Guest guest Posted March 19, 1999 Report Share Posted March 19, 1999 COM: Pancagauda (das) ACBSP (Vrindavan - IN) <Pancagauda.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> COM: ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA) <ISCOWP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> Tuesday, January 05, 1999 9:50 PM Vrndavana Goshalla? >[Text 1991367 from COM] > >> In the last year we have received reports from various devotees that cows >> from the Vrndavana Goshalla are being sold and/or given to those who can not >> be relied upon to protect them. > >Dear Balabhadra Prabhu, >Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. We have been >dealing with this situation for over a year now. It is a fact that Ganapati >who was the Goshala in charge did relocate several animals. The bulls and cows >that were given are said to be utilized properly. We have sent our men to check >up to see that the animals are being taken care of. > >We are being very strict now and are not moving any cows or bulls out of >Vrindavana. I can understand everyone's concern, but that descision was made >by the Goshala incharge at the time, but now we have several persons overseeing >the goshala. > >> The great concern is that the Vrndavana Goshalla continues to breed when >> there is not enough land, so little land that the cows are not grazing. This >> puts the pressure of too many cows and therefore the rational to get rid of >> them. The breeding seems to be because of the desire for milk. We are not in >> the milk producing business, i.e. commercial dairy, but in the cow protection >> business. > >We are utilizing the process of selective breeding, inorder to maintain the >supply of milk, which is one of the purposes of the goshala. The Cows are >grazed daily at the goshala, although it is not sufficient land, we are making >due with what we have. > >All of the milk is for the deities, gurukula and the temple use and devotee >community only. The proceeds are being utilizes for the maintenence of the >goshala. > >> The Minimum Cow Protection Standards recently sent to you forbids these >> actions. > >How do you propose to maintain the goshala and protect all the animals at the >cost of $3500 monthly, if we don't at least produce some milk. > >At present we have 191 cows, bulls and calves, 40 of which are milking. 5 full >grown bulls, 4 oxen, 45 dry cows, 35 calves male, 42 female calves 20 retired >old cows. > >Prem Kishore Prabhu is now the head of the goshala, he has done a wonderful job >renovating, taging all the animals and hiring responsible workers to care for >all of the cows needs. As far a Nandanandana is concerned, he is also a very >nice devotees and has been serving in Vrindavana for a very long time. I have >never heard of him doing any dishonest activities, such as giving away animals >for a so called rs. 500 bribe. > >I am sure that we have our short comings and need to improve, I did print out >the standards that you just sent to me and gave them to Prem Kishore. We will >review all your points and endeavor to come to the proper standard so that >Srila Prabhupada would be pleased. > >I hope that my short letter will bring you some peace of mind. Hoping that you >are well. > >Your servant, >Pancagauda das > iscowp <iscowp (AT) ovnet (DOT) com> COM: Pancagauda (das) ACBSP (Vrindavan - IN) <Pancagauda.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> Saturday, January 09, 1999 5:36 AM Re: Vrndavana Goshalla? >Dear Pancaguada prabhu, > >Please accept my humble obiesances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! > >>How do you propose to maintain the goshala and protect all the animals at >the >>cost of $3500 monthly, if we don't at least produce some milk. > >As we talked in new Vrndavana briefly, the setting up of a Trust Fund for >the cows and land management is of foremost concern. Basically what you are >running is a commercial dairy. And because we do not cull any of the >animals, we have the responsibility of lifetime protection.When Srila >Prabhupada visited Gita nagari, Parmananda had asked him about selling milk. >And Srila Prabhupada answered him that a percentage of the money from the >sale of the milk must be put aside in a trust fund so that when the cows >retire they will be able to be sufficiently taken care of. Land could be >bought to facilitate them so that in their old age, they would be >comfortable. After all the milk belongs to the cows. And if we are just >taking it with no long term plan of social welfare for them, we are simply >thieves. The first concern of the Goshalla is not milk production, but the >lifetime protection of the cows. Whether they are producing milk or not. >They must be given first class accommodations, food, and atmosphere >(competent workers) who treat them properly. After all we must understand >the >philosophy of the cow and her position in Krsna Consciousness. Her four legs >are the four pillars of religious life. and her body is the residence of >many,many demigods. Her milk is considered to be liquid religiosity. She >herself is the dear most friend of Lord Krsna. > > >>All of the milk is for the deities, gurukula and the temple use and devotee >>community only. The proceeds are being utilizes for the maintenance of the >>goshalla. > >You have listed four groups of people who you are supplying milk for. I can >understand Deities and Gurukula. What do you mean by Temple use? When >members of the community are purchasing, are they paying fair market value >or are you charging a premium so that your overhead can be met. How many >cows >are you breeding each year? The majority of your community there are >devotees from around the world who are sufficiently endowed economically to >have apartments, homes in Vrndavana as well as other parts of the world. >Certainly you have asked them to adopt one of your cows for her lifetime so >that they can have nice milk during their period of residence in Vrndavana? >Are they just there for some period of time expecting, "Oh Yes, milk will be >here, we will pay just a few rupees no problem." And the burden of >responsibility is on your shoulders. Do the members of the community ever >come to visit the cows and the goshalla? These cows are very special living >entities. Taking birth in the holy dham, giving their whole lives in service >100%. And what is our reciprocation with them? Bare minimum? Fifty Per cent? >Seventy-five per cent? One hundred per cent? > >The last time I was in Vrndavana was many years ago,when Draupada was taking >care of the cows. At that time there was a devotee there by the name of >Vatsala who was collecting very nicely for the care of the cows. You have so >many guest from all over India and the world. Surely with your intelligence >as a successful business man you will be able to help the goshalla to set up >first class cow/land trust fund. > >With the trust fund properly established, you would actually be able to do >real selective breeding and maintain the whole herd very nicely. Without >being over burdened by thinking you have to produce milk, milk, milk. If the >community members are not willing to protect the cows for the lifetime of >the cows then cut back your milk production and just produce for the Deities >and the Gurukula. By setting up this Trust Fund you can approach intelligent >, successful businessmen. Explain to them how their donations will be >helping the cows in a first class way for many generations. Not that , yes, >give me so many rupees, we will spend it immediately and then we will come >begging again. They will think why can't they manage things properly. > >>We are utilizing the process of selective breeding, inorder to maintain the >>supply of milk, which is one of the purposes of the goshala. The Cows are >>grazed daily at the goshala, although it is not sufficient land, we are >making >>due with what we have. > >What is your definition of selective breeding. Are you using breeds which >have traditionally done well in your area, Indian breeds. Or are you >bringing in European breeds that are not heat tolerant and will suffer >greatly in the hot months. This has already been discovered to be a problem >in India. The European are cold weather tolerant, not heat tolerant. >Selective breeding starts with the selection of the breed best suited for >your area's conditions. All over India they have tried this breeding with >the European lines. One of the main problems is lack of heat tolerance >causing a great deal of stress to the cow which lowers her milk production. >So the benefit desired (higher milk production) is not actually achieved. >Also the European breeds are not as (thrifty) as the Indian breeds. They >will require more feed of higher quality which will cost you more money. And >in the long run you will be actually be paying more to produce more milk >than if you would have if you stayed with the Indian breeds. > >The Land Trust will actually provide funds to secure more land so that your >cows will actually have the security that they need. How much land do you >have for 191 cows? > >So develop your cow/land Trust that we talked about last summer at New >Vrndavana. We are very appreciative of the fact that you are trying to raise >the standard of cow protection in Vrndavana. The most sacred of all the holy >Dhams. Have there been records kept over the years as to births and deaths? >How many cows were bred last year? And the year before. What is the death >rate? How long do you milk a cow before she is bred and gives birth again? >How many workers now at the Goshalla? We look forward to your reply and hope >that you will do the needful to establish your cow/land/trust fund and to >bring your herd up to a standard that would be very appreciated by Srila >Prabhupada. Please offer our obeisances to all the cowherds and please >convey to them our appreciation of their service to the cows. > >Your servant, >Balabhadra das > >COM: Pancagauda (das) ACBSP (Vrindavan - IN) ><Pancagauda.