By Gopika Radhika Devi Dasi
Kolkata, being Srila Prabhupada’s appearance place, holds the unique distinction of being home to numerous special sites intimately associated with his life, particularly from his childhood and youth. One such place is his alma mater, Scottish Church College, where Srila Prabhupada studied as an undergraduate.
Srila Prabhupada often reminisced about his time as a student there, sharing vignettes of his relationships with his Scottish professors, particularly noting their penchant for philosophy, meeting the Marquis of Zetland, participating in theater, engaging in the English and Sanskrit societies, and more. Over a century later, Srila Prabhupada’s memory remains vividly alive and deeply honored by the college’s authorities, faculty, and students. To this day, at every event, large or small, the college fondly recalls Srila Prabhupada as being among its most illustrious alumni and proudly celebrates his enduring, worldwide impact.
In recent years, the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) has actively collaborated with Scottish Church College on several projects aimed at preserving and celebrating Srila Prabhupada’s legacy within the college’s thriving academic community. Especially notable among these initiatives was the establishment of the A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Memorial Award, presented annually to the most meritorious student based on university final results and to a faculty member for exceptional community service.
The latest milestone has been BRC’s sponsorship of the refurbishment of a seminar hall, which was formally inaugurated on November 6, 2024, and named by the college as the “Sri Abhay Charan De Seminar Hall” in honor of Srila Prabhupada. This marks the first time in the college’s history that an infrastructure facility has been named after an individual, thus making this dedication an especially significant tribute. This event also marked the launch of the Darshan Eshana Digital Library, another major project that BRC has been developing in partnership with the college.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/srila-prabhupadas-legacy-honored-inauguration-of-the-sri-abhay-charan-de-seminar-hall-at-scottish-church-college/
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