His Holiness Bhaktiswarup Damodar Swami Srila Guru Maharaj of ISKCON was a scientist, spiritualist, philosopher, Krishna Consciousness preacher. He was known from his pioneering efforts for a synthesis between science and religion for a deeper understanding of the life. Centrally, his 86th Holy Appearance Day is observed with much pump at Burla ISKCON Temple, Odisha.
Sripad Maharaj was born on Lord Jagannath’s Odhan Sasthi Tithi in the year 1937 in Bishnupur district closer to Imphal of Manipur. He belongs to a traditional Vaishnav family. His childhood name was Todam Damodar Singh. He faced numerous problems since his childhood. His father died when he was 5 years old. He was affected with epidemic when he was 14. His primary teacher Todam Karen Singh took care of him and imparted him education. He became Master in Chemical Engineering with First Class distinction in 1964. He worked in the Industries Department of Manipur. Then, he was selected by Govt. of India through overseas scholarship and joined at California University. He obtained PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry in 1976. Meanwhile, he had joined the mission of ISKCON in 1970. Srila Prabhupad, founder of ISKCON, initiated him in 1971 at Los Angeles, New Dwarika ISKCON Temple (USA) and he became “Swarup Damodar”. He was personal secretary of Srila Prabhupad (1970-77).
Srila Prabhupad imparted him higher education about deeper relation of Krishna Consciousness with science and philosophy. He became director of Bhaktivedanta Institute, ISKCON, in 1974. He took Sannyas in 1979. He became a Guru and initiated numbers of devotees around the world up to his disappearance day in 2006 {Bijaya Dashami). He preached Krishna Consciousness philosophy throughout the world in the medium of science and research. He established a “Youth Forum” of ISKCON, through which he taught the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness to the student of engineering across the world. He published many books relating to science and Krishna Consciousness.
He became the GBC of ISKCON, Bhubaneswar temple in 1996 after the departure of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Goswami Guru Maharaj. He gave employment to Odia devotees as Pujaris in ISKCON temples of various developed countries like America, England and Australia. The Gajapati Maharaja of Puri liked him very much. He started a Mahanagar Sankirtan programme on the New Year’s Day at Badadanda, Srikhetra Dham, Puri to welcome the 21st century for a world of peace and harmony when he was chief of the United Religious Initiative (URI).
(The writer is Odisha State PRO, ISKCON. Mob: 9132090199
