BY GOLOKA CANDRA DASA

PHOTOS BY FAMILY OF KALIDASCARAN DASA, VINODH PILLAI

KUALA LUMPUR - From the early eighties, when he became a practising devotee and started distributing Srila Prabhupada's books, until his health failed him recently, Kalidascaran prabhu was an indefatigable preacher of Krishna consciousness.


In fact, he is one of the unsung pioneer devotees who was already preaching Lord Caitanya's mission in the Klang Valley even before ISKCON Malaysia was formally registered and a centre opened up in Kuala Lumpur.

All those of us who were fortunate to have had his association were invariably touched by his humility and staunchness of faith. He was genuinely concerned about the well-being of everybody. Which made him a good and caring leader in ISKCON. He served as the branch chairman of ISKCON Klang for some years, but more than that, he was like a father figure to all the younger devotees.

His loyalty to ISKCON surpassed some crises caused by splinter groups.Once when called upon to make his offering in a Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja program held in the presence of his guru, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, he narrated that he had a vision of the founder-acharya appearing in his dream and instructing him not to ever 
leave ISKCON.

Despite being bogged down by kidney failure and poor health in recent years, he continued to preach vigorously and serve the ISKCON Klang yatra. Poor health could not stop him from travelling to attend Krishna-conscious festivals elsewhere too. Just earlier this month, he went to Melaka to participate in their New Year Ratha Yatra festival. That was to be his last Ratha Yatra.


When his health finally broke down terminally after suffering a stroke last week, he calmly prepared himself to face death. For three days he fasted, chanted the Hare Krishna mahamantra and immersed himself in 
hearing the Holy Names of the Lord.

The day before he quit his body, he gave his last instructions in full consciousness to his good wife, son and daughter, who are all initiated devotees performing regular service in ISKCON Klang.

He also requested that his body be cremated on a wooden pyre, his ashes sprinkled in the Ganga at Sridham Mayapur and a cow donated in his memory in Vrndavana.

On Sunday 22JAN2012 evening, Kalidascaran prabhu quit his body while surrounded by his family members and devotees chanting the Holy Names of the Lord and clutching his beloved Lord Giriraja sila tightly to his chest.

Lord Krishna promised in the Bhagavad-gita 8.5 that "whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt."

By all indications, Kalidascaran prabhu seems to have passed the final test of life with flying colours. May the Blessed Lord guide him back home, back to Godhead.

Kalidascaran prabhu Ki Jai! He has set a glorious example to inspire all of us.

Note: You are invited to attend a Smriti Sabha ceremony for Kalidascaran prabhu on Sunday 29JAN2012 starting at 10am at Sri Jagannatha Mandir in Kuala Lumpur.