Hindu Scripture For Travelers

The Panchajanya Project's goal: The Bhagavad Gita next to the ubiquitous hotel-room Holy Bible.

“I often see guests coming in for breakfast with the 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 to spreading this knowledge,” says Nilesh Patel, Manager of a Super 8 in Sacramento, California.

The Bhagavad Gita, widely considered the most important of Hindu scriptures, may be soon found in motel and hotel nightstands across the county, thanks to a national effort being organized by a San Jose volunteer group.

Vaisesika Prabhu, a leader of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is the visionary behind the Panchajanya Project, a program with the aim to place at least a million copies of the English language edition of the Bhagavad Gita in hotel and motel rooms in the Bay Area. They say the effort will be similar to the placing of Gideon Bibles in hotel room nightstands.

The Bhagavad Gita (“Song of God”) is less a religious tome than a philosophical discourse on ethics and the nature of God. The organizers of the project believe that making these sacred books available to millions of travelers (who might not otherwise buy or examine them) is likely to have a positive ripple effect beyond the immediate readers.

The project began in April 2008, and after the pilot in California, the initiative has expanded to other states such as Oregon, Texas and to Toronto in Canada.

At the 2009 Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) convention, volunteers distributed copies of the holy book and requested the hotel and motel owners to allow them to place copies of the scripture in their property rooms.

“Many motel owners have wholeheartedly welcomed and supported this program. ISKCON volunteers have placed copies of the scripture in rooms of chains such as Howard Johnson, Holiday Inn, Quality Inn, Best Western, Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Super 8, and America’s Best Value Inn,” says Milan Doshi, one of the founding directors of the project and a software engineer at Wells Fargo Bank. To date, the ISKCON volunteers have placed 30,000 books in hotel and motel rooms.

“Around 60% of economy lodgings in the United States are owned by Indian Americans, primarily Gujarati Patels,” says Rohini Nandana of ISKCON’s Boston temple. Gujurati refers to Indians from the state of Gujurat, and Patel is a family name. Nandana says, “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.”

“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,” says Doshi. Currently, books can be supplied for approximately $3.00 a piece. To make the project financially viable, the goal is to cover the cost of the books through donations from the motel owners themselves. For now the books are being supplied free of charge to owners who are willing to place them in their premises. “We started stocking the Gita in our motel rooms last year. Some of my patrons have asked me if the books are for sale. Though initially I was skeptical and concerned about people’s reactions, I have not received any negative feedback yet,” says Kirit Patel of Capri Motel in Santa Cruz.

“The Bhagavad Gita is profound literature. I thank the motel for allowing me this opportunity. It has helped me to understand who I am and about life. Life is much happier and less stressful. I still cannot believe my luck,” wrote Jon Rodriguez, a guest who dropped a complimentary letter at Best Western in Memphis.

“I have developed respect for the Hindu culture now that I have read and understood a little about it,” says Vivian Browne, a guest at Rodeway Inn at Monrovia. With the positive reception from both motel owners and patrons, the Panchajanya Project continues its efforts both locally and across the nation.