Planetarium

Expressions researched:
"planetarium" |"planetariums"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 7, 1975, Bombay:

Girirāja: Different hells.

Bhāgavata: Hells, oh, Fifth Canto.

Prabhupāda: Yes. How one is going by cheating others, by stealing. So everything. You can display, what is called? That planetary system?

Indian man (1): Planetarium?

Prabhupāda: Planetarium. According to planetarium.

Dr. Patel: They have got a big planetarium in Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they have got, but we have also got. So it is little difference. Just like we are calculating that the sun is the beginning of the planets, sun, then moon. Therefore we say "Sunday, Monday." This is very quite reasonable. Tuesday.

Dr. Patel: And Tuesday is next word because Maṅgala.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And planet is 1,006,000 miles above, above. And Saturday, Saturn is the last. So now sun is calculated to be 93,000,000's miles from earth, and if the moon is still further 1,600,000, then it becomes about fifteen hundred thousand miles. No. Fifteen million miles. So how they are going, in four days, fifteen million?

Dr. Patel: You ask me?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 9, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: ...from the Bhāgavatam. So this should be mentioned. It is not only a temple, but a planetarium according to Bhāgavatam, where which planet is situated, where is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, where is Goloka Vṛndāvana, where is Mahar...

Devotees: Wow!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want a real planetarium just like in the West.

Jayapatākā: That's what I told them, Prabhupāda...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: ...that this is not a temple; this is like a big cultural exposition, museum, planetarium.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Boy, Prabhupāda, the people will pay... Everyone will pay a rupee to go in and see that. One rupee for that, one rupee to ride the escalator.

Prabhupāda: And there will be escalator to take them to different planetary system. Mention there.

Morning Walk -- February 9, 1976, Mayapura:

Bhavānanda: My father... In those planetariums, they use a machine in the center that shoots out light. My father helped to invent that, so we could probably...

Prabhupāda: So bring your father. Father and son, both together. He is... Where he is?

Bhavānanda: In America.

Prabhupāda: So call him. He'll not come?

Bhavānanda: I don't think so, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Demon?

Bhavānanda: No, no. He reads your Bhagavad-gītā every night.

Prabhupāda: Then? Then why he'll not come?

Bhavānanda: I think he's too much attached to my mother.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Your mother is not old enough? What is the age of your mother?

Bhavānanda: Sixty-eight.

Morning Walk -- February 27, 1976, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: About twenty-six or something like that.

Jayapatākā: Twenty-five, twenty-six.

Hari-śauri: Twenty-five or twenty-six. And then all the Viṣṇu expansions.

Jayapatākā: They needed twenty-four Viṣṇu expansions and then the incarnations in the Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Twenty-six? That is Vaikuṇṭha. Anyway... (break) Yes, planetarium...

Devotee (4): Temple and planetarium.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (4): "World's largest planetarium and Temple of Understanding."

Prabhupāda: No "Understanding" simply Vedic "Temple of Vedic Planetarium," That's all. We shall show the Vedic conception of planetary system within this material world and above the material world. (break) We are going to exhibit the Vedic culture throughout the whole world, and they'll come here.

Jayapatākā: The whole world will be coming here to...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: ...visit.

Prabhupāda: Just like they come to see the Taj Mahal...

Morning Walk -- March 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: If it is like a tree, then these things can be as dvīpa, island.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. You know...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The scientists are getting smashed to bits by your statements, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This destroys their whole theory. Orbs, round spheres. I think that this Māyāpur building, we must build a big planetarium in it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, that I am going to do, Vedic planetarium.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, boy. You're going to bring a lot of.... A lot of scientists will come here just to dispute this.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Wonderful attraction.

Prabhupāda: World people will come to see the way the planetary systems...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We should advertise it very widely that this is the actual, factual explanation of the universe.

Prabhupāda: This will be automatically advertised. As soon as the temple is finished, people will come like anything.

Hari-śauri: They're going to need somebody to...

Prabhupāda: The thing is, on principle, we shall only go against them.

Morning Walk -- March 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayapatākā: Farce of modern science, and every philosophy and science group, where they are just cheating the public. Then exhibit how Kṛṣṇa consciousness is showing the real way.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So do that in this planetarium.

Pañca-draviḍa: That will be very nice.

Prabhupāda: That is...

Gurudāsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, a few years ago I presented an exposition, and in that was a planetarium, and also there was an exhibit called "Man's Relationship with God," which was the alternative to modern anthropology, showing how anthropology is not valid and man's relationship with God is the valid thing, and then regulation is the preventative of the disease, is the alternative to psychology or behaviorism, like that. All these exhibitors can be there, showing how science is false and Kṛṣṇa consciousness...

Prabhupāda: So whatever thoughts are coming, you note it. Keep it. We shall utilize it with reference, with reference to the śāstra.

Gurudāsa: Jaya. (break)

Jayapatākā: This special exhibition building?

Conversation with News Reporters -- March 25, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Eh? No, no, that is wrong. Every suffering is brought by you, yourself. Just like if you are punished by the high-court judge to be hanged, you don't make the high-court judge is the cause of your hanging. You made a situation; the high-court judge has given you the judgment that you must be hanged.

