Million Gita project

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tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo

yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api

namany anantasya yaso 'nkitani yat

srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah

 

"On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the

transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the

unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words

directed toward bringing about a REVOLUTION in the impious lives of this

world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even

though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men

who are thoroughly honest."

 

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.11

 

 

Dear Prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Bhakta-vijna-vinasa Narasimhadeva ki jaya!

 

First let me apologize for being late in getting this together. Since we

discussed this on February 26 many things happened including the Mayapura

festival but more importantly I have been sick since the end of March and

not had much energy and still don't. Also, I didn't want to do anything

until I had actually spoken to Naresh (Nash) Patel. It took some time but we

arranged a call this morning May 11th and he is as enthusiastic as ever.

 

I have created the forum "Operation Kurukshetra" on pamho.net for the

"Million Gita Project" committee. The following members are on the committee

and on this forum:

 

Advaita Candra Prabhu (San Diego, CA) (committee secretary)

 

USA Ph 619-628-0156 www.torchlight.com

 

INDIA Cell 0933-375-4080

 

Hemant Patel, hotelier, Director at large of AAHOA http://tinyurl.com/lqdge

hemantking (AT) aol (DOT) com

 

Mahatattva Prabhu, Sastra Dana Project, (San Diego, CA)

www.sastradana.com

 

Naresh (Nash) Patel, hotelier, Ex-officio Chairman of AAHOA 2005,

cell 850-393-1779

 

Ramabhadra Prabhu, Temple President NYC

 

Svavas Prabhu, NA BBT Trustee (LA, CA) 310-837-5383

 

Shyamasundara Dasa (committee chairman)

www.ShyamasundaraDasa.com Indian mobile (91). 0973-255-0429

 

 

Brief History of the Million Gita Project:

 

In the mid 1990s Hemant Patel contacted me regarding Vedic astrological

consultations and I have been his family astrologer since then. He referred

Naresh Patel to me in 2001 and I have been his family astrologer since then

as well. They both got deluxe Gitas from me. Both Hemant and Naresh Patel

were hoteliers actively involved in AAHOA, the Asian American Hotel Owners

Association (www.aahoa.com) at a directors level.

 

_____________________

About AAHOA

 

Representing more than 8,300 members, AAHOA is one of the leading forces in

the hospitality industry and one of the most powerful Asian American

advocacy groups. Together the members own more than 20,000 hotels, which

have 1 million rooms representing over 50 percent of the economy lodging

properties and nearly 37 percent of all hotel properties in the United

States.

 

Of the hotels owned by AAHOA members, approximately 11,700 are franchised

while 6,300 are independent. The market value of the properties owned by

AAHOA members is estimated to be $29.9 billion in franchised properties and

$8.1 billion in independent properties.

 

AAHOA supports its members through educational programs and advocacy in the

legislature, media and hospitality industry.

 

AAHOA's mission is to provide an active forum in which Asian American hotel

owners, through an exchange of ideas with a unified voice, can: communicate,

interact, and maintain their proper position within the hospitality

industry, and be a source of inspiration by promoting professionalism and

excellence through education and community involvement.

_______________________

 

 

As my friendship with both of them grew and I realized the position and

power both of these men had and their potential for influencing members of

their own and other associations like theirs it gradually dawned on me that

I should ask them to put a Gita in all of their member's hotel rooms. I

broached the idea to Naresh in 2002 and both Naresh and Hemant were

enthusiastic about the project. I met them for the first time in April 2003

in LA during the annual AAHOA convention. At that time I also informed

Svavasa and Mahatattva Prabhus about my attempts.

 

As in any organization there is a lot of power politics and psychology

required in how to deal with the members. Naresh informed me that one of the

main hurdles to getting the Gitas in the hotel rooms was the cost. The

Gideons (www.gideons.org) supply bibles for free but who would pay for

putting Gitas into the one million hotel rooms AAOHA represented? There was

also the lesser problem of getting members to put them in the rooms in the

first place but it was thought that if the Gitas were supplied they would be

duly installed in each room by the owners. So the main problem was funding.

