New book offered to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

Hare Krishna.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, on his 150th appearance anniversary.

On the 150th appearance anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Vrajraj Press offered a new publication to his lotus hands in Sri Vrindavana-dhama. The book, Acara o Acarya, was originally published in Bengali in 1921. The history behind the book is nicely described by Bhakti Vikasa Swami in his Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava as follows:

“In mid-1921, a much publicized controversy helped the Gaudiya Matha gain a solid foothold in East Bengal. Atulacandra Cakravarti, a resident of Dacca, who initially had strongly opposed the Gaudiya Matha preachers, changed his opinion after listening to their discources and observing their pure habits and dedication. But like many others who respected them as sadhus, he still had reservations:

Why did they excoriate caste Gosvamis and others who for generations had been spiritual mentors and also worshiped Krsna, chanted His names, wore tilaka, and quoted the same scriptures? To settle these doubts, Atula Babu sent a list of thirty questions to both a well-known jata-gosani of Navadvipa and to Srimat Tirtha Maharaja. Upon receiving answers, he forwarded them for critique to Dr. Dhirendranätha Bandhopadyaya, a member of the Visva-vaisnava Raja-sabha.

The questions, answers, and Dr. Bandyopadhyaya’s analysis were compiled as a book called Acara o Acarya. Its publication was a major step toward convincing educated Bengalis that the Gaudiya Matha was bona fide, yet it provoked an outcry from the “religious businessmen” whom it exposed.” ( Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, Vol. 1, pg 83) The book is a little over one hundred pages.It was translated by Bhumipati Dasa and edited by Pundarika Vidyanidhi dasa and will be available in Vrindavana and Mayapura ISKCON centers.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!

your servant,
Pundarika Vidyanidhi dasa