As for Italian marble, if it is cheaper there, why not? Italian marble is known to be very good. I am sending you a photo of the L.A. deities. Ask a cost estimation for deities 40" high and then we can consider. Krsna may be black or white, Radharani is always white.
Los Angeles (Letters, 1974 - 1977)
Correspondence
1974 Correspondence
Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:
Our activities are arati, kirtana, classes, just as we do here in Los Angeles. Everything is done in conformity to a regular standard. For example, all the temple members, without exception must rise by 4:AM and attend mangala arati. Everyone living in the temple must agree to the standard by proper understanding of the philosophy of tapasya. We cannot expect our guests to follow all our principles, but whoever lives in the temple must follow.
Letter to Mukunda -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1974:
Here in L.A. they have elaborate Sunday festivals and erect a tent on the front lawn. There are hours of kirtana, a philosophic lecture and lots of sumptuous prasadam distribution. Another thing is, here they have a 24 hour security guard, with pistol and holster who is in the temple at all times. So you should do this like this.
Letter to Damodara -- Honolulu 16 January, 1974:
I have given the idea for a poster which shall be entitled: "Select Real Leaders—Don't Spoil Life", and it will depict devotees as leaders, illustrating that real leaders have to be free of meat-eating and animal slaughter, illicit sex, intoxication and gambling. This poster is being prepared in L.A. and I want it distributed all over the world, and you can use it widely in your campaign for Mayor of Washington D.C.
Letter to Manager of Punjab National Bank -- Honolulu 19 January, 1974:
I beg to inform you that my banker in Los Angeles, California, has transferred one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) to you for credit for my savings account number 6112, in the name of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, and I hope you have received the money by this time. The purpose of sending this money is to construct our Krsna-Balarama temple at Raman Reti in Vrindaban. This money is a contribution of my ISKCON temples here in the U.S.A.
Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 16 February, 1974:
It is very reassuring for me that all our most important affairs located in world headquarters in Los Angeles are being well cared for under the guidance of your good self, Bali Mardan and Ramesvara.
Letter to Jayatirtha -- Vrindaban 14 March, 1974:
I have received two letters recently from Gandharva das Adhikari of the Los Angeles Temple. He is feeling some inconvenience, as he states it, due to the younger devotees not showing proper respect to him as he is their elder, old enough to be their father. So they should show the proper respect, as is befitting a Vaisnava, who offers respects to one and all. It is sometimes difficult for elderly people to live in our ISKCON society, so you have to make it as congenial as possible for them and see that they are peaceful in all respects.
Letter to Bhavatarini -- Bombay 3 April, 1974:
You can come to Mayapur where you can have a separate room, also Bombay this facility is there and it is very comfortable, or Vrindaban, or L.A. or wherever you choose. My only desire for my disciples is that they chant Hare Krishna Mantra at least 16 rounds, follow the rules and live in association of devotees then you will be happy and peaceful and not disturbed.
Letter to Bhavatarini -- Bombay 3 April, 1974:
As for money for Hawaii, that we will arrange in a different way. You can consult with Sudama Maharaja how to send money to the Mayapur Vrindaban Trust Fund whether through the Los Angeles Union Bank, which can be handled by Jaya tirtha, or direct to my account in Vrindaban.
Letter to Sukadeva -- Bombay 5 April, 1974:
One of the symptoms of a devotee is that he is kind, so if our Godbrother becomes ill it is our duty to help him get the proper medicine and treatment so that he can recover. Recently our Giriraja became chronically ill in India and had to return to the U.S. for proper medical treatment. There, in our Los Angeles center, he was given his own room, and was able to recuperate comfortably, and now he has returned to his full duties in Bombay.
Letter to Ramesvara -- India 10 April, 1974:
Gurukrpa Maharaja and Yasodanandana Maharaja have gone to Tokyo with my full knowledge for sankirtana and collecting funds for our projects in India. In the past they have collected very nicely and sent $40,000 to India. So let them work peacefully, and you engage yourself fully in Los Angeles and BBT matters. You have great responsibilities in that connection. Let us try to work cooperatively, otherwise the fighting spirit will ruin our great movement.
Letter to Embar Sampath Kumarachar -- Bombay 17 April, 1974:
I am very glad you are coming to the U.S.A. You are welcome in any of our temples there. As you may know, our most important temples are in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Vrindaban, West Virginia, Philadelphia. So you are welcome to stay in any one of these temples and you can stay there as long as you like. I especially invite you to our children's school, Gurukula, in Dallas Texas. If you so desire you can take part there to take the post of head sanskrit teacher. As soon as you are in the U.S. go to Dallas.
Letter to Rupanuga -- Tirupati 28 April, 1974:
Tamala Krsna Goswami is going to Los Angeles and I shall give him instruction to join Madhudvisa Swami, Bali Mardan and Jayatirtha and reform the deficiencies. As soon as there is a little deficiency we must repair it or it will create a big hole and the ship will drown.
Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 1 May, 1974:
As for grhastha worshiping Gaura Nitai deities that is only for those who live far away from the temple and cannot attend. Otherwise such worship is redundant: there is already deity worship going on in the temple and they should attend the aratriks, not install their own deities. The householding community in Los Angeles or any of our temples is not meant to be independent from the temple program.
Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 1 May, 1974:
The impression of Lord Caitanya's feet which you brought from India may be kept in a picture, not that it is worshiped as a deity. Keep it as a picture. I will look forward to your regular reports. I know you have multifarious and complicated affairs to manage in our Los Angeles Center, and I know you are doing your best there. Just pray to Krsna to give you intelligence how to manage it all. The most important thing is that we must be ideal Krsna Conscious persons, and then we can attract others.
Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 4 May, 1974:
I heard you were still in Los Angeles. When will you be returning to Australia? Jaya tirtha has written inviting me to the Rathayatra in San Francisco on July 7. I will be in Europe until the end of June and I may go to the Ratha yatra in San Francisco on July 7. Jaya tirtha said the festival is so timed that I can also go to the Australia Rathayatra also. What is the date of your Rathayatra?
Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 5 May, 1974:
You have asked about Gaura Nitai deity worship by the householders in Los Angeles. That is for those who live far away from the temple and cannot attend. Otherwise, such worship is redundant; there is already deity worship going on in the temple and they should attend the aratis, not install their own deities. The impression of Lord Caitanya's feet which you have there may be kept in a picture, not that it is worshiped as a deity. Keep it as a picture.
Letter to Jayatirtha -- Bombay 5 May, 1974:
Regarding your invitation that I attend the Rathayatra festival in San Francisco, on July 7th, it is possible that I may attend depending on when I finish my European tour. I am due to arrive in Rome on May 23, then after a week Geneva, the Paris and possible Stockholm, Germany and England. If there is time I can fly directly from Europe to Los Angeles and go to the festival, then as you suggest, go to Australia Rathayatra via Hawaii. This is known as jet-age parivrajakacarya. For the present I will be staying in Bombay for about two weeks, then to Delhi and Vrindaban before leaving for Rome.