This year, Sri Chitra Devi’s appearance day falls on the 24^th of September 2017.

In the year 1992, Chitra Devi was one of the last of the four Asta-sakhis, or principle associates of Srimati Radharani, to be installed in Mayapur. Chitra Devi stands third on Madhava’s right.

Sri Chitra Devi’s father is Chatura, her mother is Charchika, and her husband is Pithara. She has the beautiful complexion of kasmira, or saffron. She wears cloth which is glossy like a host of radiant crystals, known as kacha. Her Kunja, or grove, is situated on the eastern side of Sri Radha Kunda, and is called Padma-kinjalka, Lotus-whorl, or Chitranandada, and is coloured with variegated hues, which can be termed as Chitra.

Chitra’s favourite instrument is a sitar-like vina, and her favourite tune is Raga Samkata. Her specialised service to the Divine Couple is lavanga-mala, or preparing cloves and flower garlands. On the altar in Mayapur, she can be seen offering a box with refreshing betel nut, sometimes along with some jewels. She is twenty-six days younger than Srimati Radhika, being eternally fourteen years, seven months and fourteen days old.

She has the mood of a heroine who goes out for secretive meetings with her beloved, which is described as abhisarika. Chitra has an exaltedly soft temperament known as adhika-mrdvi. Her heart is full of wonderfully variegated moods, overflowing with compassion, chitram vichitra-hrdayam sadayam.

Chitra Devi is very learned in the astrological sciences, just like her father. She has special knowledge of secret ways of speaking, and is a scholar of many foreign languages. She is also fully versed in the scriptures of botany, animal husbandry and snake-charming mantras. She is the leader of the servants who collect medicinal and other useful herbs from the forest.

She has the ability to identify the ingredients used in cooked food merely by glancing at it. If she is presented with any type of milk, she can tell which animal it comes from, and simply by looking at honey, she can easily classify which type of bee collected the honey. She is expert in crafting various utensils from glass. Chitra Devi has siddha-hasta, or perfect hands, in cooking various palatable foodstuffs and nectar-drinks. Her maidservant is Rasa-manjari.

In Gaura lila, Chitra Devi appears as Vanamali Kaviraja, while others say Govindananda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pSWsvx9kPc&feature=youtu.be

“The Krishna consciousness movement has established its centre in Mayapur, the birth site of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to give men the great opportunity to go there and perform a constant festival of sankirtan-yajna.” - Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.19.24 Purport

The World Holy Name Week celebrations in Sri Dham Mayapur concluded on the 17^th of September, after over a week of blissful sankirtan-yajna. While Mayapur has a Harinam Department which goes out on harinama every day, and also has permanent 24 hour kirtan in Srila Prabhupada’s bhajan kutir, World Holy Name Week inspired devotees to participate even more actively in the chanting of the holy names.

Ramavijay Das, who serves under the Mayapur Community Sevaks (MCS) as a community manager, reflected: “[World Holy Name Week] gave an opportunity for all the different devotees living in Mayapur to come together and chant the holy name. We more often than not get into the habit of staying where we’re comfortable, in our routine, so this gave a nice opportunity for all different devotees from all the communities we have here – Russian, Bengali, Australian, American – just to come together to speak the language that we all know, which is the Hare Krishna maha mantra.”

Managers, resident devotees, visitors, Bhakti-vriksha groups from many different areas, and local Nama Hatta devotees all participated in the harinamas organized in Mayapur for World Holy Name Week.  Devotees of all nationalities joined together in the ecstatic chanting of the holy name, beautifully demonstrating the fulfillment of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s heartfelt desire:

“When will that day come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur-dhama and join with the Bengali Vaisnavas to chant ‘Jaya Sacinandana, Jaya Sacinandana!’?” – quoted from The Seventh Goswami

“Wandering in Navadvipa is the best of all opulences, the best of all religious principles, the best of all kinds of worship, the best of all perfections, the best of all glories, and the best of all oceans of sweetness.” – Sri Navadvipa Sataka by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura

30 days to go until Kartik Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama commences!  Space is limited, so register quickly to ensure that you don’t miss out on this special spiritual opportunity.

