Dear Shri Venkataraman,

I reached Madras on the 18th as previously decided. The same evening I went to Kancheepuram to meet Acharya Swami. After meeting him and receiving his blessings I returned to Madras yesterday evening.

This morning Shri Haridas showed me the communication from the Post and Telegraph Department which was received here a week back. It is in connection with the telephone installations at Kanyakumari and Nagercoil. I am enclosing a copy of the communication for your information and guidance. I am also enclosing the Demand Note in triplicate sent to us by the Post and Telegraph Department. Please read the instructions, especially the third one, mentioned below the Demand Note and remit, accordingly, the amount of Rs. 290/- to the Post Master, Kanyakumari, at your earliest (the last date is 17-10-’64) and obtain a receipt for the payment along with a copy of the Demand Note.

The declaration form sent by the Department, I am withholding here. I shall send it to you tomorrow, duly filled up and signed by me along with the ‘authority’ to sign the same on behalf of the Committee. After receiving it please send the same together with a copy of the paid Demand Note (returned by the Post Master, Kanyakumari) to the Sub divisional Officer, Telephone, Tirunelveli.

While attending to the matter mentioned above, it came to my notice that there was no copy of that application addressed to the Telephone Department here in the Central Office. Please send a copy of that letter, therefore, for file and record here. Please also see that copies of all communications addressed to Government Departments as well as to other important parties are sent to the Head Office as a rule.

Before leaving for Nagpur I wanted to select a few photographs and negatives for being carried with me for getting them enlarged and being lent to Shri Nagaraj for the purposes of exhibition he and his friends had proposed to plan. I searched all the almirahs but could not find any negatives. May I know where have you kept them?

I had planned in my mind to reach Kanyakumari on 21st. But from your letter dated 15-11-’64 it is evident that the meeting of the sub-committee is already over. In the circumstances, I need not make hurry now. Instead, I now intend to finish some important works here before starting for Kanyakumari.

In none of your letters there is a mention about the situation regarding the work of stone-cutting which was a matter of great anxiety for us when I left Kanyakumari a few days back. I hope the supply of stones has been regular and abundant since then and there is sufficient work for the present batch of artisans and also for the new additional batches expected within the course of the next few days.

The Sthapati had undertaken to prepare within fifteen days the time schedule for the different stages of work, planning it in such a way that the entire work of construction is completed by the beginning of January 1967. If he has done so please intimate to us accordingly so that we may fix up the date for the next meeting of the Managing Committee before which it is to be submitted.

I think it would be better if it could be so managed that when you come here for the meeting of the Managing Committee you proceed to Vijayawada, Bangalore, Ajanta and Karli along with the Sthapati for examining the marble stone at Vijayawada, granite stone at Bangalore (red granite under contemplation) and for studying the designs at Ajantha and Karli caves. The sooner you are able to do it the better it is. Of course, it depends upon the satisfactory arrangements made by the Sthapati at Kanyakumari for the execution of the work during his absence of a couple of weeks.

The Sthapati’s tour of the places mentioned above is very urgent as the new pamphlet necessary for the collection of funds has to carry the picture of the plan redrawn after incorporating the changes which he may deem necessary as a result of his observations. The collection drive is proposed to be taken in the month of January next. The pamphlet, therefore, must be ready for dispatch by the end of December.

If the Sthapati is able to commence his tour on the 3rd or 4th of December, latest, it would be possible for him to finish it up and return to Madras before 20th and redraw the plan for being incorporated into the pamphlet within a week. If the Sthapati approves of the above mentioned proposal please intimate to me immediately so that the date of the Managing Committee meeting may be fixed up accordingly, preferably the 1st or the 2nd, and train reservations for your journey may be made in time. If you okay the above proposals I shall reach Kanyakumari on 26th and return to Madras on 30th November.

By coincidence I met Shri M.G. Dixit, Engineer, (who executed the construction work of the Smriti Mandir at Nagpur) at Nagpur. We had a long talk about the Rock Memorial. He has advised us to send specimens of the Rock stone as well as of the stones we are using and are proposing to use for the construction work of the Memorial to the Research institutes at Roorki and Delhi for test. I request you, therefore, to procure six pieces of each variety (cubes of six inches diameter) and keep them ready before I reach Kanyakumari. Regarding the testing of the Vivekananda Rock stone he has advised us to have trial borings on the rock to the depth of about 15 to 20 feet, especially on the four corners of the main table land. This test is of vital importance to detect cavities or crevices, if any, in the bowels of the table land rock upon which the entire granite structure is to stand. Pieces of cylindrical stones which would come out of the Rock as a result of the
trial borings could serve the purpose of specimens to be sent to Roorki and Delhi. You please inquire from our engineer friends there, whether there are contractors or experts doing the work of taking trial bores and keep the information ready by the time I reach there.

I read your report about the availability of water in plenty on the Rock. I doubt the veracity of your optimistic conclusions. I advise you to keep such observations strictly to yourself and to the limited circle of our colleagues and not to make it public till the time all expert reports reach our hands and present convincing proofs.

I did not like the idea of the local people forming a committee and creating a fanfare regarding the traditional lighting of the Rock on the Kartick Poornima Day. I would have preferred the ritual to have been performed by the Devaswom Board in the way any other customary function is celebrated as a matter of course.

Please acknowledge this letter and also the receipt of the enclosures. I did receive your letter dated 12-11-’64 at Nagpur.

Please intimate to Shri R. Ramakrishnan that Shri Yadavrao Joshi and his  colleagues have dropped the idea of purchasing his plot of land at Bangalore as they are getting a big plot of land at a very cheap price in the same vicinity, However, they have promised to render all help in securing a good customer for the land when he visits Bangalore.

Since yesterday we are having very heavy rains here.

Yours,

Eknath Ranade
Encl: 1,2, Three sheets of the Demand Note & 3, from
the P. & T. Department.
4. A copy of the letter from the P. & T. Department.