# Letters — 1966 ### Letter to Bank of Baroda **Date:** August 3rd 1966 — **Location:** New York > Agent The Bank of Baroda, Limited Branch Chandni Chawk Delhi 6, India Dear Sir, Re My savings Bank account 1452With reference to the above I beg to inform you that since a year I am out of India, and I may be required to live here a few days more. I am therefore anxious to know my above account position and shall be glad to have a statement of account since June 1st 1965 on which date I see my credit balance Rs. 2206.05.I may further inform you that my American friends will purchase some books of mine from India and I wish to send the money for deposit in a separate account namely A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK A/C. I therefore request you to open the above account immediately and transfer Rs 100/- from my present account to this new account. And on hearing from you I shall send all the deposits money to this account. Please let me know the number of this new account A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK ACCOUNT. Also please send me a cheque book containing ten cheques to my above American address. Also please let me know the present or current exchange rate for American dollars in Indian rupees. I hope you will please note the above points carefully and reply this letter at your earliest opportunity and oblige. Thanking you in anticipation, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Bon Maharaja **Date:** January 20th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Sripada Bon Maharaja, Please accept my humble dandabats. I beg to thank you for your kind letter of the 14th instant. I am very glad to learn that your first part of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu is now out and shall be glad if you send me one copy so that I can show to persons who are interested in my Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am also glad to learn that you are now thinking of New York on receipt of my letter and it may be that you have to come here again if there is the Radha Krishna Temple as contemplated. The money is there, the Deities are there, the house is there, the men are there but the sanction is not there. Your residence was somewhere near the Columbia University I think. Temple idea is prompted in me because I feel that Srila Prabhupada wanted to open some temples in the foreign countries. Personally I have no aptitude to open temples neither I have done it in India although there were many great opportunities. But here see there is necessity even from the point of Hindu cultural view. There is not a single Hindu temple here at least in New York or all the places so far I have traveled in this country. Regarding management of the temple is concerned for the present I have called for one of my of my disciples from Delhi. If other persons from our so many camps want to come here I shall welcome and I think after the temple is started some men even from America may be available as I see there are in the Ramakrishna Mission as well as in so many Yoga societies. So I am trying to open a temple here because Srila Prabhupada wanted it. Kindly therefore help me in this direction as far as you can. I am thankful to you for taking so much trouble in taking the estimate of deities. But before having the Deities there is great stumbling block of Exchange difficulty. My money in India is ready but I must have the exchange, by special sanction of the Government of India. I was so hopeful to get it because Lal Bahadur Shastri was known to me and he was to visit America. I arranged an interview with him during his visit in America through the Embassy here but his sudden death has put me into great difficulty. As soon as the temple is started, I am sure to get help locally but to start the temple I must have Indian money first. I am therefore asking your cooperation and help in this connection. I am requesting you to see Dr. Radhakrishnan and get me the sanction for Indian exchange for this cultural mission. This is not an ordinary temple of worship but it is an international institution for God consciousness based on the Srimad-Bhagavatam. This is standard Indian good will mission. "Lokasya ajanato vidwams cakre satvata samhita" The Government of India has its own department of culture and goodwill mission which is utilized for dancing parties to make show in the foreign countries. Here is the real culture and I am not asking any money from the Government but I am simply asking permission to transfer my money here for this great cultural mission of Srila Vyasadeva the Father of Vedic wisdom which is real Indian culture. When Dr. Radhakrishnan was vice president of India I had lots of personal correspondence and meetings with him and at that time he promised me help in this connection. I hope he will remember all these and I am requesting him through your good office to help me now to get the requisite exchange from India for this great and noble work. He is more or less acquainted with the activities of the Gaudiya Math preachers like your holiness, Srila Tirtha Maharaja and he know me also in this connection. We are all sincere workers for respiritualising the whole world situation and Dr. Radhakrishnan being man in the line and being in the highest position of the Indian Government, he must help us in this critical moment. It is not personal but for the welfare of the entire humanity and considering all these he may be kind enough to sanction this exchange immediately so that I may start it without delay. I strongly wish that I may take possession of the house for the temple on the day of Srila Prabhupada's Abhirva Teethi and if your holiness will at once see Dr. Radhakrishnan and take the sanction, I think my desire to take possession of the house on the above mentioned date will be possible. As I am out of India it is not possible to see him personally and therefore I am requesting you to see him. Besides that the matter being concerned directly with service of Srila Prabhupada both you and I are equally interested and I hope most sincerely that you will do this act very promptly and seriously. If need be you can show this letter to Dr. Radhakrishnan in order to convince him and offer him my good wishes and respects for him. Thanking you in anticipation and awaiting your early reply. Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to First National City Bank **Date:** August 3rd 1966 — **Location:** New York > Manager First National City Bank Grand Street Branch Grand St. and Bowery New York 13 N.Y Dear Sir, I beg to inform you that I have to transfer 1500/- Indian rupees to my Account (Savings) No. 1452 with the Bank of Baroda Limited Chandni Chawk Branch Delhi-6, India from my savings bank a/c with you. Please let me know how many dollars I have to withdraw for the exchange and your charges for transfer by air mail. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Indian Embassy in America **Date:** May 28th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Secretary > Indian Embassy in America > Washington D.C Dear Sir, I beg to inform you that I have been instructed by the Controller of Exchange Reserve Bank of India Delhi to forward my letter to the Ministry of Finance, Department of Economic Affairs Government of India New Delhi for release of Indian Exchange. As advised by him I beg to hand you herewith the above mentioned letter to Ministry of Finance Government of India which please forward to India and oblige. Please acknowledge receipt hereof and thanking you in anticipation, Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Janis **Date:** October 29th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Janis, I thank you for your letter of 25th instant and I have noted the contents carefully. I have complete agreement with for the arrangement that you desire to make in connection with the Exhibition at Montreal. Yes we shall go in a batch for performing the Kirtana ceremony both in the exhibition pandal as well as in the University Hall and you can arrange in that way. Here things are improving and people in New York taking in importance the Kirtana movement. The enclosed papers and newspaper cutting will give you an idea. We have already published some new literatures namely Krishna Reservoir of All Pleasure, Who is Crazy? Introduction to Bhagavad-gita, Back to Godhead, etc and our Society is coming in prominence daily. We are just trying to purchase a property in New York at $90000.00 and the students are taking the responsibility. Thus I think there is good prospect for this Society being a World organization and you must try to have a centre at Montreal as soon as possible. Under separate post parcel I am sending you all the above newly published literatures and I shall request you to enlist as many subscribers for Back to Godhead Magazine because we have to submit at least 200 subscribers names to the postal authorities for getting the concessional rates. I am glad to learn that you are chanting regularly and I hope you are gradually getting some enlightenment in Krsna Consciousness. Our path is genuine sublime and easy. So there must be an world wide organization for pushing the movement in the Human society so much afflicted by material advancement only. This is only medium to save the people from ruination. As my representative you can see Mr. Luthra and arrange things as you think best. Whatever arrangement you will make on behalf of the Society will be accepted by us. I understand that you have done some French rendition of my writings including the essay which you have taken with you. I have now about 150 sets of Bhagavatam with me. Please let me know if you have already sold the sets that you have taken from here. Hope you are well with my good wishes for you and your wife. Yours affectionately A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Janis **Date:** December 10th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Janis Dambergs311 Saint Louis Square Montreal, 18, Quebec Canada My dear Janis, I am so glad to receive your kind letter, dated November 30, 1966, with enclosure of $50.00 on account for my books. Thank you very much. Just on receipt of your letter, I have already sent you, through the Railway Express Company, the following books and literatures:18 sets Srimad-Bhagavatam25 copies Krishna the Reservoir of Pleasure—25 cents25 copies Who Is Crazy?—25 cents40 copies Introduction to Gitopanisad—35 cents40 copies Back to Godhead (#1)—15 cents35 copies Back to Godhead (#2)—15 cents35 copies Back to Godhead (#3)—15 centsI am so glad to hear that you are now married. I pray Krishna that you may live henceforward happily as a householder, without thinking of a separation from your wife. According to Vedic wisdom, a good wife is a great assistant for material and spiritual prosperity. Even if there is some deficiency, you should try to correct it without thinking in the Westernized way. I hope your wife may be taking interest in your chanting Sankirtana and reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. As she has become your life's companion, it is your duty to induce her, peacefully, in the matter of spiritual advancement of life. Material bodily conditions may be taken as secondary. Your primary occupation should be Krishna Consciousness. I am sorry to learn that you have lost some money, to the extent of $350, and that you are involved in some court case. In the future, as far as possible, try to avoid such entanglements. Of course, Krishna will save you if you are forced to be so entangled. Now you can distribute the books and the paper, Back to Godhead, to the best of your capacity, and if you require more, we shall be glad to send them. When you send the remittance, please also send separate accounts for the books and the other literatures. I think I shall be engaged in California during January and February. So, April and May will be quite suitable for me to go to Montreal. To go at both times will not be possible. If, however, I do not go to California, then I shall write to you. I thank your father for his remembering me, and if I meet him sometime, I shall not disclose your wedding, rest assured. Please send me your news at least twice in a month. Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Enclosure: 1 ### Letter to Madhava Maharaja **Date:** August 1st 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Sripada Madhava Maharaja, Please accept my humble dandabats and I hope everything is going well in respect of your holiness health and preaching work. I hope that you are aware of the correspondence which I had been exchanging with Sriman Brahmacari Mangalaniloy and you also know it that I am desiring to get him here in United States of America for my assistance. You may also know that I am trying to construct a Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York specially and I was trying to get exchange from the Government of India. I am very sorry to inform you that the Government of India Finance Ministry has expressed its inability to sanction Exchange Release from India but the Indian Embassy in America at Washington W.C. has directly sanctioned to raise funds from the Indian residents in America and directly from the American citizens. The American Foundations do not contribute anything to any institution or organization if it is not properly incorporated by law of the land. So far I have knowledge of the Indian residents in America they are mostly engaged in local educational or Indian Government service in the Embassy. Therefore there is very little hope to get from them any substantial help for the proposed temple construction which will require some millions of dollars. But if the Americans take the matter very seriously there are many Foundations one of them alone can contribute such amount. I have therefore very recently incorporated one organization very recently (within a fortnight past) under the name of INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS (Incorporated in U.S.A.) The Trustees of this organization are all American gentlemen headed by one of the leading lawyers of New York Mr. Steven J. Goldsmith B.Sc. M.A.B.L. who comes regularly in my weekly classes and chants the Mahamantra very devoutly. Now the chance for preaching the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the western countries like America and Europe is practically established and if the organization is properly managed I am sure there will be no dearth of financial facilities from the American citizens. But still I think this organization should have cooperation from all countries of the world specially of India and more specially from the Gaudiya Vaisnavas who are pledged to take the responsibility of preaching Caitanya cult in every village and town of the world. I am therefore inviting the first cooperation from my Godbrothers in this great adventure. I am very much hopeful of success of the attempt and I am seeking your good consultation if it is possible to have full sympathetic cooperation of my Godbrothers in India in this adventure. Sriman Brahmacari Mangalaniloy has already agreed to come here to assist me fully but I wish that each and every one of the different Gaudiya Math organizations may kindly send one person respectively to work under my direction in these foreign countries and thus become individually a member of the international organization abovementioned. The qualification of such intending candidates must be that he must be able to speak in English or be well versed in playing khol or singing. If one is qualified with all the above qualifications it is very good otherwise he must be qualified at least one of them. So far their coming here I shall take all the responsibility for passage and maintenance. Would kindly consider this proposal immediately and let me know your decision per return of post?