Book Distribution on the Trains of Bombay
By Vraja Vihari Dasa

Book distribution in the local trains of Bombay (Mumbai) is a very intense experience with hundreds of people pushing and nudging one another in a small compartment. In one such compartment we were facing a huge crowd of around 150 people. Some were seated while most were standing before us. It was Aniruddha Prabhu's (a brahmachari from the Manor) first experience of Book Distribution in Bombay's trains.

As I made my loud announcement for a minute and implored the crowd to take books Aniruddha Prabhu began to show the various sets of books. One Gujarati (a state in India) gentleman asked for a set in the Gujarati language, and was looking at it curiously and returned it, dismissing it with a wave of the hand.

While the man continued to talk with this friend, Aniruddha suddenly spoke aloud in Gujarati language, saying how people spend lots of money on women and liquor but can't spare a few rupees for transcendental literature. Aniruddha had learnt Gujarati in London and now his preaching in that language caused excitement in the train. This man was utterly shocked and dumbfounded to see an Englishman speak in Gujarati. People immediately took interest and he was just placing books in their hands.

Books began to fly out of our hands. This was repeated in every compartment and in a span of two hours we had distributed 125 books.

© CHAKRA 15 April 2001

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