New website dedicated to Śrīmatī Uma Didi: bhaktimadhuri.com

Haribol dear devotees. Please accept my praṇāma. All glories be unto Śrīla Gurudeva Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and his very dear Śrīmatī Uma Didi!

It's been a while since I’ve posted here on Vine of Devotion as we're in the middle of a marathon to finalize a new version of the Gaudiya Kirtan app and a fresh edition of the Śrī Gauḍīya Gīti-guccha (with lots of new songs) within the next few weeks. However, upon coming across Srivas's announcement on Facebook about the newly launched website dedicated to Uma Didi, bhaktimadhuri.com, I'm feeling compelled to share it with all of you here now.

This website contains a beautiful biography of Uma Didi, letters from Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja (with Gurudeva's letters to be added soon), articles she contributed to Śrī Gauḍīya-patrikā, audio recordings of her harikathā, a captivating gallery showcasing images of her throughout her life, and heartfelt offerings and reminiscences from devotees.

An amazing fact we discovered post her departure is that her birth tithi aligns closely with that of Śrīla Gurudeva, either on the same day or just afterward on Pratipat. Out of humility, she never disclosed this to anyone. Today, on the auspicious day of her birth, this website has been unveiled to honor her remarkable service to her gurudevas.

Tomorrow morning at 7 AM India time (see other time zones at the bottom of the page), I'll be conducting an online reading of the articles from this website. Join us live on Zoom or watch on YouTube using the links below:

Śrīla Gurudeva emphasized in a 2008 Guru-pūrṇimā class: “Merely placing a garland on the neck of śrī guru or offering at his feet a few flowers and fruits, some money, sweets, or cloth does not mean that real worship of the guru has been performed. The real vyāsa-pūjā is to surrender oneself completely at the lotus feet of śrī gurudeva and to fulfil his desires. This means that one should completely offer one’s independence at the lotus feet of śrī guru in a mood of surrender: ‘O Śrīla Gurudeva, I am offering everything that belongs to me at your lotus feet.’”

During this festival of Śrīla Gurudeva’s Vyāsa-pūjā, let us draw inspiration from Uma Didi's life, aspiring to one day perform genuine guru-pūjā by completely surrendering our independence at the lotus feet of Śrīla Gurudeva as she did.

Śrīla Gurudeva ki jaya!

His dearmost servitors ki jaya!

Aspiring to please Śrīla Gurudeva and the Vaiṣṇavas,

-Madhukar das