Mahanta Sri Sri Gopala Govindananda Deva Goswami Prabhupada
He was born in 1918 AD and became the fifteenth Mahanta of Sri Sri Shyamanandi Gaddi in 1960 AD, after the disappearance of his elder brother, Sri Sri Govinda Gopalananda Deva Goswami Prabhupada, who had no son. Due to abolation of Zamindari & Princely states, Land ceiling acts etc. in India during his days, the properties and lands of most temples all over India were usurped by the government. This led to many difficulties to maintain the services and worship of the Deities. By struggling in many ways, he managed to carry on the same standard of worship. Neglecting his personal comfort and happiness, he managed very nicely all the temples and Mathas, by which his genuine devotion can be recognized. He was conversant with many scriptures and was an expert musician. He published and reprinted many Gaudiya Vaishnava books. On the occasion of the 500 years of the appearance of Lord Sri Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he walked on foot (under took padyatra) from Sripat Gopiballavpur to Sri Nilachala accompanied by many groups of kirtana and many devotees. He married Srimati Dakshaja Sundari Devi, daughter of Sri Chandrashekhara Dasa from village Ratnagardia Distt. Medinipur. He had five sons and six daughters in the following order: Smt. Kamala Manjari, Sri Sri Krishna Keshavananda Deva, Purnima Manjari, Sri Sri Radha Govindananda Deva, Krishna Manjari, Sri Sri Shyamsundarananda Deva, Sri Sri Krishna Gopalananda Deva, Radharani Manjari, Anuradha Manjari, Sri Sri Braja Gopalananda Deva and Subhadra Manjari. He was an avowed preacher of love for the Holy Name during his whole life until entering the eternal pastimes on the 17th February of 1987 AD. Before departing, he appointed his well-qualified sons to take charge of the temples and Mathas under the Sri Sri Shyamanandi Gaddi all over India, and thus improved the standard of service offered to the Deity.