My Guru Maharaja used to say… He had so many temples all over India, and he used to say sometimes that "If by selling all these properties, temples, if I could turn one man to Krsna consciousness, then my mission will be successful." He used to say that. So our purpose is not to construct big, big buildings. That is required for propaganda work, for giving shelter to people. But our main business is how to turn the face of the bewildered conditioned souls towards Krsna. That is our method. That is our main purpose. Therefore, Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other Vaisnavas, they did not advise to give much attention for constructing big, big temples and mathas. Because if our attention is diverted towards these material things…

From Srila Prabhupada's lecture on The Nectar of Devotion — Vrndavana, November 11, 1972