Kartik Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama offers devotees the opportunity to visit the nine islands of Navadvipa in the association of sincere devotees and to hear the glories of the Lord in His pastime places from many senior Vaishnavas. 

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is a great benediction for devotees, and is especially favorable during the most auspicious month of Kartik.  Performing Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is one of the most powerful ways to advance in spiritual life.  Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur emphasized the importance of Navadvipa Parikrama when, not long before his departure from this world, he instructed his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur to “develop Sri Navadvipa Dham Parikrama, for by its performance all people of the world can be liberated” (qtd. from “Navadvipa,” Back to Godhead volume 33, number 6).

His Grace Pankajanghri Prabhu has recounted his experience on Mayapur Chandra’s Kartik Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama as follows:

“It’s a very, very purifying program – getting covered with dust all day, hearing the pastimes of the Lord, chanting the holy names, in the association of the devotees, going temple to temple. It’s like the five most favorable things for pure devotional service all packed together in one… I would say it’s a must. Fifty percent of your life will be wasted if you don’t come on Mayapur Chandra’s parikrama.”

To register, visit the booking office in Mayapur:
Visiting Devotees & Leader Care Office,

Ishodyan Bhavan (next to ICICI Bank) 10am -1pm

Or call:
+91 9434951901

+91 9002640991

Chalayasi vikramaṇe balim adbhuta-vāmana
pada-nakha-nīra-janita-jana-pāvana
keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare

“O Kesava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of a dwarf-brahmana! All glories to You! O wonderful dwarf, by Your massive steps You deceive King Bali, and by the Ganges water that has emanated from the nails of your lotus feet, You deliver all living beings within this world.”

On Sri Vamana Dvadasi, the appearance day of Lord Vamanadeva, devotees around the world take this opportunity to meditate on the glorious pastimes of Lord Vamanadeva and to glorify Him by celebrating this auspicious day. 

The Lord appeared as Sri Vamanadeva in order to honor His devotees – both the demigods, who required His help to gain back their kingdom from the demons, and Bali Maharaja, whose exemplary qualities and characteristics were revealed in his dealings with Lord Vamanadeva.  Lord Vamanadeva is the worshipable Lord of the denizens of the heavenly planets, and of Bali Maharaja, who receives the great good fortune of Lord Vamanadeva’s continued presence in his kingdom as his doorkeeper.

Imagine Bali Maharaja’s great good fortune!  He gets to associate directly with the Lord eternally.  And then, imagine this: devotees in ISKCON Mayapur get a small portion of this good fortune, as they get to experience the association of Lord Vamanadeva once a year on Vamana Dvadasi.

Srila Prabhupada said that to honor festivals such as Rama Navami and Vamana Dvadasi, a small boy could play the part of Krishna’s incarnation and the devotees could worship him accordingly.  So every year in ISKCON Mayapur, a young gurukula boy takes on the role of Lord Vamanadeva. 

At midday on Sri Vamana Dvadasi, the curtains of the altar are drawn back to reveal that Lord Vamanadeva has appeared.  A young brahmachari boy stands on the altar, dressed in a saffron dhoti and deerskin, and wearing a flower garland.  He carries a chatram, or umbrella, in one hand and a kamandalu, or waterpot, in the other.  

Lord Vamanadeva descends from the altar and is received and honored by the priests and brahmanas, who perform svasti vacanam and then bathe the feet of the young boy playing the part of Lord Vamanadeva.  One of the priests then handfeeds Lord Vamanadeva many varieties of delicious prasadam, and He eats until He is fully satisfied.  He is further worshipped with a Maha arati, and then, He distributes His maha prasad to all of the assembled devotees, who receive the great good fortune of receiving maha prasad from the hand of the Lord.

This wonderful festival helps devotees to meditate on the form and pastimes of Lord Vamanadeva, whose pastimes demonstrate many important lessons for devotees on the path of bhakti yoga. 

The Lord’s reasons for His appearances are always multifarious, as are the lessons we can learn from the pastimes of His different incarnations.  His appearance as Sri Vamanadeva is no different, but there is one especially prominent aspect that can be observed in the pastimes of Lord Vamanadeva, and that is the Lord’s honoring and glorifying His devotees.

