710405 - Letter to Life Member written from Bombay

Letters by Date, 1971

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

April 05, 1971

Bombay

Dear Life Member,

Please accept my greetings.

By the Grace of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krishna our recent festival in Cross Maidan Exhibition Ground has been counted a grand success, and quite noticeably the spirit of bhakti has been actively revived in Bombay. My blessings go especially to all of you who have joined with us in service.

As you may know, my plan is to establish in this most auspicious city a unique International Krishna Conscious Training Center, where hundreds of persons from abroad may be educated in the Vedic way of life, while at the same time Indian boys and girls may be trained up for pracara work in foreign countries. We will construct classrooms, workrooms, dormitories, kitchens for large-scale public prasada distribution, a lecture hall, library, and a beautiful temple for the glorification of Radha and Krishna.

We are on the threshold of bringing this important project to fruition, and we are very excited to inform you the progress made in this respect.

You will agree with me that your active participation and your direct involvement in this is most essential, and hence I appeal to you to spare your valuable time for Krishna and make it a point, in spite of your extremely busy life, to extend your unstinted cooperation. It is proposed to hold a meeting on Monday, the 26th April 1971, at 6:30 p.m. __ "Akash Ganga," 7th floor, 89 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Bombay-26, to discuss and to finalize plans to channel our united energies to achieve the goal. It will also be a great opportunity for like-minded Krishna devotees to meet, to have darsana of the deities, and to exchange views and suggestions to make rapid progress in spiritual life.

I very much want to meet you again, so kindly make it a "must" to attend our meeting; there is a lot of ground to be covered to spread Krishna Consciousness to millions and millions of our slumbering brothers and sisters!

Your ever well wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is registered in India under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 and Public Trust Act, and is a tax-exempt, non-profit, charitable organization. The Society's branch in Bombay, Maharashtra State, proposes to purchase a 6500 square-yard plot of land on Narayana __ Road, Bombay-6, known as __ complete with the large bungalow and other facilities on the land, to develop and expand its program in India.* The Society plans to alter the present structures for use as classrooms, kitchens, a large lecture hall, dormitories, a dispensary and infirmary, a library and offices. One wing will be opened as a hotel especially for American students travelling or studying in India. The fair market price of this very adequate property is Rs. 2,500,000 complete. Rs. 250,000 has been paid by the society as "earnest money." America is the parent country of the Society. For this reason, ISKCON Bombay is appealing to the AID Program of the government of the United States of America to finance, in whole or part, by direct grant and/or long-term, low-interest loan, the Society's expansion scheme in Bombay as outlined above. We shall be glad, upon request, to furnish further details, including all relevant documents and extensive blueprints of the Usman property, and anything else you may require; our representatives are prepared, as well, to call on your Delhi office should you desire a personal interview.

* It is a fact that an active cultural exchange between the U.S.A. and India is much needed at this time, and __ continue can profit greatly from such an exchange. The Society proposes to facilitate this by offering a place where __ from abroad can study __ residential basis, and __ indigenous __ trained for teaching posts in foreign lands,

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(e) On the welfare side, the Society is dedicated to feeding, clothing giving medical care to underprivileged persons around the world, and each center has a special program of free distribution.

(g) The Society maintains several drug-abuse clinics and mental rehabilitation centers in America and Europe.

(h) For American students travelling abroad the Society provides at minimal cost a friendly and comfortable home away from home in its many hostels.

The phenomenal growth of ISKCON reflects a basic worldwide need for the type of instruction and training the Society offers. Heads of state, government officials, clergymen, professors and scientists, as well as professional men and businessmen the world over have commended the Society for its substantial, practical work in combating drug addiction, mental disorders, racial conflicts and the general moral decline of today's youth, as well as hunger and disease wherever they are found.

ISKCON is creating men of character. Students are required to follow strictly the regulative principles of Vedic life: 1) No illicit sex-life (i.e. outside of marriage); 2) No intoxicants, including coffee, tea, cigarettes, drugs; 3) No gambling; 4) Vegetarian diet.

At present, members of the Society are teaching accredited courses at Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of California at Berkeley, University of Buffalo (NY), and University of Washington.