Bhanu Swami was born in Canada and holds a BA in Oriental fine arts history from the University of British Colombia. He joined the Hare Krishna movement in India in 1970. Initiated in 1971 by Srila Prabhupada, he took sannyasa vows in 1984. Bhanu Swami was personally instructed in the art of Deity worship by Srila Prabhupada, and within ISKCON he has become an authority on the topic.
Bhanu Swami has been a GBC member since 2003. His zonal assignments cover South India, and he is co-GBC for Japan. His history in management is as a regional secretary for South India since 1986. Having spent the last few decades in residence in Chennai, he has a clear understanding of the region. His GBC committee responsibilities include past chairmanship and, currently, participation in the Lines of Authority Committee for the Strategic Planning Initiative.
A scholar in Sanskrit and Bengali, Bhanu Swami has translated fifteen significant works of the Gaudiya Vaishnava canon, with six more titles in progress. Many of these works are commentaries from primary members of the Gaudiya sampradaya on the Bhagavad-gita, Sri-Isopanishad, and Srimad Bhagavatam. Thus, Bhanu Swami’s contribution is a lasting one.Bhanu Swami is a quiet achiever and has studied a variety of disciplines including martial arts, Reiki healing, Carnatic music (specifically vina). He is a reputed astrologer.
His current efforts in spreading Krishna consciousness include completing the construction of a temple in Chennai and stabilizing the new temple in Tokyo. Bhanu Swami’s depth of scholarship has enabled him to create presentations on topics like karma, reincarnation, yoga and Srimad Bhagavatam, and he presents these as he travels to select parts of the world, enlivening those he meets with heartfelt spiritual intellectualism.
