The Indispensable Press

In 1923, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura opened the Gaudiya Printing Works in Calcutta, the second of four presses he would establish. For preaching work, a press is indispensable. Of course, in preaching sahkirtana, congregational chanting, a mrdahga drum is also important. We will rarely see devotees on a chanting party without one. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta dubbed the press the brhad-mrdahga, or "greater mrdahga," because the sound of a mrdahga is limited to the immediate vicinity, whereas a press can pour out literature that can reach for thousands of miles. In 1927 Bhaktisiddhanta converted his father's Sajjana-tosani journal into The Harmonist, a magazine. He also published a daily newspaper called the Nadia Prakash, or "The Light of Nadia," Nadia being the district where Lord Caitanya appeared. Bhaktisiddhanta was once asked the reason for publishing a daily newspaper about God. He replied that here in the material world there are thousands of daily newspapers reporting repetitious occurrences that become stale after one day, so what to speak of the necessity for reporting the events of the spiritual world, where everything is dynamic, conscious and ever fresh.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati traveled throughout India in the same way as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who had toured on foot from northern India down to Cape Cormorin. In 1919 Bhaktisiddhanta toured northern and eastern Bengal, and in 1921 he went further east, to Dacca. Then, in 1922, he led a mass parikrama (pilgrimage) in the 84-mile Vrndavana-Mathura area. Together with hundreds of his disciples, he went by foot to visit the sacred places of Krsna's pastimes, including Radha-kunḍa and Syama-kunḍa, Govardhana, and Barsana. Setting up tent camps all along the way, Bhaktisiddhanta would take every opportunity to preach to the local inhabitants and explain to his disciples the history and significance of the sacred places. In between Radha-kunḍa and Syama-kunḍa he conducted a large initiation ceremony.