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> >COM: ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA) <ISCOWP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> >Saturday, January 16, 1999 10:08 AM >Re: Vrndavana Goshalla? > > >>[Text 2020398 from COM] >> >>Dear Balarabhadra Prabhu, >>Please accept my humble obiesances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! >> >>> As we talked in new Vrndavana briefly, the setting up of a Trust Fund for >the >>> cows and land management is of foremost concern. >> >>We are in the process of setting up a trust fund for the cows. >>> >>> >>> >All of the milk is for the deities, gurukula and the temple use and >devotee >>> >community only. The proceeds are being utilizes for the maintenance of >the >>> >goshalla. >> >>> You have listed four groups of people who you are supplying milk for. I >can >>> understand Deities and Gurukula. What do you mean by Temple use? >> >>Temple use means for the temple devotees. >> >>All of the your questions have been given to Prem Kishore, our goshala >incharge >>and he will be responding to your specific questions. I realize that you >have >>many intricate questions and concerns so he is gathering the information so >>that we can answer all of them. >> >>Hoping that you are well. >> >>Your servant, >>Pancagauda das >> > COM: Pancagauda (das) ACBSP (Vrindavan - IN) <Pancagauda.ACBSP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> COM: ISCOWP (Balabhadra Dasa & Chaya Dasi - USA) <ISCOWP (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se> Wednesday, February 03, 1999 8:16 PM Re: Vrndavana Goshalla? >[Text 2073022 from COM] > >Dear Balarabhadra Prabhu, >Please accept my humble obiesances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! > >I forwarded your letter to Prem Kishore Prabhu, and he just gave me a response. >Here it is: > >Dear Balabhadra Prabhu, > > Our overhead is roughly $3500 per month and income >is approximately $2700 per month leaving a deficit of $800 per month. So we >have enacted a following program to make up the difference. > > 1. A more concentrated effect to collect funds, example a separate >collecting party establishing a separate Goshala office to encourage people to >visit Vrindavan to donate to the Goshala and following up on all persons who >have donated to the past Goshala and encourage them to assist us on more >regulated basis. > > 2. The milk that is now coming from Goshala is being utilized by the >Deity department, Gurukula and Temple i.e. meaning the devotees who are engaged >with full time service are provided with milk and temple pays to Goshala for >the milk. > > 3. The devotee community buys the remaining milk at market price, we have >considered your points about the cost of producing the milk so we are seriously >considering raising the price to compensate for the price which we have >ascertained to be the real value. We agree that the Goshala's purpose is not to >provide the devotees with cheap supply of milk at the cost of compromising the >quality of seva that we could render to the cows. We fully realized that the >purpose of Goshala is to serve the cows as best as we can and we are trying to >do that as best we can. > > 4. We have inherited a situation which we have little to do with meaning we >have 197 cows, calves etc. and 7 acres of land and fixed overhead. So we are >trying to do the best we can, under the given circumstances. > > 5. We planned and have approached the Government for the assistance for >both financial and managerial. We are optimistic that they will help us with >both capital and land which we need desperately. We will inform you in detail, >at a future time about the program in this regard. > > 6. We have discussed about 6 months ago with the temple president about >forming a trust fund for cows. He agreed so we have spoken to a lawyer about >how to establish it properly. But things progress slowly here in India so >patience is required. But our objective is clear. > > 7. As far as selective breeding is concerned we have basically is four >types of cows the Jersy, Holstein, Cross breed and pure Indian cow of Vrindavan >origin. The majority of our herd which means 97 % of our herd is Jersy, >Holstein and Cross breed. So you can understand if we purchased 2 or 3 Holstein >Cows, it would not affect the percentage of our existing herd categorically and >the most of these cows have been brought in India over the past 60 to 70 years >and have been more of less climatised. We agree with mother Lavanglatika's >opinion the some Indian breeds survive in Vrindavan better than others, but >that is a general statement and not always true in all circumstances. So we >planned to breed our healthy productive cows, with healthy and productive bulls >of the same breed. > > 8. Previous to my taking charge to Goshala there was no categorization of >our herd according to breed and no control of reproduction of the animals in >our herd. So now all the animals are tagged and named and a separate file is >being kept on each of other member of our herd which will include their breed, >their age, data of mother, father and no. of children and medical history same >for cows, bulls and oxen . > > We are basically starting from a very elementary position so all the >help that you can give us, we will appreciate very much, being that Vrindavan >is one of the main centers of our movement , so many persons could benefit by >having a prime example to see and inspire them to serve Krishna and Balarama's >cows. > > Hoping this letters meets you in good health in the service of Sri >Sri Guru and Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. > > > >Your sincerely > > > >Prem Kishore Das. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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