“Sravananada Das served in various capacities in India, for many years, with passionate enthusiasm and vigor. He was very close to Bhavabhuti Das, another wonderful godbrother of ours, and they were like two brothers. When they were serving in Assam, they got married to two sisters from a very high-class Assamese family. Sravanananda’s wife’s name is Ananda Gopi. They were married for many years, and both served Srila Prabhupada faithfully as a couple.

Bhavabhuti Das stayed on in Assam and practically single-handedly built a temple in Gauhati, and Sravanananda Das came back to Mayapur and took charge of the BBT. I was translating Srila Prabhupada’s books into Bengali at that time and he was taking care of printing them. That service brought us very close to each other and enabled me to develop a deep relationship with him.

After spending many years in India, he went back to America and settled down in Detroit and developed a very successful business. At that time he also played a very important role in pulling New Vrindavan out of a major financial crisis.

His two sons – Jatayu and Sampati – were extremely brilliant students and became very successful in their specialized professions. During those days, I used to visit him quite frequently in Detroit and saw what a caring husband and father he was. He really took pride in his family. He was indeed an ideal householder devotee.

Sravanananda Prabhu’s mother also played a very active role in ISKCON movement at a time when ISKCON was being accused of brainwashing and one Ted Patrick was kidnapping the devotees for a large sum of money from their parents, which was known as ‘deprogramming’ those days. She took a very strong stand in favor of ISKCON with some other mothers of the devotees and fought against the accusing US government. Srila Prabhupada appreciated her for her very valuable service and admired her for her courageous stand.

Sravanananda Prabhu served Srila Prabhupada and his mission with utmost sincerity and dedication wherever he went, and I am confident that Srila Prabhupada will reward him in the most wonderful way.

Farewell Sravanananda Prabhu! Although we will miss you, we wish you a very joyous journey
towards Krishna’s lotus feet.

Your humble servant,
Bhakti Charu Swami”

* * * 

A memorial service will be held for Sravanananda prabhu at the Washington DC ISKCON Temple, in Potomac Maryland, on Saturday, August 24 at 5 PM, the afternoon of Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja Day.