Potential Candidates List
Born in 1964 in Bangladesh.
During my study in college I was inspired to practice devotional services and live in a ISKCON centre in Dhaka by Krishna Kritan Das Brahmachari. In due course of time I finally decided to join ISKCON as full time devotee in 1985 at Tejkunipara, Dhaka.
After joining ISKCON my first service was to wash utensils of the Lord and to cleanse the temple. Beside that I was in charge of accounts. In 1989 I received 1st initiation form Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj at Pundarika Dhama in Chottogram. On this very day Maharaj assigned me as the temple president of ISKCON, Dhaka.
Later I used to attend different preaching programs with senior devotees coming from the different parts of the world. In 1992 I got 2nd initiation. In this year Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja and Prabhavisnu Prabhu engaged me as the temple president of Rupa Sanatana Smriti Tirtha Temple, Jessore. In 1995 given me the service as the General Secretary of ISKCON, Bangladesh. In the same year I went to America, Canada and London with Mahavisnu Swami Maharaj and stayed there for 3 months in order to visit different ISKCON Temples and preach Krishna consciousness.
I was involved in construction of Sri Sri Rupa Sanatana Smriti Tirtha Development Project in Jessore. In 1997 I was assigned as the temple president of Pundarika Dhama, Chottogram. At present I have been serving as General Secretary of ISKCON, Bangladesh and temple president of ISKCON, Swamibag, Dhaka and several duties of different temples of ISKCON, Bangladesh. I regularly take course classes on Vaisnava Etiquette, Chanting Holy Name, Bhaktisastri and so on. Apart from these I have been joining Singapore, Malayasia ISKCON Rathayatra Program and also engaged myself in preaching in these area.
.I was born in 1972 in Weimar, Germany, joined ISKCON in 1991 in St.Petersburg as a second-year student of chemistry at St.Peterburg State University via a college preaching initiative of one ISKCON devotee. I joined the brahmacari asrama in 1991 and lived in various asramas ever since. I received 1stinitiation in 1996 and 2ndin 1999 from HH Mukunda Goswami.
I was engaged as a traveling secretary/translator for HH Niranjana Swami for 20+ years, as a personal servant of HH Mukunda Maharaja for 25 years (and spend 2-3 months serving him annually), as well as ISKCON communications, counseling and preaching to devotees, teaching, Food for Life in war areas, interfaith preaching, arbitration, book distribution, GBC deputy service (since 2000 till present), part-time BBT translator/editor, a member of the National council of Russia, GBC Sastric Advisory Council as a member and secretary (from 2011 till 2018), a former member of the Succession Committee of the GBC and a current associate member of the Guru Services Committee of the GBC.
I am based at the sankirtana brahmacari asrama in Moscow and continue some of the above services. I like listening to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, reading his books, associating with devotees and discussion his teachings with them to help inspire them in devotional service.
I don’t think much will change in my services if I take sannyasa, but since my gurus and senior devotees want me to, I would like to comply with their wishes and vision for me as an insignificant part of ISKCON mission under their guidance.
I was born in New Delhi, in the early morning hours on 15th November 1964 in a upper middle class family. I was the fifth child of my parents and l have one younger sister also. My father was a businessman and a very pious, religious person. He was a devotee of Lord Krsna and used to associate with saintly persons on a regular basis hearing discourses on Bhagavad Gita. He used to recite all the verses of Bhagavad Gita daily and gradually he had memorized all the verses. He used to take all of us brothers and sisters for discourses and used to encourage us to read the Bhagavad Gita. In fact he had engaged a Sanskrit scholar who used to visit us once a week and teach me and my elder brother verses of the Bhagavad Gita, which we used to memorize and recite in the assembly of devotees. I completed my schooling with science subjects from a Government aided school and i did my engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences , Pilani, one of the premium institutes of learning in India. After joining college , I slowed down in my spiritual practices of reciting the Bhagavad Gita. Later on while working with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, I got my posting in the Mathura refinery.
I got married in February 1994, begot a daughter in May 1995 and got separated from my family in March 1996.
After that in April 1996, while working at Mathura, I visited ISKCON Vrindavan, fortunately in the centennial year of Srila Prabhupada’s appearance. There I was made to chant one round of the Mahamantra , on the first floor of Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi. That was the turning point or defining moment in my life and I started visiting Vrindavan regularly and started taking part in kirtans and reading Srila Prabhupada’s small books.