[TEXT MISSING]for this cooperation programme. Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do everything in complete cooperation and thus I am inclined to have full cooperation in this great attempt of preaching in the foreign countries. All the camps of our various camps may at least cooperate in the matter of special activities and I may be able to provide any number of men who may be now inclined to come here and work under my direction. There is great possibility of Lord Caitanya's cult being preached amongst the younger section of the Americans and some of them are hearing me very seriously to accept the philosophy. Our men in the ideal line of activities chalked out by Srila Prabhupada will be great help to me and the persons who are now seriously attending my classes. Awaiting to hear from you as early as possible with the list names of the persons who will come here from different camps. I am asking people here to practice Krishna consciousness through music dance philosophy science religion and distribution of Prasadam. I am asking them to become freed from all sorts of anxieties by practicing the transcendental sound vibration of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare etc and I am asking them to join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness Inc. My classes are being held thrice a week in the evening between 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Hope you are wellYours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mangalaniloy Brahmacari **Date:** May 16th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Brahmacari Mangalaniloy, Please accept my hearty greetings for your letter of the 11th instant and I have noted the contents very carefully. Your strong desire to come to western countries is very laudable because Srila Prabhupada had a great hope to preach the gospel of Sri Rupa and Raghunath in these parts of the world. At the same time there is a great prospect for preaching the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this part of the world. The Americans have very great regard for Oriental culture and philosophy and taking advantage of this opportunity many so called oriental men of wisdom have exploited their sentiments simply for the matter of livelihood. Since I have come to this country I have traveled many parts of the country specially in Butler, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Monroe etc and everywhere I have seen that the people in general have great respect for oriental culture and mostly they are attached to the gymnastic process of the Hatha Yoga system. But the system of Bhakti-yoga will be very much appreciable to them if we could open a centre here in New York. With this aim in view I tried my godbrothers to join together for this preaching work in the foreign countries by combined force. I tried first Kesava Maharaja, then Bon Maharaja and then Tirtha Maharaja but I have failed to get any cooperation from either of them till now and therefore when I was just arranging to go back to India to try for myself it is a great omen to receive your encouraging letter under reply. I know you well and I think once we met at Vrindaban some 8 to 9 years before and I took Prasadam in your then Matha behind the Ranganatha Temple. Perhaps you saw my paper also Back to Godhead. I think if you come at all you should come here with a tangible programme and it is encouraging to note that you wish to work under me by full cooperation. You will be glad to learn that Sir Padampat Singhania of Kanpur was approached by me in correspondence, as he was known to me before, to erect a Radhakrishna Temple in New York and he has agreed to take up the work very nicely provided there is sanction of Indian exchange. Srila Tirtha Maharaja promised me all help to get this exchange sanctioned by seeing the President and the Finance Minister as he is supposed to have some influence over them. This correspondence is going on since January 1966 with Sripada Tirtha Maharaja but his last letter appears to me very disappointing. Now He asks me to go back to India and try for the sanction with his joint effort from the Deputy Controller of Exchange in Calcutta. Srila Tirtha Maharaja has definitely assured me that the exchange will be sanctioned on submission of plans and expenditure of the proposed temple. But I am not very much encouraged to have this information. I therefore beg to request you to enquire immediately from the Deputy Controller of Exchange, Control Depart. Reserve Bank of India Calcutta. Please take definite information about this and if the information is correct as per statement of Srila Tirtha Maharaja then let me know the procedure to be followed in this connection. This very important item of my foreign travel. If we can open one centre in New York there is great potency for opening other centres also not only in America but also in Europe, Japan, China and many other places just to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is purely cultural programme for spreading the Hindu culture and if the Hindus have no such scope for spreading their culture then what is the meaning of independence? These points are to be raised and I think there must be some provision for such cultural propaganda because the Government has its own cultural ministry and they are spending millions and billions for this purpose. Please try for this first and foremost and if we are successful in getting the sanction then other things will follow automatically on this cultural programme. I hope you will follow the idea because you have done so many practical work in the mission. I want to know simply whether the Deputy Controller of Exchange is actually in power to sanction such exchange as to open Hindu temples etc in the foreign countries. I understand that Sripada Madhava Maharaja also sometimes goes to see the President and therefore he must be very well acquainted by such occasional visits. I think he can also help me in this connection. Anyway let us cooperate in this connection for some tangible work. Not only your good self but also many others from India are prepared to come here to assist me but I think casual visit to this country will not do. We must have some centre of activity either by establishing a temple of our line of action or by establishing an organization like Ramakrishna Mission for this cultural work. Anyway your voluntary offer for cooperation is very welcome and I take it for Srila Prabhupada's help in this great adventure. If I shall remain here for some time more, surely I shall call you as desired by you provided you work in cooperation with me fully. Personally I can take the sponsoring for you in the month of September 1966 but my Visa period will end on the 30th June 1966. So if I see circumstances favorable I shall try to extend my Visa for the required period otherwise I shall return to India after the above date. My staying will now depend on your good cooperation in India for the present. In the meantime I am trying also here what can be done. The idea of preaching here and in India is completely different. Here you cannot make any collection whatsoever. At the same time the expenditure too heavy. I am paying here rent 100 dollars per month which means 500 rupees in our Indian exchange. Besides that my expenditure is daily four dollars two persons. Mr. Paul is whole devoted to my work. But we are getting some contribution by our meetings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when we perform Sankirtana discourses on Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam as is our usual programme. If you come it will be great help for me provided you agree to work under me. More in my next. Hope you are well and awaiting your early reply. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mangalaniloy Brahmacari **Date:** June 11th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Sriman Brahmacari Mangalaniloy > c/o messrs. Bhajanlal Srinivasa > P.O. Shillong, Assam > INDIA My dear Brahmacari Mangalaniloy, I thank you very much for your kind letter of the 3rd inst and I am glad to understand that you are serious for joining me in my great adventure for preaching the message of Rupa Raghunath in these parts of the world. I am confident to see fulfillment of Lord Caitanya's mission in every corner of the world. His Divine Grace wanted this mission to be fructified during His presence but He was so much disappointed in the last days of His life for many of His follower's indisciplinary activities. I do not know how far I shall be successful in this attempt but I am trying my best to do this job as He wanted me to do. If your Guru Maharaja Sripada Madhava Maharaja fully cooperate with me in this adventure I am confident to come out successful in my attempt. You have asked me to correspond with him but as he is always in preaching activities it is better you open the negotiation first with him and if he agrees to help me and cooperate with me in the matter of preaching work in the foreign countries, it will be great encouragement for me. Up till now I am working alone without any cooperation of any one of my Godbrothers and it is the first time that you have voluntarily extended your hand to cooperate with me in full spirit. May Srila Prabhupada bestow His Divine Grace upon you. I have already decided to get you here to help me and I am trying my best for your "No objection Certificate" as well as free passage to this country. Most probably you shall be requisitioned by the end of July next and be prepared for this. I want also another assistant who can play Khola very nicely. If you have got anybody in view you may also arrange for his coming here and I shall arrange for him also. If so please immediately send his name and address so that I shall try for his No objection certificate also. While coming here I shall require you to bring with you the following articles namely: (1) Two first class mrdangas (2) Ten pairs of first class karatalas (3) One first class Harmonium (4) one first class Tanpura (5) Four pairs of Ghungar for dancing. Regarding the construction of the Temple here in New York and in other places, I have now decided to struggle for it to the end of my life and I am glad that you have decided to follow my instruction in this connection. I think I shall be able to finish this Job even if the Government of India does not allow me any exchange. I am now trying to incorporate one corporation of the local friends and admirers under the name INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS INC Negotiation is going on with the Lawyer to formulate the scheme and as soon as this is incorporated I shall submit application for sponsoring you in this country. There is enough money in this country and for temple we may not require to get exchange from India. The only thing is the people of this country must know that this is very important work and by such conviction enough money could be raised from the local people. I hope when you will come I shall get your full cooperation in this connection. Henceforward write in English language. Here English language is very much essential so try to have it practiced fluently. You are educated and it will not be difficult for you. There is another impediment for my staying here. My publication work is suspended. You know I have already published three volumes of my Srimad-Bhagavatam and further copies are ready for printing. Please let me know if your establishment can take charge of publishing these books or can manage the publication in my absence. Due to my absence from India the publication is stopped and therefore it disturbs my mind. This publication work is my main function. So at any rate I cannot stop it. I can stop my foreign activities but I cannot stop my publication work. Please let me know if there is any possibility of your institution to look after these affairs during my absence. You have asked me to write something about Mr Paul. He is a young man of twenty three years old. He was attending my class at 72nd St. along with others and when there was theft case in my room he invited me to his residence. So I am with him and training him. He has good prospect because he has already given up all so called bad habits. In these country illicit connection with women, smoking, drinking and eating of meats are common affairs besides that other habits like using toilet papers after evacuating etc. But by my request he has given up 90% of his old habits and he is chanting Mahamantra regularly. So I am giving him the chance and I think he is improving. Tomorrow I have arranged for some Prasad distribution and he has gone to purchase some things from the market in the car of a friend. I shall inform him about you when he comes back. Here we have got a big hall and my classes are going on thrice in a week. The rent is $100.00 per month. I think when you come here we shall be able to organize the things more nicely. Please be in regular correspondence with me and offer my respects to Sripada Madhava Maharaja and if possible let me know if there is any possibility of our cooperation in this attempt of foreign propaganda. If so kindly let me know your opinion in this connection. Hope you are all doing well and with my good wishes I am Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Please let me know the price of two [TEXT MISSING] and shall send you cheque on Calcutta bank. ACB ### Letter to Mangalaniloy Brahmacari **Date:** June 23rd 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Brahmacari Mangalniloy, Please accept my dandabats. