Pictures of the Babajis and Other Bhaktas I have known

[Nitaidas]

I have had some pictures of the babas who were around my Gurudev when I went to stay with him. They have been on my mind of late. They were wonderful examples of Mahabrabhu's bhaktas. Later I will scan a number of the pictures of my Gurudev, Tinkudi Goswami (Kisorikisorananda Baba) in a separate thread.




Vanamali Das Babaji

He was enormously kind to me and supportive.  When I first arrived at Baba's kutir I slept on the roof and was attacked by clouds of mosquitoes.  I had a wool blanket to cover me, but it did no good.  Vanamali Das Baba walked five miles to the nearest small town to purchase a mosquito net for me and some chloro-quinine.  Yes, I came down with malaria.  He possibly saved my life.  What an idiot I was showing up without a net!  I had my Sanskrit dictionaries, though.  Three big volumes (Apte).  I have more pictures of Vanamali Das Baba that I will post later.  he is of course nitya-lila-pravista.

[Nitaidas]

Here is another of the babas who was part of Gurudevs sanga/entourage.




This is Sitanath Das Babaji. He was our cook. I remember seeing him scanning the bushes behind Gurudev's kutir looking for edible leaves to put in the day's subji. The madhukari bhaktas (those who went begging for almsfood) came back empty handed. It happened occasionally. Sometimes they came back with full bags! Sitanatha Das Babaji is also nitya-lila-pravista.

This picture was taken of Sitanath Das Babaji at Gurudev's Radhakund ashram where I was finally given full diksa.

[Nitaidas]

Here is another of Vanamali Das Babaji, not to be confused with Vanamali Das Sastri, though Vanamali Baba usually was called on to read aloud our afternoon sastra-readings. I remember him reading from the Gopala-campu when I was there. The edition of the Campu was, coincidentally, the one by Vanamali Das Sastri with Hindi translation.

[Nitaidas]

One more of Sitanath Das Baba, a closeup.

[Nitaidas]

Here is a picture of Premananda Bharati. He was among the first Caitanya Vaisnavas to come to the USA (1902). I republished his major work: Lord Krsna, the Lord of Love (1904 originally). Radhika came to him in a vision in Radhakund and ordered him to go to the West and teach Krsna-bhakti. These were just among the pictures I have collected over the last 20 years or so.