Then in Jan 1997, I was transferred to Bharat Petroleum Delhi’s regional office, at Noida. I searched for the ISKCON temple in Delhi and got to know about the Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi temple at East of Kailash, which was under construction at that time. On the Janmashtami day of 1997 I visited the EOK temple, and was introduced to the ISKCON YOUTH FORUM. I started attending IYF classes, the seven session course of Bhagavad Gita and gradually started chanting 16 rounds of the Mahamantra and following the 4 regulative principles.
I also started assisting ISKCON Delhi, in the areas of IYF preaching, book distribution services, fundraising etc. I received my first initiation on 1st Feb, 2001, the appearance day of Srila Advaita Acaraya, from His Holiness Gopal KrsnaGoswami Maharaja in the Sri Radha Parthasarathi temple, EOK, Delhi. He inspired me to start youth- preaching in another small temple in Delhi which was located at West Punjabi Bagh, which was near my residence as well. With his inspiration I started youth preaching in the Sri Sri Radha Radhika Raman Temple Punjabi Bagh from the year 2002 and at the same time I was assisting in youth preaching at the EOK temple.
I got my second initiation on 5th Sept. 2004, a day before Janmashtami in Delhi. And in the Kartik of 2004, I shifted in as a full time resident devotee in the Punjabi Bagh temple, with long holidays from my office. I resigned finally from my job in June 2005 and was appointed to serve as the Co-President in Sri Sri Radha Radhika Raman temple, Punjabi Bagh. Under the guidance of my spiritual master I structured and mentored both the youth and congregation preaching in Punjabi Bagh temple along with a team of truly capable devotees. We started collegepreaching in various premier engineering colleges and subsequently, several academically and professionally qualified people joined the brahmacari ashram. Gradually by the mercy of Guru and Gauranga both youth and congregation preaching flourished. With the preaching expanding at a fast pace , we could also spare our full time brahmcaris to lead in the upcoming new temple projects at Rohini ( North west Delhi ) and Bahadurgarh ( Delhi – Haryana border). Book distribution flourished as well. Almost every year in the December Marathon, our temple distributed about 2,50, 000 copies of the Bhagavad Gita.
My core services were to supervise the youth and congregation preaching, to set up systems and nurture the Brahmacari ashram, keeping them inspired and gainfully engaged and utilise my learnings from the corporate world and the training received from the East of Kailash Temple, to oversee and facilitate all Temple management services including Talent Management, Deity worship standards, Brahmachari Ashram standards, Sankirtan, Finance etc. Until recently, I was based at the Punjabi Bagh temple, serving as the Co-President. Currently, I serve as the Zonal Supervisor designate for Punjab and Haryana, having been sanctioned by the Divisional Council; awaiting sanction from the ISKCON Bureau. Apart from the Punjabi Bagh temple I am supervising and providing all kinds of support in the running of the Rohini and Bahadurgarh temples. I have also started travelling to various temples of North India-Chandigarh, Yamunanagar, Ludhiana etc assisting my Guru maharaja and the GBC Zonal Secretary HH Gopal Krsna Goswami Maharaja in his services. I am also a facilitator for Bhakti Shastri, Bhakti Vaibhava and ISKCON Disciple courses and visit various temples for teaching assignments.
I particularly relish the service of studying and teaching from Srila Prabhupada’s books as I think it gives me the utmost absorption amongst all the services that I have been fortunate to render so far. It also is in sync with the most natural engagement for Brahmacharis and eventually Sannyasis- Swadhyaya and preaching. I am immensely inspired by the personal example of my spiritual master to pursue the path of renunciation. His selflessness and uncompromising dedicationto the mission of Srila Prabhupada besides the anxiety to please Srila Prabhupada in every possible manner, inspired me to seek the sanction of spiritual authorities for pursuing the Sannyasa ashram as one of the crucial means to accelerate my spiritual growth. If found qualified, Krishna willing, it will be a natural progression expected for a Sadhaka like me to take up the path pursued by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada and my spiritual master HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja.
I sincerely think that the Sannyasa ashrama will significantly facilitate my services of travelling and preaching that I have already been pursuing in North India. I have also noticed in the case of several senior devotees and have the firm faith that it will bestow a greater sense of responsibility in me, a greater sense of purpose in undertaking services in more areas of Krishna Consciousness- geographically and in terms of a broader variety. Therefore I am confident that by the mercy of the Guru Parampara, I will be further inspired to fully dedicate the remaining years of my life in the mission of Srila Prabhupada.
I was
born in Lalgarh Feb 19,1969 ,District –
Midnapur ,West Bengal, India. My father's Name is Late. Khagendra Nath Sahu. He
was a Government Service holder & My Mother's Name is Late – Yajnada Sahu .
