By Basu Ghosh Das
At approximately 10:00 PM on Tuesday, October 9, while returning to Vallabh Vidyanagar (a suburb of “Anand” town, famous for “Amul” dairy and “Amul Butter” – it’s 45 kilometers North of Baroda), from a journey to Rajkot, a small “Maruti 800” subcompact car with ISKCON Vallabh Vidyanagar Temple President Satchidananda Prabhu and ISKCON Vallabh Vidyangar Temple Manager Gaurendu Prabhu as passengers met with a terrible accient which claimed the life of Sriman Gaurendu Prabhu, on the spot.
Apparently the driver of the car did not see – in darkness – a large ten ton lorry (truck), which had broken down, in or on the side of road. At the last minute the driver swerved to avoid the truck. However, the rear portion of the car – the left side/passenger side (in India) – struck the back side of the truck, and Gaurendu Prabhu died instantly due to the impact. Satchidananda Prabhu however, saw the impending collision from his seat behind the driver and quickly – and timely – assumed the “brace” position that commercial aircraft passengers are instructed to assume before every flight in case of any emergency. He escaped the impact and subsequent car rolling off the road with minor cuts and bruises.
The driver of the vehicle, an occasional paid driver who was not an ISKCON devotee, was take to the Vadilal Hospital at Ahmedabad, along with Satchidananda Prabhu after some “good samaritians”, who were passing by just after the accident occurred, had called an ambulance.
The driver himself died at the hospital at Ahmedabad on Thursday, October
11, 2007, at 6:00 AM.
Gaurendu Prabhu’s last rites were performed at Vallabh Vidyanagar on Wednesday evening, October 10, 2007, after the compulsory post mortem examination had been completed by the authorities.
Devotees from ISKCON Ahmedabad, ISKCON Baroda and Vallabh Vidyanagar performed kirtan at the cremation.
Satchidananda Prabhu received a number of concerned and condolence telephone calls from various ISKCON leaders. H.H. Gopal Krishna Maharaj, H.H. Lokanath Swami, H.H. Bhakti Vikas Swami, and Jasomatinandan Prabhu, who is presently in the USA, all telephoned to convey their concern for his health and to condole Gaurendu Prabhu’s widow and elderly parents.
Gaurendu Prabhu came in touch with ISKCON at the M.S. University of Baroda where he was as student in the early 1990’s. At that time H.H. Bhakti Vikas Swami used to deliver regular lectures on Krishna Consciousness and Bhagavad-gita at the student hostels.
Gaurendu Prabhu was originally from Jamnagar, in the Saurastra region of Gujarat, and was a resident of one of the hostels back then. Later on he shifted to Vallabh Vidyanagar after graduation and began to run his own private tutorial business – quite common in India – with moderate success in the Anand town. He married several years back to a devotee girl from Orissa and they have one small daughter.
A couple of years back Gaurendu Prabhu wound up his business and became a full time devotee at Vallabh Vidyanagar temple. He was designated as the temple manager, and in the absence of Satchidananda Prabhu he was managing the temple. He was also managing the Gujarati “Back to Godhead” magazine publication – known as “Bhagavat Darshan” which is located there, and was also managing the distribution of H.H. Bhakti Vikas Swami’s “Bhakti Vikas Books”.
Obviously his loss will be greatly felt by all those connected with the various services he was engaged in at the Vallabh Vidyanagar temple. He will be missed.
It’s sad to note that Gaurendu Prabhu’s elder brother died on a local train last year at Bombay, where he resided (he was a congregational devotee of ISKCON). Back on July 11, 2006, there were several explosions in various suburban Bombay trains, well known as the “train blasts” terrorist attack, and which killed almost 200 innocent people.
Gaurendu Prabhu is survived by his wife and daughter, elderly parents and “mentally challenged” brother, who is unable to work.
For further information, as well as anyone interested to extend their pious hand to help them financially or otherwise kindly contact Satchidannada Prabhu via e-mail:
iskcon.vvnagar@pamho.net
Or telephone Satchidananda Prabhu at ISKCON Vallabh Vidyangar: +91-2692-2310796.