Janmastami celebrations at Govindaji Gardens
The
divine appearance of
Lord Sri Krsna was celebrated
at Govindaji Gardens
in a grand style
on 12th August. Srila
Narasingha Maharaja,
as well as Sripada Avadhuta
Maharaja and Sripada
Giri Maharaja returned
from preaching in the
west two days before
in order to help organize
the event.
Sriman Nanda Kisora Dasa Adhikari eagerly engaged many close congregational members to help with the festival in various ways. Rice and other foodstuffs were collected by them as well as financial donations towards prasadam-distribution, special pujas, elecrical lighting, and other necessities. Elaborate fittings for the Deity's palki were also donated for by Sriman Vamanadeva Dasa Adhikari.
Approximately
3000 guests were expected
to arrive and local
vaisnava-brahmana cooks
were engaged to cook
for them and a pandal
was erected as a prasadam
pavillion. The night
before the festival,
many devotees from Bangalore,
Mysore and elsewhere
arrived to help decorate
the temple, kirtana
hall, samadhi
and yajnasala.
Janmastami
morning began with mangala-aratika
led by Sripada Madhava
Maharaja. At 6.30 am
Srila Narasingha Maharaja
awarded brahmana-diksa
to Sriman Acarya Dasa
Adhikari from Croatia,
Ratna-cintamani Devi
Dasi, Prema Manjari
Devi Dasi and brahmopadesa
(upanayanam) to
Kunjavihari Dasa, Kesava
Dasa, Kirtanananda Dasa
and Satyaraja Dasa.
Guru-mantra was given
to Gaura Gopala Dasa
from the New Badarinatha
Asrama in Vermont.
Just before Srila Narasingha Maharaja began to give the morning class, there was an auspicious, fine shower of rain - the devotees hoped that this would be the only rain throughout the day. Srila Narasingha Maharaja spoke on the advent of Lord Sri Krsna, His childhood pastimes and the importance of preaching against charlatans who profess to be incarnations of God.
The
main program commenced
at 2 pm with traditional
nagesvaram music whilst
Sripada Giri Maharaja,
Nanda Kisora Dasa and
Caitanya Dasa performing
a Panca-sukta homa,
offering oblations to
Sri Krsna in His aspects
as Govindadeva, Gopinatha
and Madana-mohana, the
sambandha, abhideya
and prayojana devas
of the Gaudiya sampradaya.
After
a short interval, the
abisekha of Lord
Govinda began. Srila
Narasingha Maharaja
bathed the Deity in
panca-gavya, pancamrta,
fruit-juices, flower-water
and water collected
from different sacred
tirthas while
brahmana boys
from the local gurukula
chanted Vedic mantras.
The palki procession immediately followed with Sri Sri Radha Damodara and Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda being carried five times around the temple to the accompaniment of nagesvaram, flute (played by Murali Krsna Dasa) and nama-sankirtana.
When
the Deities returned
to the altar, Srila
Narasingha Maharaja
performed the maha-aratika
offering 22 lamps
of various shapes and
sizes for the pleasure
of the Lord.
Over
3,700 guests took Krsna
prasadam, with
such enthusiasm that
the cooks were obliged
to cook more as the
initial quantity was
depleted. In the evening
Murali Krsna Dasa gave
a musical performance
with other accompaniment
for the pleasure of
Their Lordships and
the assembled devotees
and guests.
Throughout
the night Sripada Visnu
Maharaja, Avadhuta Maharaja,
Giri Maharaja and Madhava
Maharaja preached to
guests and spoke with
congregational members
and friends of the asrama.
Book distribution
by the devotees of the
Gita Upanyasa Center
in Bangalore was also
very successful due
to the enthusiasm of
the guests and the devotees.
Before midnight, there was a firework display which culminated with a beautiful array of camphor lamps lit around the outside of the Deity room and at 12.00 precisely Sri Krsna's appearance was celebrated with an elaborate offering of various food preparations to the Deities, an aratika and maha-prasadam distribution from the altar.
This was probably the biggest Janmastami celebration to date at Sri Narasingha Caitanya Matha with almost 4000 people attending the function. Already Srila Narasingha Maharaja has plans for a bigger festival in 2002. See you there.