Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami worshiping his beloved Kanhai Balai.

On December 30th, 2024, devotees gathered at ISKCON Vrindavan for a memorial service celebrating the life and service of His Holiness Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami following his December 22nd departure. He took his first initiation from Srila Prabhupada in July 1974 in San Francisco, by the recommendation of Tamala Krishna Goswami and Vishnujana Swami. He received second initiation one year later in July 1975 in Chicago during Rathayatra celebrations. He was a pujari in St. Louis temple from 1978 to 1982. He took sannyasa from Niranjana Swami on August 4, 2001, in Moscow, Russia. He traveled around the world serving ISKCON eight months out of the year. Since 2018, he has been under the medical care of devotees in Vrindavan and departed after a long illness on December 22, 2024. Per his wishes, he was cremated and his ashes were placed in the holy Yamuna River.

According to his godbrother, Deena Bandhu Das, “Visrambha Madhava Maharaja left this world in the evening [December 22, 2024) in the Gaushala of ISKCON Vrindavan. He had been suffering for quite some time from a rare type of Parkinson’s [disease] and this evening had heart failure. He was celibate his whole life and was very devoted to Tulasi Maharani, even writing books of her glories. Maharaja was a very strong Prabhupada man and his memory for slokas was phenomenal. He has been serving Srila Prabhupada’s mission since 1972! I’m very sad to miss his association, but also glad that now he is freed from his miserable body.”

To hear the glorifications from the devotees at the Memorial, click here.

Photo credits: Deena Bandhu Das.