As Lord Vamanadeva, the Lord fulfilled the prayers of His devotees: He fulfilled the prayers of Aditi, who desired to have a son who would restore the control of the heavenly planets to her sons, the demigods, and thus He also fulfilled the prayers of the demigods, who had lost everything to the demons headed by Bali Maharaja; He also continued to fulfill the prayers that Aditi and Kasyapa had made in their previous lifetime as Prsni and Sutapa, who prayed to have the Lord thrice appear as their son.  Thus He honored Aditi and Kasyapa by appearing as their son, and He honored the demigods headed by Lord Indra by defeating the demons and returning the heavenly planets to the demigods.

Although it might appear that the Lord sided against the demons and favored the demigods, who actually received the most mercy from the Lord?  Bali Maharaja, the king of the demons, was defeated by the Lord and seemingly humiliated in front of the entire world.  But it is Bali Maharaja who is glorified as one of the twelve Mahajanas, or one of the great personalities honored for their exceptional devotion to the Lord.  Bali Maharaja represents the quality of atma nivedanam – full surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord. By putting Bali Maharaja in a difficult situation, Lord Vamanadeva allowed the whole world to see how glorious Bali Maharaja is, and to see what it means to be fully surrendered to the Lord.  Bali Maharaja willingly gave up everything at the request of the Lord – including his own self. 

By honoring Sri Vamana Dvadasi in such a nice way, devotees are reminded of the Lord’s great mercy and the glorious position of any Vaishnava who surrenders fully at the lotus feet of the Lord. 

Early in the year of 1959, while residing in Sri Vrindavan Dham, Srila Prabhupada (then known as Abhay Charan De), had a dream in which Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur appeared to him.  Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master motioned repeatedly for him to follow, urging for him to come and become a sannyasi. 

When Srila Prabhupada awoke, he contemplated this dream very seriously.  Practically, he was already living the life of a Vaishnava sannyasi, having renounced material life and dedicated his mind, body, and words completely to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  However, he considered that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s instruction that he should take sannyasa was another part of his original instruction to go and preach in the West.  Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur had accepted sannyasa to further the mission of Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya Himself had accepted sannyasa in order to be respected by the masses and thus to spread the sankirtan movement more effectively. 

After deliberating, and although humble by nature, Srila Prabhupada approached Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Maharaja, the head of the Gaudiya Math in Kolkata, to request his permission to take sannyasa.  However, they did not come to an agreement.  Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Maharaja requested Srila Prabhupada to join the Caitanya Math and act under its direction, and after some time, then, perhaps, he could take sannyasa.  Srila Prabhupada was not opposed to this, but his primary mission was to carry out his spiritual master’s instructions to print books and travel to the West to preach, and he did not want to wait any longer.  It became clear that Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Maharaja would not be able to immediately support or encourage Srila Prabhupada in this mission, and so Srila Prabhupada declined to join the Caitanya Math in Calcutta. 

This communication made Srila Prabhupada uncertain about taking sannyasa, but when Srila Prabhupada next spoke to his Godbrother Keshava Maharaja about it, Keshava Maharaja strongly encouraged him to do it. 

Srila Prabhupada recalled that: “I was sitting alone in Vṛndavana, writing. My Godbrother insisted to me, ‘Bhaktivedanta Prabhu, you must do it. Without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher.’ So he insisted. Not he insisted; practically my spiritual master insisted. He wanted me to become a preacher, so he forced me through this Godbrother: ‘You accept.’ So, unwillingly I accepted.”

The arrangements were made, and on the morning of Visvarupa Mahotsava in September of 1959, on the second floor of the Keshavaji Gaudiya Math in Mathura, Abhay Charan De accepted sannyasa and became Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. 

The ceremony was attended by only the few residents of the matha.  Keshava Maharaja presided over the ceremony, which was conducted by his disciple Narayana Maharaja, while sweet kirtan was performed by Akincana Krsnadasa Babaji. 

To everyone’s surprise, including Srila Prabhupada’s, Keshava Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada to speak after the ceremony concluded.  Although most of those assembled spoke Hindi, and only a few understood English, Srila Prabhupada chose to speak in English. 

