By Gaurav Sharma

Vrindavan's premier English-language seminar on Vaishnavism, the annual Rupa Goswami Conference on Vaishnavism will be held at the Gopinath Bhavan in Vrindavan on August 27 and 28.

The seminar on Vaishnavism has been held for over two decades now by the Rupa Sanatan Gaudiya Math, under the guidance of BV Narayana Maharaja, and has attracted the participation of a distinguished assembly of scholars, theologians, devotees and disciples.

"Ten years ago, Srila Maharaja began morning sessions and they continue gloriously till date at the Gopinath Bhavan, attracting people from all over the globe", says Krishna Chaitanya Das, a Hare-Krishna devotee.

The conference is especially revered by the Gaudiya Vaishnava community, the followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the order of bhakti or devotion to Lord Krishna.

Sri Rupa Goswami was the chief of the six goswamis of Vrindavan, the direct disciples of the 16th century saint. The theology of Gaudiya Vaishnavism has been elaborated beautifully by Rupa Goswami through his poems, songs, dramas and other writings.

Vaishnavism is one of the major branches of Hinduism and has gained much popularity due to the success of the Hare Krishna movement in the west.

The conference is a forum for scholars to speak on the glories of Rupa Goswami and various aspects of Vaishnavism related to him. By engaging in extended discussions on the ontology of Vaishnavism and devotional practice, the people are enlivened with love in their hearts, and therefore they contribute to building a more peaceful, loving society.