How it all started...

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada began publication of Back to Godhead magazine from his home in Calcutta in 1944. The Second World War was in progress, and the Japanese were bombing Calcutta. There was rationing of essential war supplies, and the government at first refused his request for paper for printing. But he was persistent, his request was finally granted, and in the second issue of the magazine, with veiled sarcasm, he thanked the government for their enlightened attitude toward such a spiritual publication.
Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual vision was uncompromising. The magazine would contain only the transcendental messages of the great sages of India, especially Lord Chaitanya, and his duty would be simply to repeat them, according to time and circumstance in the present age. He would not manufacture anything, and so his words would descend as transcendental sound to guide people back to Godhead. He admitted that the subject matter, being from a totally different sphere of consciousness, might seem dry to his readers, but said that anyone who actually gave attention to the message would benefit.Notwithstanding the humble circumstances surrounding the beginning of the magazine, Srila Prabhupada’s goals and vision were nothing less than the salvation of the entire world.