Subroto Das: The Sri Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha that includes all the important Gaudiya Mutts of Nabadwip, Swarupgunj , Mayapur along with International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) celebrated the 146th divine appearance day of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad at Mayapur on 24th Feb as Sri Vyas Puja Mahotsav. The Sangha consists of senior members from all the temples.
Born in 1874 as Bimala Prasad Dutta in the house of an exalted devotee of Lord Sri Chaitanya MahaPrabhu , Srila Sacchidananda Bhakti Vinod Thakur, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur showed signs of being a divinely empowered soul right from his early childhood days. At a very early age he read and mastered the holy scriptures and in no time also became an authority of Vedic literature. Later he accepted the renounced order of life and as Sanyasi he was known for his path breaking and courageous preaching style. He was a very effective preacher who tore apart the Mayavadis of his age. Although it is not possible to count his contribution to the world , however few are very important that need a mention.
First he established 64 Gaudiya Mutts , most of them in India and few outside India too. Second he excavated all the places where Lord Sri Chaitanya MahaPrabhu had performed pastimes ( lila) and constructed temples. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur laid special emphasis on âBrhat Mridangaâ, printing of spiritual literature and its wide spread distribution. He is credited to have institutionalised the Gaudiya Viashnava society which evolved as a serious community of followers of Sanatan Dharma under his leadership. His most worthy disciple, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupad , founder Acharya of ISKCON followed the instructions of his Guru Maharaja and went to foreign soil to preach the teachings of Bhagwad Gita and Srimad Bhagwatam.
A grand Rath decorated with colourful flowers carrying the deity of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur was taken out by the members of Sri Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha from his Samadhi Mandir at Sri Chaitanya Mutt , on Bhakti Siddhanata Thakur Road at 3 pm. This procession travelled upto Hulor Ghat and culminated at the ground of Prabhupad Ghat in Mayapur, where a stage had been installed for the program. On its journey there are numerous Mutts which fall on both sides of the road offered Arti and showered flowers on the chariot.
Around 5pm onwards the Abhishek of the diety began amidst loud chanting of Harinam which was accompanied by mrdangas, cymbals from all the enthusiastic devotees. Senior monks of all the Gaudiya Mutts led by HH Tatpar Maharaj paid tributes. His Holiness Srila Jayapataka Swami, ISKCON GBC who has recently returned to Mayapur after a year, glorified Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur amidst loud cheer of applaud by all the devotees. More than 2000 devotees belonging to different Gaudiya Mutts participated wholeheartedly. Jagadhartia Das was emcee of the programme.
Later in the evening all the devotees were served delicious Prasadam.