Letter to: Kirtanananda, Vrindaban Candra, Silavati , Calcutta , 1971-11-06
My Dear Kirtanananda Maharaja, Vrindaban Candra, and Silavati,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters just now received by me here in Calcutta and describing your plans for travelling Sankirtana party, and it is very much encouraging news for me. Silavati Prabhu said that this was her long cherished dream. It has been mine also. If there were three or four such travelling parties, it would be a grand scale propaganda. So do it with great enthusiasm and surely you will have the blessings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And wherever you go, if there is good response you can try and open a center there. This is first class scheme and surely will be "The greatest show on earth."
So far Visnujana Maharaja joining your party, that is super-excellent idea. Already, at your request, I have written him one letter to the San Antonio address, that he has my full-hearted blessings for joining the party.
Plays will be very successful and Vrindaban Candra is very expert in this connection. One thing, though, is that nice plays should be written for showing in the villages. The plays should be done seriously so that they will not laugh.
And Krishna has made himself available in the form of very nice brass Murtis from Washington D.C. It is not necessary also that Lord Jagannatha come along. Sometimes He is misunderstood also. The Deities can be installed in a temple and then taken for travelling. That will be best. So far Silavati's other questions: The large brass Deities can be bathed the same as the small ones if they can be handled easily; Cooking can go on after the Deities' plate is made. Without offering to the Deity nobody can be supplied, but after the offering if there are so many men and more is required then how can it be stopped?; In Vrindaban dhupa is offered without a flower sometimes, but either way is all right. If a flower can be offered, then that is nice; generally sandalwood paste is offered on the forehead, but on other parts of the body is all right; Kumkum powder should be offered on the feet.
My sanction is there for Prisni dasi receiving Gayatri mantra. It should be done by the tape method; Karandhara has a tape of me reciting gayatri mantra and he knows the proper procedure also. Arrangements can be made.
Hoping this will meet you all in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS/adb