His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada—affectionately known as Srila Prabhupada—appeared in this world on 1 September 1896, in Calcutta, India, the day after Janmāṣṭamī, the appearance day of Lord Krishna. Born into a devoted Vaiṣṇava family, he was given the name Abhay Charan De, “one who is fearless, having taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.”
From his earliest childhood, devotion to Krishna was the centre of his life. As a young boy, he organized his own small Ratha-yātra festival, pulling a hand-crafted chariot through the streets with his friends, singing the holy names and distributing prasāda—innocent childhood games that foreshadowed the grand Ratha-yātras he would later establish around the world.
As he grew up in British-ruled India, Abhay was both spiritually minded and socially aware. He studied at Scottish Churches College in Calcutta, and, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, he took part in India’s struggle for independence. Yet in his heart he felt that real freedom would only come when people understood their eternal relationship with Krishna.
In 1922, Abhay’s life changed forever. A friend took him to meet a renowned spiritual teacher, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Ṭhākura, founder of the Gaudiya Maṭha. In their very first meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta urged him to take Krishna’s message to the English-speaking world. Abhay felt deeply moved and, in his heart, accepted Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati as his spiritual master. That instruction—to spread Krishna consciousness in English—became the guiding mission of his life.
For many years, Abhay lived as a householder, supporting his family while steadily deepening his spiritual practice. He wrote articles on bhakti, assisted the Gaudiya Maṭha, and in 1944 started a magazine called Back to Godhead, which he personally wrote, edited, and distributed. Recognizing his devotion and scholarship, his godbrothers honoured him with the title “Bhaktivedanta” in 1947.
In 1959, having raised his family, he accepted the renounced order of life (sannyāsa) and became A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. He moved to the holy town of Vrindavan, where he lived humbly in the Radha-Damodara temple, spending long hours absorbed in translating and commenting on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the “ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge.” There, quietly and patiently, he was preparing for a global mission that would begin when he was almost seventy years old.
In 1965, relying only on his spiritual master’s blessing, Bhaktivedanta Swami boarded a cargo ship, the Jaladuta, bound for America. The journey was difficult; he suffered two heart attacks at sea. He arrived in New York City with just a small trunk of books, a few rupees, and an unshakeable faith that the holy name of Krishna would transform hearts everywhere.
In the streets and parks of New York’s Lower East Side, he began to chant the Hare Krishna mahā-mantra, speak on Bhagavad-gītā, and share prasāda. Slowly, seekers, students, and young people attracted by his purity and compassion gathered around him. In 1966, he formally established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), giving structure to what would soon become a worldwide movement of bhakti-yoga.
Over the next eleven years, Srila Prabhupada travelled almost continuously, circling the globe many times. He established temples and farm communities, initiated thousands of disciples, and inspired grand Ratha-yātra festivals in major cities across the world, carrying Lord Jagannath’s smiling glance far beyond the shores of Puri.
Alongside his travels, he undertook a monumental literary project. Srila Prabhupada wrote and translated more than sixty volumes of Vedic classics, including Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and the multi-volume Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, complete with his commentaries. His books have been translated into many languages and continue to be studied in temples, homes, and universities throughout the world.
Srila Prabhupada left this world on 14 November 1977 in Vrindavan, surrounded by loving disciples chanting the holy names of Krishna. He entrusted his followers with the responsibility of continuing his mission: to help every soul remember that we are, above all, servants and lovers of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna.
Today, the community of New Jagannath Puri is one small but precious part of Srila Prabhupada’s global family. Every kirtan sung, every plate of prasāda distributed, every Ratha-yātra cart that rolls through our streets is an offering at his lotus feet. By his mercy, people from all walks of life can come closer to Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi, and discover the same joyful Krishna consciousness that Srila Prabhupada brought to the world.