Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja

Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj appeared in the village of Ganganandapur, District Jessore (now in Bangladesh), as the son of Sri Tarini Charan Chakravarty and Srimati Ram Rangini Devi. Born on 8 October 1898 during the auspicious brahma-muhurta hour, he was given the name Sri Promode Bhudhan Chakravarty. Promode Bhushan's reverent service mood was evident even as a young man. Along with the study of Sanskrit, he worshiped the family deities of Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. Once, during the winter, he forgot to cover the Lord with a blanket.

That night he himself began to shiver uncontrollably with fever and chills. The Lord appeared to him in a dream and showed him that He had been left without a blanket. The young Promode Bhushan woke up and immediately covered the Lord, after which his fever subsided. Promode Bhushan completed his high school education in Baruipur near Diamond Harbour and then went on to study chemistry at Bangabasi College, Calcutta. In 1917, he met his guru, Prabhupada Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura. From the first meeting, Sri Promode Bhushan accepted Prabhupada in his heart as his eternal master. His strong attachment to spiritual life brought him regularly to his guru's lectures at the Calcutta ashram of the Gaudiya Math.

In 1923, on the holy occasion of Sri Krishna Janmastami, he surrendered at his guru's lotus feet and received harinama and mantradiksa. He was thenceforth known as Sri Pranavananda Brahmacari. In the early days of Gaudiya Math, he was well known as the best kirtana leader and often sang on radio programs. He also gained a wide reputation for extensive knowledge and meticulous practice of deity worship and the rituals for deity installation and temple construction.

His service to Srila Sarasvati Thakura in these areas resulted in his being widely known as Pujapada. At the time of Srila Prabhupada's aprakata-lila, Sri Pranavananda Brahmacari held his guru's lotus feet to his chest so that they might remain forever enthroned in his heart. After Srila Prabhupada's disappearance, he began extensive traveling and preaching. He accepted the renounced order of sannyasa in 1942 at which time he was given the name Tridandi Swami Bhakti Promode Puri. After serving as head pujari and temple president of Sri Yogapitha (the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) for seven years, he moved into a humble cottage on the banks of the Ganges along with his beloved deities, Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha, in order to pursue a life of intense scriptural study and solitary worship. In 1958, accepted an offer from the King of Burdwan to serve the deities at the ancient Ananta Vasudeva temple in Kalna. After many years of this service, he went to Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math, upon the request of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami, to act as editor of their monthly magazine, Sri Chaitanya Vani.

He also became the editor-in-chief of Sri Gaudiya, a monthly publication from Sri Chaitanya Math. Srila Puri Maharaj continued to fulfill this role with great care and devotion until the advanced age of 97. Srila Puri Maharaj left our vision in November 1999 in his 102nd year on this earth. At the time, he was the oldest Gaudiya Vaisnava on the planet. Over and above his senior position and high qualifications, many devotees (including many from western countries) were attracted to him by his divine personality, which emanated sweetness and love. He is seen by his disciples as a well-wishing guide to the spiritual domain. 
Web site http://www.bvml.org/SBPPG/index.htm
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