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 16th instant and have noted the contents carefully. Please let me know if I will have to send you money for the articles like Mrdanga etc. If so kindly let me know the respective price. In your first letter dated June 3, 1966 you had to inform me that you had already advised Sri Jagamohon Prabhu to see the Deputy Controller of Exchange Calcutta but I have not heard anything about it. Please note that this work is very important and I have already submitted my application to the Finance Ministry of the Government of India through the Indian Embassy here in America. The Indian Embassy at Washington has acknowledged receipt of my application as follows: "Prakash Shah Second Secretary Embassy of India Washington D.C. dated June 9, 1966. Letter No. Con. 63(1)/66. Dear Mr. Swami, This is to acknowledge your letter dated May 28, 1966. Your application for release of Foreign Exchange has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Yours sincerely Sd/Prakash Shah" Now I would request you to see the Finance Minister or the President immediately and get the Exchange sanctioned. There is provision for such exchange sanction but it requires special sanction from the Finance Ministry. So we have to convince only the Finance Minister that for spreading the culture of Bhagavad-gita or the science of Krishna Consciousness this cultural propaganda from India's side has to be done. I have already explained the matter in my application but if yourself or Sripada Madhava Maharaja sees the Finance Minister immediately, I am sure the Exchange will be released. I have already informed you that the donor Sir Padampat Singhania is ready to spend any amount for constructing a nice Indian architectural temple in New York and why not take this opportunity for spreading the mission of Srila Prabhupada. Sripada Madhava Maharaja is known to the President because sometimes before His Holiness saw the President in New Delhi. I requested for this to Sripada Bon Maharaja but he has declined, I requested Sripada Tirtha Maharaja and at first he promised see the President and the Finance Minister but later on he is trying to avoid it. So I have to request Sripada Madhava Maharaja through you for this most important work to see the President and the Finance Minister immediately with reference to my application as it is acknowledged by the Embassy of India in Washington. You have written to say in your letter under reply that you want to join first with me then talk with Sripada Maharaja about cooperation otherwise your journey to this country may be cancelled by him. I could not follow the import of this proposal. Do you think that cooperation with me prior to your joining me here is not possible? Why this mentality. Is it my private business? Srila Prabhupada wanted to construct some temples in the Foreign countries as preaching centres of the message of Srila Rupa Raghunatha and I am trying to do this in this part of the world. The money is ready and the opportunity is open. If by seeing the Finance Minister this work can be facilitated why should we wait for time so that you cannot talk with your Guru maharaj about any cooperation because you afraid of your journey here may be cancelled. Please do not think in that way. Take everything as Srila Prabhupada's work and try to cooperate in that spirit. The Gaudiya Math institution has failed. . . . So far your dress is concerned, I think you will require several suits for visiting gentlemen here. As a sannyasi I cannot take suits and boots but you are brahmacari so you can accept such gentlemanly dress. Regarding the mrdanga player, if you think that he is REALLY expert as it should be, then he may come even though he does not know English. We may engage him so many other things. Please send me immediately one copy of Panjika and a copy of Satkriya Sarartha Dipika of Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Hope you are all well and awaiting your early reply. Once more I may request you to cooperate with me in full spirit. Do not think for a moment that my interest is different from that of your Guru Maharaja. We are executing the will of Srila Prabhupada according to our own capacity. But combined effort would have been by far more better. Yours affly., A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mangalaniloy Brahmacari **Date:** July 16th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Brahmacari Mangalaniloy, I thank you for your letter of the 8th instant and have noted the contents. Please note my change of address as above mentioned. I have further risked in the matter of rent of the house. I was paying Mr. Murray $100.00 but I was not independent there. Here the rent is $200.00 per month but I am completely independent and that I have taken a telephonic connection. My lecture hall is on the ground floor and my apartment is on the first floor. This Second Avenue is one of the ten longest roads of the New York city. Regarding the temple project I have just received the reply from the Embassy of India in America as follows: (D/July 11, 1966) "Please refer to your application regarding release of foreign Exchange from the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Due to existing conditions of foreign exchange stringency, it is not possible for the Government of India to accede to your request for release of foreign exchange. You may perhaps you like to raise necessary funds from residents in America" So the controversy is now closed and there is no need of help from any one else. We are not always successful in our attempts in preaching work but such failures are not certainly ludicrous. In the Absolute field both success and failures are glorious. Even Lord Nityananda pretended to be a failure to convert Jagai and Madhai in the first attempt, rather he was personally injured in such attempt but that was certainly not ludicrous. The whole thing was transcendental and it was glorious for all the parties concerned. It is however very difficult to raise funds from the Indian residents in America. My followers here are 99% Americans. But Indian Government has taken written declaration from me that I shall not collect any fund from the Americans. So unless I do get such permission I think I will have to return to India disappointed to live at Vrindaban peacefully for the remaining days of my life. Regarding the Jhansi incidence referred to by your Guru maharaj I may inform you that the donor of the house did not like to hand over the estate to any individual person. I therefore registered a society (The League of Devotees) and I invited your Guru maharaj to join it as the head man. But he, as he was with the then Kunjada desired to have the property in the joint name of him and Kunjada. So I became silent and I left the whole scheme. Let us now forget all these past incidences and go forward with present responsibility. My future activities will now depend on the reply of the Indian Embassy whom I have asked for permission to raise funds from the American people. On hearing from them I shall let you know the result. Hope you are well. When you are coming back to Calcutta? Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Ministry of Finance (India) **Date:** May 28th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Ministry of Finance > Department of Economic Affairs > Government Of India > New Delhi > THROUGH: THE INDIAN EMBASSY > WASHINGTON D.C Dear Sirs, Re: Release of Exchange for erecting a cultural Institution of Radha Krishna Temple in New York for preaching the cult of Krishna philosophy as revealed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad-gita. With reference to the above I beg to inform you that I am a Vaisnava Sannyasi in the line of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In pursuance of the cult of Love of Krishna philosophy as propounded in the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, I have come to America to preach the cultural mission. My translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (published in three volumes first canto) is recognized by the Government of India both central and states education department. Here in America also my book is approved by the State Library of Congress Washington, the Public Library and many universities. Since I have come to America in the last year (September 1965) I have traveled many parts of the country and some of the local papers have published articles on me and they have designated me as the Ambassador of Bhaktiyoga. At present I am staying in New York at the above address and my American friends and admirers are hearing from me about my cultural mission and attending my Kirtana class as well as discourses on the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I therefore want to establish a permanent establishment of Radha Krishna Temple and I am very glad to inform you that Sir Padampat Sighania of Kanpur has agreed to spend any amount for erecting an Indian architectural Temple in New York for this great cultural mission of India. I am enclosing herewith the copies of the letters received from Sri Padampat Sighania. I had to approach the Exchange Control Department of Reserve Bank of India and the reply which I have received from the Controller is also enclosed herewith please find. My cultural mission as I have tried to explain in my books Srimad-Bhagavatam has been highly appreciated by all responsible quarters in India including the Late Prime Minister Lal Bhadur Shastri. The All India Congress Committee has reviewed my books in the following words: "At a time when not only the people of India but those of the West need the chastening quality of Love and Truth in the corrupting atmosphere of hate and hypocrisy, a work like this will have corrective influence. What is God? He is truth, He is love. Even an atheist must accept the supremacy of those qualities and how much they are needed by the people of the world who have been taught to deny God and these qualities do not require much emphasis." "The author has attempted a tremendous task . . . A perusal will give us in sample measure a knowledge of the original. The essence of Srimad-Bhagavatam is the exposition of the Absolute Truth, for an understanding of Absolute Truth we would recommend this book." Mr. N.C. Chatterji M.P. and the late President of the Hindu Mahasabha writes "You have done a first class work and you deserve the hearty commendation of every Indian and every Hindu. Your deep and penetrating study of the subject and your philosophic insight are reflected in this work. . . . You a are doing a great service to the cause of humanity." So this is a cultural mission for enlightenment of the entire human society and New York is the best centre for distributing such cultural knowledge because it is the Head Quarter of the United Nations. We shall erect such a nice cultural Hall and Temple and everything is ready at this opportune moment. Kindly therefore give your sanction for this noble and sublime activities of Indian original culture still going strong. His Excellency Dr. Radhakrishnan the President of India knows me personally and if need be you can take reference from him about me. Kindly help me by your early sanction of release of Exchange and I shall await your favorable reply per return of post with interest. Thanking you in anticipation, Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mr. A. B. Hartman **Date:** January 14th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Mr. A. B. Hartman > New York City Dear Sir, Re: Your House 143 W. 72nd Street for sale. Please accept my greetings. Perhaps you may know me by my name because I am in correspondence with Mr. Baum of Messrs. Phillips, Wood Dolson Inc. in connection with your house at 143 W. 72nd Street. As I do not know your office address so I contacted by phone Mrs Hartman and she was very kind to talk with me. I have already left with me a paper on my mission for which I wanted the place. The thing is that Government of India is very strict in getting money from India for expenditure in foreign country. But because the Prime Minister was due to come here and he was personally known to me, I expected to get his special sanction for this purpose and the copy of the letter which I sent him is also enclosed herewith for your reference. Now the Prime Minister Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri is suddenly dead and I am greatly perplexed. I do not know whether you have read the paper left with Mrs. Hartman and therefore I am again enclosing a second copy of the same for your kind perusal. The cause is very great and the best advantage of the activity will be enjoyed by the Americans. As there is now great difficulty for getting money from India therefore I am requesting you to allow me the place for use of the International Institution For God consciousness at least for some time. The house is lying vacant for so many days without any use and I learn it that you are paying the taxes insurance and other charges for the house although you have no income from there. If you however allow this place for this public institution you shall at least save the taxes and other charges which you are paying now for nothing. If I can start the institution immediately certainly I shall be able to get sympathy locally and in that case I may not be required to get money from India. I am also requesting your honour to become one of the Directors of this public institution because you will give a place to start the institution. Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply. Yours very sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Enclosures: 4 ### Letter to Mr. Dharwadkar **Date:** November 26th 1966 — **Location:** New York > The Universal Book House Sita Bhavan, Tulsipipe Road Dadar, Bombay-28, India Dear Mr. Dharwadkar, Please accept my greetings. Kindly refer to your letter of the 26th February 1966.If you have not been able to sell all the books left with you for sale, you may kindly return the books toSrimati Morarji (Sumati) of Scindia House Dougall Road, Ballard State, Bombay. Or if you think you shall be able to sell them you can keep the books on sales account and in that case you will please immediately hand over two sets of Book (Srimad-Bhagavatam) to Srimati Sumati Morarji as abovementioned and oblige. I shall be glad to receive from you a statement of account for Books sold and amount deposited with the BankKindly treat this as urgent and oblige. Awaiting your early reply and thanking you in anticipation. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mr. Dharwarkar **Date:** February 16th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Messrs. Universal Book House > Sita Sadan Top Floor > Tulsi Pipe Road, Dadar > Bombay -28 Dear Mr. Dharwarkar, Please accept my greetings. Since I came to America I have not heard anything from you. Hope everything is well with you and your business. I shall be glad to hear from you about the progress of the sale of my books Srimad-Bhagavatam entrusted to you. I shall be glad to know if the sales proceeds have been deposited with my bank account as follows: Savings Bank Account: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- No. 4966 with Bank of Baroda Limited Reclamation Branch Sachivalaya, Bombay-1 Due to my absence from India the printing works are suspended and now I wish to begin it again on hearing from you. The thing is that I am trying here to establish one Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and one big industrialist of India has promised to pay for the cost. But there is difficulty of Indian exchange. So I am trying to get the exchange sanctioned through some friends in India and if I get the sanction then I shall remain here for many more days. So in my absence I wish that you may take charge of selling the books in India. Please let me know if there is any possibility of your taking such charge. So far my experience is concerned this publication can be introduced in all colleges and universities of India. If you have successfully worked out the business in your own Maharastra province as it is recommended by the Director of Education, then it will be possible for you also for other provinces. In Rajasthan and Delhi it is already recommended and similarly it could be recommended in all other provinces. If you have not as yet deposited the sales proceeds kindly do it now immediately on receipt of this letter because I have to pay to the Press wala before beginning the 4th, 5th and the 6th parts at once. Also please let me know if you can take charge of the sale for whole of India. If you take up then I shall not negotiate with others because in my absence some body must take charge of the sale otherwise what shall I do simply by printing. Kindly therefore treat this letter as urgent and reply it per return of post so that I can do the needful. Thanking you in anticipation. Yours truly, A.C. Bhaktivedanta swami ### Letter to Mr. I. N. Wankawala **Date:** June 11th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Sri I. N. Wankawala > Scindia Steam Navigation Co Ltd > Central Bank Buildings, > Netaji Subhas Road, > Calcutta-1 Dear Mr. Wankawala, Please accept my greetings. Since I have left India I did not hear from you and I hope everything is well with you. My preaching work is going on nicely. The Americans are taking interest in the matter of Bhakti cult of Sankirtana movement. I am holding classes of Sankirtana and discourses on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and I very glad to inform you that they are chanting the holy name of God "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare" with great devotion. There is some attempt for opening one Radha Krishna Temple in New York and Sir Padampat Sighania of Kanpur has promised to build up the temple. I am trying for the Indian Exchange sanction and if it is sanctioned, I hope one temple of Sri Sri Radhakrishna will be first built in New York. I am also trying for the temple otherwise if the Exchange is not sanctioned. I have received one letter from Srimati Sumatiji Baisaheba dated the 11th April 1966 in which she writes amongst other things as follows: ". . . Regarding free passage to be provided to your men from India to New York on our ships, kindly note that these gentlemen will have to obtain permission from the Reserve Bank of India and therefore I suggest that you please request them to complete the P form formalities and thereafter please ask them to contact Sri I.N. Wankawala of our Calcutta Office whom I am advising suitably." "As regards equipment for the temple such as Mrdanga for Sankirtana, also I am advising Sri Wankawala to allow freight free shipment on our vessels. You may therefore advise those concerned to contact him for this purpose. I may add that for shipment from Cochin also Sri Wankawala of our Calcutta office should be contacted and he will do the needful." I hope you have duly received instruction from your Bombay office regarding the instructions of Baisaheba and I am arranging my men (Sankirtana Party) to come here by the end of July with Mrdanga etc for advancing the missionary work here. Some of my goods are lying in Delhi and I wish to get them here. Please let me know where the goods should be sent either to Cochin or to Calcutta. Of course from Delhi Calcutta is nearer than Cochin. Kindly therefore reply this letter per return of post and I will do the needful regarding the above. By the by I may enquire if you are reading my Book Srimad-Bhagavatam and shall be glad to hear from you about your reaction. Hope you are well and awaiting your early reply. Yours sincerely A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Mr. K. B. Mehta **Date:** October 3rd 1966 — **Location:** New York > Mr. K. B. Mehta Assistant Manager Scindia Steam Navigation Company Central Bank Building33 Netaji Subhas Road Calcutta 1, India My Dear Mr. Mehta, Kindly refer to your letter dated 27th June, 1966. Now, immediately, some foods are to be dispatched from Delhi and Calcutta on my account to New York. You have written to say that the goods should be cleared and passed by the customs under a certain bill. But I do not know who will take charge of clearing these goods and getting them passed by the customs house. If you will, therefore, let me know the name of your clearing agent in Calcutta then I can send the railway receipt to him so that he can clear the goods from railway station and forward to your boat or your ship, and I'm prepared to pay for clearing and forwarding charges. In the meantime, Swami Bhakti Vilas Tirtha of Caitanya Research Institute of 71 B Rash Behari Avenue may send you some goods for forwarding. Please arrange to receive the goods and forward to New York by any one of your freighters. And also let me know by return of post your authorized clearing and forwarding agent. Also let me know whether the goods sent from Delhi may be booked for Calcutta or Cochin port. You can let me know whichever is convenient so that I shall advise my man in Delhi to follow your instruction. You can send a copy of reply of this letter to my agent at Mathura. His address is as follows, Swami B. V. Narayana Maharaja, Kesabji Gaudiya Matha, Kanstila, P. O. Mathura, India. My best regards, for you allSwami A.C. Bhaktivedanta ### Letter to Mr. Prakash Shah **Date:** July 16th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Mr. Prakash Shah > Second Secretary > Embassy of India > Washington D.C Dear Mr. Shah, I thank you for your letter No. Con63 (1)66 of the 11th instant and it is understood that I may raise the necessary funds from the residents of America. Would you please send me a list of the Indian residents in America and oblige. I may also inform you that my followers here, who come regularly and enjoy my Kirtana and discourses on the Bhagavad-gita,—are all citizens of America. Whether I may also raise funds from them. Kindly reply this letter per return of post so that I may do the needful. Also note my change of address as above mentioned. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Nripen Babu **Date:** December 15th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Sri Nripendra Natha Banerji Late Principal of Kanyakubja College Elliot Road. Birpur My dear Nripen Babu, Kindly accept my greetings and blessings of Sri Sri Radha Damodara Dev Thakura. I hope everything is going well with you. Since I came to America I desired to write you letter several times but I forgot your address. I wrote several letters to your brother at Vrindaban but I have received no reply from him. I do not know why. I am therefore writing to you although I do not definitely your address. I do not know whether you will receive this letter and still I hope this will reach you and I hope you will kindly reply this letter promptly. Since I have come to America in September 1965, I have traveled many parts of the country specially Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Butler, Slippery Rock, Monroe, Boston and now I am situated in New York the biggest city in the world. I have started a small Ashram at the above address and young American students are taking very great interest in the philosophy of Vaisnavism based on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. My books are selling here and I have published many small books also since I have come here. My fortnightly magazine "Back to Godhead" is also being regularly published and my lectures and kirtana have been recorded in Phonograph. The important papers have given me publicity and things are growing nicely. I have established a Society here under the name and style INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS INC and the Trustees of this society are all American and my disciples. They are going purchasing house in New York and as soon as the house is purchased I shall establish in New York a Temple of SRI SRI RADHA KRISHNA for the first time. Sir Padampat Singhania of your city of Kanpur was ready to spend lakhs of rupees for this temple in New York but Govt. of India did not sanction exchange from India. So I am trying locally to start the temple and most probably I shall be successful to start one not only in New York but also one in California and the other in Montreal (Canada) in both cities there are my disciples who are already working there. I hope you will be pleased to learn about considerable success in my preaching activities. Now one thing I beg to draw your attention is the Rupanuga Para Vidya Pitha which I wanted to start in Vrindaban within the vicinity of Radha Damodara Mandir. If it is possible to get some vacant land for constructing the building. My American students are ready to spend for this and I think if you give some land on lease terms, then I can immediately begin the work. Perhaps you may remember that when I first came to your temple, this was my proposal and both yourself and Gauracandra Goswami agreed to this. Later on when I wanted to do the work your brother indirectly declined. So I did not attempt any thing. Now I am serious about this building and if you so desire you can give me some land on lease terms. Of course there is ample land in Vrindaban to start this institution, but my aim is to start it in the land of Sri Sri Radha Damodara Temple which I think is very good for every one concerned. I want to start a nice International Institute at the place of Srila __ Goswami is silent on this point and therefore I am writing to you. The idea is very good and I hope you will appreciate it. Any way it is up to you to accept the proposal or reject it but I shall be glad to hear from you about your honest opinion on this. My mission is develop the glories of Srila Jiva Goswami all over the world and I think you should cooperate with my honest endeavour. Kindly reply this letter promptly if you receive it. I shall be glad to hear about your sons. Specially your youngest son. How he is feeling in the absence of his beloved mother. I hope you are taking proper care of the boy. He is very intelligent. If you so desire I can help him in getting education in some of the American institutions for being great scholar in any line. Thanking you in anticipation and awaiting your early reply. Hope you are well. With my regards I beg to remain, Yours very sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ACBS/sdncc: --- I do not wish to disturb the position of the sevaits of Radha Damodara Temple, but simply if I am given the facility to live there with my disciples, it will be my pleasure to serve Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Damodara to my best capacity. Now it is up to you all sevaits to decide on this fact. