Vaisnavas from Gaudiya Maths

Acaryas, gurus and sadhus

The Gaudiya Math was formed on 6 September 1920, about 30 months after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. On 7 March 1918, the same day he took sannyasa, he established the Sri Chaitanya Math in Mayapura, later recognised as the parent body of all the Gaudiya Math branches.[ Its purpose was to spread Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the philosophy of the mediæval Vaisnava saint Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, through preaching and publishing. By the time of the founder's death (1 January 1937), the Gaudiya Math had established 64 branches. Most were in India, but preaching centres were maintained for a time in Burma, England and Germany. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, was the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which also became known as the Hare Krishna movement.