Reporter (2): Would you tell us something about the Vedic city which is being constructed in Māyāpur?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He wants to know something about the Vedic city which is being constructed in Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Yes, not Vedic city. Vedic planetarium. How you got this information?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He had come to our temple earlier. He's already published one article in yesterday's paper.

Reporter (1): Which paper?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This morning I have got.

Prabhupāda: You must try to understand that we are suffering on account of our sinful activities.

Reporter (1): Sir, I am asking what is sinful activity.

Prabhupāda: You do not know?

Reporter (1): I don't know. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish.

Prabhupāda: If you go on the street and it is, there is, "Keep to the left," as soon as you go to the right, you suffer. Is it not? Immediately you go to the court. Is it not suffering? No, no, just try to understand.

Reporter (1): No, sir, I just wanted to ask you...

Morning Walk -- April 12, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have applied to the government for land, twenty-five acres land.

Dr. Patel: Very big. But is that land available to us?

Prabhupāda: Yes, available. And we have asked government to give us 350 acres of land in Māyāpur to construct Vedic planetarium, 350 feet high. It will require eight crores of rupees minimum. I shall exhibit there all the planetary system, bhurloka, Goloka...

goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya

devī-maheśa-hari-dhāmasu teṣu teṣu

te te prabhāva-nicayā vihitāś ca yena

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.43)

Dr. Patel: Now the Russians also have come to this conclusion, the Russian scientists and astro-physicists, that there are some planets here in the cosmos which actually have people, I mean, has life like human beings. The other day I read a big article on that. Now they agree.

Prabhupāda: They will agree so many things.

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He backed down from the challenge.

Prabhupāda: Now you all together make this Vedic planetarium very nice, so that people will come and see. From the description of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you prepare this Vedic planetarium. How do you like this idea, Vedic planetarium?

Ambarīṣa: It seems like a very nice idea.

Prabhupāda: You also like? So finance this project. (laughter) Vedic planetarium.

Ambarīṣa: Where will this be?

Prabhupāda: Māyāpur. My idea is to attract people of the whole world to Māyāpur. So we are just trying to acquire three hundred fifty acres of land from the government. It is going on under consideration. Some men are against and some are in favor. But those who are against, they have counted ninety?

Hari-śauri: Ninety against, two thousand for.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Māyāpur itself.

Hari-śauri: The local farmers.

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Māyāpur itself.

Hari-śauri: The local farmers.

Prabhupāda: So all of you now make a complete idea how to make Vedic planetary, planetarium. Another question. Why in every map the northern side is accepted up? (laughter) Can anyone answer this? North, south. South is considered down. East, west. Why not other ways? I can make east on that side. Why it is north only up side? Can anyone answer?

Ambarīṣa: It might have something to do with the magnetic poles. The magnetic force is always pulling to the north.

Prabhupāda: That is the polestar. Yes. That is the up side of the universe. And that we have described in the Bhāgavatam. That is the pivot, and the whole planetary system is moving twenty-four hours.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That's factual also. Because they see that all of these stars and constellations are going around the North Star.

Prabhupāda: But the modern astronomy, they do not say like that.

Jayādvaita: No. They don't say it is moving around. They don't say that it's moving around the polestar. They have some other explanation.

Prabhupāda: That means they're imperfect.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: ...and it is a fact, he did not fix it. I wanted both of you to take various detailed photographs of that Capitol.

Yadubara: The Capitol Building. For what purpose, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: We shall have picture, planetarium in Māyāpur. (aside:) That's better. (break) ...spiritual world, material world, and so on, so on. Planetary..., succession of the planetary systems, everything. A building like that.

Yadubara: That would be a separate building from the temple?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are acquiring 350 acres of land for life for constructing a small township...

Yadubara: I think we...

Prabhupāda: ...to attract people from all the world to see the planetarium.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is this near the temple?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Planetarium name, actually it will be temple. But all round, things will be... Anyway.

Yadubara: I know before the idea was to have it inside the main temple.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Yadubara: As you walked up the outside of the, or the inside of the main temple, inside that dome, they would have it on the walls. But that would... That original plan was to have it inside the main temple.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The other morning Śrīla Prabhupāda was mentioning about the Institute, the Bhaktivedanta Institute. So is there anything else that your Divine Grace wants to?

Prabhupāda: Institute, you have got sufficient subject matter as I was describing, this original source of life and the planetary system, as you are going to make planetarium. Who can say about so many planets in the sky? Who has got sufficient knowledge? They cannot even give... They think that moon is the nearest planet, but we do not think like that. But still they are unable to give sufficient knowledge about the moon. It is not vacant, it cannot be vacant. We do not find any part of the world vacant. There is living entities. This earth planet is part of the universe, and the moon is also part of the universe. If it is not vacant, how that can be vacant? You have got dust there, we have got dust here; you have got rocks there, here we have got rocks. And why it is vacant? We find in the dust also there is life. When we walk on the beach, it is simply sand, there are so many crabs. They are immediately flying, running, "Here is a man coming. Enter into the hole." So even the dust, in the sand, there is life. So why not there? In the water there is life, within the sand there is life, in the air there is life, everywhere there is life. Why it should be vacant? Hmm? What is the opinion of the scientists? How...? We are layman, talking like layman, but why there should not be life? And in the śāstra we get there is life. Not only moon, every planet is full of living entities. Jagat-kīrṇa(?). There is human being, there is animal, everything. How it can be vacant, God's creation?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They say they cannot see.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: (break) ...came here, Bhāradvāja and myself went to Salt Lake City to visit the church of the Mormons. The Mormon religion is a branch of Christianity, and they own the whole city of Salt Lake City. It's the capital of Utaḥ, one of the United States states. So they control the whole city, and it is planned with the temple in the center of the city. Like our Māyāpur plan. And all around the streets are named after the temple. It is well planned. And in the temple square they have a visitor center, and it costs hundreds of millions of dollars, with dioramas and movies. They even have a little planetarium. It's all for recruiting people to join their religion. So we went there to study how they did it. Actually, it's all based on a crazy philosophy. They say that after Jesus Christ was crucified in Israel, he rose, and then the next stop he came to America.