Over several conversations Naresh suggested that AAHOA network with other

Indian business and professional associations and get the money raised from

them.

 

Present situation:

 

After that things stalled because I became immersed in relocating myself to

India and all that that entailed (quite a bit it turned out). But then

Naresh contacted me saying he had read the Gita I gave him a few times and

did I have anything else for him to read? I sold him a complete set of Srila

Prabhupada's books. That got me thinking about the Gita project again. Last

February I broached the idea to Advaita Candra Prabhu and we had a

brainstorming session while driving from Kolkatta to Mayapura.

 

He suggested (Advaita please step in if I say something wrong) that we get

the local congregations to help raise the money and distribute the Gitas and

to also link the Million Gita Project with the planned book trade edition of

the Gita. He also suggested the formation of this committee with a goal of

three years to raise the money and place the Gita in all the million rooms.

We then met later in February with Svavasa Prabhu and few others to further

brainstorm and came up with the following ideas:

 

 

1. Launch the program at Gita Jayanti (December) 2006 (Fund raiser and

plan only)

2. Concentrate on Southern California - Svavas to distribute Gitas to

LA county AAHOA hotels asap

3. Involve Sastra Dan www.sastradana.com

4. Make a presentation to AAHOA at one of their main meetings (they

have several regional and one annual national meeting)

5. Meet Nash in LA?

6. Shyamasundara to make introduction of Nash to Svavas

7. Investigate design with AAHOA to see what might be the best (The

hotels may be a bit reticent to put in a Gita that is too "in your face" for

their predominant Christian Market. Check what the Gideon Bible's look

like.)

8. Investigate raising funds from various other Indian Associations

(Gujarati etc.)

9. Investigate having Gitas placed in all US courts by Indian lawyers

association

 

This morning (May 11th) I spoke with Naresh and he was as enthusiastic as

ever for this project and was enlivened to hear of the interest of others

and formation of this committee. Some points of the discussion:

 

1 Naresh will be expecting a call from Svavasa -note Svavasa will be in

Milan, Italy until May 17th for a BBT meeting

 

2 Naresh will supply list of all or most AAHOA hotels in LA area to Svavsa

so that Svavasa can put Gitas in all their rooms. (His computer was damaged

when his area suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, so he

doesn't have all files but can get what is needed.)

 

3 Naresh suggested that once Gitas have been given to the AAHOA hotels that

it be suggested to the owners that they give a donation for the books - but

no pressure a very soft sell. More details from Naresh on this.

 

4 Naresh reported that at this year's annual AAHOA meeting in Las Vegas that

someone was there canvassing the idea of putting some other Gita in the

hotel rooms. So the idea is definitely out there. We need to act swiftly

before some other (Mayavadi) version is installed.

 

5 Naresh said that there are large regional meetings of AAHOA members and he

suggested that we make a presentation at some of the more important

meetings. Important regions are: California, Florida, and New York.

 

6 I told Naresh that we already had our Gitas in Indian hotels. He said this

would be a plus point for putting them in US hotels

 

7 Naresh said he would call Hemant to discuss more on how to proceed.

 

8 Possibility of a conference call with Svavsa, Advaita, Naresh, Hemant and

myself for more brainstorming. (Of course this email conference can also be

used for brainstorming.)

 

That was the gist of the call.

 

Now that I have brought everyone up to speed I would like to suggest that we

do more brainstorming and then quickly decide on a plan of action.

For example how to practically fund this project?

 

Tomorrow (it is already way past my bedtime) I will send as a separate text

a sample letter that I had given to Naresh a few years ago to show to the

AAHOA board to convince them to put Gitas in their rooms. This letter

doesn't look like the final version as it is incomplete but I can't find the

final version, still it is a useful for generating ideas.

 

Your humble servant

 

Shyamasundara Dasa

 

 

 

Reference links:

 

www.aahoa.com

 

www.gideons.org

 

Why is there a Bible in every hotel room?

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgideon.html