720221 - Letter to Vaikunthanatha written from Calcutta

Letters by Date, 1972

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Date: February 21, 1972
Camp: ISKCON Calcutta

My dear Vaikunthanath,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated February 3, 1972, and I have noted with pleasure that you are pushing on with this Krishna Consciousness movement there with full enthusiasm. As for your shortage of literature, that seems to be the general story throughout the Society, but just recently Karandhar has gone to Japan and ordered nearly $200,000 worth of our books to be delivered by April 1st, so you may place your order now with New York or with Miami or whoever supplies you with books, and soon you shall have plenty. Meanwhile, you may send to ISKCON Press for any small literatures which are available, such as "Easy Journey" and "Topmost Yoga." I am told that ISKCON Press has recently printed a large stock of these two books. Why these have not been sent to you? Or at least why you have not heard about them being available? I think if you are suffering for a shortage of literature you may write to Karandhar and he will take action. At least I think he has a large stock of small brochures which I like very much and which are very interesting. If the big centers on the east coast of your country are not co-operating by sending books, then you may deal directly with Karandhar as he is very reliable boy.
Regarding your proposal to incorporate under the title "Trinidad and Tobago Society for Krishna Consciousness," that's all right. I am very much pleased that you have been given nearly one acre of land, and even though it is not in the most populous neighborhood, still, we can utilize it in the manner you suggest by first building-up a smaller place there and keep it as an ashram. Later on, if we get many devotees and friends, we may develop there like we are presently doing in Bombay, where we have just purchased a large 20,000 sq. yd. plot for putting up the first "Hare Krishna City," which will be a co-operative housing society wherein businessmen and professional people, or other substantial people, who are also devotees of Krishna, may purchase flats or apartments in a multi-storey apartment house and may live there whenever they like. Below we are having in Bombay a very, very nice temple, with continuous bhog being offered throughout the day so that dwellers in the apartments can take prasad whenever they want and they will be offered all varieties to please everyone. I have heard that Americans like to go to the Caribbean islands in the winter where it is very warm, so if they are devotees also, as we may gradually recruit them, they may want to have their apartments there to take advantage of the climate and the pure devotional atmosphere at the same time. So let us see what develops.
As soon as the Deed is signed and you have collected local funds, please start immediately as per your plan, and I am very much engladdened by the news that you are establishing something nice there. If it is not difficult, I can come there when I visit Dallas later this year. They have also just got a nice building for our Gurukul school for children in Krishna Consciousness. Similarly, Miami has just got a big church and they have invited me also, so let us see what will happen by Krishna's desire.
Hope this will meet you in good health and happy mood.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Vaikunthanath
Plaisance Park P. O.
Pointe-a-Pierre,
Trinidad, West Indies.

ACBS/sda