Only about 15 people showed up, while over 40,000 people showed up right around the corner to attend the Manor's celebrations.

CHAKRA (Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK ) - September 11, 1999: Adridharan and Madhu-Pandit had flown all the way from India for it.. Bhaja Hari and other ritvik theorists were also there. They were attending a “ritvik” get together in a village hall in local Letchmore Heath, right around the corner from Bhaktivedanta Manor the day after Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja.

However, besides them, only about 15 other people showed up for the meeting. "It was a flop," reported one attendee. 

The program had been heavily advertised on COM. "Adridharan das, temple president of Calcutta, Madhu Pandit Dasa, temple president of Bangalore, as well as other temple presidents and sannyasis are flying in for Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa-Puja celebration to be held in London, on Sunday, 5th September... This hall is only minutes by car from Bhaktivedanta Manor," reported enthusiasts on COM.

Meanwhile, right around the corner, Bhaktivedanta Manor was host for about 40,000 people. The impact of the meeting was negligible despite it being much advertised on the ISKCON India forum on COM and through flyers and leaflets distributed locally.

Aside from the much advertised ritvik meeting, Adridharan hopes to meet with Gopichand Hinduja in London, brother of Srichand Hinduja, and supporter of the ISKCON New Delhi project.

Reports one informer, “Srichand is fully aware of the court case in Calcutta. Adri has requested a good friend of the Hinduja family who is based in Calcutta to have Srichand arbitrate between ISKCON and the ritviks. The main purpose of Adri's meeting Srichand would be to convince him of the ritvik concoctions. I spoke to Srichand few days ago on the phone along with Ashok Hinduja and explained how the ritviks were off. Adri has told the Hindujas and their Calcutta friend that how ISKCON Gurus have run away with money, etc. - so they cannot be trusted.”

It is thought that Adridharan may also seek the Hinduja’s help to raise money for a proposed building they want to buy in New York and perhaps for their propaganda.

“You may have heard that at our meeting in New York we launched a project to restore Srila Prabhupada's skyscraper temple in the heart of New York,” boasted Adridharan in a recent COM posting.

“This 13 story temple, which used to be located on West 55th in Manhattan's mid-town, was unfortunately sold due to mismanagement, and has now been converted into apartments.”

Adri claims to be registering a non-profit corporation called “The Radha-Govinda Temple and International Cultural Corporation,” and that they already have pledges of donations. They require $1 million for the down payment. They hope to somehow avoid the trap of having too high an overhead, which was the downfall of the original 55^th Street temple in New York.

The building, they boast, will house 10 sankirtan devotees collecting to meet the high expenses of maintaining such a building in Manhattan.

© CHAKRA 11-Sep-1999

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