At the time that I was voted onto the GBC, ISKCON and its governing body was undergoing an excruciatingly difficult period of trial and testing. However, there were compensations for all our trials and tribulations, and for me the main compensation was the opportunity to serve with a number of extraordinary devotees, extraordinary especially in their dedication to Srila Prabhupada and to his mission. And chief among them, for me, was His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami. Especially, he embodied, in his own singular way, that particular synthesis of opposites seen in the person of Srila Prab...

Mathura-vasa - you were not only living in the Holy Places in India but wherever you went you turned that ordinary place into places of pastimes. Even on your last journey, you were working so tirelessly on establishing a new farm community fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desire.

One of your most prominent qualities while you were physically with us was your deep love for Srila Prabhupada. Very soon after you met him, he included you in his personal staff and made you his secretary for Bengali and Hindi correspondence. Soon thereafter, he gave you first and second initiation and then sannyasa. And you personally, lovingly served him throughout his last days.

Bhakti Charu Maharaja was a true touchstone. Whoever came in contact with him was given an opportunity to experience a life-changing transformation. I experienced the magic of his presence for the first time in 1979 when we met in Calcutta. He was in charge of the local BBT office, and thanks to our common service as translators of Srila Prabhupada’s books, we immediately connected as brothers in arms, exchanging our realizations.

Just a few days before he departed for the US, he called me in the wee hours of his night. "What are you doing up so early, Maharaja?" It was 2am IST. He was thinking how the society could put Srila Prabhupada more in the center. He was concerned for the future, and was unable to sleep just thinking about it. We spoke for half an hour. I consider that last conversation with him one of the great blessings of my life.

When I was asked to speak something about Srila Bhakti Charu Swami at a kirtan program I said that he was the “personification of Vaisnava culture”. Being quite uncultured myself I could not say much more except to glorifying some of his services to Srila Prabhupada, especially his translating all of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavatam's conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord. One who continues to serve the Lord even in reverse conditions is assured that he will go back to Godhead, back to the Vaikuntha planets.

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 your departure?

I had the good fortune of associating with your Guru Maharaja during the 2019 GBC midterm meetings held in Tirupati. Numerous times throughout that visit he would give me a long, warm and loving embrace and say, “My dear old friend, my dear old friend.” And he would reminisce about the times he visited our Hong Kong yatra in the 1980’s when we worked closely together to publish his series of books for children. He called these happy days, when he cooked for the devotees, led kirtan and gave classes to our newly recruited Chinese devotees. He was always very liberal with his associati...

I think that now is the time for us to really take those instructions that we read in Srila Prabhupada’s offering in the Shrimad Bhagavatam to his spiritual master to heart. And that instruction is that he lives forever by his instructions and his disciples and followers live with him. And this is the case for His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaj as well. Although it is a great misfortune that we will not have his personal association, his instructions and his example will live for us to get forever. And for myself, Bhakti Charu Maharaj was always an example of intense affectio...

The last time we met was in the month of May, 2018, in California where we were both attending a Cow Culture Conference. It was the first time I was hearing from you about your project in Florida where you explained that in North America we must provide special facilities for cows due to the harsh temperatures. You had recently acquired 120 acres of land for that purpose close to Orlando. I was happy to hear of your initiative to help make more devotees become aware of the importance of cow care.

I will not attempt to imagine the pain and emotions you are going through at this moment after the departure of your beloved Guru Maharaja. I can only join Anuttama Prabhu's memory of the pain and emotions we experienced when His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada left this mortal world. Although we were aware that Srila Prabhupada was very sick at that time, the thought that he could pass away from this world never crossed my mind, not even for a second. Srila Prabhupada was my life and soul - period. When I received the devastating news of Srila Prabhupada's departure...

Today is a day of intense mourning, the day that Srila Bhakti Charu Swami left this mortal world, and has gone to serve in His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes. For a pure devotee such as Bhakti Charu Maharaj there is no lamentation, as he is continuing his service in another location. However, for those of us who will be bereft of his association, it is hard to imagine continuing our lives without him.

Let us offer true homage to Maharaja by continuing his legacy of service in our own lives. Let us commit ourselves, mind, body, and soul, to the service of Srila Prabhupada, following in the footsteps of his beloved servant, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.

HH Bhakti Charu Swami was known by all who met him as the most gentle, humble, compassionate and learned devotee. Everyone valued his association. Thus, in his absence there will feelings of great loss for everyone. But for his disciples there will be extreme feelings of vacancy, because of their relationship to him as his dependent, like the feelings of a child on the loss of his parent. Since this relationship is spiritual, the loss is felt even more intense. However, as devotees we also have a special vision, explained in Bhagavad Gita and by Srila Prabhupada. The devotee has no death, n...

More than anything concerning the disappearance of Bhakti Caru Swami I am solaced by the appreciation of his character and service expressed by his godbrothers and leaders of ISKCON. I believe ISKCON above everything is meant to carry on the vision and mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that Srila Prabhupada revealed to the world. However, that vision and mission especially becomes alive in the Krishna conscious loving exchanges between the devotees.

We’ve just lost one of ISKCON’s most important leaders, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, who succumbed to Covid19 and the complications it brought on. He departed on the auspicious day of guru-purnima, which is also the disappearance day of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, a befitting day for one who relished sharing his realizations of Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, even before the BBT published Gopiparandhana Prabhu’s translation. Such was his profound knowledge of sastra.

Our ISKCON, as Srila Prabhupada has stated in a commentary in Caitanya Caritamrta, is non-different from the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Still, it's natural for the disciples to feel separation from the spiritual master. And it's sad that we can't be together giving each other support, but you are all in my thoughts and prayers. It's important that we all carry Maharaja's mood and instructions in our heart and act in a way that will please him. Maharaja was so full of love and compassion, always enquiring about one's welfare and making arrangements to accommodate devote...

It is so, so harrowing to endure the departure of someone we love. Indeed there are so many specialists who deal exclusively with helping people through such upheaval and loss. I lost my mother nearly 50 years ago and I still remember that day so vividly, as the trauma at the time was as unbearable as I could have imagined. Thus it is not surprising to see so much outpouring and love expressed when someone departs. Indeed those close to a departed loved one will often honor them for the rest of their lives, bringing flowers to their grave or memorial on a regular basis.

First Meeting with Devotees: Sarvabhavana Prabhu, who joined ISKCON recalls, "I and a friend of mine, who later became His Holiness Bhakti Charu 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]

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.

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 and Lord Krishna just one or two minutes before. I am a member of the Executive Committee of the GBC Body, so I dutifully reported this information to our secretariat, for distribution throughout the ISKCON world, but as I did this I felt mys...

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 his God-brothers and God-sisters, were affectionate towards him and inspired by his presence, his warm, friendly nature, his genuine caring for all those he met, and his deep love and commitment to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON.

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 followers. Today, hearing the devastating news of your departure, I remember your unbroken loyalty and determination.