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Nripendra Natha BanerjeeMathuram Goswami ### Letter to Panchu **Date:** October 11th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Panchu, Since I have come to America I have not heard anything from you. In the beginning I had to write two or three letter to your revered father, but I did not receive any reply from him. I therefore did not write him again and still I am anxious to hear about you all. Please therefore let me know how are you all. How is your mother and Bahuma, your wife, and how is your father. I hope everything is alright with you by Grace of Sri Sri Radha Damodara Jeu. Please reply this letter per return post as well as please let me know if you are receiving Rs 5/- per month regularly from the Punjab National Bank Ltd at Vrndavana. I am anxious to know about it. At Gopinatha Bazar almost in front of Mahaprabhu's Temple, there is a Bengali gentleman's shop for selling Pan and pictures. I want one dozen each of Sri Radha Krsna and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu dancing with His associate pictures. Please ask him what is the price. Whether he can send these pictures by post to my above American address. On hearing from you I shall send you the money either to the above shop keeper or to you as you write to me. How is Sarojini and other devotees of the temple. Besides this, you may ask your father whether he is still interested in the matter of starting the Rupanuga Para Vidya Pitha in the land he proposed to give me on lease terms. Perhaps you remember this proposal. When I first came to your temple you measured the land yourself. Now if your father is agreeable to the proposal, the construction of the buildings can now be taken up and my American disciples are ready to spend for the proposed building of Sri Rupanuga Para Vidya Pitha. If your father decides to give me any other land within the compound of Sri Sri Radha Damodara Ji Temple for the above building that also can be accepted. If so please open correspondence in this connection and I shall place the matter to my American disciples for consideration . They are eager to do something at Vrndavana according to my direction. Now here is the opportunity to reconstruct the temple compound of Sri Sri Radha Damodara Jeu. So I shall be very glad to hear from you or your father in reply to this letter and I am thanking you in anticipation. Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Reserve Bank of India **Date:** April 30th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Chief Controller of Exchange > Control Department > Reserve Bank of India > New Delhi, INDIA Dear Sir, I beg to inform you that I am a Vaisnava Sannyasi in the line of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In pursuance of the cult of Love of Godhead as propounded by Lord Caitanya 500 years before, I have come to America to preach the same cultural mission on the principles of the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. My translation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam (published in three volume first canto) is recognized by the Government of India both central and the states. Here in America also the same publication is approved by the State Library of Congress in Washington, New York Public Library, the Philadelphia University and many other institutions. Arrangement is also being attempted to get an American Edition of this publication as well as editing my paper "Back to Godhead". Since I have come to America in the last year (September 1965) I have traveled many parts of the country. Some of the local papers has published articles about me and they have designated me as the "AMBASSADOR OF BHAKTIYOGA". At present I am staying in New York city at the above address and holding my classes on the culture of musical ki rtana as well as discourses on the cult of devotion (Bhakti) on every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays which are participated by the American Youths, Ladies and Gentlemen. They appreciate the musical mellow very much although they are not conversant with the language. And without understanding the language they give a aural reception to the kirtana in a devout manner. So there is ample prospect for propagating this Indian culture in this country. I want therefore to establish this cultural centre and for this I wish to get some exchange from India. The Government has also its cultural department and as such the Government of India spend a substantial amount in the foreign countries. Similarly I wish to preach this Bhagavati approve culture not only in America but also in other countries outside India. I have already made experiment in this matter and I think there is good prospect for propagating the particular culture of how to love God, all over the world specially in these days of forgetfulness. As I want to open this cultural centre first in New York, I shall be very much obliged if you will kindly me know the procedure in this matter. Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply Yours faithfully, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Salvation Army **Date:** March 5th 1966 — **Location:** New York > Secretary > National Head Quarter of > The Salvation Army > 120-130 West 14th Street > New York, N.Y Dear Sir, I beg to inform you that I am a Vaisnava Sannyasi and I have come from India (Vrindaban U.P.) for establishing a preaching centre in America for the first time in the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. A small literature in this connection is sent herewith for your kind perusal. This Srimad-Bhagavatam is the post graduate study of the Bhagavad-gita and both of them are sciences of Theism. I am seeking your good cooperation in this attempt for developing higher sense of God consciousness. I have got money in India and I wanted to get it from India for starting the above centre but the Government of India has no dollar exchange to pay in America and therefore I have been handicapped in this attempt. My correspondence with the Prime Minister as well as my devotee Sir Padampat Singhania is complete. The latest replies and their copies are also sent herewith for your perusal. I know that you have a great number of centres in India for your missionary work and you spend many thousands of American money in India for your noble activities. If you therefore accept my money in India for spending there and pay me in dollars here in America for my spending here, it will be a great cooperation. I think we should cooperate in every respects in the matter of raising peoples sense of God consciousness in these days of forgetfulness. I am in need of $200,000.00 two hundred thousands of dollars immediately for starting my centre here in New York. If you help me by this amount in exchange of my money in India, it will be considered a Grace of the Lord. Thanking you in anticipation for an early reply, Yours sincerely in the service of the Lord, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Enclosure: 1 ### Letter to Sir Padampat Singhania **Date:** January 20th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Sir Padampat, Please accept my greetings and blessings of Sri Sri Dvarakadhisa Maharaja. With thanks I beg to acknowledge receipt of your kind letter dated 14th January 1966 and I have noted the contents very carefully. The two points of difficulties as shown by you are quite right because without sanction of the Government we cannot proceed a step even in this connection. And as pointed out in my last letter I have full responsibility for this. I was almost certain to get this sanction from our Late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri who was personally known to me in connection with my publication Srimad-Bhagavatam. He was to come here in America and in New York on the 4th of February next and I arranged for an interview with him by negotiation with the local consulate General. The copy of the letter addressed to our late Prime Minister is also enclosed herewith for your perusal. Now as soon as I came to know about the sudden death news of Shastri, I thought of the President Dr. Radhakrishnan as the next man to get the sanction because he is also personally known to me. I have already approached him through some mutual friend to get this sanction and I am awaiting the result sooner or later. And as soon as I hear of the sanction, I shall at once let you know the result. I am very glad to learn it that you wish to construct a Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna with nice architecture and the idea is quite appropriate for a personality of your position. You are a great devotee of Lord Dvarakadhisa traditionally. Lord Dvarakadhisa exhibited His opulence at Dvaraka with sixteen thousands of queen and it is understood that He built up as many palaces for each and every queen and the palaces were so made with jewels and stones that there was no necessity of artificial light in the palaces. So your conception of building temple of Lord Krishna is in opulence. But we our residents of Vrindaban and Vrindaban has no palaces like your Dvaraka. Vrindaban is full of forest and cows on the bank of the Yamuna and Lord Krishna in His childhood played the part of a cow boy without any royal opulence as you people inhabitants of Dvaraka think. So when the Dvarakawalas and the Vrindabanwalas meet there may be a via media. The thing is that the idea of constructing a magnificent Temple in New York quite befitting the first city of the world, will cost you not lakhs but crores. Because here the cost of land and other materials and the labor charges all are fabulous. The labor charges here is not less than 12 dollars a day i.e Rs 60/ per day. Besides that you cannot get a vacant land in the New York city. You have to purchase a constructed house then dismantle it and then construct a Temple of your liking. I know it very well that by Grace of His Lordship Sri Sri Dvarakadhisa and by the mercy of Laksmiji Rukmini devi, your honour is quite competent to spend even crores and crores for this purpose but we must remember the difficulty of Exchange. At this stage of critical hours the Government will hardly allow us to spend such huge amount. If they at all sanction the exchange they may allow for lakhs only and therefore I have suggested the estimate as seven lakhs only. I have in view a very nice building for sale which is just the suitable for a temple to start with. The land of the house is about 19' x 100' and although it is two storied it has a basement under ground and therefore it can be taken as three stories. It is nicely built with air conditioning and heating arrangement with marble staircase brass railings just suitable for a temple. The whole area is about 450 sq. feet and they are asking for 100,000 dollars that is five laks of rupees. And after purchasing the house we can build another story upon it with temple dome and cakra etc. So the estimate is about seven lakhs of rupees and for the present let us start in such way. The place is very important in the city. As your Dvarakadhisa Temple is situated in very important part of the city so this house is also situated in very important part of the mid city. Here in New York city there are three divisions namely the up town the mid town and the down town. The down town is full of business houses and office buildings whereas the down town is inhabited by most employees and middle class of men. The mid town is in between the two and the house I have selected is approachable easily from both sides of the town. The situation is very important on account of stores, subway station, post office, buses, banks everything all at hand's reach. If however cash is paid immediately the owner may come down to lesser price. This is ready building and we can start immediately the Bhagavatam preaching work and worship of the Sri Sri Radha Krishna simultaneously in this house. The house has to be nicely decorated for attracting men and philosophical topics on the basis of the Bhagavatam Philosophy has to be preached for the learned scholars and high grade men. As we get popularity so can get local sympathy for the temple also. And it will be built up step by step and I am sure they will be very glad to receive the message and the training as well if not by all but some of them. The owner of the house is prepared to accept the following terms as I have talked with them. Immediately 20,000 dollars cash and the balance by suitable arrangement of mortgage with 6% interest on the amount I think we may pay him cash outright and reduce the price as far as possible. Now taking for acceptance that Dr. Radhakrishnan will give us the exchange sanction, we have to decide whether to pay outright cash or to accept the proposal of installment. You may decide this in the meantime. And as soon as I receive the news of sanction, I shall let you know. If your man is to come here you may let me know the name and occupation of the persons so that I may arrange for his no objection certificate without which passport will be issued. I will have to find out some sponsor for him otherwise no P form will be issued. So pending the sanction let us be prepared for all these paraphernalia. In the future if circumstances changes, and we get the opportunity for spending more money, at that time we can sell of this or keep it as the circumstances allow. For the present let us begin in this small scale and let be grown up in the natural way. Your honour is a great business magnet and you know better than me. J.K Organization started by your grand father was increased by your father and under your management it has grown more than expectation by the Grace of Dvarakadhisa Maharaja. As the Pandavas were all devotees of Lord Krishna and thus in fields of activities they were victorious in spite much difficulties were put forward before them by the Kurus, similarly you are also always glorious because you and your family all are devotees of Lord Dvarakadhisa. Your good mother is just like Kuntideve. The mission of Bhagavatam with which I have come here is altogether a new thing for the American. Still the most astonishing thing is that whenever and wherever I speak they take it very nicely. That is good sign for them. After my lecture they come to me and offer their thanks for the nice speech and accept the philosophy when they are spoken with human understanding. There is great difference between these people and our Indian people. In India people are automatically taught spiritual life by tradition and these people are automatically taught to be materialistic. They are sincere undoubtedly but because they have no information of the Bhagavatam life, they appear to be different. It is the duty of every Indian to preach the cult of Bhagavatam in every part of the world and your cooperation in this attempt will be highly appreciated by Lord Dvarakadhisa. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita has said that one who helps in the matter of preaching the principles of Bhagavad-gita is the most favorite of the Lord. So this knowledge should be distributed systematically and we Indians specially the Hindus and more specially the Vaisnavites must abide the instruction of Lord Krishna to distribute the knowledge all over the world. America is just in the middle. On one side of America is Europe and on the other side is Asia. So we can expand the Bhagavatam mission both wise. On one side towards England, Germany, Italy etc and on the other side towards China Japan etc. If we sincerely do this work Lord Krishna will help us in so many ways and because you are a sincere devotee of the Lord, you have very kindly responded to my humble call. I am advising my man in Delhi to send you one set of my books (Three Volumes) of Srimad-Bhagavatam English version and I hope you will relish them with great interest. I shall request you to find our some time for it and see it how I have been able to present the Bhagavatam Philosophy for understanding of the common man. Hope you are well and thanking you once more for your good cooperating spirit in the transcendental service of the Lord. Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Enclosure: Copy of the letter addressed to the Prime Minister of India. By air mail ### Letter to Sir Padampat Singhania **Date:** March 18th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Sir Padampat, Please accept my greetings and blessings of Sri Sri Dvarakadhisa Maharaja. I hope by Lord's Grace everything is all right with you. Now as referred to my last letter of January 20 1966, I am very glad to inform you that by the Grace of Lord Dvarakadhisa there is now some definite arrangement for dollar exchange in India. As I told you before the matter was entrusted to two responsible gentlemen in India. One is my godbrother Sripada B.V. Tirtha Maharaja the President of Caitanya Research Institute Calcutta and the other is one influential officer in the All India Congress Committee in New Delhi. Both of them are very responsible men and they are trying very sincerely to their best capacity to get the exchange sanctioned. But till now there is no hopeful signal from both of them. So In the meantime I negotiated with the authorities of the great Missionary organization namely The Salvation Army Inc. The Finance Secretary of the great organization writes as follows in his letter D/14/3/66 "This will acknowledge your letter of March 5,1966, in connection with the possibility of The Salvation Army paying you American dollars and having you release an equivalent amount of Indian currency for The Salvation Army work in India. It is noted that you will need $200,000/- (two hundred thousands dollars) immediately for starting your work in New York." "The Salvation Army in America rarely sends money directly to India . . ." "In the event, however, that an occasion might arise, what would be the basis of the rate of exchange? We understand that there is the official bank rate and there are other rates available to us, which are legal, but which provide more funds in Indian currency than would be provided by the official bank rate." On receipt of the letter from The Salvation Army as quoted above, I saw the Finance Secretary of the very great organization and I talked with him very freely and frankly. I convinced him that our Radhakrishna Temple will be similar missionary preaching centre for God consciousness and there is no question of business profit. We want to spend here for the benefit of the American people as you are spending in India. It is mutual cooperation for spreading the idea of God consciousness in the world when there is very great necessity for it. The usual black market exchange is Rs 7/- per $. But I have convinced him to accept Rs 4.80/ per $ and by the Grace of Lord Dvarakadhisa he has agreed. So the difficulty of exchange as referred to in your letter of 14th January 1966 is now solved. Now you can send your man immediately for beginning the work as suggested in my last letter. I asked you to send me the name of the man whom you want to send for this purpose so that I could arrange for the "No objection Certificate" from the local Indian Consulate Gnl. But now you have to send the name immediately for sponsoring him. Please therefore immediately take steps in the matter and let me know the result per return of post. I am counting every moment for starting the Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and here is the opportunity now which we must utilize without delay. Please therefore reply this letter immediately per return of post and oblige. By the by kindly let me know if you have received my books Srimad-Bhagavatam from my Delhi office? I have information from Delhi that they have already sent you the books as I have already informed you in my last letter (Page 3 para 5) Hope you are well and awaiting your reply. Thanking you once more. Yours Sincerely, ### Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja **Date:** August 21st 1966 26 Second Avenue - B1New York, NY 10003 USAPhone: 212-674-7428Sripad Narayana Maharaja, Please accept my dandavats and also please take my blessings. I think that now you are forgetting me. I will never forget you, but I see that you are forgetting me. How are you? I hope you are all kusala (well and happy) in every way. Now I am staying at the above address. In the middle of September I think that my visa will be finished, so if the government allows I will try to extend it. Very good preaching is going on here. American boys are very beautifully chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. They are chanting loudly. They are eagerly hearing Gita and Bhagavata siddhanta. They are also practicing sadacara, leaving all bad habits. Also, they are taking Mahaprabhu's mahaprasada. By doing this their lives are becoming successful (danyati dhanya). When they do kirtana, dancing with their arms upraised, I remember Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's predictions and become so pleased. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote very hopefully, "When will that day come when white people, that is Europeans and Americans, join with all others and loudly sing Mahaprabhu's kirtana." So I can see that that day has come. I am trying my utmost for this. I am also praying for your help and then it will be easier. So if I stay here longer, if they give permission, please send me the following things which I am listing here. You must buy these things and pack them. Book them from Mathura station. If you take this responsibility as I am writing you, you must purchase and then pack. After receiving your letter saying how many rupees are needed, then I will send you the money.1) One pair of metal Radha-Krsna Deities. Arms length (16")2 Very beautiful dresses, ornaments, crowns. Three changes.3) Ten pairs of good quality karatalas from Navadvipa.4) Three good mrdangas5) One tambura6) One good quality harmonium7) Fifty harinama malas, neckbeads and beadbags8) One book of Sat Kriya Saratdipika (by Gopala Bhatta Goswami and Sanatana Goswami)If you can find any man who is expert in playing mrdanga, then if you want you can tell him to come here, if he wants to come. If this man agrees to come, then please give him my address. Let me know what is the cost for all of this, and also what is the packing cost. I will send you that amount. As soon as I get your letter, I shall send you the money. So I hope this time also you will send all that I am wanting and you will help my effort. I have taken so much help from you, and I request that this time also you will help me in this preaching work. I will be so grateful to you. The vigrahas must be purchased in either Mathura or Vrindavana. If it is possible the khola (mrdanga) and karatala should be purchased from Navadvipa. Then in Calcutta my agent can ship it. I know that this will be some trouble, but still I know that you will send it. Receiving this letter, you must give your reply also. I am well. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja **Date:** September 28th 1966 "Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatho"By Air Mail Registered PostInternational Society for Krsna Consciousness, Inc. Twenty-Six Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10003 Telephone: 674-7428Acarya: Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta Trustees (P.S. They are all my disciples and all their names are now Vaisnava names.)Larry BogartJames S. GreeneCarl YeargansRaphael BalsamRobert lefkowitzRaymond MaraisStanley MoskowitzMichael GrantHarvey CohenSripada Narayana Maharaja, I received your letter dated 20.9.66 on time. Our relationship is certainly based on spontaneous love. That is why there is no chance of us forgetting one another. With the mercy of Guru and Gauranga may everything be auspicious for you. This is my constant prayer. From the first time I saw you I have been your constant well-wisher. At his first sight of me Srila Prabhupada also saw me with such love. It was in my very first darsana of Srila Prabhupada that I learned how to love. It is his boundless mercy that he has engaged an unworthy person like me, in fulfilling some of his desires. It is his causeless mercy to engage me in preaching the message of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha. The preaching work is going very well here. I sent a copy of my description of this along with the letter. You may try to print it if you can, and you can copy it and give this news to different newspapers. Here the government is very cautious about preaching any other religion except Christianity. Therefore I am ordered to leave after staying for only one year. I am also ready to return, but my disciples do not want me to go. They are arranging to file a suit against this order of the government. Five hundred dollars will be spent, about Rs 4000/-. They are prepared to spend that much money. The above mentioned American gentlemen will hold a meeting tonight, and within twenty-four hours they will arrange a lawyer to be paid. So it seems I have to stay here longer, to fulfill the desire of Srila Prabhupada. Even though they keep me in all kinds of comfort and convenience, still my mind is anxious to return to Vrndavana, and I am enthusiastic to see you all. I am sending the description of the preaching along with this letter. One check for Rs 1500/- is also included. In the price list that you have given, the total comes to Rs 1544/- but by mistake you have written Rs 1080/-. Anyway I shall adjust more or less and send it to you later. Everything needs to be packed properly and sent to Calcutta or Cochin. Where to send, I shall write to you in my next letter. My room is locked in Delhi. If you or any of your faithful preachers want to preach in Delhi, let me know. If you want to work in Delhi, you can use that room and preach. If you continue going to Delhi, then my publication work can be taken care of, under your observation. You wrote to me, "You can engage me in any preaching work in India according to my ability. I shall always be ready to do so." So I can preach whole-heartedly by your good wishes. Here, fifteen educated boys have accepted discipleship from me (sishawatho). They have given up wine, meat, intoxication, marijuana, tea, coffee, eggs etc., and are honoring krsna-prasadam given by me every day. They never knew how to take dahl, capati, rice, spinach, milk and fruits, but now by eating such prasada, they are quite happy and are always attentively doing their service. Therefore, when these young boys are fully ready, vast preaching will take place in these Western countries through them. I always remind them that I am old. "At any time I may have to say namaskara to Yamaraja, so you all try to understand this Krsna consciousness philosophy properly." I think that they are trying to take this up properly. Otherwise, why would they spend Rs 4000/- to Rs 5000/- to file a suit to try to keep me here? Anyway, by the mercy of Krsna and your good wishes and blessings, I feel no inconvenience. My health is also good. My only concern is that due to my absence from India my printing work is held up. Regarding this, if you can supervise a little, then I will have no worry. In Delhi, I have a householder disciple and there are also one or two others, but they have no experience in printing. If you can supervise, then Sriman Candrasekhara and his son Candra Mohana will help you. I have a proper press, a supply of papers, and an arrangement with the officials, but no one to look after it. Let me know your opinion as soon as you receive my letter. There is a press in Mathura, but it is not as convenient as Delhi. The books could be printed in America. The final printing is very good, but very expensive. It is also difficult to bring money from India, so the printing has to be done there. There is no doubt about it. What you have heard about the temple is true. Sir Padampat from Kanpur is ready to spend as much as is required to make a Radha-Krsna temple in New York. But it was not possible for the currency exchange with the government of India. Half of the Srimad Bhagavatams I brought with me are distributed. Here, the high-ranking people consider Bhagavan's devotees to be insane. In the beginning I tried to associate with them. I became acquainted with the secretary of the governor and others; but seeing their demoniac nature I have focussed my attention on the middle class--especially towards the young and educated. Here the young educated sampradaya are disgusted with Western civilization. Theye are being ruined by taking marijuana and associating with women. The government does not care for them. They are sent to the Vietnam War by force. The political situation here is not good. This means that their future is not very bright. Because of this condition, Sriman Mahaprabhu has come to this country. I am trying to give them the dust of His lotus feet and those who are accepting are feeling joy. They are accepting me with love, thinking that I can give them life. You will come to know all this news in the joint report. A crosscheck is being sent. It will not be difficult to cash it if you have a bank account. Otherwise you can collect money with the help of Bon Maharaja or other friends. Please reply to me as soon as you receive my letter. Nivedana(I offer myself to you)Sri Bhaktivedanta SwamiP.S. There is no need for any professional mrdanga player. If there is any good devotee who wants to come, send me his name and address. Enclosure-One check # : 0055445 for Rs 1500/- (rupees fifteen hundred)ACB report ### Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja **Date:** October 26th 1966 26 Second AvenueApartment B I RNew York 10003USASripad Narayana Maharaja, Accept my dandavats. I last wrote to you on the 28th of September, and I also sent you a check for Rs 1500/-. I still haven't received any letter from you, and I am worried. Please make me happy by writing me a letter as soon as you finish reading this one. Please let me know if all the goods have been purchased. If you don't think that the money I sent is enough, don't buy the tambura for Rs 200/-. But the other goods should be packed properly, and you must send them to Calcutta. Along with the railway receipts send it by registered post to the following address: M/S United Shipping Corporation14/2 Old China Bazaar St.Calcutta - 1Send it to them with the train receipt, and forward it by registered post with acknowledgement. They will ship it and deliver it to the USA. Have you received a letter from the Scindia Steam Navigation Company? I am sure you will get one from them. I am eager to hear how you have progressed with this. The preaching work is going on very well here. Someone wrote an article in the newspaper saying that, "In America people had the idea that God had either died or gotten lost, but Bhaktivedanta Swami, within three months, has explained to the atheist sampradaya that God is existing within Hari-kirtana." This is all a glorification of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada and is fulfilling his desire with vijaya vaijayanti" (victory flag and garland.) I am very insignificant, so whichever way he is guiding me, I am doing that. Write to me soon and make me happy. