His Holiness Sridhara Swami Maharaja passed away in Mayapur, West Bengal, on March 14. Affectionately known as "the jolly Swami,"Sridhara Swami Maharaja was an early disciple of Srila Prabhupada, from whom he accepted sannyasa, the renounced order of life, in 1975. Originally from Canada, he spent many years teaching Krsna consciousness in India. He was an ISKCON guru and emeritus member of ISKCON's governing body commission.
Sridhara Swami had been fighting liver cancer for several years. Knowing that his death was near, he had traveled to Mayapur to attend the installation of Sri Panca-tattva and spend his final days in that sacred place. He passed away in clear consciousness while looking at photos of Srila Prabhupada and Radha-Krsna.
A feature article on his life will appear in an upcoming issue of Back to Godhead.