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Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja is quoted as saying, “My
maternal grandfather lived to 69 years of age. I was there when
my grandfather left this world; I was a young boy. No one was
upset, everyone understood. ‘Puruñottama-dhäma’—‘The road
to Jagannätha is clear,’ and he said, ‘Yes, I must go now.’ My
grandfather was a very great devotee, a paramahaàsa.”
Bauribandhu Giri left behind him three sons, Gopénätha Giri,
Jagannätha Giri, and Dinabandhu Giri, and two daughters,
Pata-devi and Hade-devi.
As the eldest son Gopénätha
Giri was entrusted with
the service of the famous
deities Çré Çré Rädhä-Gopäla
Jéu and Their temple. Two
of Bauribandhu Giri’s sons
Gopénätha and Jagannätha
Giri were expert kértanéyas
who always sang bhajans for
Gopäla. These two extraordinary
kértanéyas, who
were the uncles of Gour
Govinda Swami, left this
world in a similar way to their father.
Gopénätha Giri’s son Ghanaçyäma Giri recalls, “In 1967 at the
age of 72 my father Gopénätha Giri called his (our) family and
friends and said to us, “I will leave this world on the upcoming
agni-utsava day.” [corresponding to the appearance day of
Çréla Narottama-däsa Thäkura, which was Friday 24 February
1967]. We stayed with him until he left his body that day during
harinäm-saìkértana.
Eighteen years later, at the age of 85 my uncle Jagannätha
Giri left this world on the same day of agni-utsava [Tuesday 5
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