Lord Caitanya appeared in Mayapur, West Bengal, more than 500 years ago. He is an incarnation of Krishna who descended to this material world for two purposes; to spread the chanting of the holy names of God to deliver all the people from their material bondage, and to simultaneously taste the nectar of the pure love of God, Krishna, as it was tasted by His topmost devotee, Srimati Radharani, who is the internal energy of Krishna.In His early life, Lord Caitanya played the part of an ordinary scholar with enormous knowledge and talent, while hiding the truth of His incarnation. Most people knew him as Nimai Pandit. However, when the time was right, He manifested Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His devotees and began spreading the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord.
After His 24th year, He accepted the renounced order of life, sannyasa, and left His home in Mayapur to travel throughout India to convert all the people to lovers of God. He would transform anyone, be he an atheist, rascal, or worse, as well as the pious and good, to the platform of love of Godhead. Lord Caitanya did not consider whether the recipients of the love of God were worthy or not, He indiscriminately bestowed what no other incarnation of God ever gave before; pure love of the Lord.
After travelling and preaching for six years, He settled in Jagannatha Puri for twelve years and intensely tasted the love that His pure devotees have for Him. Although He is Krishna Himself, He accepted the mood and colour of Srimati Radharani, His spiritual counterpart, and thought of Himself as His own devotee. Thus, although He is God Himself, He always was absorbed in the mood of His topmost devotees and thus He relished the highest love of Krishna together with His confidential associates.
Lord Caitanya started the sankirtan movement which continues to this day. He established the congregational chanting of the holy names of Krishna, with the Maha-Mantra:
