Beloved ISKCON artist Ram Das Abhiram Das passed away on July 31st, coinciding with  the auspicious date of  the Disappearances of Srila Rupa Goswami and Gauridas Pandit.  

On August 22nd, 2019, while visiting Italy with his wife, Dhriti Dasi, Ram Das Abhiram has suffered a serious cerebral hemorrhage, the impact of which he did not recover.

Lord Shiva by Ram Das Abhiram Das

On hearing the news, his friend, Rameshvara Das remembers: “I am thunderstruck by this news. I worked closely with Sriman Ramdas Abhiramdas Prabhu for what seems like our entire devotional lifetimes as BBT soldiers-in-arms. He was one of Srila Prabhupada’s most dear, intimate and confidential servants. Srila Prabhupada blessed him and empowered him to present the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita through gorgeous transcendental paintings that captured the mind and heart and left one with feelings of spiritual awe and amazement and love.  There were only a small handful of empowered souls who were allowed to paint for Srila Prabhupada’s books. Each of them was so rare, so empowered, so irreplaceable and so amazingly effective in showing all of humanity the spiritual world through these transcendental windows into the spiritual sky. 

We will always love him and be eternally indebted and grateful to him. His work graces Srila Prabhupada’s books forever.  Even more unique amongst all the BBT artists was the divine union he had with the most amazing Srimati Dhriti Devi through spiritual marriage and through a unique eternal connection with Srila Prabhupada as they both painted for his books.

A painting by Ramdas and Dhriti

Srila Prabhupada famously said that ISKCON Press is the heart of the Hare KRSNA Movement, and then he said that the BBT Art Department is the heart of ISKCON Press. Just try to imagine from this statement how dear Srimati Dhriti Devi and Sriman Ramdas Abhirama Das are to Srila Prabhupada. They live forever in his heart! 

To my beloved Godbrother and friend and BBT comrade-in-arms, I can’t quite say “Farewell” because you will always be with all of us.”