20250413 Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Birthplace Śilānyāsa Ceremony Address

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: We are all very proud to be present here today. I have been many times to Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s birthplace and the twelve temples here. Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda also has visited here quite a few times here. Then at that time Lalitā Prasāda Ṭhākura was present. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave a proposal to him that he could make a development on the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Then, he asked for land to make an āśrama and education institution. There are 12 Śiva temples already existing here. Anyway, he was quite old and after a short while left his body. And a lot of his land was sold off. The sevaite there said that you can do some development at the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, but we will not give you anything in writing. After that we bought this land. If the price is right, then we will be able to purchase some more land. The person who spoke before me is Vaikuṇṭhapati dāsa. On my behalf he is working as the yajamāna of this ceremony. Our sincere desire is that there will be a big institution here.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura appeared here from the spiritual world, and at that time the movement of Lord Caitanya had to some extent become lost. Various apa sampradayas, unscrupulous groups, became the spokespersons for Lord Caitanya’s movement. The general people had a wrong concept about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu then. At that time Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, who had many children, some of them were perfected personalities. By his efforts, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s birthplace was discovered. Also, he performed multifarious services. That is why on his appearance and disappearance days we have different programs being held. Many people know that his birthplace is Birnagar, but many actually do not know where this Birnagar is situated. Now, everybody knows where is the birthplace of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, it is at Māyāpur. We have a desire at the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in Birnagar we would like to build a temple and educational institution. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he resided in Māyāpur and he has given so many things and also how to do the Navadvīpa parikramā as well in his teachings. Now for doing that parikramā devotees from North India, South India, West India, Bengal, Bangladesh and devotees from all over India, almost 15,000 devotees come. And also international devotees. UK, Australia, America, from many different countries, Canada, South America, Africa, Russia. Now we would like all these devotees to come to Birnagar as well and see the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and see his temple made for his honor. We hope that at that time we can also come to visit the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura!

The present sevaite had said that you can come to the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and perform pūjā etc but we  will not give anything in writing. Śrīla Prabhupāda in the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, he said that we would use money from that to do some whitewash of the temple. Anyway, we have been doing that service. There is a Bengali saying, if you let them sit down, they will want to lie down! Anyway, we have bought a place to sit down. But we will not lie down here! We will try to glorify Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Birnagar. I hope that I will be alive to see everything! But, this actually does not depend on me – whatever is the will of Kṛṣṇa!

Vaikuṇṭhapati dāsa requested the Birnagar residents to help us develop this place. So, I just spoke briefly the glories of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So, now for the glorification of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura we had a vāstu-yajña here. And here the Safari group is here from various countries. They would like to present a program for all of you. I think I have to do something for the cornerstone.