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The Passing of Tamal Krishna Goswami

15 March 2002, 4:30 PM, ISKCON Long Island, NY, USA.
By Vipramukhya Swami

I had packed away my Salagram and Govardhan Silas and was preparing to leave Bhaktivedanta Manor for a morning flight to America when I heard the news.

Tamal Krishna Goswami has passed away. He died in a horrible automobile accident in a taxi, just after leaving Mayapur, India, on the way to the Calcutta airport.

As soon as I heard, I became stunned. I stopped packing my bags and went downstairs where there was a meeting of senior devotees taking place, discussing the situation.

What can I say about Tamal Krishna Goswami? He was a great devotee, often misunderstood by ISKCON's antagonists. He was among the first devotees selected by Srila Prabhupada to serve on the GBC body. He was Srila Prabhupada's personal secretary, even up to the point of Srila Prabhupada's passing from his body.

Tamal Krishna Maharaja will be missed, not only by his thousands of disciples around the world, but by the devotees in England, where he had lived the last few years.

In my association with him, I would have to say that Tamal Krishna Goswami was a gracious host. Whenever he was with his Godbrothers, he treated them with great respect and concern, especially in later years. You always felt like a king in his association.

I did catch my flight to America, but as soon as I arrived at the Long Island temple this afternoon, I checked my email for more news. Nothing. But when I check the Chakra website (www.chakra.org) I saw there were already many stories about Tamal Krishna Goswami's passing. The devotees here at Long Island and I sat around the computer and read these stories.

The ISKCON Movement has lost a great general. My heart goes out to his disciples and close associates and I pray that they will remain fixed in their Krishna Consciousness. Hare Krishna.