Discouragement from Singhania

February 5, 1966

Discouragement came to the plans Prabhupada had formed around the promise of support by Badampat Singhania through Dvaraka-vala, who wrote to express his dissatisfaction with the Seventy-second Street building: 

“I am afraid that I cannot agree with your suggestion that you should buy a small house and erect something on top of it.  Unfortunately, such a kind of proposal will not suit me.  The temple must be a small one, but it must be constructed properly.  I quite agree that you cannot spend a lot of money at present, but within the amount the government may sanction, you should build something according to the architecture of Indian temples.  Then only will we be able to create some impression on the American people.  This is all that I can write to you in this connection.  I am grateful for you taking the trouble of writing me.”

Prabhupada did not take this letter as final.  He maintained hope that Sri Badampat Singhania would still give money for the temple, if only the transfer of money could be arranged.  He continued writing his godbrothers and other devotees, asking them to try to secure the government sanction.  He maintained his same aspirations, even though his sole prospective donor had rejected his scheme of a cakra and dome atop a conventional two-storey building.