Shri Goudiya Vedanta Samiti History

History

In order to practice, preach and propagate the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Visva Vaishnav Raj Sabha was formed during the 16th century A.D by Srila Jiva Goswami with Srila Rupa Goswami as its first President. Although the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism started from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, however, the root of the knowledge has been flowing uninterruptedly from Sri Krishna to Brahma and then Sri Madhvacharya along the disciplinic succession of Guruparampara.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-brahma-devarṣi
bādarāyaṇa-saṁjnakān
śrī-madhva-śrī-padmanābhaśrīman-
nṛhari-mādhavān

During 19th century, the period between Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura was an age of darkness for Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Living at that time were a few real Vaishnavas who performed real bhajana, but mostly, just as we still see sometimes today, the so-called Vaishnavas only performed rituals for wages. The word was over-clouded with misconceptions of the true nature of religion. Bhaktivinoda Thakura endeavoured to re-establish the pure and eternal religion of loving service of the Supreme Lord. The Sabha was revived by Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode in 1886 A.D. He went from town to town and village to village inaugurating the nama-hatta.

'The movement of pure devotion would very soon be broadcast all over the world by a specially empowered individual’--this prophecy of Shrila Bhakti Vinode Thakur was fulfilled in the Divine Personage of Shrimad Bhakti Siddhanda Saraswati Goswami, who presided over Shri Viswa-Vaishnava Rajsabha and Founded Shri Chaitanya Math and Shri Gaudiya Maths. This great leader of the Gaudiya movement, appeared on the Eastern Horizon Purushottam Dham as the most competent successor of Shirla Thakur. Saraswati Prabhupad began to preach the Doctrine of Love in large scale thourghout the world. He has established Maths & temples in the Footprints of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu under the guidance of true devotees celibates & Sannyasis irrespective of caste, creed and colour for practical religious life.

After the departure of Shrimad Bhakti Siddhanda Saraswati Goswami on 1st January 1937 from this world, many of disciples started different missions establishing temples, maths. In 1940, Shri Shrimad Bhakti Prajnan Keshab Goswami Maharaj started the Mission without a penny and had built up his favourite Samiti and began to preach the doctrine of Love as propounded by Lord Shri Krishna-Chaitanya. Within a reasonable time he had established many preaching centres all over India, installed deities and conducted the Seva-Puja for the spiritual upliftment of the general public.