Prabhupāda: Next...?

Rāmeśvara: Next he came to America. Because Jesus, they say, is the savior of the whole world, so why just Israel?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So when did he come to America?

Rāmeśvara: Immediately afterwards.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What did he do here?

Rāmeśvara: He gave another Bible teaching. Again he converted people to follow, to accept him as God. So this whole religion is based on his teachings when he came to America.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Except for them, who accepts such a thing? No one accepts that except the Mormons.

Rāmeśvara: They say that God orders every man to get married.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: This man Theodore Roosevelt, he was one of the presidents. He was a big hunter, he used to kill animals. And in front it says that he was famous for being a natural conservationist, protecting nature.

Prabhupāda: By killing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a big planetarium here also at this museum.

Rāmeśvara: Biggest in the world, I think.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, this planetarium is the most famous one, Heydn Planetarium.

Prabhupāda: So see how the planetarium is done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we should go, Rāmeśvara. Have you ever gone?

Rāmeśvara: Many years ago.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Should we go to see it?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They use all kinds of lighting systems.

Prabhupāda: So you take the idea. We shall have to do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. All right. They have a special projector.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: So you take the idea. We shall have to do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. All right. They have a special projector.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, we may take the idea and utilize.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In our planetarium, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we want to actually show the different qualities of life on the different planetary systems also?

Prabhupāda: Yes, as far as possible. There is Siddhaloka, they can go from one planet to another without any machine, without any vehicle. Siddhaloka means, just like the yogis, they can go.

Rāmeśvara: Their body have..., they have wings?

Prabhupāda: No wings. We think only our ideas, that without wings nobody can fly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That picture wasn't accurate.

Rāmeśvara: That was Gandharvaloka.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said they don't have wings either.

Rāmeśvara: I know.

Prabhupāda: So you are purchasing this house?

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Central Park West, it's called.

Rāmeśvara: That portion there, Śrīla Prabhupāda, through the trees there is a green dome—I don't know if it can be seen now—that is the Planetarium of the Museum of Natural History. All atheistic arguments are presented there.

Prabhupāda: What is that argument?

Rāmeśvara: All their arguments that life comes from matter, that the universe has no life, or at least that there are just all chemical reactions are the cause of creation of stars; that there are many suns. All these arguments.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have in that museum many scales, and you can go on the scales and weigh yourself as you would weigh on different planets. I remember when I was a child I used to go on one scale after another.

Rāmeśvara: They speculate that if you were on the moon planet, say you weigh one hundred fifty pounds on earth, if you were on the moon planet you would weigh much less.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Twenty-five pounds, one-sixth.

Rāmeśvara: And you would be able to be so light that you could jump very high.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Almost floating.

Prabhupāda: How they have understood these things? From here?

Rāmeśvara: From here.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Papaya is very good, yes.

George Harrison: I still have...

Prabhupāda: Give him, give him, give him. No, that is the different. Oh, all right. We are just attempting a big planetarium in Māyāpur. We have asked government to acquire land, 350 acres. That is negotiation going on. We shall give a Vedic planetarium.

George Harrison: Is that the one you were talking about? With all the...

Prabhupāda: In the Fifth Canto.

Gurudāsa: The planetarium will be 350 feet high and show the cosmology of the spiritual world.

Prabhupāda: The construction will be like your Washington capital, like that.

George Harrison: A big dome.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Estimated eight crores of rupees. Is there any dahi preparation? Oh, that's all right. Now, there is fruit. You...

George Harrison: Very good. Fantastic. Maybe just a little bit of, but now I'm not.... Thanks. That's fine. No, okay, thanks, fine, that's enough, that's fine.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: They are saying that the moon is full of dust. And dust is so brilliant? We have to believe this? The rascals they are making this proposal. So what do you think?

Dayānanda: I don't think they know actually what they are talking about, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, actually this is fact. It is similar planet like the sun, but it is surrounded by cold atmosphere, therefore it is so pleasing. And because it is far away from the sun, the distance between moon and earth is more than the distance between the sun and the earth. Therefore sun looks bigger and it looks smaller. We are contemplating having a planetarium with electric arrangement. You'll have to work. The whole planetary system is moving from east to west, and the sun, moon and... They are up and down. (to child): Come on, Hare Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. He can speak?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: No, just a few words.

Prabhupāda: Two years.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Almost.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. You have got any fruit tree in the garden?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Some pear trees, some apple.

Prabhupāda: Peach? No.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: No. We used to have a cherry tree, but it died. We also have a pomegranate.

