Santadas Kathiababa

Santadas Kathiababa (10 June 1859 – 8 November 1935; pre-ashramite name Tara Kishore Chowdhury ) was a Hindu monk who headed the Nimbarka Sampradaya in present-day India. A yogi and monk of Nimbarka order, he was a philosopher, writer and religious leader. Former Kumbh Mela President Yogi.

Early life
Santadas Kathiababa's father, Zamindar Har Kishore Chowdhury, was prominent zamindar of Habiganj in Greater Sylhet. 7-year-old Tara Kishore Chowdhury was admitted to an English-language school built by the zamindar's father, Har Kishore Chowdhury Tara Kishore Chowdhury joined Calcutta Presidency College for higher education. From there he passed BA in first class. Graduated from Calcutta University in 1885 with an MA in philosophy and a degree in law. In 1885 he returned to his native Sylhet.

Asceticism
Even after Santadas Kathiababa received initiation in a miraculous way, he took initiation as a woman in a natural way on the day of Janmashtami in 1894 in Vrindavan, India.

The life of Santadas Kathiababa Maharaj is glorious. Student life attracted towards Brahminism. He was thoughtful and inquisitive from childhood. He was particularly interested in metaphysics and religion. He left Hinduism and became a monotheist while studying in the first year class. In 1915, he gave up his thirty-year career as an advocate and left for Vrindavan with his wife. He donated all his property and wealth to the people of Calcutta. He paid off the debts of many debtors. From Calcutta city to Vrindavan the train fare was not even. Calcutta lawyers, businessmen, students, old people, women bid farewell to Tara Kishore Chowdhury with a procession. After becoming a monk in Vrindavan, his name was Maharaja Santadas Kathiababa. After Maharaj came to Vrindavan, he did not sleep day and night, and he was always busy with meditation. He used to eat little food. Kumbh Mela is the biggest fair in India. Crores of people from all over India attend this fair. Get the responsibility of the director of the Kumbh Mela. He is also the first Bengali in this post. In 1931, he founded an ashram in Shivpur, Howrah. Tara Kishore Chowdhury established Nimbarka Ashram in Sylhet city in July 1934.

Achievement
Santadas Kathiababa joined the Bangladesh Sylhet Bar in 1885. After staying in Sylhet for four years, he joined the law profession at the Calcutta High Court. His fame spread in the Calcutta High Court. Advocate Tara Kishore Chowdhury was considered the second-best lawyer at Calcutta High Court (Sir Rash Behari Ghosh was considered best). In 1912, the British Government appointed him to the post of Attorney General of Calcutta High Court. He was the first Bengali Attorney General of Calcutta High Court. In August 1915, he was appointed as a judge of Calcutta High Court. He resigned after joining the post of judge.