Delhi (Letters 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"Delhi" |"New Delhi"

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Chaudhuri -- Mayapur 23 January, 1976:

Please accept my greetings. I was very pleased to meet you at the airport in New Delhi. I think it was ordained by Lord Krishna because I need your help in the service of Lord Krishna.

Letter to Ratan Mala -- Mayapur 7 February, 1976:

I shall remain in Mayapur up to the Gaura Purnima festival in April. Then I shall go to Delhi for our festival there. It will be a great pleasure for me to see you, your daughter and your new son in law at that time.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Mayapur 14 February, 1976:

It is very nice that the Delhi libraries are buying a big order of our Bhagavatam.

Letter to Giridharilal -- Mayapur 11 March, 1976:

It will be a great pleasure for me to meet with you either at Delhi or Vrindaban when I return the 26th of March, this month, to Delhi. More when we meet. In the meantime, I hope this meets you in good health.

Letter to Tejiyas -- Mayapur 16 March, 1976:

I am enclosing one copy of a letter to the Punjab National Bank, Bengali Market, New Delhi. Kindly attend to this immediately. We can discuss further when I come to Delhi on the 24th March.

Letter to Ambassador of the of United States of America -- Delhi 27 March, 1976:

I have seen a house situated at 12 Ring Road, New Delhi, which is your property. Immediately we need a house for our residential purposes. My disciples are mostly Americans. Our main activities are to preach philosophical and cultural literatures, a list of which is also enclosed. It is understood that the house is for sale and if you kindly give us some concession rate we can immediately pay you. So kindly do the needful. I am sending you Gurudasa Adhikari to take care of this on my behalf.

Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind invitation dated Chandigarh, 19-3-76, addressed to my Bombay address. I am very glad to learn that you are endeavouring to understand the prime goal of life, without which the facility of human life becomes futile. I have just come back from Delhi yesterday and I'm preparing for going to Australia by the 10th April, therefore, I am very sorry that I must inform you I will not be able to attend the function, however, I am sending herewith the answers to your questions, as far as I know. As we have received this knowledge from the greatest authority, Krishna, these answers will be acceptable in every sphere of spiritual activity.

Letter to Aksayananda -- Bombay 16 April, 1976:

I have received one invitation for a preaching engagement in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. There is some function there from the 6th May to the 13rd May, 1976, and we have been invited for preaching. They have mentioned taking care of all arrangement and expenses. If you are free you can go there and preach at this program. The gentleman's name is: Sri Hari, address below:

Sri Hari Mandir, Solan

Quarter 3, (number 3)

Somash Kanda,

Giri Nagar,

Kalkazi, New Delhi (110019)

You can contact him at this address for further information.

Letter to Adi-kesava -- Honolulu 3 May, 1976:

Concerning the house in Delhi, I am surprised to hear that the State Department in Washington has not yet received our application from their Delhi office. I am herewith enclosing a true copy of the application with explanatory note to this effect. I want you to see that this is delivered to the proper person in Washington, and if possible you can arrange an appointment with him so that I can meet with him and finalize matters if possible when I visit Washington. I am tentatively scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. between the 2nd July (friday) and the 9th July (friday). If we can finalize this business during this time in my presence, that will be very nice. I shall likely remain here in Hawaii until the end of May, then I will be in Los Angeles for about 10 days. Please inform me of the outcome of your endeavours.

Letter to Tejiyas -- Honolulu 3 May, 1976:

I have received one letter from one of our life members in Delhi, and I am enclosing his letter addressed to me, that you might straighten this matter out. Why he should not have been issued with a receipt for his contribution at least?

I have been informed by Ādi Kesava Maharaja that the people in Washington are prepared to approve our purchase of the Delhi house at 12 Ring Road, but they cannot do so until* they receive the application which we submitted in New Delhi. So much time has passed and still they have not received the original application in Washington from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Please look into the matter and inform me in Hawaii where I shall most probably remain until the end of the month of May.

Letter to Mr. George Twohie -- Honolulu 3 May, 1976:

I have been informed through one of my disciples that one application for negotiating a house owned by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has not yet reached your Washington office. In order to expedite matters, I am enclosing one "true" copy of the original application dated March 27, 1976, and addressed to the Ambassador of the United States in New Delhi. I am hopeful that we may be able to meet in this concern when I visit Washington between July 2 and July 9, 1976.

