Bureau Statement on the Disappearence of HH Bhakti Charu Swami

The ISKCON India Governing Council (Bureau), hereby wishes to place on record it’s appreciation for and acknowledgment of the many services rendered to ISKCON India by HH Bhakti Charu Swami.

The Bureau hereby wishes to express our deep sorrow, and sense of loss upon the disappearance of Bhakti Charu Maharaj.   The feelings of separation due to Maharaj’s disappearance will not soon leave us.

Throughout the world, ISKCON leaders and devotees have expressed a great sense of loss, and love and affection for Maharaj, upon his departure.

There has been an outpouring of written and spoken expressions that showed us all how great the esteem in which Bhakti Charu Maharaj was held in by his peers, disciples, and disciples of his god brothers.  Since the disappearance
of Srila Prabhupada during November 1977, it’s hard to remember such a massive demonstration of affection shown in our movement.

Such is the high regard that Bhakti Charu Maharaj was held in by “the greater ISKCON”.

His gentlemanly demeanor, his graciousness, affectionate dealings, wisdom, and so many other outstanding qualities endeared him both within India, and around the world.

The Bureau members hereby put on record their appreciation for Bhakti Charu Maharaj’s many years of service to the Bureau.   He regularly attended the Bureau meetings, hosted our meetings, and his cheerful, humble, cultured
behavior, and the wisdom and maturity that he contributed to our meetings will make his absence difficult to bear.

We recall some of the important services he rendered to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON, such as translating Srila Prabhupada’s English books into Bengali, his rescue of the New Mayapur project in France, producing the Abhay Charan videos, the construction of the Radha Madanmohan Temple at holy Avantipur (Ujjain), his hosting the devotees during the 2016 Kumbha Mela at Ujjain, and the arrangement of the dome theater at the Mela, his  involvement at Sridham Mayapur and ISKCON Calcutta, where his disciples are managing three extension centers, and where he regularly attended the massive annual Jagannath Rathayatra festival.

Above all we recall the spiritual counsel and advice he offered to hundreds of god brothers and sisters, thousands of disciples, and untold numbers of persons who attended his lectures and seminars, and who interacted with him
directly on a personal level.

Words may not do justice to his sacred memory.

Also we wish to note that Bhakti Charu Maharaj was a wholly unbiased devotee: he never discriminated between his diksha disciples and the diksha disciples of other ISKCON diksha gurus, as well as uninitiated followers of
Srila Prabhupada.  He treated everyone as a member of Srila Prabhupada’s extended family.

We recall that at times he would chastise his diksha disciples if it came to his notice that they were party spirited, or engaged in anything that would weaken the unity of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON.

At this time, the Bureau wishes to assure his disciples that it will do everything within it’s power to see that Maharaj’s wishes for preaching are fulfilled, and the ISKCON project at Ujjain will continue as during Maharaj’s presence.

Now that Bhakti Charu Maharaj’s remains have been installed in his samadhi at Sridham Mayapur, we pray to Sri Sri Radha Madhava, the ashtasakhi vrinda, and the Panchatattva there, to give strength to Maharaj’s many thousands of
disciples and well wishers, to bear his separation, and to continue to serve the ISKCON mission that Maharaj, who was so much inspired by Srila Prabhupada, had dedicated his life to.

Your servants in service of ISKCON India,

Members of the ISKCON India Governing Bureau