The Mission Begins Expanding

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura stayed mainly in Mayapur during this time, writing and sometimes giving discourses to the pilgrims who began to visit Lord Caitanya's birth site. He was respected for his authoritative books and forthright preaching. An important figure in a popular religious organization once approached Bhaktisiddhanta and was so impressed by his purity and potency that he became his disciple. He arranged for Bhaktisiddhanta's transportation to Calcutta, rented a storefront for him, and in many other ways provided Bhaktisiddhanta with good facilities for preaching. Soon many people once again became interested in the teachings of Lord Caitanya.

Bhaktisiddhanta then extended his preaching throughout India, following the example of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya had spread His teachings by dispatching the Six Gosvamis north to Vrndavana and Lord Nityananda to West Bengal and had preached Himself in South India and Orissa. Bhaktisiddhanta soon was able to open centers in many cities, such as Calcutta, Bombay, Allahabad, Benares, Bhuvanesvar, Dacca, Hardwar, Madras, New Delhi and Puri. Ultimately, sixty-four such centers were established. The purpose of these centers was to broadcast the teachings of Lord Caitanya, to distribute Bhaktisiddhanta's books and to perform worship of the sri-mūrti, or form of the Lord, according to the authorized principles of the pancaratra scriptures.