A transcendental baby was born to landowner Sri Kalikumar Singha-Chaudhury and Srimati Chandravali Devi in the village of Bhavanipur, Ramaganj, Noyakhali, Bangladesh on Thursday 4th May 1893 (22 Vaishakh 1300). They named the newborn baby Mahendra Kumar Singha-Chaudhury. The baby had all transcendental qualities. Mahendra Kumar was a jewel of the society. He studied at his village’s primary school. Afterwards, he left his village and went to Bagerhat College located in Khulna, Bangladesh for higher studies. Since his childhood, he had eagerness to serve Lord Hari. During his studies, Srila Prabhupada came to Bangladesh. At that time, Mahendra Kumar met Srila Prabhupada. After meeting Srila Prabhupada, his eagerness to serve Lord Hari increased and he decided to leave his studies and go to Kolkata. Then, he found out that Srila Prabhupada was in Mayapur. Mahendranath went to Mayapur and met Srila Prabhupada, again. He fixed his mind to serve Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari Jiu, the first deities established by Srila Prabhupada. In a short period of time, Mahendra Kumar’s service skills attracted all of the devotees surrounding Srila Prabhupada and he received initiation and the name Sri Mahananda Das Brahmachari. Mahananda Das Brahmachari had firm faith in chanting harinam, had incredible humility, a soft nature and was very tolerant. Everybody saw these vaishnava qualities in him. After initiation, on Gaura Purnima day, during the Visva Vaishnava Raja Sabha function, Srila Prabhupada gave him the title Bhaktyaloka in front of everyone. During his brahmachari life, Mahananda Brahmachari used to look after the Bhagavat printing press at Krishnanagar, which used to print the Nadia Prakash and various periodicals of Srila Prabhupada. He used to also be on the management of Sri Caitanya Math (Adi Math). After Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta’s physical departure in 1937, Mahananda Brahmachari went to his godbrother, Vinoda-Vihari Prabhu (later known as Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Goswami Maharaj, the founder of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti) and assisted him in every aspect for a long time. Later, Mahananda Prabhu went to his godbrother, Srila Bhakti Bhudeva Shrauti Goswami Maharaj’s Sri Gaura Sarasvat Math at Jhadagram, West Bengal.
On Monday, 17 May 1954 (3 – Joishtho 1361) on Sri Jagannathadeva’s Snana Yatra (the anuual bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath), Sri Mahananda Das Brahmachari was inspired to take sannyasa initiation from his godbrother Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj, founder-acharya of Sri Caitanya Saraswat Math, Kolerganj, Nabadwip, Nadia. After sannyasa, his name became Srila Bhaktyaloka Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj. In 1957, Srila Bhakti Swarup Parvat Goswami Maharaj, founder of Sri Varshabhanavi-dayita Gaudiya Math, Udala, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, physically disappeared from this world. Thereafter, Srila Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj became the acharya (initiating guru) of this math. He gave spiritual instruction and initiations to everyone without discrimination in regards to caste and creed.
Then, Srila Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj went to Kolkata at Gauranga Prema-Dhana Pracarini Sabha, which is situated at 106 Hajra Road, Kolkata. Srila Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj spent a long time at this center. Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj and other godbrothers used to meet with Srila Bhaktyaloka Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj at this center. During his stay at Kolkata, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj gave him a land at Mayapur, Ishodyan for establishing a temple. According to the request of his godbrother, before his physical departure, Srila Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj established a temple at Ishodyan, Mayapur in the name of Sri Paramahamsa Gaudiya Math. In Nabadwip, Gauranga is Krishna and Gadadhara is Radharani. He established Sri Sri Gaura Gadadhara deities in his temple in Mayapur. The Gaura Gadadhara deities are the bhajan-vigraha (the deities representing internal development and service to Sri Sri Radha Krishna). Srila Bhaktyaloka Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj physically left the world from Sri Mayapur Dham to enter into the eternal pastimes of Sri Sri Gaura Gadadhar at 4:20 am after the Mangal-Arati of the deities on Tuesday 8th November 1983 (22 Kartik 1390). His samadhi is located inside the Paramahamsa Gaudiya Math temple where the Gaura Gadhadhar deities are present. After his departure, one of his renounced female disciples, Pratima Devi Dasi, used to look after all of the temples. After Srila Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj’s departure, his disciple, Sri Nitai Das Prabhu, took sannyasa from Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj, founder-acharya of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math, and got the name Srila Bhakti Sadhak Nishkinchan Goswami Maharaj. In the future, Srila Nishkinchan Goswami Maharaj became the acharya initiating guru of Sri Paramahamsa Gaudiya Math.
