Shri Prakash Gossai, special assistant to President Bharrat Jagdeo, popular Pandit and activist of Hinduism known for his devotional songs, died at a hospital in Miami, Florida early yesterday morning.
Gossai, who was born on April 23, 1953 at Handsome Tree, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, was 56 years old.
He had undergone triple bypass surgery during the mid 90s and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Balwant Singh Hospital in Georgetown last Tuesday after suffering chest pains. Bramha Prasad, a close friend and associate who has been with Gossai throughout his endeavours during the past 21 years, reported that on Friday, Gossai was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) for access to better medical facilities.
After discussions between GPH specialists and Gossai’s New York doctors it was decided that he would be flown to the US where an angiograph would be performed. A MedEvac plane was hired, Prasad said, and at 12.30 am Saturday Gossai in care of two doctors was flown to Miami where he was immediately admitted to a medical institution. It was there he took his final breath at approximately 3 am yesterday in the arms of his son, Arun.
Arrangements are being made for wakes and satsangs at various locations through the country and funeral plans are yet to be announced.
“When he left that tarmac Saturday morning with MedEvac I was with him…there were and are many memories of him. He has changed my life,” Prasad said yesterday. “He taught me, from the simple act of wearing a kurta (long Indian shirt for men), to both appreciate and celebrate my culture.”
At the beginning of the 21st century, Prasad recalled, he’d gone to collect Gossai to attend Satsang (religious gathering) at the Cove and John Ashram. Prasad was clad in a shirt and pants at the time but Gossai, he said, objected to him wearing that to the Ashram.
“He took me to his suitcase took out a new kurta and told me to wear that then when I said I’d stay in the vehicle he gave me his Ramayan [religious text] and told me to bring it on stage to him at the gathering,” Prasad recalled. “I didn’t understand at first but when I stepped on that stage and handed him that Ramayan I was recognized by my fellow brothers and sisters and I felt truly accepted…with that one little lesson I was taught to celebrate and appreciate my culture.”
The Hindu community, Prasad stated, has lost a great soul whose “mission was to read and expound the Ramayan so that the common man and youngest child could understand”; and Guyana has lost one of its most humble and dedicated citizens.
Gossai: the teacher
Aye bhi akhela, jaaye bhi akela…
We made our entry into the world alone, and we shall leave alone…
Gossai, is perhaps most popular for the numerous devotional songs he has sung and the simple sermons transforming ancient scripture into everyday situations he delivered in the US and throughout Guyana.
Heeralall Singh, a distant relative of Gossai by marriage, was part of the effort which saw the release of Gossai’s first album of devotional songs, ‘Aye Bhi Akhela, Jaaye Bhi Akhela’ (also the album’s first song), during the late 80s.
Singh explained that Gossai, a spiritual coordinator and founding member of the Bhuvaneshwar Mandir in Queens, New York, “sacrificed his personal life to spread the word of Hinduism” and to teach.
Pandit Gopinauth Prashad, one of Gossai’s younger students, remembered his teacher’s passion for passing on knowledge to a willing student. Just over a year ago, the young Pandit said, he approached Gossai about Hindi classes. Gossai advised him to get a group together but no one else seemed to be interested at the time.
“I was the only person willing to learn at that time and Prakshji noticed my passion and he told me to come he would teach me,” Prashad said. “So for quite a while after that I would go to his office one hour every week to learn.”
Prashad explained that as time went the knowledge was spread to other pandits that Gossai was willing to teach Hindi and the classes eventually moved to the Gandhi Bhawan. At present the class has about 30 persons inclusive of pandits of various ages and children.
“I was inspired by Prakashji,” he said. “When I took up the challenge of becoming a pandit I always wanted Prakashji to be my teacher. I wanted to be like him. Prakshji achieved his goal because at least 85 percent of his class can pick up a Hindi book and read from it.”
Many young pandits, Prashad believes, were similarly inspired by Gossai. His method of preaching especially, the young pandit noted, is currently being used by many. Gossai, he said, had a gift for taking complicated stories from the Hindu scriptures and transforming them into simple modern day situations that people can relate to.
“I remember the first time I became aware of whom Shri Prakash Gossai was when I listened to the first song on his very first album ‘Aaye Bhi Akhela Jaaye Bhi Akhela’,” Prashad recalled. “It touched something in me. Prakashji taught humility and practiced it as well.”
Several devotees from the branch of Bhuvaneshwar Mandir located at Little Diamond, Guyana yesterday said that Gossai helped nurture their spirituality. People, Gossai’s friend Bramha Prasad said, could never get enough of him and he never knew when to say no.
“Anytime anyone asked him to do something for them,” Prasad said. “He never said no. He always willingly gave them a date and time when he was available.”
During his last days, Prasad recalled, Gossai was his usual self. Gossai, according to the man, knew he was sick and he was fatigued from having participated in recent activities but he never refused anyone.
Gossai, his friend said, gave what he could of himself to this world before he left. Prasad said that though he is no more Gossai would want those he taught to use his knowledge and to pass it on; this was his legacy.
The Gandhi Bhavan Mandir, with representatives of Art of Living, hosted a wake last night which they described as celebrating the life of Gossai.
Meanwhile, the Hindu community of Berbice held a wake and satsang at Jagroo’s residence, Canefield, East Canje last night Canje to celebrate his life and contributions as a dedicated Hindu. The wake will continue at the Albion Sports Complex tomorrow and Thursday night.
Sandra Sankar, an active member of the Guava Bush Shiwla Mandir where he did his last fund-raising, said he would be especially remembered for making an “indelible contribution to the promoting of Satya Sanatan Dharma”.
She recalled too that he recently started a “monthly campaign in Berbice to eradicate the bars at wedding houses, teenage pregnancies, suicide and domestic violence”.
She extended sympathy to his children and relatives in New York.
