Brief compilation with personal concluding words by Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami
First Meeting with Devotees
Sarvabhavana Prabhu, who joined ISKCON recalls, “I and a friend of mine, who later became His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami, went from Calcutta to Hamburg in 1970. There we met the devotees for the first time and accepted an invitation for the Sunday feast. [Srila Prabhupada and Disciples in Germany by Vedavyasa Dasa]
A Cultured Young Man
One day an unusual, young Bengali man came to Mayapu
“Bhakti Charu Maharaj in the final days of Srila Prabhupada was amongst the entourage of Prabhupada. He used to render personal service, so Prabhupada rang the bell and Bhakti Charu Maharaj went. Prabhupada asked for some orange juice and Bhakti Charu Maharaj said “yes Srila Prabhupada I will bring”. And then 5 minutes later the bell rang again but this time the bell was ringing firmer, Prabhupada was ringing urgently. Bhakti Charu Maharaj went and Prabhupada said “So where is the orange juice?”
On July 4th is typically a day of great celebration for Americans but this year it is a day of great remorse. The citizens of this country are so deeply divided I can only wonder how we will be able to continue forward as one great nation. No matter where you sit on the political spectrum our collective future looks very bleak.
Yet what is even more disturbing than all the unrest, turmoil and lawlessness that has dominated the news is the fact that the world lost a very great soul last night tha
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
As we all try to come to terms with the tremendous loss we have faced, we would like to share more with you about HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s departure and what will now follow, logistically.
On the most auspicious day of Sri Guru Purnima, the first day of the holy month of Sravana and Caturmasya, and the divine disappearance day of Srila Sanatana Goswami, July 4th, 2020 at approximately 8:30 am EDT, our dear Bh
“Where will I find that loving smile filled with care and affection that made you feel so important though you are worthless...., that caused you to remember Prabhupada in any circumstance..., that was pure sweetness… I am so angry at you for leaving me here unprotected.
Why did you decide to go back to Srila Prabhupada's Lotus Feet not caring for how we would be unable to tolerate you departure?
With whom shall I laugh reading those signs in Italian that ha
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, a beloved disciple of Srila Prabhupada, GBC member, ISKCON initiating spiritual master, and Gaudiya Vaishnava sannyasi, passed away the morning of July 4th due to complications related to COVID-19. He was 74 years old.
His passing coincides with the auspicious day of the disappearance day of Srila Sanatana Goswami, the first month of Caturmasya,
Dear disciples of Bhakti Charu Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
On this auspicious day of Guru Purnima I want to express my condolences to all of you on the departure of your beloved spiritual master, Bhakti Charu Maharaja. I had planned to write an offering to him today, but I feel a letter to console all of you in your grief would be of greater service to him.
My heart goes out to all of you wherever you are in the world. The outpouring of lo
You are all aware by now of the passing of HH Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaja. Most if not all of you would be well aware that he was an outstanding disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a great leader in Prabhupada’s ISKCON.
Under the circumstances it would be appropriate for all ISKCON centers to observe his departure with a special program, or even more than one special program, bearing in mind, of course, the current situations in different parts of the world because of the same Corona virus which ha
My dear nephews and nieces in Krishna consciousness, disciples of Bhakti Charu Maharaja,
Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
At 8.30am this morning, Florida time, I received a phone call from one of your more senior Godbrothers who is currently there. He was in a deeply emotional state, and I immediately understood what he had called me about, before he could even tell me. Your Guru Maharaja had departed from this world, back to Srila Prabhupada and Srimati Radharani
My Dear Spiritual Nieces and Nephews/Disciples of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.
I write with a very heavy heart. I can only imagine the sense of grief and pain you must all be feeling today, experiencing the separation of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.
Your Guru Maharaja was truly an exceptional Vaishnava, spiritual master, and human being. All who knew him, including all
July 4, 2020
My dear Bhakti Charu Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
When you first met Srila Prabhupada he recognized you as a special soul, so much so that within a short time he accepted you as a sannyasi disciple. For the next 45 years you faithfully kept your difficult vows, travelling constantly, promoting Krishna consciousness in service to Srila Prabhupada. Your astonishing, flawless legacy will forever inspire all of Srila Prabhupada’s follow
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
It is with overwhelming heartache that we announce to you the departure of our beloved godbrother and a dearmost servant of Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.
From his earliest days as a young devotee, Maharaja had the extraordinary privilege of serving as one of Srila Prabhupada’s confidential, personal servants. And ever since, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s life has been an offering of
Sri Guru-purnima, or Vyasa-purnima, is the divine disappearance day of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the eldest of the Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana. The authorized poet Sri Kavi-karnapura, in his book Caitanya-candrodaya-nataka (9.34, 35, 38), quoted in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 24.348–350), tells how Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu blessed Sanatana Gosvami with His specific mercy.
gaudendrasya sabha-vibhusana-manis tyaktva ya rddham sriyam
rupasyagraja esa eva tarunim vairagya-laksmim dadhe
antar-bhakti-
Today is Guru-purnima. Srila Prabhupada has explained that the system of honoring the spiritual master is current in all sections of Vedic followers. In the Mayavadi (impersonalist) sects, the disciples offer respect to the spiritual master every year on Guru-purnima. And in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, the disciples offer homage annually on the appearance day of the spiritual master; this occasion is called Vyasa-puja, because the spiritual master represents Vedavyasa, the empowered incarn
Each year more than 70 lakh people from different parts of the world visit Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and headquarter of ISKCON. Over the years Mayapur has evolved as a significant tourist destination of not only West Bengal but the entire world. However this year the global pandemic cast a spell of gloom on the devotees, pilgrims and visitors all over the world who come in search of spiritual enlightenment and submerge in the blissful ocean of Harinam Sankirtan.
After
Each year, more than 7 million people from different parts of the world visit Mayapur, the birth place of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and headquarter of ISKCON. Over the years, Mayapur has evolved to be a significant tourist destination of not only West Bengal but entire world.
After the COVID-19 restrictions lifted, after nearly 90 days of closure, people will again get the opportunity to have darshan and worship Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Sri Sri Panchtattva, Sri Sri Prahlad Narsimhadev deties, a
ISKCON Mayapur temple opens to the public on Guru Purnima, 5th July, after 3 months of closure!
More than 70 lakh people from different parts of the world visit Mayapur, the birth place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. However, this year, the global pandemic cast a spell of gloom on the devotees, pilgrims and visitors all over the world, who come in search of spiritual enlightment and to submerge in the blissful ocean of Harinama Sankirtan.
After nearly 90 days of closure, people will again get the
Dear Devotees,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
HH Bhakti Charu Swami's health condition has deteriorated and doctors have given notice that they are exhausting all medical options.
We request the worldwide ISKCON community to please pause all other engagements and invest all your hearts in intense prayer and kirtan for HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja.
Maharaja has given his life to the service of Srila Prabhupada and the service of Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON. W
By Narada das
ISKCON Festivals UK
(1st July 2020)
Last weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the iconic Glastonbury Music Festival – a renowned feature of the UK cultural scene. This massive event attracts over 250,000 people, hosting live stage performances from the most famous international artists, and is shown worldwide by the BBC.
It’s also a very important event for ISKCON in the UK as the movement’s biggest annual outreach event connecting with the diverse British public.
Devotees have b
