ISKCON Inaugurates Motel Bhagavad-Gita Project | … · ISKCON Inaugurates Motel Bhagavad-Gita Project By Akruranatha Dasa for Dandavats on 6 Jun 2009 On April 22-25, 2009, at a convention

ISKCON Inaugurates Motel Bhagavad-Gita Project

By Akruranatha Dasa for Dandavats on 6 Jun 2009

On April 22-25, 2009, at a convention center

just outside Washington, D.C., members of the Asian

American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) met for their

annual national convention and trade show. Amid the

booths of vendors of furniture, ice machines, accounting

software, and just about everything else related to the

hospitality industry, stood a booth of a different kind, in

which a group of earnest volunteers passed out copies of

Bhagavad-Gita and made a humble request to the

assembled hotel and motel owners: “Please let us provide

copies of Bhagavad-Gita to place in your rooms alongside

the Gideons Bibles.”

The volunteers were members of Pancajanya Project (www.MotelGita.org), a branch of ISKCON

dedicated to placing at least 1 million Bhagavad-Gitas in guest rooms across the U.S. and Canada. By

making these sacred books available to millions of travelers who might not otherwise buy or examine

them, not only the readers but everyone involved will be immensely benefitted.

“Wherever there is Krishna and Arjuna there is opulence, victory, power and morality”, says Vaisesika

Dasa, president of ISKCON”s Silicon Valley temple in San Jose, California, and visionary of the

Pancajanya Project. “Whoever reads one verse, one line, or even touches one of these books will have

an opportunity to achieve perfection in life and meet Lord Krishna face to face.”

The Project started when Dilip Patel, owner of Sea Breeze Motel in Pacifica, California, began placing

Gitas in his own rooms. A faithful devotee of Bhagavad-Gita and its universal message, even he was

surprised at the favorable reaction and comments he received from many of his non-Hindu guests.

In April of 2008, Patel teamed up with Milan Doshi and began approaching other motel owners in the

San Francisco area. By 2009 they had placed Gitas in over 10,000 rooms in California, and the response

was they got was tremendous. Meanwhile, on the other coast, Rohini Nandana of ISKCON”s Boston

temple had been independently inspired to distribute Gitas to motel owners in his area.

“Something like 60% of the economy lodgings in the United States are now owned by Indian Americans,

primarily Gujarati Patels,” Rohini Nandana explains. “This gives the owners a unique opportunity to

spread the wisdom and glorious message of Krishna throughout the country. We are finding that many

of the owners we contact have been waiting for an organized effort such as this one and are showering

their blessings on this Project.”

Gitas have been supplied to motels of numerous chains including Days Inn, Econolodge, Comfort Inn,

Quality Inn, Motel 6, Super 8 and many more. Guests at these motels frequently express their gratitude

and interest in the Bhagavad-Gitas provided in the rooms. Nilesh Patel, manager of a Super 8 in

Sacramento, California, writes: “I often see guests coming in for breakfast with Bhagavad-Gita in hand

and reading it while they are in the lobby or in the reception room. It is satisfying to know that I have

contributed in spreading this knowledge.”

Taking a booth at the national AAHOA convention in April marked a concentrated effort by ISKCON’s

Pancajanya Project to expand operations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The experience was very

encouraging. Convention organizers offered to support the Project in the future. Many motel owners

expressed their happiness to see this Project developing. Over 12,000 confirmed orders were taken at

the convention, and contacts were made with owners who could potentially order twice that many in the

near future. Pancajanya Project plans to attend future national AAHOA conventions and also regional

conventions throughout the year, as well as meetings of other organizations.

Several motel owners not only ordered books for their rooms, but offered to personally take Project

members to other friendly motels to encourage them to order as well. With orders for nearly 30,000

books and counting, the goal of placing 1 million Bhagavad-Gitas seems quite realistic.

Giving the opportunity to so many ordinary Americans to contact Lord Krishna in their motel rooms will

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Reader Comments:

Namaskarah! Can U tell me

Submitted by sivaprasad on 9 July, 2009 - 07:27.

Namaskarah!

Can U tell me the significance and real meaning of santi parva of Mahabharata?

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have profound positive effects, promoting cross-cultural understanding and spiritual awareness. Many

will respond like one California guest named Terrance, who wrote: “I got my first Gita in a hotel room

and ever since I read the first verse my life has been ever-increasingly in Krishna consciousness. Life is

a journey back to Krishna. Peace.”

Pancajanya Project organizers anticipate the need to accommodate exponential growth, as this appears

to truly be “an idea whose time has come.” “We request all motel owners to not only place the Gitas but

to also encourage friends and relatives to do so,” says founding member Milan Doshi. “We expect to

organize regional chapters to contact and meet the needs of motels in their local areas. Many

volunteers are welcome.”

In addition, funds are needed to print and ship the books, and to supply advertising and promotional

materials. Many, but not all motel owners are contributing the cost of the Gitas for their own rooms.

Many more are waiting to receive books when funds become available to pay the cost of publication and

shipping.

For more information or to help sponsor Bhagavad-gita distribution visit: www.MotelGita.org

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