Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja
Disappearance Day: February 28
Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja, a prominent spiritual master coming in the line from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, was the great-granddisciple of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, who established the scriptural legitimacy of Lord Caitanya's movement. Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji was the Siksa-guru, or instructing spiritual master, of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the pioneer in spreading Krsna consciousness outside India.
Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja, or Babaji Maharaja, as he was known, was born in West Bengal but later moved to Vrndavana, where Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura met him in 1880. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura could understand that Babaji Maharaja was perfect in devotional service to Lord Krsna.
From Vrndavana, Babaji Maharaja moved to Navadvipa, West Bengal, the holy land of Lord Caitanya. He lived for some time in the area known as Koladvipa, and then in 1893 moved to Surabhi-kunja in Godrumadvipa. Because of his pure spiritual vision, Babaji Maharaja was able to reveal many holy sites of Navadvipa, including Lord Caitanya's birthplace. It is said that although Babaji Maharaja was old and invalid, on finding Lord Caitanya's birthsite he danced joyfully.
When Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was twelve years old, Bab:1ji Maharaja, aware of the boy's expertise in astrology, ask him to prepare a calendar for Vaisnavas, devotees of Lord Krsna. The boy pleased Babaji Maharaja by producing the Navadvipa Panjika, a calendar of festivals and appearance and disappearance days of devotees that is still used today.
Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja stayed in this world for about 140 years and then returned to Lord Krsna's abode.