Letter to Brisakapi -- Honolulu 6 May, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 2, 1976, and I have noted the contents with care. I also am desirous of visiting Washington, as I have never before been there. I am presently scheduled to go to Washington, D.C. from July 2 to July 9. I am looking forward to meeting with one State Department official, a Mr. Twohi, who is handling a house which we want to acquire to house our Delhi Temple. I believe that Ādi Kesava Maharaja who is presently in N.Y. temple is supposed to arrange this meeting between myself and Mr. Twohie. So far meeting the President is concerned, you can try to arrange, but it is not the most important thing.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Honolulu 16 May, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your telegram from New Delhi relating the latest victories of the BBT Library Party.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Honolulu 20 May, 1976:

So far that your request for funds to construct Vrindaban Gurukula, is concerned, I approve your plan to take one lac (Rs. 1 lac), out of the money that Bombay receives from Los Angeles. That will leave Bombay with Rs. 6 lacs monthly as you pointed out. I trust that by now you have rented the house in Delhi and there is no immediate difficulty for finding a place in Delhi at present.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Honolulu 20 May, 1976:

Concerning the book printing: why are you having Thompson Press import the paper? We can do it ourselves and save the commission that they would take; also we will not be bound to Thompson Press if we have our own paper. Gurukrpa Swami can send the paper from Japan. In that way he can get money out of Japan in the form of paper, for printing books. Why through Thompson Press we must purchase paper, and then export our books? We can purchase paper and export books ourselves. Simply we pay the printing costs, that's all. First thing you will have to take license of import-export. If we are going to get the Delhi land, we can do the whole business in Delhi, importing through Bombay and Calcutta. If the whole thing turns out cheaper and efficient, then we can print all our books there, so long the quality is not diminished. There is law that what you export, to that value, you can import, so part of the payment can be in paper from Japan, so we get as much as possible paper in profit, in addition to payment for the books. If this can be arranged, I do not know. If Thompson Press can import, why we can't import. Then we can also print where we choose and we save so much money in every respect.

Letter to Tejiyas -- Honolulu 23 May, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 14-5-76, and I have noted the contents with care. The house that you have rented in New Delhi appears very nice. However is there any garden?*

Letter to Tejiyas -- Toronto 18 June, 1976:

n.b. The mentioned how the programs are being well attended at the new centre in New Delhi, so when I stay in Vrindaban, we can arrange meetings with important government officials at our new centre and I can come for the weekend and return to Vrindaban. New Delhi is the most important place for preaching to the leaders of India.

Letter to Bishambhar -- New York 11 July, 1976:

The power of attorney needed for filing court action against Baba Sarveshwar Das is coming by separate air freight to New Delhi. Also, there is no need to immediately put HaiHaya das as signer on the bank account. That we shall see. For the time being have Aksayananda Maharaja sign checks and when needed you can have them on hand.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 26, 1976 with enclosed photos of the New Delhi Temple. So many people are coming to the New Delhi Temple because of the nice Deity worship. This is very good. Keep the standard of Deity worship very nicely.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

Why should we invest money in a guest room for the New Delhi Temple? After all the house is rented and is someone else's property, so why we should invest money in the house? We cannot receive guests in the New Delhi Temple. It is not possible. Only our own workers should remain. Unpaid guests should be discouraged in New Delhi. This should be discussed in the GBC meetings. No investment should be made. In a rented house we should not spend unreasonable amounts for alterations. To be "big" you must have a dharmasala. One room guesthouse does not make Delhi "big." So far as possible, guests should be avoided in New Delhi and only workers should remain.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

What happened to Jagat Purusa in Bombay? He is an experienced man in Bombay so why he should be changed to Delhi? This change of Presidents is to be made in the GBC meeting. In the middle of the year there is no question of change. Tejyas can continue as President. Three times changing president is not good. It should first be conjointly considered by the GBC.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

Unless one is initiated they cannot cook. They must be regular disciples then they can do Deity worship. So there is no question of the outsiders cooking in the New Delhi temple.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

