Srila Prabhupada

[vyasapuja]

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet, the
shelter that delivered me from the most miserable material existence.

I am extremely sorry that this year I could not send my Vyasa Puja offering
in time to be printed in the Vyasa-Puja book. My natural habit of
procrastination is the cause of this embarrassing disaster. I do not know
how to express my feelings of guilt and beg forgiveness. I simply offer
myself at your lotus feet to subject me to any punishment you deem fit to
rectify my defects.

I was wondering why did I make such a mistake while my entire life has been
dedicated to serve you and glorify you. I was contemplating on why do I tend
to procrastinate this most wonderful opportunity to glorify you, and it
dawned in me that I started to think that writing my homage for the Vyasa
Puja book is a mechanical formality. It is not my heartfelt offering to you.
This homage is for the others to read, and I was not sure whether you were
going to hear it. However, it did not take me long to realize that it was a
mistake on my part to think in that way. I realized that while serving your
lotus feet I should also comply to the standard and norm that has been
established in ISKCON. Along with that awareness came a profound conviction
that I should not just write a homage or submit a report to you only once a
year for the Vyasa-Puja book, but I must submit a report of my activities
and realizations to you every day. From now on that is what I will try to
do.

During one of my first meeting with you, you asked me to offer this life to
Krsna. I assured you that I would do that. I do not know whether I had been
able to do that properly. However, I try to at least do everything for your
pleasure.

Srila Prabhupada, for last couple of years I had been engaged in building a
temple for Sri Sri Radha-Madanmohan, Krsna-Balarama and Gaura-Nitai in
Ujjain. The construction of the temple began in April 2005, and on 10th
February it was inaugurated. It took us another one year to complete the
ashram, guesthouse and restaurant.

Now thousands of people come to visit our temple everyday. The local people
have started to consider our temple to be the glory of Ujjain city and an
object of their pride.

Since Ujjain is one of the most important places of pilgrimage, people come
from all over India, and they make it a point to visit our temple.

Every morning three vehicles go to pick up local people to come to the
"Mangala Arati" and many of them come every morning without fail.

The deities - Sri Sri Radha-Madanmohan, Krsna-Balarama and Gaura-Nitai are
taken care of by the devotees very nicely. We have about 25 pujaris fully
engaged in taking care of Their Lordships and about 15 female devotees make
garlands and provide various other supports.

We started to make the dresses, ornaments and alters for the Deities in
Ujjain. Some professionals have been hired and they are training our
devotees also. Some nice teams have developed as a result of that, and we
are not only making dresses, ornaments and alters for our deities only but
orders are pouring in from different parts of the world.

By setting up these production units we are realizing how much profit the
outside suppliers are making at our expense. Our cost is almost one third of
what they usually charge us. This is not only saving money for us but it is
also creating job opportunities for many of our householder devotees.

In collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh government we started a food
distribution program to feed 21,000 school children everyday. We started
this program about two months ago, and already requests are coming in to
take up more such projects in other areas.

After the monsoon, in about a month's time we will start the construction of
2 apartment buildings that will have 48 luxury apartments. Many householder
devotees are planning to settle down in Ujjain. In order to accommodate them
we are building these apartments. And practically all the apartments are
sold out.

We started our activities in Ujjain quite recently, and a lot has already
happened and, by Krsna's mercy, a lot more will happen.

Srila Prabhupada, please bless me that I can continue to serve you in spite
of all the difficulties. Your pleasure is my only concern. Please allow me
to offer this life to your lotus feet. That will be the perfection of my
existence.

Your humble servant eternally,

Bhakti Charu Swami