In 1970 His Holiness B. B. Vishnu Maharaja graduated from Clarkson College of Technology with a Master of Science degree in Physics. In 1975 Maharaja came in connection with his spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in Los Angeles and fully surrendered to his lotus feet.
After joining the Los Angeles temple Sripad Vishnu Maharaja took special interest in the philosophy of Krishna consciousness and carefully studied the books of Srila Prabhupada such as Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. After a few months Sripad Vishnu Maharaja received harinama initiation from Srila Prabhupada at which time he became known as Bhavananda Raya dasa Brahmacari. Shortly thereafter he was recommended for brahman initiation and received the sacred thread.
Always desiring to please Srila Prabhupada as a fully surrendered soul Sripad Vishnu Maharaja engaged in performing sankirtana[book distribution] and soon became a recognized preacher by the community of devotees.
Over the years Sripad Vishnu Maharaja has led out innumerable traveling parties of brahmacharis to Los Vegas and many other cities in the region where he conducted book distribution and held sankirtana festivals to recruit new men and enlighten the public.
After the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada in November of 1977 Sripad Vishnu Maharaja continued his preaching and book distribution programs in the western United States. In 1981 Sripad Vishnu Maharaja began several enthusiastic preaching programs in Chicago at local universities and continued to show himself as a stalwart devotee of Sri Chaitanya...
