President--Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math (Regd.)

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj was acknowledged by all senior Acharyas of Sree Mayapur Dham as the most exalted spiritual personality, among the second generation (Prashishya-Varga) of Srila Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur. His Divine Grace is an authority on Gaudiya Vaishnava Philosophy. Example is better than precept is His way of preaching. For the last five decades, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj is engaged in the propagation of the all embracing doctrine of transcendental Divine Love of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj is known on a global basis and the mission he heads, Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math is one of the biggest Gaudiya Missions. It is one of the few Indian missions with its own web-site on the Internet (www.geocities.com/Athens/Troy/3199).

Tirtha Maharaj completed his first tour abroad with a US Tour in 1997 to New York, Miami, San Francisco, etc. An early 1998 Tour covered much of Australia, South Eastern Asia and Hawaii.

Srila Tirtha Maharaj is a disciple of the Founder-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj, who is a disciple of Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. While Swami Bhaktivedanta was engineering a grand international campaign abroad in the 60s & 70s, Srimad Madhav Maharaj was building 20 huge Maths in India from the ground up [in the style of Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta] in places like Assam, Tripura, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. At one point, while preaching in Assam, Madhav Maharaj converted an entire village to Vaishnavism and they all adorned dhoti and tilak. There were a few of Swami Bhaktivedantas disciples preaching at the time in Assam. When they came to know of this grand style of preaching of Madhav Maharaj, they returned to Mayapur and exclaimed excitedly to Swami Bhaktivedanta, Oh, Gurudev, Madhav Maharaj is converting an entire village to Krishna Consciousness - everyone is wearing tilak! And Swami Bhaktivedanta replied, Yes, we should do like that.

Srila Tirtha Maharaj joined his Gurus mission at the age of 24 after completing a Masters degree in Philosophy at Calcutta University. After a few years, he accepted the renounced order and began preaching in a grand style which he continues today. During his Gurudevas time, Srila Tirtha Maharaj had got auspicious task of trying to procure land in Jagannath Puri to build one of the 20 Maths. Madhav Maharaj expressed his heartfelt desire to purchase the land on which the birth-site of his Gurudev (Srila Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami). There were big problems encountered with that as that place was firstly, located on the Grand Road in Jagannath Puri, very expensive; secondly, the building was already the residence of many different families - people who could not be legally removed from the place, and thirdly, the under litigation. After some time, the young Sannyasi managed to please his Gurudev with the purchase of that land where now stands a grand Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math on the Grand Road just down from the main temple of Lord Jagannath.

Srila Tirtha Maharaj has great regard for the President of the World Vaishnava Association, Srimad Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami Maharaj, who was perhaps the closest God-brother of his Gurudev. Together, Madhav Maharaj and Puri Maharaj preached under the banner of Sree Chaitanya Math after the passing of Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta. After some time, Madhav Maharaj came out from Sree Chaitanya Math in order to begin his own mission and Puri Maharaj came out to assist him. Thereafter, Puri Maharaj took charge of the publications of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math - especially the periodicals - and was himself assisted by one of Madhav Maharajs young Sannyasis, none other than Srila Tirtha Maharaj himself. In this way, the bond was established and Srila Tirtha Maharajs glorification of Puri Maharaj - the oldest senior-most Vaishnava on the planet - is well documented, we have heard hundreds discourses by Srila Tirtha Maharaj and nobody could recall one of them where the glories of Srila Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaj were not sung. When Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj passed away from the Earthly Planet in 1979, Srila Tirtha Maharaj adjourned to Sri Vrindavan Dham to continue his personal bhajan and to constantly sing and remember the glories of his Gurudev. After one year, he was summoned by Srimad Puri Goswami to come to Mayapur. As he not only reveres Puri Maharaj but also accepts him as his Shiksha-Guru, he responded immediately. When he arrived in Mayapur, Srimad Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaj succeeded in convincing him to take charge of his Gurudevas mission as it was the expressed desire of Madhav Maharaj to Puri Maharaj.

Today he continues in that capacity after 20 years as the Present President-Acharya. Srila Tirtha Maharajs emphasis in the mission is on quality and not quantity. So, it may come as a surprise that the mission today has 20 Maths. Yet, if one were to visit one of those Maths, he would immediately be impressed by the participation of Math members and the quality of their bhajan. The Maths are administered by his Sannyasi God-brothers. Furthermore, there are many preaching centers throughout India in Jammu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat where Srila Tirtha Maharaj preaches extensively but still feels reluctant to start a Math although land is available and funds are promised by the business community. When asked why, he merely answered, Because, as yet, I find no qualified man to administer the new temple. This is justification of his dedication to quality. He will not lower his Gurudevas standard in order to make more disciples, more temples or print more books. If one tries to follow Srila Tirtha Maharaj physically, he will soon be exhausted. He never stays in one place; he has no residence; he has no car - neither. It is wholly and solely due to his dedication to the standards set by his Gurudev.

If you ask Srila Tirtha Maharaj how many disciples he has, he will reply that he doesnt know and you will have to inquire from his secretary. He really doesnt know. They number is in the thousands. But his writing is very important to him. He considers this his personal service to his Gurudev. So, he has written over 20 books and is a constant contributor to many periodicals. He naturally speaks many languages - among them English, Bengali, Assamese and Hindi. He was born in Assam to Bengali parents so his mother tongue is Bengali. He is currently 74 years old, has never been married, is now 50 years in missionary work and is quite healthy and robust as can be understood if one is ever fortunate enough to witness him leading Nagar Sankirtan Procession very enthusiastically and with complete abandon he enthralls the congregation with run after run-on to the heights of musical tempo in glorification and dedication to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All I have told until now could be said of any capable, efficient ascetic of the Gaudiya missions whose record was equally impeccable. What quality has Srila Tirtha Maharaj which accords him such special mention and that will encourage us to spend a days travel time to hear an hour of lecture and another hour of Kirtan, glorifying the Supreme Lord? What capacity does he have to enlighten us of our place in the spirit world of Dedication and Sweet Extrapolations? What position does he hold in that eternal sphere which encourages us to follow suit, to give up our compromised position between spirit and matter, to full-fledgedly pursue the objectives which our Gurudev inspired us to do earlier in our lives and upon which we moved initially - only now to be stretched like a tight wire between the goals of seeming visual objectives in the obligatory dynasties [familiar spheres we imbibe and the detached, eternal Reality of Beauty, Love and Service to that All-Attractive Autocrat, Sri Krishna? What Quality? What Capacity? What Position? You can know this if you meet him.

Official e-mail of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math :
[email protected]

Personal email of Srila Tirtha Goswami Maharaj : [email protected]

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Vrindavana das