She was a house wife. I got Spritual Inspiration from my parents in my
Childhood. After completing my graduation. I got a job in revenue department of
Govt. of West Bengal. After working there for 3 years. I joined ISKCON in
Mayapur in 1993. I got Srila Prabhupada book from travelling sankirtan
devoteeswhen they came for book distribution in my home town. After that i got
association with group of sankirtan devotees those, who came in home town for
five days & that time I really enjoyed their divine association and they
preach me to come to ISKCON Mayapur. After that I came 3 times in Sridham
Mayapur for Visit and during this time I read Srila Prabhupada books. After one
year from my last visit Sridham Maya pur I Joined full as a time devotee.
After the
completion the new devotee training program. I was given the service of
maintaining accounts in Sankirtan Department. Then having served here for an
year I was given the service of Book Distribution in travelling sankirtan party
as a book distributor. My first preaching trip which was lasted around 45 days
after that, I was made group leader of one of the sankirtan group. I served in
this position from 1994 to 2000.
I got first
and Second Initiation in 1999 in Sridham Mayapur from His Holiness Jayapataka
Swami Maharaj. In 2000 I was made incharge of all the sankirtan groups in
Mayapur which then consisted of 10 Sankirtan buses. I served in this position
upto 2007. During this time I had completed my bhakti shastri course and in
year 2004. I completed TTC -1, TTC-2 and BSTTC. From 2004 to 2007, I taught Bhakti Shastri course in
Sridham Mayapur & Bangladesh while at the same time continuing my service as a travelling sankirtan leader.
In 2007 I came to Jaipur, Rajasthan and started serving as a congregational preacher and Head Pujari . In 2009 I went to Pune for youth preaching training course. After completing this course I started organizing youth preaching program in Jaipur. Presently I am serving as Vice – President in ISKCON Jaipur and Pujari Departemnt Head. Under ISKCON Jaipur we have 3 Extension preaching centers which are located in Chomu , Sikar , Srimadhopur . I have been given the service of directing and guiding there activities . In 2011 we started Jaipur Institute of Higher Education (JIHE) here with the permission of ISKCON Board of Examination & I have been teaching Bhakti Shastri Course here since then.
I understand that Sannyasa Ashram brings a great responsibility. I am willing to humbly take of this responsibility to carry out the orders of my beloved Guru Maharaj and other senior Vaishnav authorities & to assist Srila Prabhupada in his preaching mission in my humble capacity.
I was born in Soweto in the seventies during the height of the armed struggle against apartheid.
My parents moved around a lot during those years trying find a nice place to raise their family. As with most people, I had a lot of questions about why I was here, who God was and the nature of our universe. I was a big fan of Astrology and acquired my first telescope when I was nine years old. I was never really interested in Religion and only attended church to please my grandmother, who was a staunch Christian. I got into trouble with various priests and church members because I asked too many questions.
I eventually stopped going to church. I continued semi-pondering existential and moral issues while at the same time navigating teenage life. It wasn’t until my engineering studies at varsity that all my existential issue became magnified and undeniable, and I actively began seeking answers. This journey led me to Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita as it is at the Johannesburg City Library. I read it and soaked it in. It was life changing. For the first time a Swami who was confident and authoritative in spiritual knowledge. His bold message that God was a PERSON was revolutionary to me. His confident statements that he knows, and can show us God was a first. He made it clear that Impersonalism was incomplete and inferior.
I began visiting the temple in Johannesburg and was wonderfully welcomed by the devotees and eventually moved in full time. By 1999 I had moved to and was living at the Cape Town temple. I was part of the sankirtan team that went out daily. I received first initiation from HH Bhakti Caru Swami in 2000 and second initiation in 2002 in Mayapura. From 2001 – 2006 I was part of a team that headed the University preaching across four campuses. From 2006 I served as Vice president to the Iskcon San Diego (USA) temple. I started an education and training department and taught both devotees and general public.
For devotees I taught Bhakti Shastri, Vaishnava Etiquette, Guru and disciple relationships and many other devotional courses. For the general public I taught courses like Karma & Reincarnation, Introduction to the Vedas, basic Sanskrit and other courses. From 2013-2014 I did travelling sankirtan across South Africa and eventually settling in East London, Eastern Cape, SA, in 2015 where I started a preaching centre that focused on book distribution and University preaching. In 2018 I was requested by the local GBC to take up the service of Temple President at Iskcon Cape Town where I am currently based.
I take inspiration from a lot of other ISKCON sannyasis and brahmacaris. I always strive to learn from them. African societies are highly stratified—organized into levels like the layers of a cake and sannyasa will help make a big difference in the quality of engagement with these layers of South African/African society. It will also help expand the preaching in Africa, particularly South Africa and could open potential doors that would otherwise be difficult to open.
