Press Release

During the 15th century, a religious movement absorbed in relishing the sweetness of the many flavors of love of God arose in Bengal, in eastern India.

In the wake of the efforts of its founder, Sri Krishna Chaitanya, and his companions, the waves of this movement swept across the continent and reached the religious town of Vrindavan. This town, a center for fervent devotion to Radha and Krishna, was to become its central place of pilgrimage, the abode of countless saints and scholars.



Despite the great depth of scholarship and intense devotion manifested by devotees of Gaudiya Vaishnavism over the centuries, the tradition in its classical forms remains almost unknown outside of India.

Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a broad tradition, encompassing a variety of branches, lineages and practices. All these branches share some basic doctrines and practices, and can trace their succession of teachers directly to Chaitanya's close followers. Gaudiya Kutir has been established in order to present this tradition accurately to the public. The group aims to offer its services in the following areas:

• Education – Producing literature and varieties of media, arranging seminars and other educational opportunities.
• Preservation – Collecting, digitizing and archiving old manuscripts, documents and photographs. Restoring holy places, sacred tombs and temples.
• Celebration – Arranging religious festivals on the significant holy days of the tradition and other regular gatherings facilitating communal development.
• Facilitation – Offering the benefits of its resources to the disposal of the Gaudiya community at large, thereby assisting independent projects.
• Outreach – Providing a clearinghouse for scholars and members of the public interested in learning more about the tradition.

Gaudiya Kutir will encourage Gaudiya Vaishnavas from diverse lineages to become better acquainted with one another, explore their common goals and aspirations, and foster a greater public awareness of the authentic breadth, depth and relevance of their tradition in our modern world.

As its first step in opening the treasure chest of Gaudiya religious literature to western readers, Gaudiya Kutir has recently published a new English language edition of Madhurya Kadambini, a vital Gaudiya Vaishnava text, with an extensive commentary. In the realm of new media, a news portal, a poetry database and localized religious calendars will be released in the wake of the grand success of its media wing, Lake of Flowers Productions, currently offering over 70 hours of free audio and video downloads.

Gaudiya Kutir extends its cordial invitation to both members of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community and the public at large to explore and take advantage of its offerings, and to participate in furthering its cause by assisting in its diverse projects. You can e-mail Gaudiya Kutir at .

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