Abhay Charan

Srila Prabhupada took birth in this world on the day after Krishna's appearance day, in Calcutta, 1896. His life history from his earliest days to his passing away in 1977 is vividly described in his authorized biography, the Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta.

Although Srila Prabhupada then accepted his spiritual master within his heart, it was in 1932 that he became Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's officially initiated disciple. Meanwhile, Srila Prabhupada had started a successful pharmaceutical business to maintain his family.

Regularly Srila Prabhupada would hold chanting sessions and give lectures to the eager groups of people who would come to his storefront. Always he would distribute prasadam, and soon he started the first Sunday feasts. Srila Prabhupada passed away from this world in 1977. After preaching for 11 years in the West, he had created 108 centers worldwide, written 51 volumes of transcendental literature (described below), traveled around the world eight times and initiated 5,000 disciples. He had created the world's largest publisher of Vedic literature (The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust), a scientific preaching academy (The Bhaktivedanta Institute), and many other trusts to insure the continuity of ISKCON.