Prabhupāda: Good pomegranate?

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: No no no. Six thousand dollars means, say ten rupees.

Krishna Modi: Sixty thousand per day.

Prabhupāda: Sixty thousand per day. Actually. But we are all foregoing it for pushing on this movement, and if we bring that money and construct big, big temple or planetarium, what is the harm to India?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda is bringing in more foreign exchange than even big business export concerns.

Prabhupāda: I'm bringing regularly not less than ten lakhs of rupees per month.

Krishna Modi: Sending to India. We must tell them all these things.

Prabhupāda: You tell.

Krishna Modi: That is the thing. This is the Brahmānanda... I already told yesterday that some members must be briefed and they must tell something so that my hands may be strengthened and so that I may...

Prabhupāda: It is a great credit that I am selling my books and bringing ten lakhs of rupees from foreign country in India.

Krishna Modi: That we will speak. And his mind is very clear. Brahmānanda his mind is very clear, very clear, and he is appreciating. And he is in our favor 100%.

Prabhupāda: Even not in our favor. I am working hard in foreign countries and bringing money to India. You should give us some credit. But instead of giving credit, I am being criticized in the Parliament.

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Not yet.

Indian man (3): I had about 2 acres was available, except that. (talks about land he owns-indistinct)

Prabhupāda: We are trying for another big scheme in Bengal. We have applied to the government to acquire land, 350 acres, a big planetarium. Planetarium. We have described the planetarium in our Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In that planetarium it is said that the moon is above the sun planet. By one million six hundred thousand miles.

Indian man (3): What does astronomy say? The modern astronomy.

Prabhupāda: They say the moon planet is nearer to earth planet and they have gone there.

Indian man (3): No, no, have you given up the idea of Kurukṣetra?

Prabhupāda: No, no, not...

Indian man (3): No, because if you have the idea, the land is the least part of it because so much is to be done, if the idea is that something should be done. I learned that gentleman, Mr. (indistinct) ...and he has said that he will do something. I was not there at the time of the (talks about himself—very low, hard to hear)

Prabhupāda: You bring one little plate prasādam from there, from that...

Indian man (3): You will be in Vṛndāvana for some...

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We have applied for 350 acres of land from the government. The process is going on. If we get, then we shall spend crores of rupees for... The description is...

Jagadīśa: "Within the next ten years, according to ISKCON plans, the Māyāpur project will extend to a complete Vedic city with fifty thousand inhabitants, its own university, airport, and stadium. It will also claim the world's largest planetarium with 410 foot high Temple of Understanding..." (break) ...civilization.

Dr. Kneupper: It sounds like a beautiful project. That is near Bombay, now?

Prabhupāda: No, that is near Calcutta.

Dr. Kneupper: Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: About sixty miles.

Dr. Kneupper: Have they progressed much now?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the enquiry is finished. Now government is considering to give that land. (indistinct) that land. There were many others, land offers in Hyderabad, but I wanted to start this institution in the, on the birth site of Lord Caitanya. Otherwise we have got better land. We have asked government for 350 acres but we have already bought in Hyderabad, 600 acres. Here also we can get immediately 500, 600 acres, like that. We have already got another plot of land, 100 acres in Ahmedabad. So there are so many lands available but I wanted to start this project in Māyāpur, the birthsite of Lord Caitanya. Therefore we are (indistinct). If they say no, then we shall attempt it somewhere else.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: A committee be formed of Saurabha, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa, Rāmeśvara, Ātreya Ṛṣi, Jayapatākā, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, and Gurukṛpā to research and give a report on all aspects of the Māyāpur projected construction, including its material feasibility, cash flow requirements. They will report their research to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: One very big paṇḍita is coming. He'll help us about the Sanskrit language, how to form this...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Planetarium.

Prabhupāda: ...planetarium.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One big paṇḍita has been contacted, and he's very surrendered to Prabhupāda. He wants to help Prabhupāda and our movement to understand the meaning of the śāstras in regard to the layout of the universe, so that the planetary systems can be done in our planetarium.

Prabhupāda: This planetary system is rotating from east to west, and it is hanging like the chandelier, taking shelter of the polestar. That we can see every night. Now where is the situation, which planet, where is sun, where is moon—so that he has to assert.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When he's coming, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I have asked him to come in this ceremony.

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Devotees preaching to raise funds for Māyāpur must make a uniform presentation. A brochure should be prepared by the BBT. The preaching for Māyāpur should not be done differently by different persons in different parts of the world, and a brochure should be prepared for this preaching. Any GBC who wants a BBT loan...

