The appearance day of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was celebrated at Sri Narasingha Caitanya Matha on Tuesday 14th March.
Throughout the week leading up to Gaura-purnima, there were readings every morning and evening from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and Srila Sridhara Maharaja's 'Golden Volcano of Divine Love'. Devotees also chanted Srila Sridhara Maharaja's composition 'Prema-dhama-deva Stotram' every day.
The Gaura-purnima festival itself was attended by many devotees and guests from Bangalore, Mandya and Mysore as well as from Europe and the USA. The morning program began with a very inspiring class by Srila Narasingha Maharaja who spoke on the advent of Mahaprabhu and His primary and secondary purposes for appearing. He also compared mundane science and spiritual science explaining how the mundane scientists search for the 'anti-matter particle' has not born any fruit since most of them deny the element of consciousness and spirit.
Following his lecture Srila Narasingha Maharaja gave initiation to Madhumangala Dasa, Purusuttama Dasai, and Jahnavi Dev.
Throughout the day different groups of devotees sat in front of the Deities singing bhajanas and chanting verses and stotras in glorification of Mahaprabhu.
Towards the evening there was an abhiseka for the large Deity of Mahaprabhu. The Lord was bathed in a variety of substances and then dressed and decorated by the pujaris.
After the decoration, about 80 different bhoga preparations were offered to the Lord.
Then, when the full moon came into view at twilight, Srila Narasingha Maharaja offered the maha-arati as Sripada B.S. Madhava Maharaja led all the devotees in a wonderful kirtana.
All the devotees then gathered in the prasadam hall and happily honored a wonderful feast dedicated to Sri Caitanyadeva, celebrating His 521st appearance in the world.
