710121 - Letter to Bhavananda written from Allahabad

Letters by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

January 21, 1971

New York

My Dear Bhavananda,

Please accept my blessings and offer the same to your good wife Palika Dasi. I am in due receipt of your very kind letter dated 4th January, 1971 as well as the maintenance check for $105.00 and I thank you very much. Also I have received the nine letters asking for initiation. In this regards, let them chant strongly for two months and by the end of March I shall go there and initiate them personally. That will be better. But if they are so much anxious then their beads can be sent or else $5.00 per set of tulasi beads can be sent and that will cover the cost of shipping also. But it is better if they wait. Please thank all nine devotees for their very sincere letters.

So far as touching the Deity is concerned, that can be done only by the priest. Only on very special occasions are others allowed to touch the Deity. Touch means to place tulasi mixed with sandalwood at Krishna's Lotus Feet.

Your winter schedule is very nice. I am so glad to hear that temple worship is going on nicely and that you have made program for discussing all our books. Such group discussion of transcendental topics is so much potent and all should participate. So far as Bhaktijana getting himself married, I have written him separately about this. The child Chibiabos Ananda can keep this name until he is old enough to be initiated.

Please offer my blessings to the others there. Hoping this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/adb