Room Conversation -- April 13, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jaya Prakash Narayan. Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, and... What they'll do? Churchill and this and Napoleon, Hitler. Simply misguiding, whole history. Simply mis... They are rascals. They do not know what is what, and they lead. Gandhi... All rascals. Vivekananda and Sai Baba, this, that, so many... They should be stopped. That is real philanthropic activities. Where is...? Now we are going to show this planetarium. These rascal scientists: "All desert. All rocks and desert." Simply this planet, for his father's property. This is now happening. "The moon planet is a desert." And from the desert such brilliant light is coming that is illuminating at night the whole universe. And we have to believe it because they are spoken by scientists. You see? All rascals, fools, rogues, thieves, they are leading. And our determination is to stop these rascals. That is our... It is not that "Let the rascals go on with their... Let us make our salvation." Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "No, no, no, I don't want. I don't want. If there is salvation, I must take them also." This is Vaiṣṇava. "I don't want such salvation for my personal..." This is Vaiṣṇava, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). Naturally a Vaiṣṇava will be unhappy. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). You know this verse? So we must know that these so-called leaders... Just see. He could not do it nicely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is most objectionable article. So you are doing things very, full independently. This is not very good. The impression will be that "Surabhī Swami has come to construct this city. He is cheating," like that, as if everything doing, you are the all and all. That's... No other. And "the temple will be Kṛṣṇa." Just show him, "the temple of Kṛṣṇa." You do not know what is, the temple will be? Clearly mentioned. They have also manufactured? They have manufactured? What is this?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The center of the planetarium will be the temple of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Just see. It is their manufacture?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The planetarium and temple alone will be estimated to cost rupees seventy crores."

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But it is not going to be Kṛṣṇa's temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's the point.

Prabhupāda: And they have manufactured this?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here, "The whole city is expected to... The temple... The planetarium will be ready in three years." But how is that possible to be built...? And that "The whole city will be done in ten years." Says here, "A Vedic city with fifty thousand brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras living around a Kṛṣṇa temple."

Prabhupāda: So they have criticized that "Your city, there will be forty...," "Aurobindo..." You have seen it?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: No.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There Hare Krishna movement is nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it says that "The Hare Krishna movement is responsible for promoting knowledge of India and India's culture abroad." I mean, it is farce, because according to this article, we have to now come up with seventy crores of rupees and spend seventy crores in three years. So we cannot come up with seventy crores of rupees. Neither anyone could build that quickly. I mean, it's a farce. How could anyone build a temple of that proportion, a planetarium of that size, in three years' time. I mean, anybody who knows about building will know. We can't even build this building in three years.

Prabhupāda: It will be fantastical. Therefore they, "It is going to meet the same fate." (pause) You do not know what is the temple will be? You do not know?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Hm?

Prabhupāda: That temple, what will be the Deity, you do not know?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: I mentioned... We gave them the paper with all the information on it.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: They had been given a paper with all the names of the Deities on it.

Prabhupāda: What is that Deity?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Pañca-tattva, Lord Caitanya.

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So...

Indian Astronomer: I am also a great lover of Bhāgavata. That is my life.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian Astronomer: Bhāgavata is my solace of my life.

Prabhupāda: So we are presenting this planetarium...

Indian Astronomer: Bhāgavata, yes?

Prabhupāda: From Bhāgavatam.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: In the Fifth Canto there is description of the planetary system.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: So we want a diagram.

Indian Astronomer: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: So kindly help us.

Indian Astronomer: With your Your Holiness permission, he told all these things to me. I use some Bhāgavata śloka before. (quotes Sanskrit ślokas from Bhāgavata, Tenth Canto)

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: If you have got the name, so why not reply to each one, the letter...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, I see.

Prabhupāda: ...that "We are intending to make a huge planetarium. If you can help us?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mentioning the Fifth Canto, Bhāgavatam?

Prabhupāda: Exactly to the description of Fifth Canto, we want.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How will we get their addresses?

Prabhupāda: Hm? Or I can write to Mr. Chandan(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's one thing we could do. I haven't seen the article, but he must have spoken at some institution or some meeting. We can write a letter to the secretary of that institution and meeting, telling them what we intend to do and to forward to us a list of the people who attended and their addresses. And that way we can... Should... Of course, I can do it, but do you want us to do it or should Surabhī's office do it?

Prabhupāda: Surabhī?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Showing of Planetary Sketches -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This Puṣkara, he did the...

Puṣkara: I made the mess. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: He'll do something wonderful in arts. Kṛṣṇa will be... No complaint. All right. Jaya.

Devotees: (obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Vedic planetarium.

Bhakti-Prema: Next step will be planetary system.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Bhakti-Prema: The third planetary system, above Mount Meru.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. You have taken lunch?

Upendra: Yes, Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...there is sun, and above that, there is moon. And they are going to moon. They are going nowhere, simply taking laboratory photo, studio photo, and cheating. Why this cheating can go on? You do not know. That's all. Who is insisting that "We must know"? (end)

Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have to stand up on the chairs because it's so big. Big project. This is only one drawing. Imagine the planetarium. (break)

Yaśodā-nandana: The directions are north, east and south and west. In the middle here, right in the middle, there is Mount Meru, which is very, very small. The scale, it comes to be one centimeter... What is this measurement estimate?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One twentieth of a centimeter.

Yaśodā-nandana: One twentieth of a centimeter is calculated 100,000 yojanas. One lakh of yojanas is one twentieth of a centimeter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, that one twentieth of a centimeter... One centimeter is about just the tip of the finger, so one twentieth of this is 100,000 yojanas. Actually you cannot even see Mount Meru on this picture. It is so small that we could not even draw it. It's just a pinpoint.

Yaśodā-nandana: Mount Meru is in the middle, and then, surrounding Mount Meru, is the whole Jambūdvīpa. Jambūdvīpa is 100,000 yojanas or (sic) 800 miles in length and width. These are the maps we have shown you already previously. And surrounding Jambūdvīpa in the salt ocean, this very little circle... The south ocean is the same width as Jambūdvīpa, or 100,000 yojanas. That is 800,000 miles. And it is all around Jambūdvīpa. Here it is. Maybe you can see. Then there is the south part of the ocean. You can see here?

