SHRI Prakash Gossai is an enormously popular public figure and will be sorely missed. New York-based Guyanese are very saddened with his passing. Whenever there is a discussion about religion or bhajan singing, Gossai’s name comes up because he is the most liked among religious individuals. No one comes even remotely close to his popularity among Guyanese and West Indian Hindus.

During a visit to South Florida over the weekend, somehow discussions lead to Gossai-ji. People talked to me about his singing prowess and interpretation of the Hindu scriptures not even knowing he was in a hospital in Miami – incidentally, it was a trip motivated by Gossai to study and write about Guyanese and Hindus because he always encouraged and saluted me for traveling and writing about my experiences.

Wherever I traveled around the globe, in India, Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, Vancouver, Minnesota, Florida, Boston, etc., people talk about him.

And Gossai loves to talk about my trips whenever we met. We talked about my Barbados trip a couple of weeks ago and he invited me to his services in Guyana when I visited in July. I urged him to come to Trinidad where he is loved and where I will be attending a religious function.

After returning to NY in the wee hours of Monday, I was awakened by a flood of phone calls informing me of the sudden passing of the legendary bhajan singer. It was a shock to me and to those giving me the sad news. I could not bring myself to accept he is no more and initially thought the people were making a mistake. He looked so well when we met less than two weeks ago.

I did not know he was in Miami or that he was ill having suffered a heart attack in Guyana. I would have visited him. I always felt good seeing Gossai for he was always humorous. Whenever he saw or spoke to me on the phone, he would say: “Oh Vishnu Bhagwan, you are my Lord and master. Tell me what you want me to do”.

It was less than two weeks ago, I interviewed Gossai for a writing project in his mandir where he was conducting a week long yagna to mark his mandir’s anniversary. I informed him I was going to Jamaica and told him he is due a visit to the island where he delivered several sermons years gone by.

He said: ‘Man I admire you because you are always traveling doing the lord’s work”. He indicated time does not permit a trip any time soon but promised to undertake a Jamaica trip when time permits.

The flood of phone calls and e-mails informing me of Gossai’s passing is testament to the widespread influence he has in various parts of the US and around the globe.
VISHNU BISRAM