The Rs. 32,000 should be spent for Gurukula in Vrindaban. Now the construction has begun and it must continue. Do not spend that Rs. 5,000 for alterations in the New Delhi Temple. Unless we have got our own land, where is the question of other projects in New Delhi. Let us continue in the rented house and see how things develop. If local people come and join and take initiation, then we can consider developing. Simply lip-sympathy will not do. They must be regular disciple, follow the regulative principles, and they will develop it themselves. Besides that book distribution and preaching is our most important activity. Opening temples is subordinate. We have to see how books are being distributed and how people are joining wholeheartedly. That is actual development.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 11 July, 1976:

The Rs. 11-membership is imagination. What is that membership card? And how will you regularly collect such a small sum from the members? It will engage so much money just to collect this. In any case, this is to be discussed with the GBC. Don't discuss anything new haphazardly. I have no experience of the idea. So far I know, retail business is not good in comparison to wholesale business. The Hyderabad Deity is already installed. Simply they are moving Them to their new temple. The installation ceremony (bathing ceremony) can be at noon. Then again there can be the regular Janmastami function at midnight. Concerning my going to Madras, Delhi, etc. there is first priority engagement contemplated with Mr. Bajaj's group in Poona. Giriraja can consult with Mr. Bajaj and get date fixed up then you can make the program. I have no objection however to the pandal in Madras.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- New York 14 July, 1976:

The power of attorney is presently at the Indian Embassy and by Friday (2 days from now), after it is certified by them, my secretary will send it to Delhi as per your instructions. I am enclosing a letter to Governor Reddy and this may be helpful when you go to see him. If the other groups that you mentioned have been tax-exempted, then our Society should at least have the same facility.

Of the two types of paper which you sent me, the white paper (cost: Rs. 4.60 per kg.) is preferable.

Why Nitai should be attending lectures outside of our temple? If he is not satisfied with the standard of lectures in our temple, then he should be permitted to give some lectures himself, but this habit of going outside to here others should be stopped immediately. I am writing one letter to Nitai and the copy of this is enclosed for your reference.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

enclosures: 3, letter to Gov. Reddy and the letter to Nitai (copy) were sent only to New Delhi.

ACBS/pks

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Paris 30 July, 1976:

Yes I will go to the Delhi temple when I come. You make all arrangements so that everything shall be nice there. I will also go to Madras if you arrange.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Tehran 9 August, 1976:

Regarding Tejiyas and Delhi, I have already said that you should arrange whatever is suitable by mutual agreement.

Letter to Mr. Gupta:

I am going to New Delhi by the end of the month. You can come there and take information.

Letter to All GBC Secretaries -- Unknown Place 19 August, 1976:

All GBC Secretaries

Dear GBC Prabhu:

Please accept our humble obeisances at your feet. It has come to His Divine Grace's attention that many members of our society are engaged in the same business that Rsabhdeva (ex-President Laguna Beach) and devotees of Laguna Beach Temple were engaged in. These devotees were recently in Delhi and Calcutta. Some of them also met one of our GBC men in Hongkong. The list of devotees doing this business includes some senior devotees. Furthermore, it was discovered that some GBC members were backing these projects. Exact details on how these activities are carried out were revealed by a participant and His Divine Grace is thoroughly aware of the entire operation now.

His Divine Grace is very very unhappy about this. He said that under no circumstances can any GBC or Temple President accept any money from these devotees. This business has to be stopped at once immediately. His Divine Grace wants all of you to refer to the instruction of 3rd verse of Upadesamrta. First and foremost our profession must be very hones—above all suspicion. His Divine Grace said "I am trying to retire from management to translate but if these things come then how can I translate. I have set up the framework and everything should be done within the framework. Kindly see that this business is stopped at once."

Your servants

Gargamuni Swami GBC

Gopala Krsna Das

Harikesa Swami

Approved: ACBS

Letter to Lokanatha -- Hyderabad 23 August, 1976:

I am very very pleased to learn that you are preaching so nicely. May Krsna bless you and give you more and more abilities. I shall let you know my program when I reach Delhi. I shall be in Delhi on the evening of the 25th of this month. Then after a week I shall go to Vrndavana. I shall chalk out my program at this time.

Letter to Sri Paramanand Patel -- Hyderabad 23 August, 1976:

I have already left Bombay and I presently am at my Hyderabad center, leaving for Delhi on the 25th of August. I shall remain there up to September 2nd or 3rd and then we shall go to Vrndavana. The distance from Delhi to Vrndavana is not very much. By car it is two and a half hours and by bus it is four hours.