Bhakti-prema: No, Plakṣadvīpa is the orange dot.

Yaśodā-nandana: Then surrounding Jambūdvīpa then there is Plakṣadvīpa, the next dvīpa, which is... Around the salt ocean there is Plakṣadvīpa. That is the planet beside(?) of the river we call ocean. That is 200,000 yojanas, or 1,600,000 miles. That is right in the middle.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually you can hardly see it there. It's very small.

Yaśodā-nandana: Then, surrounding Plakṣadvīpa is another ocean, the sugarcane ocean. That sugarcane ocean is the same length as Plakṣadvīpa, or 200,000 yojanas, or 1,600,000 miles. And one each one of these dvīpas...

Prabhupāda: So in each ocean there are islands?

Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I think that Svarūpa Dāmodara will be helped by these drawings when the men come. 'Cause he said that even though they are scientists, they could not understand this volume. It's been a mystery practically. These drawings, one by one, should be able to help in the creation of that planetarium.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we have to figure out how to preserve these, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Puṣkara Prabhu was concerned how to preserve these pictures, and we were thinking that maybe they should be mounted on canvas and stretched.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And that way, they can be preserved.

Prabhupāda: Like map.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, oh, like a map. Once they are put on canvas, can they be rolled, Puṣkara?

Puṣkara: Yeah. The best thing is to put them on a board and just permanently put these onto the best possible...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says the best thing is to mount them on something and then display them somewhere, keep them permanently that way, stretched out.

Puṣkara: Every time you roll it, it gets ruined more.

Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here that "Only our knowledge of the crust of the earth is based on direct observation, but studies of paths of earthquake waves..." Then it goes... The only way they can understand is by direct observation. And that's very limited. Says, "All the planets were probably formed at much the same time." It doesn't sound like they have very much knowledge, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Everything is "probably," "maybe." Says that "Probably all the planets were formed at much the same time from the same great dust cloud." After you create this planetarium, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they'll have to rewrite all of these books. These businesses...

Bhakti-prema: Another book has to be written. Its name should be Easy-to-Read Geography or Advanced Geography. And also about history we have to write. Your Divine Grace will write Advanced History, and there the complete lifetime of Manus and Indras should be given.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: According to the modern thinkers, any further back than about three or four thousand years ago, everyone was living in the caves. So they think that all of our books are mythology, some dreamt-up stories by some people...

Prabhupāda: So how they are writing of millions of years ago?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is all according to their mythology.

Prabhupāda: No, they are suggesting.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And, of course, they say that there were no humans around, just dust and water and earth. There were no brains at that time.

Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And, of course, they say that there were no humans around, just dust and water and earth. There were no brains at that time.

Prabhupāda: Only brains are developed now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, especially now, this century. Before this, everybody was unintelligent, and now man's brain is developing to a higher and higher degree, and he can finally understand what is what. I don't think that... Your descriptions, especially this planetarium, will at first meet with a lot of heavy reaction. It is not going to be embraced immediately very favorably. It means that everyone who calls himself a Ph.D. is a fool, that students will laugh at their teachers, if what we say is correct. There will be chaos in educational circles. (Prabhupāda chuckles)

Prabhupāda: All right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That you can do, but real thing is we can remain within the limit.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That we accept.

Prabhupāda: So within the limit...Suppose the lotus petal this way, that way, or this way...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You're asking us to draw the details and make a planetarium very exact.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Lotus petal, it is round. So in one lotus petal you are conditioned. You cannot go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So far that hasn't been said, but that's... You can say that Bhārata-varṣa is a petal of the lotus. But I think if you look at the Bhāgavatam, it may... I'd have to see it, what it says. There's a statement that it may be the inner portion of the lotus. I don't know...(break) And what we do, it has to agree with the Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Lotus petal... There are so many petals. You are conditioned with one petal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's... If that's the explanation, then it can be somehow adjusted.

Prabhupāda: You do not know what is going on outside.

Devotee: There's so many round parts of a lotus petal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that part...That could be adjusted. But there's a place within it, you know, the center part, there's no petals. In the middle of the lotus there's like a... I don't know what you call it, but a... It's a flattish area. They show Kṛṣṇa standing sometimes when they draw a picture of Kṛṣṇa on a lotus.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Unless you are obstinate, you have to accept if you are convinced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We accept.

Prabhupāda: There are so many millions of stars and moons that we cannot go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As we are conditioned, as everyone is conditioned, our planetarium will have to show the actual facts.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That fact we have learned from Bhāgavatam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So, so far we have not drawn this fact correctly.

Prabhupāda: That is your inability. That is another thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, well that's why we're... That's the question that we've raised. This question that we've raised is due to that.

Prabhupāda: That is you are unable to, but the fact is that you are conditioned. You cannot go beyond that conditioned

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's accepted.

Prabhupāda: So we are also conditioned. But as far as possible we take description from Bhāgavata, try to. That is our... Suppose here is India, here is Los Angeles. You start from India, Los Angeles..., or India, you'll come to Los Angeles. And again return to India. Similarly you start from this again going.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's possible if you can fly this way, underneath.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Upendra: It's a transcendental lotus flower.

