No.1 Ultadanga Junction

Introduction

The Ultadanga Junction (Bhaktivinoda Asan) Project started in the month of April 2019 on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya 7th May 2019.

The place was acquired by ISKCON in March 2019. In this building Gaudiya Math was first established in 1918 by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakura and his preaching expanded worldwide from this place. This building served as the headquarters of Gaudiya Math for 12 years from 1918-1930. So, BRC will help the project to understand the history and architecture of the heritage building through-

  • Researching historic pictures, architecture and activities in the books, journals, newspapers, letters, diaries, memoirs, biographies and autobiographies during the relevant time period of 1918-1930.
  • Interviewing senior devotees from various Gaudiya Maths who have information about this historical place.

The project is being supervised by

  • Ananga Mohan Das
  • Radharaman Das
  • Pranava Das
  • Dr. Abhishek Bose
  • Dr. Abhishek Ghosh
  • Dr. Santanu Dey
  • Dr. Sumanta Rudra
  • Maharaas Das
  • Sundar Gopal Das (Research Assistant)


Research Work

Sundar Gopal Das, the Research Assistant for the project started to study Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur His life and Percepts. He collected several points from there about Ultadingi Junction Road (Bhaktivinoda Asan).

After completing His Life and Percepts he started to study Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhav.

Later, under the guidance of Prof. Abhisek Bose, an online chart was prepared where all the points collected from the various sources about Ultadanga Road were put in the chart in several columns.

Sundar Gopal Das, the Research Assistant for the project started to study Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur His life and Percepts. He collected several points from there about Ultadingi Junction Road (Bhaktivinoda Asan).

After completing His Life and Percepts he started to study Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhav.

Later, under the guidance of Prof. Abhisek Bose, an online chart was prepared where all the points collected from the various sources about Ultadanga Road were put in the chart in several columns.


The Research Assistant made his first visit to Mayapur.

  • At Chaitanya Math Kanupriya Babaji Maharaja was interviewed. He is 99 years old and one of the oldest and senior Vaishnava living on this planet.
  • He spoke some unknown facts about Ultadanga Junction.
  • He further spoke about the rise and the struggling of Gaudiya Math in Mayapur and also about the prediction of Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Secondly, the Research Assistant visited Rudradwip Gaudiya Math.

  • He interviewed Bhakti Vaibhav Sagar Goswami Maharaj the direct disciple of Sripad Kunja Da (Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Goswami Maharaja).
  • Maharaja shared some nice pastimes about Ultadanga Junction which he heard from his spiritual master.
  • Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada performed the vow of chanting crores of holy name in front of the Mahaprabhu deity, which is now in Rudradwip Math. (picture on the left)

Thirdly the Research Assistant visited Gayeshpur 

  • The house of the godbrother of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Bhakti Ratna Thakura (disciple of Bipin Bihari Goswami).
  • Bhakti Ratna Thakurs granddaughter is residing in that house with her family and they are all the disciples of Srila Lalita Prasad Thakura.
  • He interviewed Sripad Niranjan Ray Vinode. He gave some useful information about Ultadanga Junction.
  • The above pictures on the left are the deities installed and served by Srila Bhakti Ratna Thakur in Gayeshpur.
  • Left is the rare picture of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupad sitting on the left. In this picture, he is sitting with all the other disciples of Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura. Niranjan Ray Vinode Prabhu of Gayeshpur shared this picture.Lastly, the Research Assistant interviewed Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Goswami Maharaja of Gopinath Gaudiya Math.
  • Srila Maharaja spoke about the first meeting of his spiritual master with Srila Prabhupada in Ultadanga Junction and the devotees who would regularly go there to hear harikatha.
  • Apart from that, Srila Maharaja described some other pastimes of Ultadanga Junction.
  • The various interviews which was taken during the field visit had been translated and transcribed from Bengali to English