. Louis. I think St. Louis is an important city in your country, so you must do the large work of making the whole place Krsna conscious.
I beg to thank you for your letter dated October 27th, 1970, addressed to Calcutta and now redirected to me here in Bombay. We are just now receiving great publicity and it is reported that Bombay has now got its atmosphere filled with Krsna Consciousness. It is a fact, and the important members of the Bombay community are appreciating our Movement. I am very glad to receive all the enclosures and see that you are forging ahead nicely for spreading Krsna Consciousness on a scale from family to the greater society.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 29, 1970, and have noted the contents carefully. I beg to thank you for your complete report of the situation in Calcutta and I am replying the points one by one.
Here in Bombay we are getting good response to our membership program and I am sure in Calcutta you can also get good response. Now the holiday is done, so you can begin work on this immediately. This membership program cannot be neglected. Do not rely on anyone else for such matters, but go out and do your own work.
I am glad that you are enthusiastic about prospects in Delhi, and if you like to work there, do it. We have initiated a system for making life members, that daily three members must be made in Bombay, daily two in Calcutta, and daily one in Delhi. In this way of six Life members daily, we shall very quickly expand our Society in India. This Life Membership is the support of our Movement here, so you must stress this program especially. That will be our success.
P.S. Regarding Atma Ram and Sons, you can inform them that we are expecting our shipment to arrive soon. In the meantime, the old dust jackets may be distributed for our advertising purposes to Calcutta, Delhi and Bombay. At least half the quantity should be sent immediately to me here in Bombay.
I hope you are getting my magazines regularly. But recently the publication has been delayed due to my travelling now all over the world and some of my important assistants, members of the Governing Body Commission, accompanying me. Certainly you will get my magazines regularly as I was sending as well as my books which are coming very shortly. Some of them have already reached Calcutta port and we have to undergo some formalities regarding this import of books.
I quite approve your proposal that if the money is used for establishing Bombay center, the donors will not be encouraged. In that case you can open an account with the Central Bank of India in the name of ISKCON. The Society is going to be registered here and the arrangement is done. We have already an account here with the Central Bank H.Q. and the number is 3/953. The way we open our account is that we have passed resolution and submitted it to the bank. The enclosed copy can be adjusted by you for Calcutta. Our account here in Bombay is with the Head Office and the Calcutta branch can inquire from them.
So the account should be opened and checks should be drawn out by two signatures. One of the signatures must be mine and the other names should also be registered: Jayapataka Swami, Acyutananda Swami and Madhudvisa Swami (Founder and Acarya, President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.) These four names should be registered.
Please send a list of the Members you have already made and how the collection is dispersed. Are the funds divided into 50% for the Temple Construction and 50% for the Book Fund? And a separate contribution for the Hamilton House.
If you want to take four men to raise the funds for purchasing the Hamilton House, I have no objection. We agree with Mr. Poddar that four men raising Rs. 25,000 each will be very nice. Side by side, you can try for the Alipore house just in front of the Judge's Court. Either the Alipore or the Hamilton house may be taken for our Calcutta branch.
If you are unable to open an account in Calcutta, then the collection money may be transferred to our bank here and I will keep separate account for it.
So far as shipment of the three sets of Murtis is concerned, you may ship as soon as possible one set to Boston and the other two sets may go to L.A. From L.A. one set can be sent to Montreal. So far as the marble Deities are concerned, one set may be sent to San Francisco and the other to Baltimore. I have also written to Jayapataka Maharaja about the building fund. Please consult him about this. Our Calcutta branch should be managed as follows: Jayapataka Maharaja - president; Acyutananda Maharaja - secretary and yourself as treasurer. So if the building fund is being nicely raised, that is all right and you may stay in Calcutta. If not, then when I go to Gorakhpur I shall call for you from there, but if fund raising
business is going on nicely, you can stay.
