HH BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI'S
- ARDUOUS SANKIRTAN ADVENTURES

1982 WORLD TOUR


1982 Nepalese Royal Press Core photos

[some of Bhakti Ananda Goswami's previous names are used below]

Devadeva dasa (David Sherman, also known to some as Damodara dasa) being greeted at the Vedic College in Kathmandu Nepal, by the Queen Sister, Prime Minister, Chief Justice and others. The Former Prime Minister, the Rt. Honorable Nagendra Prasad Rijal, (on left in light striped suit) invited David to come to Nepal and meet the King and Queen, after hearing David speak on his research at the World Hindu Conference in Sri Lanka. David attended the Sri Lankan Conference as the Mainland USA Delegate, and a guest of the Government's Prime Minister and Minister of Religion.

Having been invited to sit on the Executive Committee of the World Hindu Organization, under the Patronage of HM King Birendra,  David was honored on this occasion to plant a commemorative tree in a ceremony on the grounds of the Kathmandu Vedic College in the district of the world famous Saivite Pasupatinath Temple.

David (Bhakti Ananda Goswami) addressed the Executive Committee of the World Hindu Organization in the Old Royal Palace, Kathmandu, Nepal.  Beside making a presentation on his research, he also spoke on the need for a unity of bhakti traditions against the threat of militant communist atheism and other forces hostile to salvific incarnational devotional (bhakti) traditions.  Subsequently he was asked to assist the Executive Committee in drafting an official statement on their anti-nuclear proliferation position, and International Zone of Peace proposal for the United Nations membership of Non Governmental Organizations.

After this particular address, he was approached and embraced by the venerable Vaishnava Leaders, Dr. Rup Lal Batra, and Dr. Acharya Prabhakar Mishra ( Srila Prabhupada's first Disciple and co-Founder of the League of Devotees), who expressed their great appreciation for his interfaith research and courageous devotion to the cause of Sri Caitanya's NON-SECTARIAN Sankirtan Movement.  That same day they took David to stay with them, and formally anointed his head with holy oil, blessing him to carry on the mission of uniting all of the devotees of the Lord, in Srila Prabhupada's League of Devotees.

Bhakti Ananda Goswami has always considered this unsought anointing and blessing by these two great Vaishnavas in the line of Srila Prabhupada, to be Srila Prabhupada's direct validation of his service.

Despite all physical hardship and fanatical sectarian opposition, Bhakti Ananda Goswami has continued to try to carry on the non sectarian inter-bhakti mission of the League of Devotees, as requested by his Guru, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, through his faithful servants, the venerable Doctor Yugacharya Prabhakar Mishra and Dharmachavaspati Doctor Rup Lal Batra.

The completion of this amazing trip was even more amazing, because before leaving the USA, Devadeva dasa had been bedridden for a year with post polio syndrome, congestive heart failure and other related severe medical problems, including an inability to sleep due to loss of his central nervous system respiratory drive.  Polio at age 5 had damaged his brain stem, leaving him with a rare inability to sleep due to lack of breathing.  Consequently, he had stayed awake all night studying and praying for many years, while working and raising his children in the daytime.

The apparently healthy young man in these pictures was in fact barely able to stand or walk unaided when he left with a donated round-the-world plane ticket, and no money, to attend the World Hindu Conference in Sri Lanka, and to make a pilgrimage to Bhakti Tradition Holy Places, fulfilling an ambitious Marylhurst College Independent Studies Course research contract along the way.  When given the opportunity to speak on his discoveries as an independent (not university affiliated) scholar at the World Hindu Conference, he reasoned that if Krishna wanted him to do it, it could be done.  So despite having a very ill body and being penniless, he was determined to go and to serve as many ways as possible on the trip.

The trip was physically extremely arduous and painful for him, and he was several times at the door of death during it.  Never the less, he perservered, and had many astounding adventures in his devotional service on this around the world pilgrimage, which took him from Portland Oregon in the USA  to Japan, Hong Kong,  Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Greece,  New York and San Francisco back to Oregon.

Having successfully fulfilled his Marylhurst University Independent Studies Course Contract, he was awarded graduate level college credit for his inter-bhakti research, human rights and social justice activism on this tour.

PROSECUTING THE NON SECTARIAN GLOBAL SANKIRTAN MISSION OF SRI SRI GURU AND GAURANGA KI JAYA !