Prabhupāda: You are prejudiced. That's all. If I can understand, why don't you understand? You are prejudiced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well I can understand if I accept it as... I'm only trying to think as the persons who are going to make this planetarium.

Prabhupāda: You are Western. You are prejudiced. That is reason. If I can understand why you...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I can understand blindly, but I don't want to do that.

Prabhupāda: I do not understand blindly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Then.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I don't want to...

Prabhupāda: Still we differ. That means one of us is prejudiced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well it's not Your Divine Grace. (laughter) I mean I'm sorry I have to take this thankless task to ask all these questions.

Prabhupāda: You are also prejudiced. It is written in the śāstra. In that sense we are also prejudiced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, but we're correctly prejudiced.

Discussion about Bhu-mandala -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhakti-prema: If this is the background I can give a lot of material. But they want logic.

Prabhupāda: Where is the logic?

Yaśodā-nandana: I don't want any logic. The scientists will come to the planetarium and ask...

Prabhupāda: How they can? Scientist is rascal. That is proved. They are insisting that chemical can produce life. He's a rascal. They have gone to moon planet. That's a rascal. So what is the value of so-called scientist. Why should we give any importance? I'm not giving any importance. If you become scientist, that so much ghee and so much āṭā makes puri, and we can eat very nicely, all right, you are a scientist. But so much chemicals, make it life—prove that. The confectioner is also scientist. He knows very well how to do his business. A carpenter is also scientist. Here is some work nice done by the carpenter. I cannot do it. You may be a great scientist, but me? It is not possible for me to do a carpentry work. In this way it is going on. (Bengali) You have learned something, you can do it very nicely. But I cannot do it. For me it will be beating by the rod if I am given this work. I can translate, my work. So everyone is scientist, his own field of activities, to some extent. You cannot make everyone agree. That is not... Vox populi you cannot. That is not possible. What is that vox populi?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: General population.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All of the personalities there have very dazzling bodies.

Prabhupāda: Fiery body.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: With the help of this planetarium, people will actually be able to go to the moon for the first time, at least by their minds. There was such a hoax that I heard they were even selling tickets to go to the moon.

Prabhupāda: Hm. (pause)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If you're feeling tired, maybe you'd like to take a little rest, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's still early now.

Prabhupāda: Hm. I have been taking rest in... (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are all rascals and they're all crazy.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The karmīs. They don't know what is what. They don't know what is good for them. If they have their choice, they won't immediately talk with a devotee. But we are like the doctors. We don't consider what the patient says. Somehow we have to administer the medicine because we know it will be good for them. There's a letter that just came from Satsvarūpa.

Prabhupāda: Have my keys...

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. You train up assistants and this will be recognized by government and everyone. You'll do more than Columbus. (laughter) In the Washington, in different compartments, a different explanation of Bhāgavata śloka by dolls will attract millions of people to see. Will it not?

Bhāgavatāśraya: Oh! It will become more than Disneyland.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. And you can charge some fees, entrance fee. People will gladly pay. All around, this doll exhibition, and in the medium, a planetarium, small.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Small?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If they're going to have it in Māyāpur, they can have a little... Not very small. Proportionate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. He says, "The FATE..." They call it FATE, First American Theistic Exhibition. "The FATE Los Angeles exhibit is now complete with very small details remaining on the complex computer system. It will be operational on July 10th." Four days ago. "And the grand opening will be held on Janmāṣṭamī this year. I have no right to hope in this way, but in spite of my intelligence, I wish Your Divine Grace could see this first attempt for theistic exhibition in the Western world."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says if it's not possible for you to come, then he'd like to make a film and bring it to India to show it to you. Is that all right?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Many... He has met with big, big institute, Bose Institute, head of the, and they are appreciating, "Yes, please go on describing."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They've invited the Bhaktivedanta Institute speakers now in many universities, wherever he went, Delhi...

Prabhupāda: Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. (Hindi) No sentimentalist. "Come on, scientist." Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. Vicāra karile citte pābe... Vicāra... (Hindi) High-court judges. (Hindi) But so far, it is encouraging. (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now you're going to also get that planetarium in Washington.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's very important.

Dr. Kapoor: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of our devotees, Ambarīṣa dāsa, his name is. He's very wealthy person.

Prabhupāda: He is grandson of Ford, great-grandson.

Dr. Kapoor: Yes, I was told. He came here once, I'm told.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So he offered everything he has to Prabhupāda. So Śrīla Prabhupāda has requested him to build a large building and put in a Vedic planetarium in Washington, D.C., capital of the United States, right near the White House, with the Vedic planetary system according to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Fifth Canto. So he has agreed to do this, and now they are choosing the property where they will develop this program right in the heart of Washington, D.C. So it will be very good. And also the dolls will be... Doll exhibit.

Prabhupāda: How they are making dolls, show him. How nice dolls.

Dr. Kapoor: Oh.

Prabhupāda: I brought them here and kept them in Māyāpur.

Dr. Kapoor: Ācchā, and they got the training there.

