How Sumati Morarji fulfilled her father-in-law’s promise.
By giving Srila Prabhupada a free ticket to New York on the “Jaladuta” Sumati Morarji also fulfilled a promise that was given by her father-in-law some 40 years before. Narottam Morarji, the founder of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company and a prominent Indian businessman, promised to give his support and help to the Gaudiya Math preaching in the West. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident on November 5, 1929, a few years before the first Gaudiya Math preachers went to London. The main mouthpiece of the Gaudiya Math, a Bengali weekly magazine “Gaudiya” mentioned Narottam’s demise and his promise thus:
“Srila Prabhupada is now in Faizabad, staying at the home of Sripada Adhoksaja dasa Adhikari Mahodaya, where he speaks hari-katha and collects a lot of rare materials and information for the Vaisnava-manjusa [Vaisnava encyclopedia envisioned by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur] from the Faizabad Museum Library. When the fruits of all this research become available it will be a great achievement for the whole world. We read in the Allahabad newspaper “Pioneer” that a generous millionaire from Mumbai, a great soul named ‘Narottam Morarji’, who was a member of the Vallabha-sampradaya, suddenly left his body in Lonavla. At the same time we received a telegram from Kolkata informing us that the ruler of Bengal’s Kasimbazaar, Maharaja Sir Manindra Candra Nandi Bahadur left this world. Mahatma Morarji, despite being a member of the Vallabha-sampradaya, had promised to help Gaudiya Math’s preachers in their spreading Sri Caitanyadeva’s message in the Western countries. On account of this rare human life being so impermanent, Srila Prabhupada told us to remain awake in the service of Lord Hari at every moment without wasting any time.” (“Gaudiya”, 8th year, issue 14, page 222, November 16, 1929).