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Sri Srima Gour Govina Swami wasborn as Braja Banhu Manik on the seconof September 1929 in Jagannathpur, a smallvillage near to Jagannath Puri, Orissa. Inhis youth he mostly live with his maternalfamily the Giris in the village of Gaeigiri.The Giris were Gauiya Vaishnavas anwell known for their expertise in kértana.Braja Banhu’s maternal granfather,Bauri Giri, was famous in the local area asa
 paramahaàsa vaiñëava
. He was constantlychanting the
hare kåñëa mahä-mantra
anworshiping the family eity of Gopal Jiu.As a boy Braja Banhu was very quiet anserious. Whatever free time he ha from hisstuies he spent renering services to Gopalan accompanying his granfather an unclesin going from village to village, chantinghari-näma an singing songs of the
vaiñëavaäcäryas
. He was very attache to Çréma
Bhägavatam
. As a young boy his mother founthat whenever he woul cry she nee onlyplace the
Bhägavatam
in his hans an hewoul stop. At night Braja Banhu woul goto sleep with the book clutche to his chest.In 1952 his mother arrange for him tomarry, an in 1955, when his father passeaway, the financial responsibility to maintainthe family fell on his shoulers. Afterobtaining B.A. an B.E. egrees from UtkalUniversity, he took up government serviceas a school teacher.Although busy with his family anteaching responsibilities, he maintaine astrict aily
sädhana
of rising before 4:00 AM,chanting
hare kåñëa,
worshipping
tulasé
anspeaking on
Bhagavad-gétä
. Throughout hislife Braja Banhu mae entries in his iary inthe form of prayers to Gopal. His 1973 entriesfrequently mention his esire to renouncefamily life. From 10 October:
O Prabhu Gopal, please make me a
yogésannyäsé
! I on’t nee anything, Prabhu.I’m not asking You for material opulence,respect, glory or anything else. You maygive those things to my younger brotherKripa-sinhu. Let him maintain Your[my] family. Make me a
saàsära-vairägé-yogé
, a renunciate of family life. Letme beg that prema-hana, that wealthof love of Gohea! Let me istribute
 prema
an
änanda
! Let me serve You!Please shower this mercy on me, Prabhu!Please bless me with
 prema-bhakti
,ecstatic love for You!
In April of 1974, he left his family life,taking only a
Bhagavad-gétä,
two
gämuchäs
,an a notebook with him. At that time heaopte the name “Gour Gopal” — Gourfor Gauranga Mahaprabhu an Gopal afterhis belove chilhoo eity. Taking up thelifestyle of a menicant sahu, Gour Gopal setout to fin a spiritual master who coul teachhim about the
hare kåñëa mahä-mantra
,
Çrémad Bhägavatam
an Sri Chaitanya199
 
MY REVEREd SPIRITUAL MASTER
200Mahaprabhu. His search took him all overInia, from Kanya Kumari in the Southto the Himalayas in the North. Finally inSeptember of the same year, he resolveto go to Vrinavan the lan of Krishna,thinking that surely his esire woul befulfille there. Obtaining free passage froma train conuctor, he arrive in Mathura. Hestaye in a few ifferent temples, an finallyhe mae his way to Vrinavan where he sawa sign, “International Society for KrishnaConsciousness.” Arriving there, a evoteegave him a copy of the society’s magazine,
Back To Godhead
. Seeing the articles in themagazine on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
ÇrémadBhägavatam
an the mahä-mantra, Gour Gopalknew he ha foun what he was looking for. Herequeste to meet the founer of the society,an at miay was brought to the quartersof His divine Grace A.C. BhaktiveantaSwami Prabhupaa. After speaking with himfor a little while, Srila Prabhupaa aske,“Have you taken
sannyäsa
?”Gour Gopal replie, “No.”Srila Prabhupaa sai, “Then I will giveyou sannyäsa.”Gour Govina Swami latercommente:
I coul then unerstan, ‘He is a genuineguru because he knows my heart. He iscaitya-guru.’ I was in search of such aperson uner whom I coul take shelter.I took shelter of him. My heart wasnaturally attracte towars him. I hafull faith in Krishna an ChaitanyaMahaprabhu an They helpe me.
Hearing of his scholastic abilities,Srila Prabhupaa immeiately engageGour Gopal in translating his small bookPerfection of Yoga into Hini. A few weekslater Srila Prabhupaa gave him initiationan the name Gour Govina das. Then, on20 April 1975, Gour Govina das receivesannyäsa from Srila Prabhupaa at theopening ceremony of the ISKCON Sri SriKrishna Balaram temple in Vrinavan.On Srila Prabhupaa’s orer, GourGovina Swami went to open a center inBhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa.Arriving there with no money an noresources, he staye alone on the newlyonate property, which at that time wasnothing more than a jungle full of snakes,scorpions an ant hills.In late January 1977 Srila Prabhupaaarrive in Bhubaneswar an staye forsixteen ays on the property in a small hutthat Gour Govina Swami ha arrange forhim. On Lor Nityanana’s appearance aySrila Prabhupaa lai the founation stonefor the upcoming temple. This was his lastfoune project. Prabhupaa preicte thatone ay the temple on the isolate propertywoul be one of the best ISKCON centers inthe worl an woul be situate in the heartof the city. Prabhupaa also instructe GourGovina Maharaja to translate his booksinto the Orissan language an to travel anpreach to evotees aroun the worl.In early 1985 Gour Govina Maharajabegan accepting isciples. Two years later, onthe request of senior evotees, he agree to
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