On July 7th, the city of Kolkata resounded with joyous kirtan as the transcendental Ratha-yatra procession of their Lordships Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi made its way through the crowded streets. This is the 53rd Kolkata Ratha-yatra. Started by Srila Prabhupada in 1972, the Kolkata Ratha-yatra has since become a cornerstone of the city’s spiritual and cultural milieu. Continuing a tradition from the past several years, the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC) has set up a multi-day exhibit at this year’s Ratha-yatra for the thousands who arrived in Kolkata for the festival. 

The chariots journeyed from the ISKCON temple at Albert Road to Brigade Parade Ground, where they will remain for eight days. Each of these eight days is a grand festival in itself, packed with kirtan, katha, cultural programs, and vibrant spiritual exhibits, including the BRC exhibit.

BRC administrative director Gauranga Das commented, “Exhibits have become an increasingly common feature of BRC’s outreach efforts, essentially aiming to bring BRC to those who may not have the chance to visit the center in person.” In the recent past, BRC has put up similar exhibits at ISKCON Juhu, ISKCON Vrindavan, Radhanatha Swami’s Puri-yatra, and the ISKCON Leadership Sanga in Mayapur. Dr. Sumanta Rudra, the academic dean of BRC, noted, “These exhibits are also an important way for us to spread the word about our publications, particularly our Vaisnava Studies Series, which are in popular demand.” Expressing the deep fulfillment this service brings, Gauranga Das added, “This effort is a greatly satisfying labor of love for the BRC team, giving us a chance to introduce numerous people to the treasures of our acaryas’ literature and the nectarean seva of preserving and disseminating them.”

BRC Exhibit 2024 “Revolutionary Acarya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada – Sesquicentennial Anniversary (1874-2024).”

This year, at the Kolkata Ratha-yatra, the BRC team had an even greater cause to celebrate, as Jayapataka Swami personally inaugurated BRC’s exhibit. Jayapataka Swami has been a firm supporter of BRC and its mission since the center’s inception in 2009 when he inaugurated the BRC alongside Bhakti Caru Swami, Jananivasa Dasa, and Hari Sauri Dasa. 

To the grateful delight of devotees, Jayapataka Swami graced the BRC exhibit at the Kolkata Ratha-yatra, cutting the inaugural ribbon with great pleasure and enthusiasm. A few days later, on July 11th, he revisited the exhibit, closely examining each item and panel of the exhibit and expressing appreciation for BRC’s research and preservation efforts. BRC team members Sundara Gopala Dasa and Ramesh Patel showed him around the exhibit, meticulously explaining each aspect of it.

The BRC exhibit this year is titled “Revolutionary Acharya His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada – The Foremost Exponent of Sanatana Dharma in Colonial India,” celebrating Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary (1874-2024).

The exhibit showcases an array of priceless artifacts and documents highlighting the transcendental literary heritage of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Visitors marvel at rare treasures such as framed copies of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s last will and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s handwritten Gaura Arati. The exhibit also features Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s handwriting on the Gaudiya Math letterhead, a photocopy of Caitanya Caritamrita, and zinc plates embossed with the handwriting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Gadadhar Pandit. Informational brochures and reports provide insights into BRC’s ongoing efforts to collect, preserve, and research these valuable manuscripts. This year, in keeping with its core theme, the exhibit also has large-sized panels on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, offering a summarized version of BRC’s earlier exhibition at the Temple of Vedic Planetarium—the largest-ever exhibition created for a Gaudiya Vaisnava Acarya.

Sundara Gopala Dasa showing the BRC exhibit panels to Jayapataka Swami.

Gauranga Das expresses his warm gratitude to BRC team members Balarama Lila Dasa, Sundara Gopala Dasa, Ramesh Patel, Bharti, and Pijus Kanti for their dedicated efforts in setting up and managing the exhibit.

The BRC exhibit is open to all from July 7th to July 15th, between 4 pm and 9 pm, at the Brigade Parade Ground. This is an excellent opportunity to delve into the precious transcendental heritage meticulously preserved by BRC. The BRC team warmly invites everyone to visit the exhibit and be inspired by the transcendental legacy of our guru parampara.

With deep gratitude, the Bhaktivedanta Research Center thanks the following supporters and patrons for their kind blessings and invaluable contributions: Vraja Kishore Das, Adi Purusa Das, Krishna Chandra Das, Trustees, Damodar Hari Das, Vraja Raman Das, Anand Manaktala, Krishna Kumar Das, Visvakalyana Gaura Das, Krishna Kirtan Das, Akrura Das, Balarama Lila Das, Satya-sara Das, Ram Mukunda Das, Shaligram Krishna Das, Prem Niketan Das, Shyam Hari Das & Prem Kumari Devi Dasi, Vishwatma Gopinath Das, Balramkumar Srivasatava, Dhana Lakshmi Eluri, Ramdas, Govindadev Das, Acyuta Lila Das, Radhananda Das, Madhava Chandra Das, Sadananda Das, Sundarananda Das, Ananta Acharya Das, Srinivas Sharan Das, Dwarkadhish Das, Amarender Bilapati, Haridas Varya Das, Kiran Rapolu & Revati Devi Dasi, and Raja Nagarajan.