Prabhupāda: And they have learned now. Now they are making better dolls than the Krishnanagar potters. They are very intelligent. The intelligence was not properly used. Now they have got chance. In Bhāgavata it is said, sarasvatī jñāna-khale yathā satī. This knowledge, why it should be locked up amongst the jñāna-khala? In India this knowledge is available, and they should be packed up amongst themselves? Now it is the time to distribute.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These ones I'm showing now, they will be in a temple which has just been built in Fiji. It's going to be opened in August, and this will be one altar. These dolls are made by our own devotees. These are Deities, mūrtis, for installation.

Dr. Kapoor: Good doll. Very lifelike, huh? I first thought this was your photo.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just see how they've made these mūrtis.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they have made a statue—I am writing books like this, moving.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Auckland 27 April, 1976:

Please accept my blessings. Now our Ph.D's must collaborate and study the 5th Canto to make a model for building the Vedic Planetarium. My final decision is that the universe is just like a tree, with root upwards. Just as a tree has branches and leaves so the universe is also composed of planets which are fixed up in the tree like the leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. of the tree. The pivot is the pole star, and the whole tree is rotating on this pivot. Mount Sumeru is the center, trunk, and is like a steep hill, like the alps mountains which also have very high peaks. I have seen in Switzerland one mountain peak which was so high that is penetrated through the clouds. The tree is turning and therefore, all the branches and leaves turn with the tree. The planets have their fixed orbits, but still they are turning with the turning of the great tree. There are pathways leading from one planet to another made of gold, copper, etc., and these are like the branches. Distances are also described in the 5th Canto just how far one planet is from another.

Letter to B.R. Sridhara Maharaja -- Los Angeles 6 June, 1976:

From Mayapur we went to Vrindaban, then on to Bombay. Then from Bombay to Melbourne, Australia, then Auckland, New Zealand, and then to Fiji Island where we have observed the foundation stone laying ceremony for our temple there, Krishna-Kaliya Temple. This will be the first temple on that island. There are many Indians on that island but there was no systematic temple worship so we are constructing a temple at the cost of $200,000. In the meantime, I have received one letter from Jayapataka Maharaja in which it informs that Madhava Maharaja and also possibly Damodara Maharaja are making propaganda against our attempt to construct a township in Mayapur, with the centre of attraction being the "Vedic Planetarium." In this connection we have applied to the government for 350 acres of land and the matter is in the process. However, Damodara Maharaja and Madhava Maharaja are trying to frustrate our attempt. I shall quote the portion from Jayapataka's letter to me:

Letter to B.R. Sridhara Maharaja -- Los Angeles 6 June, 1976:

One supporter, while coming to show me his petition, with 500 signatures on it, was kidnapped and the petition was snatched away. He was taken to Madhava Maharaja's Math doorstep and some of the local cultivators and Prabhu's of the Math threatened him and demanded why he was supporting ISKCON. The supporter was now more determined to raise support in face of the rude behavior. Other persons have been also called to Madhava Maharaja's Math and chastised for helping us. They say our mission is political and we want only the downfall of India and political power. They are so envious." (end of quote). As a matter of fact, I am trying to develop a township in Mayapur spending crores of rupees to give protection against the occasional innundation (flood) and construct a tall planetarium estimated to be 300 feet high. So why they are obstructing this program? What is the harm to them? People are already coming from all parts of the world to see Mayapur and join in the Sankirtana Movement, so if something more attractive is done, more people will come from all parts of the world. So what is their tangible objection? Of course, they cannot do all these things, it is beyond their power, but if somebody else does it, why should they be envious and obstructive to this plan?

Letter to Jayapataka -- New Vrindaban 26 June, 1976:

Concerning the doubts of the commission: 1). Christians also convert. It is not conversion from Christian to Hindu. We convert atheist class of men to take God-consciousness. God is one. It is not the question of Christianity, Hindu, Muslim; any religion that teaches to love God is genuine. It has nothing to do with Hinduism, Mohammedanism, etc. 2). Sources (of funds) means we get contributions from all over the world. All of our branches will gladly contribute. Practically this institution is the real U.N. We have the co-operation from all nations, all religions, all communities, etc. It will be an international institute. To see the planetarium and how things are universally situated has nothing to do with sectarian ideas. It is a scientific presentation of spiritual life. 3). The local Mohammedans have already agreed.

Concerning the food relief funds, I am not holding them. The food relief funds go directly from Los Angeles to Calcutta. I have already informed Ramesvara Maharaja to transfer the funds to Calcutta that are available. He has agreed to send Rs. 25,000 already and you should be receiving that soon.

Letter to Saurabha -- Bombay 23 December, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated 12/12/76.

I have no objection to your going to visit your family and then to Los Angeles to discuss the doll exhibitions for the planetarium.

Yes, make this guesthouse the most beautiful building in Bombay. You have got the credit for Vrindaban, now take the credit for Bombay. Your service will be commemorated as long as the buildings remain. Krsna will shower all blessings for your long life and spiritual advancement. Perhaps when you come back you can take the still more wonderful Mayapur project. One thing, making the hallways Kotastone is not good. It has no aristocratic value. Why not tiles? Of course, as you decide. This is my suggestion. I think Kotastone pavement is no better than cement pavement.

Yes, the management must be very first class. If required we can keep some paid men. Amateur management is not always efficient. I approve of your ideas for management. We shall get it passed by resolution meeting. I like the ideas.

Keep in contact with Mr. Kitumera. His help may be required. Yes, you may keep thinking about the Mayapur planetarium.