Her Grace Saudamini Devi Dasi, a beloved disciple of Srila Prabhupada and the wife of Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, passed away in the sacred dhama of Sridham Mayapur, at approximately 1:00 AM IST on April 26, 2026. In Philadelphia, she departed during yesterday’s 8 hour kirtan.
After more than fifty years of dedicated service in the West, she and her husband moved to Mayapur in 2024 to spend their final years in the spiritual atmosphere of Lord Caitanya’s birthplace.
For decades, from the early 1970’s to 2014, Mother Saudamini was a foundational pillar of the ISKCON Philadelphia temple and community, where she lived and served with great devotion as the Head Pujari, Vice President, and Mother of the community. While her husband served the movement through global leadership and scholarship, she was the heart of the temple’s worship, dedicated to the meticulous care and service of the presiding deities, Sri Sri Radha Saradbihari, Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra, and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. In the midst of many outside influences, together they served very hard to keep ISKCON Philadelphia a Srila Prabhupada centered Temple.
She was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1971. Both she and Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. They passed up their professional and personal aspirations to take up a life of austerity serving full-time in Srila Prabhupada’s movement, where, in addition to their full-time services, they raised three children, Radhikika, Yudhistira, and Rupa.
We will hold a memorial service at ISKCON Philadelphia on Sunday, May 3, at 3 pm, where devotees and friends will share memories and offer Holding it next Sunday will give us time to get the word out to family, god-family, and well-wishers. We encourage all devotees in the Philadelphia community to attend and offer their respects, glorify, and learn about this important devotee in our Temple’s history.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/remembering-her-grace-saudamani-devi-dasi/
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