[The following letter has been sent to Damodar Swami, one of H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s leading disciples. It is presented here as an offering, to be shared by the prabhus upon Maharaja’s departure from this world]:

Dear Damodar Maharaja,

Dandavat pranams. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, without whose mercy we would all remain forever blind.

At this time, I feel particularly compelled to write to you on account of the physical departure of your Guru Maharaja.

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Thank You for Rescuing Me

By Bhakti-tirtha Swami

Posted July 8, 2005

A Vyasa-puja offering to Srila Prabhupada written in 1983

My dear eternal father and spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada,

Lately I have been reflecting more intensely on how fortunate I and thousands of other souls on this planet are to have met and served you personally or to have been influenced by your teachings, instructions, guidance, and encouragement. These days I normally like to personalize most of my reflections, so lately I have been thinking what would have been my fate if you had not so gracefully come into my life. I am bursting with gratitude. Thank you for rescuing me.

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BTS: The Most Outstanding Of All Your Services

From Lokanatha Swami

Posted July 5, 2005

My Dear Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your eternally spiritual Lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, our savior.

I have written down a few of my thoughts, which I would like to share with all of those who are gathered here today.

So finally the inevitable has happened.

The thought that we would not meet again together in Mayapur, at Gita Nagari or at the Divnomorsk festival in Russia is unbearable.

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The Departure of a Great
Soul— His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami

By Sangita devi dasi

Posted July 3, 2005

June, 2005–

By the mercy of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, I was called upon to serve as the hospice nurse for my dear Godbrother His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami during his final months on this Earth.

As most of our readers are aware, Maharaja had been diagnosed with melanoma (an aggressive form of cancer) last year and had undergone surgery as well as many types of treatments in an attempt to slow the progression of his cancer.

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Heartfelt Condolences
from GALVA

By Amara dasa

Posted July 3, 2005

The members of GALVA (The Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava Association) would like to express their sincere and heartfelt condolences to all the disciples and friends of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami on the occasion of his passing away from this world. Maharaja was a dear leader and spiritual mentor to all of our members and his unique presence will be greatly missed.

Below is my last letter to Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja. I am sharing it with all of the devotees because I believe it expresses our deep appreciation for this wonderful Vaishnava with a heart of gold.

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BTS: The Letter He
Asked Me To Write

From Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Posted July 1, 2005

June 27, 2005–

Dear Devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

About a month before His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami left this world, I asked him if there was something I could do for him when he passed away. He immediately said yes. I could write a letter on his behalf and spread it widely. I was glad that he had such a positive request in mind but unfortunately he never gave me many points about what to say in this letter.

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First African-American Vaishnava Hindu Guru
Passes Away

From ISKCON Communications

Posted June 29, 2005

Date: June 27, 2005–

His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, a guru and Governing Body Commissioner of the worldwide Hare Krishna movement, passed away of complications from melanoma cancer on June 27, 2005, at Gita Nagari, the Krishna community in Pennsylvania. He was 55 years old.

Bhakti Tirtha Swami was the world’s first African-American Vaishnava Hindu guru.

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Bhakti-Tirtha Swami
Leaves Body

From New York ISKCON

Posted June 29, 2005

Thanks and appreciation from dipika.org to our sponsor and host,

His Holiness Bhakti-Tirtha Swami passed away from this world, and into the loving embrace of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri RadhaSyamasundar at 3:35pm this afternoon, June 27, 2005. Gurudeva’s passing was so graceful and peaceful, it was as if he had slipped out by the gentle hands of his helpers to board his chariot.

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