Founder of Iskcon Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad was born on Nandostav Tithi (September 1, 1896) in a traditional Baishnav family in Kolkata.
His social name is Abhay Ch Dey. His father name was Gour Mohan Dey and mother’s Rajani Devi. His wife was Radharani Dutta. The presiding deity of his family was Radha Gopal Jew, who had been worshiped in his family more than 150 years. His mother’s aim was his son would be a lawyer and earn good name by visiting foreign countries. His father's aim was he would be a nice devotee.
He graduated from the Kolkata University but he had refused to receive his degree certificate from the university. After graduation he was appointed as manager in Dr Bose Chemical Institute. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur was his Guru. He met him in the year 1922 in a nice time. Founder of Goudiya Mutt and great scholar Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur identified a dynamic spirit in him, who had the capacity to spread the Hare Krishna movement all over the world and preach Mahaprabhu’s Vani. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur gave so many advices about Bhagabat Tatwa and Atma-Tatwa on his first meeting with Srila Prabhupad. Gurudev advised him to spread the Bhagabat Tatwa in English medium all over the world.
Prabhupad followed his Gurudev and prepared himself by reading Bhagabat, Gita and various religious book for around 11 years. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur gave initiation to Abhay Ch Dey in the year 1933 and his name became AC Bhaktivedanta Swami.
Prabhupad started a weekly spiritual magazine named “Back to God head" in the year 1944 as per advice of his Guru. He had been giving many valuable observations during the freedom movement and on various issues.
Prabhupad wrote a letter to Gandhiji on December 7, 1947 that if you will not read Bhagabat Gita, or propagate the value of the Gita, then you will lose everything what you earned. He requested him to retire from politics for a month only and discuss with him about Bhagabat Gita.
Now -a -days the ‘Back to God Head’ magazine sells over 1 lakh copies every month all over the world in various languages. The magazine’s Odia publication name is ‘Bhagabat Darshan.’
The Goudiya Baishnab Samaj in the year 1947 gave an Upadhi “Bhaktivedanta” to Abhay Ch Dey for his spiritual activities and deep spiritual knowledge on Sashtras. In the age of 54 in 1950 he left his house and embarked on Vanaprasta. After 4 years at lord Krishna land, Vrindaban, he engaged himself in Bhagabat seva at Radha Damodar Temple. There he discovered so many sashtras and made analysis of them. He translated Gita, Bhagabat, Chaitanya Charitamrita, etc in English language. He had translated 700 slokas of Bhagabat Gita and 18,000 slokas of Bhagabat in English language.
He proceeded to the USA to preach the Hare Krishna movement in the west. In the Boston city near Dumpkin square park, he performed kirtan. During his travelling time, he had no money or no followers but had deep faith on God and blessing of Gurudev. Within a year in 1966 he established Krishna Consciousness Society Centre at the USA. In this one year, he faced opposition from the public and so many adverse remarks from the western people. He proceeded undaunted. Within 10 years, Hare Krishna movement covered all over the world with his intellectual administrative capacity. During this period he had established 100 ashrams, Gurukulas, temples and farm houses in the western countries.
Prabhupad wrote more than 80 books in English language within this 10 years. He travelled throughout the world 12 times and preached Hare Krishna movement all over the world. He established 108 Centers among which Isckon, Bhubaneswar was the last one.
He established Bhaktivedanta institute in the year 1972 to publish his writing, where he appointed his nobel scientific scholar. This institution is biggest Indian spiritual publication organization all over the world.