Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust

Once in Vṛndāvana during Śrīla Prabhupāda’s last days, he suddenly began to shed tears, lamenting that many of the old temples founded by Lord Caitanya’s followers were giving way to ruin. He then expressed his desire to set up a trust to renovate these holy places.

Lord Caitanya had told the Gosvāmīs of Vrndāvana to rediscover the lost places of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana pastimes. Later, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura found the place of Lord Caitanya’s birth. Now Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to renovate the pastime places of Lord Caitanya and His personal associates.

Lord Caitanya started the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in the holy tract of land known as Gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi (now West Bengal and Bangladesh). The places where He lived and the homes, temples, and Deities of His associates form the roots of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. By seeing to the health of these roots, we can help Kṛṣṇa consciousness grow to encircle the whole world, with blossoms, flowers, and fruits in every town and village.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, therefore, set up the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust. He made Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami its lifetime chairman and placed funds in a fixed-deposit account, so that interest from the account could provide for the work of the Trust.

To unite the devotees of Lord Caitanya, he also envisioned offering help to the temples of his Godbrothers and other Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas in Gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi.

GOALS
To rediscover and restore the holy places in Bengal connected with the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. To provide suitable arrangements for pilgrims in these places. To unite the followers of Lord Caitanya, especially those descended from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda.