“...we are ready to send our two vans, with a seating capacity of 25, filled with devotees and congregational volunteers to the devastated areas of Kutch and Saurastra within the next couple of days.”

— BASU GHOSH
Giving news of ISKCON relief work in India's earthquake devastated Gujarat

ISKCON News from Gujarat Earthquake Zone
By Basu Ghosh dasa

CHAKRA (Baroda, Gujarat, India) - 28th January, 2001: 

Home Base: ISKCON-Baroda

Dear Maharajas, Prabhus and Matajis,

Namonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

This evening we called a meeting of several leading supporters of ISKCON Baroda at the temple here.

We informed them that we are ready to send our two vans, with a seating capacity of 25, filled with devotees and congregational volunteers to the devastated areas of Kutch and Saurastra within the next couple of days.

They decided that initially they would donate 80 (100 Kg) bags of rice, 25 kg of moong dal, vegetables, and 10,000 water pouches. These supplies would accompany our two vans in a 10 ton truck.

Joining in this endeavor will be ISKCON's Vallabh Vidyanagar center, located on the campus of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University.

We anticipate help from a local Lions Club, Co-operative Bank and several other institutions and individuals.

The plan now is to collect the items for distribution tomorrow, Monday, 29-1-01 and ready the team which would then leave for the devastated areas on 30-1-01.

Along with prasad distribution the devotees will also do harinam sankirtan.

If any reader of this message wishes to participate in this endeavor in any way, either by coming personally and joining the prasad distribution party or by extending financial support to help cover the expenses involved in this effort, we welcome any and all help offered.

Those who wish to donate for this purpose can send funds from abroad to our foreign contribution account number 1549 at the Bank of Baroda, Gotri Branch, Gotri Rd., Baroda 390 021

Since I personally will be absent from the scene... it's along story... I'm leaving for Kumbha Mela and then onto Mayapur on the morning of 30-1-01, we've set up a "command team" here at ISKCON Baroda to co-ordinate the efforts.

Sriman Satchidananda Prabhu (Sunil Patel from London) who is the General Manager of ISKCON Vallabh Vidyanagar will oversee the efforts and communications here along with Prahlad Prabhu and Nityananda Ram Dasa. ISKCON Baroda General Manager Ram Dasa (LOK) (known to many veterans of Braj Mandal Parikrama as one of the dedicated managers of that program for years) will be in charge of the group actually involved in prasad distribution at the disaster area.

So, they can be contacted via e-mail at: iskcon.baroda@pamho.net or over the telephone here at ISKCON Baroda at any of the following telephone numbers: 0265-310630/331012/350885.

If you wish to keep me informed and involved in the correspondence, which I will be checking when I reach Mayapur on 6-2-01, you can copy your queries to my e-mail address.

Hope this finds you well.

Vaishnava dasanudas,

Basu Ghosh Dasa

Go to the “ISKCON Baroda Page”