About this project

Who are we?

Our team presently is just one insignificant family: husband and wife Kar and Radha, assisted by their dedicated parents (Radha Damodara and Nataka Candrika, and Ghosh Thakura and Girija), and their 4 children (Ghanashyam, Dayita, Yamuna and Krsnaya). We serve under the direction of our sublime Sri Sri Krsna Balarama deities, in Saranagati Village, Canada.

We were born in and grew up in ISKCON, attending early gurukulas. We felt a strong sense of spiritual family moving around the small-world of ISKCON in its formative years. We had warm relationships with innumerable Prabhupada disciples, and developed a deep sense of gratitude for their trailblazing service. Their selfless service was awe-inspiring.

Kar went to university for Family, Youth and Community Sciences, doing a Master's program in Community Development. He was able to do his thesis on Saranagati Village, Canada, a remote off-grid community of about 60 devotees, most of them Prabhupada disciples. This was the start of his hobbies of cultural preservation, archiving, history, and spiritual legacies. It is also where he met Radha, and his mentor: Yamuna devi. 

Our service since 2009 has been our humble school: Govardhana Academy.

Since time is of the essence, we hope to expand this team to devotees from around the world, who can help honor Srila Prabhupada's disciples by collecting and preserving their stories and wisdom.

Background

This project began in Alachua, Florida, in 2002. We had just starting worshipping our Krsna Balarama deities, and had a small group of dedicated youth in their twenties came to regular morning programs in our tiny one-bedroom apartment. We had the idea then that once a week, we would invite a senior devotee to join us, speaking on this set of questions. We were thrilled with the deepening of relationships that occurred between the two generations, and the transmission of heartfelt wisdom. Every single devotee we invited to speak accepted our invitation, from caring family friends to initiating gurus. 

After only one year, we moved to Saranagati Village, where the number of resident and visiting devotees was much more limited. Nevertheless, we managed to sporadically continue the service. However, our school service and raising our kids essentially paused the project for many years.

Now, with a renewed sense of personal urgency and seeing the departure of so many of Srila Prabhupada's disciples, we have resurrected the project, trying to utilize technology to gather the stories from a distance. 

Aims and objectives

We hope that as many Prabhupada disciples as possible provide their stories and advice, so that they can be fittingly known and appreciated by future generations of devotees. It is also an enormous opportunities to pass on wisdom and advice to future devotees.

We are trying to facilitate whatever format is easiest for devotees to share their stories. Responses can be sent via text, audio, or video, via this website. 

We also hope devotees in other communities will be inspired to conduct in-person interviews, focus groups, or facilitate opportunities for speaking to an audience. 

As of January 2026, we have about 50 interviews completed and transcribed.