Called "Iglesia Vaisnava", this status was conferred on the more then
30 worship
centers Vaisnavas have in Colombia.
Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaj, the legal representative of the church
is
currently invited by many universities to present the Vaisnava tradition.
The ministry of education has requested the Vaisnava church to compile
School education material about the Vaisnava tradition.
The new status has also caused a new wave of intereligous communication
for
many purposes such as the peace of the country and moral upliftment.
It is
curious to note theat the press, whenever covering such an event will
use a
picture of the Hare Krishna monks to use for the articles they print.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada , who brought Vaisnavism to the western
world.
Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj is one of the founding members
of the Visva Vaisnava
Raj Sabha- World Vaisnava Association and has given lots of support
to all the programs.
His mission in India is very successful. Recently he opened a very
nice temple in Mayapur.
It was an extraordinary event that he was invited by the leaders of
Iskcon to tour the Iskcon temples of Italy. Every day the idea of association
amongst members of the World Vaisnava Association beyond their missionary
boundaries is finding more acceptance to present the universal validity
of the Vaisnava philosophy. The lectures of Srila B.V. Puri Maharaj were
received with great enthusiasm in Italy.
After that some of the disciples of him invited him to Spain to visit them. That visit was so impressive that within ten days the Sri Krishna Chaitanya mission opened three centers in Spain. They are in Brihuega, Logrono and Alicante. Many souls connected to their spiritual master and the enthusiasm is great to expand Krishna Consciousness in the Iberic peninsula.
Despite his advanced age Srila B.V. Puri Maharaj kept good health and promised to return next year. He came in the company of three other Sannyasys.
In India Srila BV. Puri Maharaj is renovating the old Sri Sri Radha
Vrindavan Chandra Temple in Seva Kunja, where he will spend the Kartik
1997.
Over two hundred devotees from twenty five countries attended. Situated
in
France closed to the German Border was a great facility which hosted
the
festival. Highlights were:
He was appointed as General Secretary for that porpoise at the meeting
of the organisational committee in Mayapur 1997 until the next election
of Members of the organisational Committee. He is the first disciple of
Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj. He has
traveled all over India and is one of the independent Acaryas of the
Chaitanya Math. He has published some books and also translates from Sanskrit.
Sripad Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Maharaj travels all over South America
preaching
the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Maharaj is the grandson of Sri Ragunandas Prasad Singh the King of Mungir who converted to Gaudiya Vaisnavism and who build several temples in Vrindavan and in Mungir. His grandson continues the service in the temples of his ancestors and also recently entered into the renounced order of life. Since he met with Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who told him many years ago to serve the deities with his own hands and to preach, he had prepared himself for this task to follow in the footsteps of the great servants of the supreme Lord and to preach to all suffering souls.
His first tour to Southamerica took him to over 40 temples of different
Vaisnava missions and he inspired hundreds of souls to make commitments
with the Vaisnava principles of life. In Kartik he will take over 40 devotees
to Mungir, Bihar to continue his spiritual life mission there. He
also helps to organize the Vaisnava Academy in Mungir Mandir, Vrindavan
Mathura Road.
Srila Bhaktivedanta Ksirodakasayee Visnu Maharaj is a founding Member
of the WVA and has enthused many other Vaisnavas to come forward to
support
the forum of the WVA. He is the founder of the Bhaktivedanta Ashram
in Vrindavan
Raman Reti.
His guest house and Radha Govinda temple has given shelter to many devotees
over the years. Now he started for his first Europe tour which took
him to
preach in London, where he also established a center as well as to
Berlin,
Freiburg and Zurich. Maharaj had helped his Guru in his mission in
India
from the first days. He directed the Indian Back to Godhead and helped
to
found Iskcon Vrindavan. Iskcon Delhi and Iskcon Bombay Mandiras. His
personal experience with his Guru is giving him great enthusiasm which
is
contagious to all those who get the opportunity to hear him speak.