Dear readers, listeners and viewers,

Recently I have begun a conversation with someone who has been very inquisitive about my history and connections with Thakura A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, Srila B. R. Sridhara Maharaj and Srila B.S. Govinda Maharaja.

One point of his inquiry was how it happened I became connected with Srila Sridhara Maharaj. This reminded me of a recording made in 2007 while I was delivering a lecture at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram in Soquel, CA. During that talk someone asked me a similar question. The class was recorded by who we now know as Sripada Tyagi Maharaj, a disciple of Srila Govinda Maharaj.

When he told me he had recorded the talk I asked him for a copy which he kindly provided. It is attached herewith as a sound file available for listening or download from our website.

071103 The First Western Sannyasi of Srila Sridhar Maharaj (Giri).mp3

I happened upon some photos today I thought should be shared with our readers.

I don’t know a lot about them such as the date they were taken or events surrounding them.

If anyone can provide additional information, please forward it to me via our Contact Page.

Swami B.K. Giri

BVS offering garland to BRS

BRS Veranda w. BVS

BRS on Vyasasana w. BVS, Side View

BVS on veranda of BRS w. Govinda Maharaja

BRS & BVS on roof of SCSMath, Natha Mandira

Temple of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundarajiu, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Navadwipa.

Srila Prabhupada showing his obeisances to Srila Sridhara Maharaja.

Aitreya Rsi w. BRS

Sriman Aitreya Rsi (ISKCON GBC) conversing with Srila Sridhara Maharaja. These two were very fond of each other. Aitreya Rsi had a great appreciation for Srila Sridhara Maharaja’s advice and guidance. He strongly believed the GBC should take his guidance very seriously after Srila Swami Maharaja Prabhupada’s disappearance. Unfortunately, the GBC thought differently.

After receiving sannyasa from Srila Sridhara Maharaja he said I should work with one of the GBC’s that showed a high regard for him. He then named three for me to choose from. Aitreya Rsi, then the GBC for San Francisco was one.… Read More...

Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari

Dear devotees and friends, We humbly invite you to participate along with devotees of Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswat Sanga New Jersey in the grand festival for Sri Radhastami on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Fast until noon.

The festival will include kirtana, discourses and other auspicious activities. For times please RSVP via our contact page.

Included is a link for the pleasure of the devotees on this most auspicious of days – Sri Radha: “in charge of the domestic affairs of Krishna.”

Dear devotees and friends: We humbly invite you to participate at the Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswat Sanga Global Headquarters in New Jersey, USA in the celebration of the grand festival of Sri Krishna Janmastami on Friday, September 4, 2026 at 8pm until 12am midnight Saturday, September 5th 2026.

Complete fast until midnight, then no grains (anukalpa).

Janmastami-vrata paran is after 6:30 AM Saturday September 5th, 2026.

You are also invited to attend Sri Nandotsava (Nanda Maharaja’s distribution of charity) and the avirbhava (appearance day) celebration of Thakura Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada beginning from 11 AM on Saturday September 5th, 2026.

The festivals will include kirtana, discourses and other auspicious activities. Please RSVP via our contact page.

Above photos from Love Park, Philadelphia, PA with Reignbeaugh (pronounced “Rainbow”). An enthusiastic young man who regularly reads our Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and other books. He encouraged us with his chanting and stately dance. Once he began to dance we had to get up from our seats and dance with him.

Above: Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

We utilized our utility trailer as a moveable stage complete with a portable sound system.

Hari Nama Sankirtan Ki Jai!

Commendation to Srila Govinda Maharaja given by Mayor of Veracruz, MX on 3/18/2001

L-R Spd. Ashram Mhj., Srila Govinda Maharaja, Mayor José Ramón Gutiérrez de Velasco, Spd. Janardana Maharaja, Spd. Giri Maharaja

On June 16, 2026 I sent Sripada Janardana Maharaja this letter: Avirbhava of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridharijiu, Seva Ashram, Soquel, CA

I found his response to be very moving, revealing the characteristic sentiments of a vaishnava. As such, I thought our readers would also appreciate having the chance to read it.

I publish it here with his permission.

Swami B.K. Giri

June 17, 2026

Dear Giri Maharaj,

Dandabat pranams. I read your email/letter about your Deities, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari Jiu, and also your glorification and kind donation to our Deities of the same name, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari Jiu. You are merciful to us, although we have not treated you properly. For this, I hope you will forgive me.

I hope you are keeping well and that all is going well for you.

Affectionately,

Swami Bhakti Pavan Janardan

We recently delivered a copy of The Loving Search For The Lost Servant through our website and received a grateful response from ”J. dasa”, the recipient. My response follows below.

Dear Sriman Jagamohan dasa,

The book, Loving Search For The Lost Servant, arrived today!

Very good.

A few God brothers and I have a reading group and we are currently reading, Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam for the second time.

Who is your guru?

Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam is very high level. Have you completed Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Charitamrta? That is the generally recommended order of study.

More specifically, all our study is to be guided by Sri Gurudeva or another higher vaishnava. That is the scientific method. Other methods may satisfy one’s thirst for knowledge but not prove very useful for making spiritual advancement.

As you have come so far in your studies you should already be aware of these things and dedicated to following the proper path. Unfortunately most are not, either aware or following. Thus, the reason for the following question which may be taken as a poll or survey I’m doing to see how far in the devotee community the scientific method is being followed vs the haphazard one which leads to chaos and confusion.… Read More...

Installation of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari Jiu, 1996, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram, Soquel, CA

Dear Sripada Janardana Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

A rose by the same name smells just as sweet.

Extending Their unlimited mercy to this fallen soul Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridharijiu came to me, as I recall, in 1983. At that time I was living alone, as usual, in Ft. Worth, TX. To confirm the year of this blessed event I referred to an article published around the same time; an entry referring to me in Mukunda Mala Vilasa’s (later Maha Yogi Maharaja’s) first edition of the “Maha Mandal World News” newsletter.

I was surreptitiously distributing Prabhupada’s books (we had no others) at the DFW airport which provided sufficient income for me to attempt a preaching center. Apparently I was not surreptitious enough as later on Tamal Krishna Maharaja found out about it and, believing the airport belonged to him and a sannyasa disciple of Srila Sridhara Maharaja had no business there, sent one of his followers to discourage me from distributing books at his airport by beating me to the point of a severe concussion that kept me bedridden for the next two weeks or so.… Read More...

Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja: . . . Just as the custom and the law of the Hindu law, bhaja, sanskriti [?] the position of the females, no right is given to them. The whole right with the man, nothing with the women. But by their affection and serving spirit, they hold the key to the whole respect, the respect of the son, the affection of the husband, they enjoy like anything. But externally no right is given to them in the law or in the society. But the ladies they hold a peculiar and very venerable position in the eyes of the society. The mother, the wife, the daughter, but no right has been given to them by law.

pitā rakṣati kaumāre, bharttā rakṣati yauvane

baddha ke suto ruke nastri satan meyatmyat

Manu says, in early age the father will protect them, in youth the husband will protect them, and in old age the son will protect them. More than gods they draw respect from the society; more than goddess, but externally, no right.

This whole potency holds such a position to Kṛṣṇa. It is His but by the power of affection, not any external right. They do not care for that.… Read More...

The full calendar for April 2026 is now posted.