WE REQUIRE 70.000 DOLLARS FOR PURCHASING VERY NICE CALCUTTA HOUSE KEEP SAIS CONTRIBUTION 28,000 INTACT LETTER FOLLOWS
You write to say, "We notice that even the communist protestors can't help smiling and answering back 'Hari Bol!' " So there is sufficient hope to reform them by Caitanya Mahaprabhu's grace of chanting the Hare Krsna Mantra. Kali Yuga is the fallen age undoubtedly, and there are different varieties of fallen souls. In Calcutta the so-called disturbance-makers are also some of them. I went to America and some of the souls were accepted by Lord Caitanya and today the Bengal being Lord Caitanya's place they are in such pitiable condition, so I wish that some of you among my American disciples may try to reclaim these fallen souls to the order of Lord Caitanya's Vaisnavite platform.
When I was in Calcutta, many Naxalite and Communist youths used to see me. They were arguing with me, but I defeated them smilingly. They left after offering me their respects. I think they can also be reformed provided we diagnose and administer the proper medicine for them. I am not very much hopeless about Calcutta situation or even if there is some risk we should try to reform them and if we are successful, the people of India will hail us to great estimation and adoration and that will give us good impetus for pushing on our Movement, Krsna Consciousness.
Although there are many places in Calcutta we can have at cheap price, my advice is that you try to raise this one lakh of rupees for advancing to the Hamilton people and keep it ready. I have already sent you a telegram reading like the following: "If they accept 6.2 lakhs, I will immediately go there to complete transaction." So, if the Hamilton people accept the offer of Rs 620,000/, I shall immediately go and finish the transaction. I hope you have received the telegram and I am expecting your reply at any moment. The location of the Hamilton House is very nice and absolutely suitable for our purposes. In the meantime, I am also addressing one letter to the Hamilton Co. and the copy of which is enclosed herewith. Please do the needful. Keep yourself brave and fit to face the situation with faith in Krsna and Spiritual Master. Let us do something tangible in Calcutta.
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.
If the Hamilton Co. agrees to our terms, send us a telegram and we shall arrange for going there. Any suitable place will do for our staying in Calcutta while completing the transaction. You can not only offer them one lakh but we can give them two lakhs immediately put down on the Hamilton House if they give us immediate possession of the place. They may continue to realize the rental from the present tenants and we shall occupy the first floor. So we shall offer them one third of the total six lakhs to take possession and the balance two thirds or four lakhs we shall hand over when the tenants vacate the other two stories. It is good that we secure the place now. Arrangement should be made like that.
You go ahead and arrange the meeting with Birlas and Bangurs and there will certainly be no difficulty for raising the required funds for our Calcutta project. If we have got our place and the support of these big men, I am sure that I can cut down this Naxalite movement. I know how to do it. We have diagnosed the disease and the medicine is Hari Sankirtana and the diet is Krsna Prasadam. With our own place we can dispense these to the young boys and they will be easily cured. They have already shown their willingness to cooperate when I was in Calcutta last and I am sure of this plan to curb their misguided and frustrated activities.
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.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated December 4th, 1970, although I did not receive any letter from you addressed to Calcutta. I am travelling extensively now throughout the country of India, so sometimes my mail does not reach me promptly or there is some chance of its being missed.
I hope everything is going on with good prospect in Calcutta. I have decided to come there for the meeting with Mrs. Birla at the Birla Academy on the 6th January, 1971.
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.
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.
*At Gaya Lord Caitanya was initiated by His Spiritual Master, Sri Isvara Puri Maharaja.
N.B. On the 4th January 1971 we are all going to Bombay. From there my party men about 25 will go to Allahabad where the great spiritual fair Ardhakumbla mela will take place. I am reaching Calcutta on the 5th by air plane. There I shall attend an important meeting & then I shall come back to Allahabad & then to Gorakhpur etc. ACB
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.
| Page Title: | Calcutta (Letters 1970) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 23 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=86 |
| No. of Quotes: | 86 |