HERE'S A Krsna conscious project you might like to support or get involved in.
PROJECT
The Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust
HEADQUARTERS
Sridham Mayapur, Nadia District, West Bengal, India
PROJECT LEADERS
The Trust is overseen by seven trustees, of whom Jayapataka Swami is the chairman. The managing board is made up of devotees from ISKCON and other Gaudiya Vaisnava groups. Representing ISKCON are Subhaga Swami (chairman of the board) and Kiranasa Dasa.
GOALS
To rediscover and restore the holy places in Bengal connected with the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. To provide suitable arrangements for pilgrims in these places. To unite the followers of Lord Caitanya, especially those descended from Srila Prabhupada's spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja.
DETAILS
Once in Vrndavana during Srila Prabhupada's last days, he suddenly began to shed tears, lamenting that many of the old temples founded by Lord Caitanya's followers were giving way to ruin. He then expressed his desire to set up a trust to renovate these holy places.
Lord Caitanya had told the Gosvamis of Vrndavana to rediscover the lost places of Lord Krsna's Vrndavana pastimes. Later, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura found the place of Lord Caitanya's birth. Now Srila Prabhupada wanted to renovate the pastime places of Lord Caitanya and His personal associates.
Lord Caitanya started the Hare Krsna movement in the holy tract of land known as Gaura Mandala Bhumi (now West Bengal and Bangladesh). The places where He lived and the homes, temples, and Deities of His associates form the roots of the Krsna consciousness movement. By seeing to the health of these roots, we can help Krsna consciousness grow to encircle the whole world, with blossoms, flowers, and fruits in every town and village.
Srila Prabhupada, therefore, set up the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust. And he placed funds in a fixed-deposit account, so that interest from the account could provide for the work of the Trust.
To unite the devotees of Lord Caitanya, he also envisioned offering help to the temples of his Godbrothers in Bengal.
PLANS
The Trust plans to put together a computerized database on the holy places related to Lord Caitanya and His associates. The database will note where the places are, what condition they're in, and what work needs to be done.
Temples falling apart need to be renovated. Lost places known only from old writings need to be found.
And neglected places known only to local residents need to be located and restored.
Another plan calls for setting up multilingual plaques to mark the way in holy places and provide information for pilgrims.
A book is to be published telling what Lord Caitanya's associates did in various places and giving directions for reaching those places.
OBSTACLES
With the onset of Western materialistic culture in India, local involvement in many of the old temples has seriously declined. Some temples lie in remote villages where people are too poor to maintain them.
Yet inflation has cut away at the value of the funds Srila Prabhupada allotted to the Trust. This limits how much work the Trust can do. Srila Prabhupada founded the Trust at the very end of his stay with us. So, unlike his other projects, it never developed under his direct guidance. Many devotees, therefore, are unaware of the Trust and its importance.
Busy with working around the world to spread Lord Caitanya's teachings, we may neglect places sacred to the heritage we are trying to spread. While we buy land in holy places for new temples and residences, old temples crumble.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you're able, come to Mayapur to help with research and renovation. Or else donate funds to help the work.
Once we renovate a temple, we need to maintain the daily worship there. You can "adopt a tirtha [holy place]." That means you take a personal interest in providing for the daily worship, clothes for the Deities, and so on. In a following article we will tell of some of the temples most badly in need.
Send donations to:
The Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust
c/o Mayapur Project
No. 591.130.L3Y
Union Bank of Switzerland
8021 Zurich, Switzerland
For further information, contact:
Kiranasa Dasa
The Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust
P. O. Box 16146, Circus Ave.
Calcutta-17, West Bengal
India
Donors who give $100 or more will receive a letter explaining how their money was spent. Those who give $200 or more will also receive pictures of Deities, temples, and completed renovation work.