Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept our humble and respectful obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of your historic visit, in February–March 1975, to
the Atlanta temple (New Pānihāṭi Dhāma, a temple you personally named). Your visit was and
remains the most significant event in the history of this temple, and we are eternally indebted
to you for bestowing this blessing upon this community. We will continually strive to keep the
memory of your visit in our minds and hearts.
Your congregation here in Atlanta is ever expanding by the humble efforts of all of the devo-
tees. Recently, one devotee said that the “electricity” that he felt during your visit “is still here in
the temple room and around the temple property.”
Our strong desire here at New Paṇihāṭi Dhāma is to humbly work together to preserve the
memory of your visit and to support one another, as you stated in your third purpose of ISKCON:
“To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime
entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part
and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).” (“Seven Purposes of ISKCON”)
Our sincere prayer is that we can fulfill this purpose and, in so doing, please Your Divine
Grace. Our only desire should be to please you in all of our activities, but also personally and col-
lectively as a family of devotees.
What you bestowed upon us by visiting this temple in 1975 is the greatest blessing and sacred
responsibility any congregation of devotees could ever wish for. It is a holy responsibility because
we now have to work together to enlighten the people in this area by informing them that such a
great ācārya like you visited and blessed the greater Atlanta community.
Just as in India as well as other places sacred to the world’s many religions, people journey
for thousands of miles to see, touch, and experience the holy atmosphere of these sacred places;
we anticipate that as people become more aware of the significance of this sacred dhāma, New
Paṇihāṭi, they will come by the thousands to see the place where your holy lotus feet traversed and
hear about all of the amazing pastimes you performed during your brief stay over the course of
three and a half days. Every year at our Ratha-yātrā and Chipped Rice Festival, we set aside a few
hours before the main ārati to hear from various devotees who were here for your visit.
It is also significant that while in Vrindavan you were remembering your visit to our temple,
and you said in a lecture: “So our only request is that this simple thing: harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā … this formula of the
Vedic śāstra. And you will be surprised – I invite you to come to our different centers in Europe
and America – how they are chanting, dancing before the Deity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,
Nityānanda, or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Recently, I had been to Atlanta for the first time. But the boys and
the girls there, they have taken three big, big houses. The middle house has been transformed into
a temple. How nicely they are chanting and dancing. You will be surprised if you go.” (Lecture on
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.53, April 20, 1975, Vrindavan)
It is well known throughout ISKCON that your arrival address here is the shortest one you
have ever given. In that address you spoke about the relative difference between the mercy of
Kṛṣṇa, which is conditional, based on surrender, and the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who
makes no demands:
So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is very kind. Parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana. Two Lords,
Nitāi-Gauracandra, Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, are very kind,
you see? They have appeared just to reclaim the fallen souls of this age. So They are
more kind than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He is also very kind. He comes to deliver. But Kṛṣṇa
demands that first of all surrender. Caitanya Mahāprabhu even does not demand sur-
render. He is so kind. [voice choking] So take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and
be happy. Thank you very much [weeping].
These and many other of your Atlanta pastimes are forever etched into the minds and hearts of the
hundreds of devotees who were fortunate to be here for your visit.
One of your pastimes was observing the Vyāsa-pūjā of your Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti-
siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. You performed the ārati for your Guru Mahārāja and gave a beauti-
ful and instructive lecture that day. Here are a few excerpts from that historic lecture:
So now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and in the presence of my
Guru Mahārāja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahāprabhu
you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So
my Guru Mahārāja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all
benefits.
*
So you are hearing this philosophy daily. Try to understand more and more. We have
got so many books. And this is the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and, by disciplic
succession, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then my spiritual master. Then we are trying our
level best. Similarly, you will also try your level best on the same principle. Then it will
go on. Same principle. It doesn’t matter whether one is born in India or outside India.
No. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma, “As many
towns and cities and villages are there,” He did not say it to make a farce. He is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
*
So as far as possible, we are trying to lead you in this line, and you kindly follow.
Then your life will be successful. That is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
He wanted to deliver these fallen souls, the conditioned souls rotting in this material
world. So Kṛṣṇa Himself … Kṛṣṇa comes Himself, Kṛṣṇa sends His devotees, Kṛṣṇa
comes as devotee – just to execute this mission to reclaim the fallen souls from the
clutches of illusory energy, material world. Thank you very much. (Lecture on the
Appearance Day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, March 2, 1975, Atlanta)
The devotees responded, “Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!”
You created a template for us to follow by performing the Vyāsa-pūjā ārati and giving the lec-
ture. Each year since your visit, for Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Vyāsa-pūjā day we
follow your example by setting up a life-size painting of your Guru Mahārāja – the same one to
which you offered ārati – and either playing the recording of the lecture you gave on that day or
reading the transcript and discussing its meaning.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees and the general congregation of the Atlanta temple have
worked together for the last fifty years to preserve the memory of your historic visit. We humbly
pray at your lotus feet that we will continue in this tradition and work together to enshrine the
memory of your visit for all future generations – not only for the Atlanta yātrā but also for devo-
tees and members worldwide.
On behalf of ISKCON Atlanta
Your servant,
Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya Dāsa

Translate »