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja **Date:** November 19th 1966 "Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatho" A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- , 26 Second Avenue Apt: BIR, New York, N.Y 10003, U.S.A.Sri Sri Vaisnava Carane Dandavat nati PurvikiyamI am offering my dandavat pranaamas to the Vaisnavas' lotus feet and then I am writing. Sripad Narayana Maharaja, Upon receiving your letter dated 13.11.66 I came to know of all the details. I became very sad upon hearing of Sripad Bhikhu Maharaja's untimely passing away. How such an active, steady, strong and young man's heart could fail is beyond my dreams. I am extremely sad. Moreover, he was a great helping hand for you. Everything is the desire of Krsna. I hope your health is better now. There is no need to bother Sripada Tirtha Maharaja with the burden of any work. I sent him Rs 150/- eight months ago but so far it has not been possible for him to send anything. All are busy with their own work. In your previous letter I came to know that you are willing to help me, but from your current letter I see that this is difficult for you now. At present there is no need to send anything. Just deposit the Rs 1500/- in the Punjab National Bank. I am sending a letter in the name of the Bank Manager. Kindly deposit that money and the letter in Vrndavana. If they tell you to send the pass book and the checkbook please send on Regd. Airmail. Otherwise they can send them themselves. A visit should also be made to the Gosvami of the Radha-Damodara Temple. I sent them two or three letters but have received no reply. The bank was to pay Rs 5/- per month. I am desirous to know if they are receiving this money, Kindly write me a letter after inquiring about this. If Trivikrama Maharaja can send a mrdanga and karatalas from Navadvipa that is good. Otherwise I do not want to trouble you only for a mrdanga (khola). I request you to write a letter to Trivikrama Maharaja and if he can accept this trouble and send them, then after receiving a letter from him I shall send him separate money. I was very enthusiastic to learn in your previous letter that your help will always be available, but having come to learn from your present letter that you are not well, I am discouraged. Whatever happens according to Krsna's desire is for the best. Make me be happy by replying to my letter as soon as you receive mine and give me news of VrndavanaYours, Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja **Date:** December 15th 1966 Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jaya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- 26 Second Ave., Apt. B1 RearNew York, N.Y.Sri Sri Vaisnava Carana Dandavat nati PurvikeyamI am offering my dandavat pranaamas to the Vaisnavas' lotus feet and then I am writing. Sripad Narayana Maharaja, After receiving your letter of the 13th of November and hearing of your difficulty, I replied to you on the 19th of November. In that letter I instructed you to deposit Rs 1500/- into my account at the Vrndavana Punjab National Bank. If you have not deposited the money yet, please let me know if you have purchased the goods or not. I came to know that my disciple Candrasekhara from Delhi wrote you a letter. Candrasekhara sent me a copy of your reply to him. In that letter I came to know that foolish Candrasekhara had blasphemed you. Fools do not know how to honor Vaisnavas. By your greatness, please excuse him. I haven't instructed him to do such a thing. I only told him to visit you. Anyway, excuse his aparadha. Candrasekhara is a good man, but out of foolishness he used bad words to you. You please forgive him and me by your good qualities. If you have not deposited the money in the Pujab National Bank, you can arrange for the purchase of Deities (Sri Vigrahas). They asked Rs 700/- for a pair of Deities. But if they accept Rs 1200/- for two pairs of Deities, buy them. Pack it properly in a box and send it to my supplying agent (Bakeswar) how to write even I do not know. But write me like this. As-A.C. Bhaktivedanta SwamiNew York Port (U.S.A.)Via Howrah throughUnited Shipping Corporation14/2, Old China Bazaar St.Soon after you receive my letter let me know what arrangement you have made. I hope you are well. Affectionately yours, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sripad Narayana Maharaja **Date:** December 30th 1966 "Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Jayatho"A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami26 Second Avenue, Apt. # BIRNew York, N.Y. 10003, U.S.A.Sripad Narayana Maharaja! Accept my dandavats in this letter. I received your letter dated December 21st and I came to know all the news. I received the passbook and checkbook from Vrndavana Bank. I received the receipts of the deposits. Everything is fine. But the particular work for which I sent the money has not been done. For that you are "regretting." I am also "regretting." I received an enthusiastic letter from Trivikrama Maharaja and immediately I sent him Rs 200/-so he could send me one mrdanga. I do not know what is Srila Prabhupada's desire. I have sent advanced money to everybody, but I have to regret that the work remains undone. I sent Rs 150/- to Sri Tirtha Maharaja five months ago, but still today I am sitting here and regretting that I don't have any mrdanga and karatalas. Kindly you write to Sripad Trivikrama Maharaja that he should not give me a reason to be regretful. He should arrange to send the mrdanga and karatalas as soon as he receives my letter. My lamentation is that if Srila Prabhupada was alive, he would not have given me a chance to lament. When there is a war, the government stops all other work and make special arrangements to send weapons. There may even be some waste of necessary supplies in the war field, but still there is not a lack of supplies. The government pays special attention to that. When Bon Maharaja went to London, Srila Prabhupada sent Rs 700/- by telegrams every month for three years. This was thirty years ago. After thirty years everything costs ten times more. For my house rent alone I pay two hundred dollars monthly, which is Rs 1500/-. Besides this the electric bill, the gas bill, the telephone bill, and feeding fifteen people costs Rs 6000/- per month. In addition, Back to Godhead is being published. I have sent Back to Godhead to you in the first mailing. I didn't expect any help in regards to this from my Godbrothers. I only begged a little co-operation from them. Even in that I am unsuccessful. Certainly Srila Prabhupada is helping me. Otherwise, how could an insignificant person like me have given two or four people a chance to become Vaisnavas? The general people are all intoxicated and loafers. It is very popular here to impregnate women, and then take them to the doctor and give them an abortion. This is common. They have no lamentation for this. You cannot imagine from there, how difficult it is to make them accept good sadacara (behavior according to scriptural injunctions). It is so much mercy from Srila Prabhupada that this kind of "kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa" (lowborn) national people are taking up sadacara. They are giving up illicit relationships with women, intoxication, marijuana, tea, coffee, everything. Having given up meat they are eating dahl, capati and rice and are very happy. They do kirtana and harinama every morning and evening, and do sandhya before Srila Mahaprabhu's picture. To honor the guru-varga, as soon as they see me, they pay obeisances. I never expected so much. They are not foolish or inactive. Some are MA and BA, and they are earning three to four thousand rupees per month. Most of them, at least two of them, give me all their money. That is why it is possible to spend so much. It is not possible to beg here. It is not possible to run a matha or temple if money does not come from earnings. Here it is not possible to go from door to door to beg flour and rice. Without notice it is not possible to meet with any gentlemen. It is necessary to make an engagement beforehand. Along with all this inconvenience, in this faraway foreign country, I am working alone, helplessly. My only hope is Srila Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I have no one else. In my house my wife and son did not help me, so I left my home. I thought the Godbrothers would help me, but even that I did not get. That is why, when you wrote in your letter dated 20.9.66 "I will always be ready to serve you from India in any way I can." And hearing this I was very hopeful. But in your letter, 13.11.66, two months later, you wrote that Tirtha Maharaja was coming to Vrndavana so "if you let me know by letter, he will arrange to send everything to me. Then I will give all of the money into his hand." Thus I was forced to write to you to deposit all the money in the bank. Otherwise there was no other reason. Anyway, forgetting all this, if you can help me from India, you will certainly attain the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. In my old age I have taken so much risk, but not to fulfill any of my own desires. Srila Prabhupada had desired this work, and I am trying to fulfill that desire according to my ability. Personally I have no ability. My only hope is Srila Prabhupada. So if you help me in any way, know that it will certainly be all auspicious to you. Yours, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sumati Morarjee **Date:** March 18th 1966 — **Location:** New York Madam Sumati Morarji Baisaheba, Please accept my greeting and blessing of Lord Bala Krishna. I hope by the Grace of Lord Sri Krishna everything well with you. Since I received your last letter of October 9, 1965, I was very much encouraged when you wrote to say "I feel that you should stay there till you fully recover from your illness and return only after you have completed your mission". I think these lines dictated by you are the words of Lord Bala Krishna expressed through your goodness. You will be pleased to know that I have improved my health to the normal and my missionary work is nicely progressing. I hope my project to start a Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York will also be realized by the Grace of the Lord. Sir Padampat Singhania of Kanpur J.K. Organization, has kindly agreed to construct a nice Temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York. I am trying to solve the exchange problem by all means and I am seeing some light for this purpose also. Since I came down to New York from Butler Pennsylvania, I have rented the above room at $70.00 per month and I am delivering lectures on the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam accompanied by Sankirtana and the American ladies and gentlemen come to hear me. You will be surprised to know that they do not understand the language of the Sankirtana and yet they hear with attention. The movement which I have started here is completely new to them because the Americans are generally acquainted with the Indian Yoga gymnastics as it is performed by some Indian yogis here. They never heard of Bhakti cult or the Science of Krishna before and still they are hearing me,—this very idea is a great success for me. Now I shall require some Sankirtana instruments from India and three men to assist me in my missionary activities. And if the Temple is started I have to bring many things from India and I wish that you may kindly arrange for free conveyance of my men and goods in this connection. I have already asked one of my devotees in Calcutta to send two mrdangas for Sankirtana and I have advised him to deposit the same with your manager in Calcutta for carriage to New York by any one of your ships. Kindly issue instructions to your Managers in Calcutta and Cochin to carry my things as abovementioned free and oblige. In India when I started for America, your goodness promised to reply my letter regularly but I have not received replies for my two letters. Please therefore see that my letters addressed to you may be duly replied. I have come here in this old age neither for sight seeing nor for any personal interest. It is for the interest of the entire humanity that I am trying to implement the science of Krishna which will actually make them happy. So it is the duty of every devotees of Lord Krishna to help me by all means. Kindly reply this letter and oblige. Hope you are well. Kindly convey my good wishes to all your staff especially to Sarva Sriman Choksi, Nagarajam and Acarya. Thanking you once more, Yours sincerely in the Service of the Lord. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sumati Morarjee **Date:** April 27th 1966 — **Location:** New York Madam Sumati Morarji Baisaheba, Kindly accept my greetings and blessing of Lord Bala-Krsna. I am in due receipt of your letter of the 11th instant and have noted the contents with thanks. The Project for constructing a temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna is complete because Sir Padampat Singhania is ready to spend any amount of money for a nice architectural workmanship of Indian origin but our secular Government has officially denied the exchange. So I am trying to get the Exchange otherwise namely through the Salvation Army as also through the influence of a friend in India who can convince the Finance Minister or the President in this important task. As such my Godbrother who is entrusted with this work has asked me to return to India for some days to expedite the work. I am trying to avoid the journey to India and again to come back specially for the reason that I am holding at the above address classes thrice in a week and training some American Youth in the matter of sankirtana and devotional service of the Lord (Bhakti) some of them are taking the lessons very sincerely and in future they may be very good Vaisnavas according to rigid rituals. One of the youths Mr. Paul Murray is even ready to go with me to India to learn the cult more specifically and I wish to take him with me when I go to India. Please therefore write to your Agent here to allow this more serious boy to come with me in India and see things directly how temple worship is done in the Visnu Temples. I shall keep him for some days in Vrindaban and he may be given lessons for future preaching in the western countries. I shall try my best to get the sanction for the temple Exchange and if I am unable then I shall open the Radha Krishna worship and Sankirtana in the rented house as I am now doing. The present flat is about 100' X 25' and there is ample place even to have a room for the deities of Radha and Krishna. When returning from India I shall bring with me the deities either from Jaipur or from Vrindaban along with other things required and I shall start the temple in rented building Kindly therefore send your permission for taking this boy with me as abovementioned. He has his passport and some couple of hundreds to spend in India. When we come to India you will be pleased to see the boy (American). He is coming of a good family and a sincere soul to this line of culture. There are others also in the class I am holding here but I wish to take with me only one of them. I am very sorry to inform you that in the last month there was a theft case in my room. My typewriter and tape recorder and some book have been stolen with more than Rs 1000/- goods and therefore I am changing the place to the above address. This present typewriter has been given by a devotee and thus there is no difficulty and another friend has also supplied a tape recorder. It is understood that such crime as it has been committed in my room is very common in New York. That is the way of material nature. The American people have every thing in ample and the worker gets about Rs 100/- as daily wages and still there are thieves for want of character. The lower class men daily workers are cent percent drunkards. Their social condition is not very __. Hope everything is well with you by the Grace of the Lord and awaiting your early reply with thanks. Yours in the service of the Lord, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Sumati Morarjee **Date:** November 13th 1966 — **Location:** New York Madame Sumati Morarji Bai Saheba, Please accept my greetings, and I hope everything is well with you. Surely you will be very much pleased to know that my preaching work is getting ground in this country. The most important factor is that my followers and assistants are all young Americans. They are educated and possess an aptitude for grasping reality. Under separate cover, I am dispatching the following publications which my Society has already published:2 issues of Back to Godhead, Who is Crazy? Krishna the Reservoir of Pleasure,andIntroduction to Gitopanisad. And I am enclosing herewith the prospectus of the Society and some press cuttings from which you will know how the movement is growing. I am very much obliged to you for all your supports for me in my mission, and I shall be more glad if you enroll yourself as an honorary member in this great Society. Some of my Indian friends have already acceded to this request. I hope you will also do so. I want to make this movement actually international, and as a great devotee of Lord Krishna, not only yourself but all others should become members of this International Society. Tomorrow we are just going to celebrate Lord Krishna's worship as Giridhari at Govardhana Puja, and we have invited many friends to partake of Prasadam. You will be glad to learn that I am distributing Prasadam to my followers (20) daily, and Krishna is arranging food for them. I wish to increase this number more and more, and my good boys are trying to purchase a bigger house for this purpose. Sriman Choksi, your secretary, wanted to visit the States while I was coming. Now I am in a position to sponsor him. If you so desire, please let me know and I shall send the sponsoring letters in this connection. My blessing for Choksi and all your staff members, and my good wishes for you. Awaiting your early reply, Yours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta, Swamienclosures: 3 ### Letter to Sumati Morarjee **Date:** November 26th 1966 — **Location:** New York Madame Sumati Morarji Baisaheba, I thank you very much for your letter of the 22nd instant and have noted the contents. I am enclosing herewith one copy of the letter to my booksellers in Bombay. Kindly get in touch with them and take delivery of Two sets of (three volumes each) Srimad-Bhagavatam. Thank you very much for your enquiry about the printing of my books. I beg to inform you that the printing work is now suspended on account of my being absent from India. The books manuscript are ready for printing. I was printing them with great difficulty by collecting small amount of money and due to my absence they are not being printed. If your good self or somebody else come forward to cooperate in this connection the printing work can immediately be revived. In the meantime I have also prepared a commentary on the Bhagavad-gita purely on Bhakti principle and when published it will be an unique publication of Bhagavad-gita as it is. So far all the commentaries made on the Bhagavad-gita like Dr. Radhakrishnan or others, they have no knowledge in the Bhakti cult. Therefore such commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita are not authorized. "Bhakta asi priya asi me rahasya hi etad uttamam" Nobody has any access in the Bhagavad-gita without being devotee of the Lord. But all the commentaries in English now available in the market are made by the nondevotee mental speculators. As such if my Bhagavad-gita will be an unique presentation if they are published. I shall be very much glad if you kindly cooperate in this connection. I have not as yet received the reply of my letter dated 13rd instant and I hope to receive it soon. I consider your good self as one of the associates of Srimati Radharani Lord Krishna's most beloved consort. So your prayer to Lord Krishna for success of my mission in the Western countries will surely be heard. But at the same time I expect full cooperation of all devotees of Krishna in India specially in Bombay in this mighty progress. I wish to train up the American youths in the line of devotional service and entrust them with Temples of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in various parts of this part of the world. With my good wishes, I beg to remainYours sincerely, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Tirtha Maharaja **Date:** February 4th 1966 — **Location:** New York My dear Sripada Tirtha Maharaja, Kindly accept my humble dandabats, I am in due receipt of your kind letter of the 1st instant and I am glad to note that you will get the Exchange sanction on receipt of the letter of the donor. The donor is a big business magnet of India and as required by you I am enclosing here with the letter of Sri Padampat Singhania of the J.K. Organizations, Kamla Tower, Kanpur dated 14th January 1966 which will speak for itself. I think you may also know the gentleman and he is competent to spend any amount for a nice temple of Sri Sri Radha Krishna in New York. The Singhania family is traditionally devotees of Dvarakadhisa and therefore they are the right persons to take up this transcendental service of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada wanted such temples in foreign countries such New York, London, Tokyo, etc and I had personal talks with him when I first met Himat Ultadingi in 1922. Now here is a chance for me to carry put His transcendental Order and because you are Srila Prabhupada's foremost and favorite disciple and actually engaged in His service, I am just seeking your favor and mercy in making this attempt successful. Everything is ready namely the house is ready, the donor is ready and my humble service on the spot is also ready. Now you are to give the finishing touch because you are most affectionate disciple of His Divine Grace. I think Srila Prabhupada wants that in this great attempt by my humble self your valued service may also be dovetailed. Please therefore immediately take steps in this direction and if need be you may personally see Dr. Radha Krishna because he is sympathetic with the Gaudiya Math workers as they are sincerely trying to respiritualise the whole world. He is also personally known to me but because I am out of India it is not possible for me to see him. As you will know from the enclosed letter of Sir Padampat Singhania, he is prepared to spend any amount for this purpose, you can get sanction as large an amount as it is possible. Minimum ten lacs of rupees. So far men for working here in the temple, do not worry about it. I have already some American young men with me and they strictly vegetarian. Besides that there are many Indian students here and I shall be able to recruit workers both from Indian and Americans. I am confident of this. I may cite herewith one incidence which happened yesterday evening. I have prepared some Tape record of my personal Kirtana. When one of this Tape record was played the audience became practically charmed by that although not a single word of my language was understandable by them. So I am confident of the statement of Srila Haridasa Thakura that the transcendental sound of Lord Caitanya's Harinama can do good even to the birds and the beasts. Undoubtedly these Americans are habituated to take nonvegetarian food but I am confident that they can be trained up to our line of living because they are sincere to take up the training. This will be all practically possible as soon as we have regular institution here in New York. If it is possible to send some men from India who must be educated it is well and good otherwise I shall manage everything by the Grace of Srila Prabhupada. We cannot do anything whatsoever but if our sincere service is accepted by the Vaisnavas everything is possible and may not have the audacity to speak all these before your holiness who is expert in this service. Please therefore make the transaction complete immediately and oblige. By the by I beg to enclose herewith one cheque for Rs 10/- as my humble offerings to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada through your good self and I wish that you may ask for His blessings for becoming successful in this great attempt for His service. Thanking you once more and I beg to remain, Yours obediently A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami --- Enclosure:2 ### Letter to Tirtha Maharaja **Date:** February 16th 1966 — **Location:** New York > His Holiness > Sripada B.V. Tirtha Maharaja > Sri Caitanya Research Institute > 70 B, Rash Behari Avenue > Calcutta 26, India My dear Sripada Tirtha Maharaja, Kindly accept my humble dandabats at your lotus feet. I hope you have duly received my letter of the 4th instant with enclosure of Sir Padampat Singhania the expected donor of the Temple. Since then I have changed my room (Room No 307) as abovementioned in the same building for better air and light and on the road side of junction of two roads the Columbus Avenue and 72nd St. So please note down my change of room only the building being the same. Now I am anxiously awaiting your favorable reply because on your reply only I will have to take action in so many other things. My Visa period will be finished by the end of March 1966 and for increasing the period I will have to submit application at least a fortnight before. You know it that America is very much expensive. I am paying rent for my room $70.00 and for my other expenses I spend about 4 dollars a day. In other words I have to spend about Rs 1000/- per month and as such I am counting every day to receive your favorable reply. Kindly therefore reply this letter per return of post what actions you have taken by this time so that I may also arrange my things here accordingly. It is my very good experience that your Holiness is very prompt in replying letters and I am very much anxious because I have not received your letter till now. I hope you also received and cashed my cheque for the Vyasa Puja offerings. Hope you are all well and thanking you in anticipation for your reply per return of post. Yours obediently, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami ### Letter to Unknown **Date:** March 17th 1966 — **Location:** New York Mr. Martin the Finance Secretary seen today personally. Requested him to 4:80 per dollar in exchange. He formally agreed and will get it confirmed from sender and let me know finally. It is good news. ACB