Inheriting the Legacy
In 1893, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura rediscovered Lord Caitanya's original birthplace. He then personally collected a single rupee from over 50,000 homes in order to build a magnificent temple at the Yoga-pitha - the birth-site and place that connects the mundane earth to the spiritual world. Ever since, the reputation of Mayapur and the appreciation of Lord Caitanya’s teachings has grown steadily. Lord Caitanya’s birthplace and the sites of His early pastimes in Mayapur have immense significance for devotees, Hindus, scholars and spiritually-minded people throughout the world. In his time, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura stood alone in believing that Lord Caitanya’s birthplace could inspire worldwide appeal. His son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, continued to develop Mayapur, and expanded his father’s work by establishing sixty-four temples in India. He instructed his followers to share the teachings of Lord Caitanya in the West. His wish was not broadly fulfilled until 1965, nearly thirty years after his demise, when his disciple, Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, arrived in New York with no resources or support. Within a decade, Bhaktivedanta Swami, later known as Srila Prabhupada, had established the worldwide confederation of temples, educational centers and farm projects known today as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
The temple at the Yogapitha, birthsite of Sri Caitanya in Sridham Mayapur, established by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur on March 20, 1893
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