This decision was significant, because his acceptance of sannyasa was meaningful to him only as a step towards fulfilling his spiritual master’s instruction to travel to the West and preach in English.  He was already following the regulations of sannyasa life.  After accepting sannyasa, Srila Prabhupada knew that it would only be a matter of time until he followed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s instruction and traveled to the West to spread the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Adapted from Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, Vol. 1, Chapter 9, by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Early in the year of 1959, while residing in Sri Vrindavan Dham, Srila Prabhupada (then known as AbhayCharanDe), had a dream in which Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur appeared to him.  Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master motioned repeatedly for him to follow, urging for him to come and become a sannyasi. 

When Srila Prabhupada awoke, he contemplated this dream very seriously.  Practically, he was already living the life of a Vaishnava sannyasi, having renounced material life and dedicated his mind, body, and words completely to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  However, he considered that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s instruction that he should take sannyasa was another part of his original instruction to go and preach in the West.  Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur had accepted sannyasa to further the mission of Lord Caitanya, and Lord Caitanya Himself had accepted sannyasa in order to be respected by the masses and thus to spread the sankirtan movement more effectively. 

After deliberating, and although humble by nature, Srila Prabhupada approached BhaktivilasaTirtha Maharaja, the head of the Gaudiya Math in Kolkata, to request his permission to take sannyasa.  However, they did not come to an agreement.  BhaktivilasaTirtha Maharaja requested Srila Prabhupada to join the Caitanya Math and act under its direction, and after some time, then, perhaps, he could take sannyasa.  Srila Prabhupada was not opposed to this, but his primary mission was to carry out his spiritual master’s instructions to print books and travel to the West to preach, and he did not want to wait any longer.  It became clear that BhaktivilasaTirtha Maharaja would not be able to immediately support or encourage Srila Prabhupada in this mission, and so Srila Prabhupada declined to join the Caitanya Math in Calcutta. 

This communication made Srila Prabhupada uncertain about taking sannyasa, but when Srila Prabhupada next spoke to his GodbrotherKeshava Maharaja about it, Keshava Maharaja strongly encouraged him to do it. 

Srila Prabhupada recalled that: “I was sitting alone in Vṛndavana, writing. My Godbrother insisted to me, ‘Bhaktivedanta Prabhu, you must do it. Without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher.’ So he insisted. Not he insisted; practically my spiritual master insisted. He wanted me to become a preacher, so he forced me through this Godbrother: ‘You accept.’ So, unwillingly I accepted.”

The arrangements were made, and on the morning of VisvarupaMahotsava in September of 1959, on the second floor of the KeshavajiGaudiya Math in Mathura, AbhayCharan De accepted sannyasa and became AbhayCharanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. 

The ceremony was attended by only the few residents of the matha.  Keshava Maharaja presided over the ceremony, which was conducted by his disciple Narayana Maharaja, while sweet kirtan was performed by AkincanaKrsnadasaBabaji. 

To everyone’s surprise, including Srila Prabhupada’s, Keshava Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada to speak after the ceremony concluded.  Although most of those assembled spoke Hindi, and only a few understood English, Srila Prabhupada chose to speak in English. 

This decision was significant, because his acceptance of sannyasa was meaningful to him only as a step towards fulfilling his spiritual master’s instruction to travel to the West and preach in English.  He was already following the regulations of sannyasa life.  After accepting sannyasa, Srila Prabhupada knew that it would only be a matter of time until he followed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s instruction and traveled to the West to spread the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Adapted from Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, Vol. 1, Chapter 9, by Satsvarupadasa Goswami

This year, the appearance day for Sri Rangadevi and Sri Sudevi fell on the 5^th of September 2017.

In the year 1992, the last of the four Asta-sakhis, or principle associates of Srimati Radharani, appeared in Mayapur and took their places on the altar. Rangadevi and Sudevi were two of these four, and they stand third and fourth on Srimati Radharani‘s left.

Rangadevi and Sudevi are identical twins. Their father is Rangasara and their mother is Karuna. Rangadevi is married to Vakreksana, and Sudevi is married to Bhairava.They both have the complexion of padma-kinjalka, the yellowish-red colour of a lotus filament, and wear cloth the colour of java-kusuma, or the bright red hibiscus flower. Rangadevi’s kunja, or grove, is situated on the Southwest of Radha Kunda. It is syama, or blackish in colour, and is named Ranga-devi-sukhanda. Sudevi’s kunja is on the Northwest side of Radha Kunda, and is harita, or greenish in colour. It is named Vasanta-sukhada, which means Giver of Joy to the Spring.

