Shri Shrila Guru-Maharaj- Souvenir (An Old and Rare Book)

The Souvenir, entitled `Shri Shrila Guru-Maharaj' mostly in pictures, which to-day sees the light of the day, is a loving tribute to the divine master Paramhamsa Thakur Shrimad Bhaktikeval. Audulomi Maharaj, the Acharya-President of the Gaudiya Mission in India and abroad by his eastern and western, disciples in commemoration of his seventyfirst advent anniversary which falls on the 4th January, 1967.

The portrait of Shri Gaursundar the exponent of the holy Gospel has been inserted at the very outset, invoking His causeless Mercy and Blessings upon us. Thereafter Protraits and short life-sketches of the Preceptors from Shrila Bhaktivinode Thakur down to the present Acharya of Gaudiya Mission and their short Messages have been given.

This brochure depicts the life-history of our beloved ,Gurudeva in illustrations, supplemented by his writings and speeches whenever necessary. The 'photographic representations, single or otherwise are historically authentic and tells us many untold stories of the divine life as well as of men and matters associated with him, so long hidden from the public eye or lesser known to many of us. The editors took considerable pains and great cares to reveal stage by stage ,significant episodes from his holy life to present to the readers a complete picture of the divine master. The portraits which appear in print here have been selected and chronologically arranged as far as possible to provide a glimpse of the glorious life and achievements of the preceptor at various stages of his spiritual pilgrimage. The extracts from his selected speeches and writings will afford us ample opportunities to have, a penetrating look into the unfathomable depth of a benevolent heart beneath an unique spiritual personality.

The preceptorial line of succession in the eternal Loving Service of the Lord, which began with Brahma, and then to Narada and subsequently to Vyas, the immortal bard of the Shrimad-Bhagavata culminated in the present era in Shrila Guru- Maharaj under whose able and worthy guidance the Gaudiya Mission is advancing in its forward march to progress. It is therefore fit and proper that we, his unworthy disciples, should acknowledge our humble indebtedness and gratitude to him in an appropriate manner. This small brochure is our humble effort in this direction. It might not be worthy of him whom it commemorates but it reveals the sincerity of all those disciples who planned and worked together as a team for making it a success actuated by a sense of loving service to their great Guru.

Shri Rupa Vilas Das Brahmachari, Vidyarnab, B.A., Secretary, Gaudiya Mission, one of the Editors of the Souvenir, has encouraged and helped us by giving valuable suggestions and informations on the life-sketches of the Preceptors.

Shri Brajendranandan Das, M.A., the Editor of "Shri Bhakti-Patra" and "Shri Harikatha" has supplied most of the materials of this Souvenir upon the solid rock of which this publication has been based. Shri Supatiranjan Nag M.A.,B.L., ex-Professor of Philosophy in Jagannath College, Dacca and Shri Bimalendu Koyal M.A., Principal of the Corporation Training College and a veteran journalist, both the erudite scholars kindly devoted their valuable time in translating into English from original Bengali some of the speeches of Shrila Guru-Maharaj and in putting appropriate captions to the numerous illustrations and in giving their valuable suggestions. We thank the four editors specially Principal Koyal for going through Proofs and for their team work for this loving service to their great Guru.

Photos of Preaching centres at Alalnath, Allahabad, Amlajora, Cuttack, Kunja-Kutir, Lucknow, Puri, Remuna, and Varanasi have been appended at the end.

A short life-sketch of Shrila Guru-Maharaj by Shri Supatiranjan Nag M.A.,B.L. and a homage to Shrila Guru-Maharaj by Sm. Vinodevani Dasi alias miss D. C. Bowtell, Secretary Shri Vasudeva Gaudiya Math, London, and some collections from the teachings of Shrila Guru-Maharaj by Shri Bimalendu Koyal M.A. and a homage to Shrila Guru-Maharaj by Shri Sajjan Suhrid Das Bhaktabandhab (Alias S. R. Nag M.A.,B.L.) have been given in the Appendix.

Our sincerest thanks are due to Shri Atindrakumar Maitra B.A., a Govt. pensioner, who laboriously went through all proofs and gave valuable suggestions. Our thanks are due to Shri Naba Naba Rasananda Das, who made arrangements of blocks and paper and also to the Superintendents of Bombay, Delhi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Patna Maths, who helped us by the supply of photos, blocks and various other informations.

We are grateful to our benevolent donors Shri Haripada Das Adhikary, Shri Satyaswarup Das Adhikary B. L., Shri Urukram Das Adhikary and others for their generous help in this noble work.

We take this opportunity of offering our grateful thanks to all the nameless band of selfless workers and the Manager of Job and Art Printers, Calcutta for their valuable help in bringing out this brochure.

Through the Grace of Shri Shri Guru and Gauranga we have thus completed our humble service. After having passed through many difficult situations and in the midst of manifold pre-occupations we feel there have been many lapses and defects in the present publication for which we pray that our generous readers will kindly condone.

We hope the publication will meet with proper reception at the hands of the numerous followers and admirers of the Gaudiya Mission throughout the country and abroad and all those who are worshippers of the Guru, Gauranga and Vaishnavas.

**Contents and Sample Pages**