Gaudiya Math facts for kids
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গৌড়ীয় মঠ
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Sri Gaudiya Math, Bagbazar, Kolkata
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| Successor | Gaudiya Mission and Sri Chaitanya Math |
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| Established | 6 September 1920 |
| Founder | Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati |
| Founded at | Calcutta, British India |
| Dissolved | 1937 |
| Type | Religious organization |
| Purpose | Educational, Philanthropic, Religious studies, Spirituality |
| Headquarters | Calcutta, British India |
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Region served
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British India British Burma London, UK Berlin, Germany |
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Official languages
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Bengali, English |
| Affiliations | Gaudiya Vaishnavism |
The Gaudiya Math is a special kind of religious organization called a matha. It was started on September 6, 1920. Its main goal was to share the teachings of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. This is a spiritual path based on the ideas of a wise saint named Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
The founder of Gaudiya Math was Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He started the Sri Chaitanya Math in Mayapura, West Bengal, in 1918. This first center became the main place for all the Gaudiya Math branches.
The Gaudiya Math wanted to spread its message through teaching and publishing books. It welcomed everyone, no matter their background. This idea of openness was very important to the movement. It was strongly supported by Bhaktivinoda Thakura and later by his son, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
Gaudiya Math Branches
The Gaudiya Math grew quickly and opened 64 branches. Most of these were in India. However, they also had centers in other countries. These included British Burma, England, and Germany.
The first European center was set up in London in 1933. It was called the 'Gaudiya Mission Society of London'. Later, another center opened in Berlin.
Gaudiya Math History
After Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati passed away in 1937, the Gaudiya Math faced some challenges. By 1948, the original mission divided into two main groups. These groups continued to spread the teachings in their own ways. They split the 64 centers between them.
One group was led by Srila Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaj. The other group, called Gaudiya Mission, was led by Ananta Vasudev Prabhu. He later became known as Srila Bhakti Prasad Puri Maharaj.
Many of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's students decided to start their own missions. They wanted to continue their teacher's work in their own way. Many of these new groups are still known as Gaudiya Math.
Here are some of the other important missions that started:
- Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti (started in 1940)
- Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (started in 1941)
- Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math (started in 1953)
- International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) (started in 1966)
- Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission (started in 1966)
- Science of Identity Foundation (started in 1977)
- Sri Sri Radha Govindaji Trust (started in 1979)
- Sri Caitanya Sangha (started in 1985)
- Sri Gopinatha Gaudiya Math (started in 1989)
Some of these new missions became very large. Others remained smaller groups. They all share the same roots from the original Gaudiya Math. Most of them have published books and opened temples.
In 1994, many of these missions came together. They formed an organization called the World Vaisnava Association — Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha (WVA–VVRS).
