By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
MotelGita, an initiative dedicated to placing Bhagavad-gita As It Is in hotel and motel rooms across North America, recently marked its 16th consecutive year at AAHOA CON26, the annual trade show of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. The team raised $4,730 in donations, secured orders for more than 1,000 Bhagavad-gitas, and distributed the Bhagavad-gita in five languages, along with Krishna Book, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and other titles by Srila Prabhupada.
How It Began
Inspired by the century-long practice of the Gideons placing Bibles in hotel rooms worldwide, Mayapur Bihari Dasa and Dilip Patel approached Vaisesika Dasa, president of ISKCON Silicon Valley and a renowned book distributor, with a proposal: “We’re already distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books outside grocery stores, malls, and other public places,” Mayapur Bihari said. “Why not hotels?”
Vaisesika Dasa immediately embraced the idea. The team adopted a mission that continues to guide the project: providing “solace to the traveling souls.” The first participating property was Dilip Patel’s Sea Breeze Motel in Pacifica, California. The response was overwhelmingly positive—one of the earliest motel owners to join donated $4,000, foreshadowing the strong support MotelGita would receive from the hospitality community.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/from-hotel-rooms-to-hearts-motelgitas-expanding-mission/b
Comments