So if you come timely in Delhi that is all right, otherwise you have to come via Delhi to Vrndavana. So do the needful and in the meantime I hope you are in good health.

Letter to Pusta Krsna -- Hyderabad 23 August, 1976:

Please send that Bhavan's Journal Manuscript to me in either Delhi or Vrndavana. It is approved by me if you want to sell the farm.

Letter to Tusta Krsna -- Hyderabad 23 August, 1976:

When I return to Delhi I shall enquire of the Gita Press there, as you requested. If you have not done so, please send the monthly $10__? Also send a few copies of the "Kirtan inthe Park circulars.

Letter to Sri Kuwar Candra Prakash -- New Delhi 26 August, 1976:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated 29 July 1976 and have noted the contents with care. Thank you very much for it. Just now I am in New Delhi at the above address and am going to Vrndavana by the 2nd or 3rd of September.

Letter to Dinesh Candra Sarkar -- New Delhi 26 August, 1976:

I am now staying at Delhi at the above address. From here I shall go to Vrndavana. I am also not keeping good health.

Letter to Sri Kamal Krishna -- Vrindaban 8 September, 1976:

In reply to your Bengali letter registered posted to Delhi, I have advised the president of the Mayapur center to do the needful. The copy is enclosed and you can see personally.

Letter to Harikesa -- Vrindaban 28 September, 1976:

I am very much perturbed to hear you are suffering from maleria in Delhi. So don't be worried, you'll very soon recover, but I think it is a hindrance for you going to Europe. I therefore request you not to proceed to Europe

Letter to B.S. Bodhayana Maharaja -- Vrindaban 9 November, 1976:

I'm very much obliged to you that you write to say, "It is clear to me that you are great powerful Acarya in the Vaisnava world at present." Sometimes Sridhara Maharaja also says like that. So, actually if you are feeling like that let us work conjointly. There is great prospect for preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message all over the world and in India also. At least in India we can preach very vigorously if we combine together. It is already tested in many cases. Whenever we held some festival in big, big cities like Calcutta, Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras, Delhi, etc. thousands of men gather and they request regularly to continue the program. Recently we held a similar program in Candigargh and the devotees of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math also participated. They invited me in the local center of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math and many thousands of people came to hear me. So there is great prospect if we work conjointly at least in India. So you can consult Sridhara Maharaja also. He's also of that opinion s you have opined and if in this old age we can do something combinedly it will be a great triumph. I thank you very much once more.

Letter to S. N. Sharma -- Vrindaban 9 November, 1976:

Yes, if you want to give us this land we shall be willing immediately to invest in developing a project there. We have long been interested in developing something in Delhi, but we were waiting for the opportunity. What Krishna preaches is meant for the weaker section. If they feel weak and abide by my direction, it is not my direction, it is Krishna's, they can be raised to the standard of the most exalted persons, even if they are all fools and rascals. The teaching is very simple, "man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru" (BG 18.65). Even a child can do it. Even the weakest child can do it if he is trained up. Let all the weaker section come to me. I shall train how to become first class men by chanting Hare Krishna Maha mantra and be fit for Krishna consciousness. That will solve all their problems. It is doing practically all over the world. I don't think there is any other institution throughout the whole world which can take charge of a weaker section and raise them to the standard of most exalted persons.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Atreya Rsi -- Bombay 20 April, 1977:

Your entire program as you have outlined it is one hundred percent approved by me. I have got all faith that you can intelligently guide and develop this center very nicely. I also like the idea of Amoghalila going there. Just now Gopala Krishna has gone to Delhi and Vrndavana but when he returns I shall speak to him about Amogha-lila going to Karachi.

Letter to Ksirodakasayi -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

We are getting a good opportunity to possess a nice house and a press in Vrndavana. So instead of making your headquarters in Delhi, if you live in Vrndavana and manage the printing affair and gradually develop a large press—what do you think of this idea? As you are conversant in both Hindi and English, you can train up some of our American and European students to speak Hindi. We can have a large center in Vrndavana. Please think this over and let me have your opinion as soon as possible.

From Delhi, Vrndavana is not far. From Vrndavana you can easily go to Delhi, even daily. Many people of Vrndavana go to Delhi early in the morning and in the evening come back. Of course it is not a daily business, but our Delhi business can also be conducted if we make our headquarters in Vrndavana. Hope this will meet you in good health.