By Jaya Govinda Dasa
I had to the good fortune of being in Delhi for the month December which gave me an opportunity to witness first hand some of the reasons this temple consistently wins the world wide Srila Prabhupada December Book Distribution Marathon.
Book distribution is their focus and main priority.
Apart from the huge banners all over the temple complex promoting book distribution, every Bhagavatam class focuses on book distribution. On the board below the Bhagavatam Verse there is a Srila Prabhupada daily quote about the importance of Book Distribution.
ISKCON Delhi also has many corporate professionals and India Institute of Technology graduates who previously held top management positions in world class corporations but who have since become fully dedicated devotees in Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Hearing such brilliant orators using their extra sharp, now purified intelligence, bringing to life the Bhagavatam verses and purports expertly fusing in the importance of preaching Bhagavatam through book distribution naturally inspires and motivates an incredible enthusiasm in the army of young bramacharis to rush out the door and distribute books.
Not only the bramacharis but everyone from mother’s with their children to grand-parents participate in the marathon.
You can see smiling book distributors all over the temple complex greeting the hundreds sometimes thousands of guests that visit daily. You can see them with book tables at different malls such as Neru Place Market. You can see them at traffic lights approaching people in their temporarily motionless vehicles. You can see them everywhere.
 Then the following morning right after Mangal Arati everyone eagerly await to hear the scores announced for the pleasure of the temple’s presiding Deities.
And we’re talking scores! BIG SCORES!!
Sometimes more than 20,000 Bhagavad-Gitas and Krishna Books distributed in a single day and all for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi.
Each morning an appeal is requested of Their Lordships. “Please let the number of book distributors increase and let more and more books be sponsored and distributed.”
Following the request and right after Tulsi Puja, the whole temple is buzzing as a hundred plus devotees are totally absorbed in chanting their rounds.
Good morning sadhana and the proper focus brings solid results.
It also helps to have the world’s leading book distributor, Madhusundar Prabhu, in Delhi. He inspires everyone by his personal example, expert guidance and classes.Â
However the ultimate inspiration and motivating force underlying the overwhelming success, apart from Srila Prabhupada of course, is His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja. Â
By his own personal example he ignites the whole book distribution mechanism and keeps it rapidly flowing.
During the month of December, he stays in India continuously travelling around his India GBC zone keeping all the troupes “fired up”.
He inspires everyone with his potent words and actions.
“He is profusely distributing the books of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami and preaching his message”.
Gopal Krishna maharaja also regularly meets big corporate executives and business owners inspiring them to purchase Bhagavad-Gitas, not only for themselves or as gifts for their family members, but also for their employees.
Sometimes thousands at a time. Now that’s BOOK DISTRIBUTION!
This “Glory of India” ISKCON Delhi Temple also has the most beautiful Gaura Nitai deities I have ever seen and I was recalling that when the deities are worshiped nicely it reflects in Their appearance.
Lord Chaitanya is worshiped by sankirtan, congregational chanting which pleases Him very much.
This is confirmed in the Srimad Bhagavatm 11-5-32,
“In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kåñëa”.
That incarnation is Lord Chaitanya and He is worshiped by congregational chanting, Sankirtan.
This temple has so many expert kirtan singers and mrdanga (drum) players who are worshiping and pleasing Lord Chaitanya by this process of Sankirtan. But especially almost almost everyone here play the big drum of Book Distribution and Lord Chaitanya is especially pleased by this sankirtan that He is glowing.
This temple has the most beautiful Gaura Nitai Deities I have ever seen.
At the writing of this installation, I don’t know how the Delhi temple or the personal individuals will rate in this this year’s marathon competition but one thing is sure, this is one temple that is vibrant and healthy as Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution continuously goes on.
Srila Prabhupada Book Distribution Ki Jai!