Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
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
During my frequent japa walks in and around Regents Park, Russell Square, and other areas
where you were known to walk, an old song from school sometimes pops into my head:
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountains green
The fact that your lotus feet walked here in London makes it a holy place. Externally, it appears
that you left Vrindavan to come to the West to preach the glories of Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana
movement, but the devotees understand that internally, you brought Vrindavan with you.
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you
carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of
pilgrimage. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.10)
Further evidence is provided in the miraculous pastime of the appearance of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Londonīśvara. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa followed you to London, and you rescued Them from Mr. Goyal
to lovingly install Them for perpetual worship by the devotees you initiated in your fledgling
ISKCON branch at Bury Place.
We have since relocated to Soho Street, and the worship continues to this day with ever higher
standards, and by daily darshan of your favorite Deities in ISKCON, the devotees remain inspired
and encouraged to sacrifice their youthful energy for the betterment of the world. Kṛṣṇa is so
attractive that we regularly receive important guests, celebrities, and wealthy persons from the
highest rungs of society to bathe in Their splendorous beauty.
Your transcendental restaurant, Govinda’s, continues to go from strength to strength, and
Kṛṣṇa willing, we are planning to open a second restaurant this year for your pleasure. Your
perfect vision of combining restaurants with temples is a model that works and will always work,
because all we have to do is simply follow your instructions.
By your mercy, we have become the top temple in Europe for book distribution, even defeating
far bigger temples like Bhaktivedanta Manor. The new devotees coming through from our famous
outreach center, Studio 108, are now taking up positions of responsibility and have developed a
great appetite for distributing your transcendental books.
Following in your footsteps, we are attempting to capture your mood of unlimited compassion
to all fallen souls by regularly reading your books and explaining them to anyone who will listen
to your message.
Although we are in one sense helpless, without realization or qualification, we are not hopeless
because every time we hear your classes, sing for you as we worship you during guru-pūjā, or listen
to one of your pastimes, great hope and spiritual optimism fill our hearts. Your books are the light
in an otherwise dark world, and we want to share this light with everyone.
Thank you for the life you gave us – a life we in turn dedicate to you.
Always praying for your divine mercy,
Your servants, the devotees at ISKCON London