Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
We offer our humble obeisances at your lotus feet and express our deepest gratitude for giving us the priceless opportunity to serve your divine mission in the association of devotees here in Varanasi.
As you explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the greatest benediction of life is to receive the association of devotees. By your causeless mercy, we have received this rare opportunity, and whatever little service we are able to perform is only due to your vision and blessings.
We are merely instruments with no qualification without your guidance. You gave us everything – purpose, the process of bhakti, and the association of devotees. Though we feel unfit in our service, we continue to hope that one day we will become worthy instruments in your mission. Here are some efforts by our devotees we would like to share with you, Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Preaching efforts and outreach: Keeping your desire in our hearts, we have tried to focus on youth preaching, understanding that the youth are the future of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Our efforts include:
- two youth centers near IIT Varanasi, IMS BHU, and BHU University to cater to students of the these colleges and university.
- two youth centers near the temple to cater to youth visiting the temple and other education institutions of Varanasi.
- We regularly conduct preaching programs at youth centers as well as at the temple. At the temple, we have three youth groups – with a total of about one hundred young people regularly attending programs.
- We have three bhakti-vṛkṣa centers, and in each, about fifteen devotees attend classes on weekends.
Temple sādhana culture: We have daily morning programs at the temple, which are attended by more than thirty devotees on weekdays and more than sixty devotees on the weekends. Weekend Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam classes are attended by about 150 devotees, including all batches. We also hold weekly classes separately for gṛhasthas and youths at the temple, and daily Bhagavad-gītā classes in the evenings, which are generally attended by more than twenty devotees.
Prasādam distribution: We have tried to serve all visitors (around 500 come on a regular basis) with sufficient prasādam. Earlier, we have been working with a single vehicle, but recently we added two more for our Food for Life program, which distributes in different parts of the city.
Kirtan, Deity worship and festivals: To please Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopāla, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, and Śrī Śrī Lakṣmī-Narasiṁhadevjī, we have a dedicated team of devotees who perform regular kirtan in front of the Deities and also go out to the streets for harināma-saṅkīrtana on weekends and during festivals. We also endeavor to serve the Deities with joy and enthusiasm and ensure purity and punctuality in the sevā. Devotees make fresh, beautiful garlands for the Lord. We have a team of cooks who make the rājabhoga, and offer it to the Lord. Many congregational devotees volunteer on a scheduled basis to help with all this sevā. And we have a team who helps plan, organize, and celebrate festivals so that we can invite large numbers of people and give them a taste of bhakti.
Management development: To inspire cooperation and unity among the devotees, we have a well-defined organizational structure at the temple. We have divided up the sevā into various departments, made it clear who is in charge and how things should be executed in the spirit of servant leadership so that all devotees feel empowered, inspired, and create a strong sevā-related identity within our community. Responsibilities are being clearly divided, devotees are working in a more systematic way, and this has increased efficiency and enthusiasm in service.
Temple Project (VICC): We are trying to fulfill your vision of building a temple for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopāla (Vedic India Cultural Center). The project is planned in two phases:
- Phase 1: Guesthouse, ashram, Govinda’s, etc.
- Phase 2: Temple hall and auditorium
Due to a funding crisis, the project is moving a little slower than hoped, but now we have made efforts to collect funds and planning to speed up the construction work after Narasiṁha Caturdāśi onward. We pray that by your mercy this project may be completed and become a center of preaching in Varanasi.
We are deeply grateful to His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami, His Holiness Guru Prasad Swami, and His Grace Gokuleshwar Prabhu for sharing your vision and inspiring us to serve. We are also grateful to His Grace Acyuta Mohan Prabhu, who is providing us spiritual nourishment and training the devotees, especially the leaders, and giving all practical guidance on regular basis so that we can be engaged in your service.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are trying, though very imperfectly, to follow your instructions and serve your mission. Whatever little has been done is only by your mercy. We sincerely pray that you please give us strength, purity, and intelligence to render selfless devotional service. May we always remain your humble servants, serving under the guidance of guru and the Vaiṣṇavas.
Servants of your servants,
Ram Keshav Dāsa, vice-president
On behalf of the devotees in Varanasi