1. The alternative to Durga-puja

    If actually they want peace and prosperous they should spend their money for performing this yajna everywhere. In Calcutta there was sometimes so many Durga-puja-pandals; kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante ‘nya-devatah [Bg 7.20].

    [Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.]

    But now, instead of Durga-puja-pandals, they should open in every neighborhood pandals for chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. And let them perform the sankirtana yajna and see what is the result. But that they will not do. They will spend thousands of rupees for Durga-puja, Karttika-puja, this puja, that puja, but they are not prepared for the sankirtana yajna. So how there can be peace and prosperous? But we can guarantee that if they take this program of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the program of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s followers, real followers, bona-fide followers. There will be immediately peace and prosperity, there is no doubt about it.

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.10, 1971, Calcutta