The twins are seven days younger than Srimati Radharani, their eternal age being fourteen years, two months and four days. Rangadevi, however, is half a day older than Sudevi, thus she is fourteen years, two months and four and a half days old. Rangadevi and Sudevi are very similar and are often mistaken for each other.

Rangadevi stands third to Srimati Radhika’s left, and her service to the Divine Couple is supplying chandana, or sandalwood paste. On the altar in Mayapur, she can be seen offering beautiful garlands or necklaces to Sri Sri Radha Madhava.  Her maidservant is Kasturi-manjari.Like her father, Rangadevi is always very fixed in performing her religious duties and observing various rituals. She is the leaderof the maidservants who prepare and offer incense, perfume and cosmetics to Their Lordships. During the winter months, she keeps Radha Madhava warm by starting fires, and keeps Them cool in the summer by administering cooling chandana to Their bodies and fanning Them. 

Rangadevi is an ocean of feminine gestures, poses and glances. Her mood is utkanthita, which is described as a heroine who repeatedly glances down the path in anticipation, while anxiously awaiting the arrival of her beloved. Her temperament is vama-madhya, or moderately contrary. She is very cultured, and many of her qualities are similar to those of Campakalata Devi – prayena campaka-latadhi-gunam su-silam. By her previous austerities, Rangadevi attained a special mantra which can attract Sri Madhava.

In Gaura lila, some say she appears as Govindananda Ghosa, while others say Gadadhara Bhatta.

Sudevi is half a day younger than Rangadevi. Her service to the Divine couple is jala-seva, or offering water to the Divine Couple. Her service, as seen on the altar in Mayapur, is offering a beautiful basket of flowers to Sri Sri Radha Madhava.She is the fourth gopi on the left side of Srimati Radhika, and her maidservant is Manjulali-manjari.

Her mood is kalahantarita, or like a heroine who suffers after sending away her beloved during a quarrel, and she is very sweet and gentle by nature. She typically stays by Srimati Radhika’s side, and is expert in performing splendorous devotional service with all her life and soul –sarvanu-jivana-gunojjvala-bhakti-daksam.

Sudevi is the swiftest runner, and coordinates entire networks of witty spies, who disguise themselves and move among the rival gopis and learn their secrets. She is skilled in training birdsto talk and do tricks. She has a vast knowledge of birdcalls, and is in charge of the vana-devis, or the forest goddesses, who are in charge of various birds. She is learned in the scriptures of foretelling omens, and knows which lotuses bloom in the moonlight. She is the leader of the maidservants who fashions spittoons, bells, couches and sitting places. She is also very skilled in handling boats. Sudevi braids Srimati Radhika’s hair, decorates Her lotus eyes, and dexterouslymassages Her effulgent form using precious oils.She is also fond of joking with Srimati Radhika in front of Madhava.

She is said to appear in Gaura lila as either Anantacharya Goswami or Vasudeva Ghosa.

(References:- Srila Rupa Goswami's Sri Sri Radha Krsna Ganodesa Dipika and Srila Kavi Karnapur's Sri Gaura Ganodesa Dipika)

namo bhaktivinodaya saccidananda-murtaye
gaura-shakti-svarupaya rupanuga-varaya te

I offer my obeisances to you, O Bhaktivinoda, the form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, the incarnation of Gaura’s potency and the best of the followers of Rupa Goswami.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, formerly known as Kedarnatha Datta, was born in 1838 in Birnagar, West Bengal. Growing up, Kedarnatha Datta preferred to sit and talk with the gate keepers and soldiers, and listen to them recite pastimes of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama than to play outside. Even from a young age, Thakura Bhaktivinoda was attracted to the pastimes of the Lord. Any time he’d hear about a festival, or puja, Kedarnatha would make an effort to try and attend. At the age of 10, two thoughts were in his mind: “What is this world?”, and “Who are we?” Kedarnatha’s inquisitive nature always left him unsatisfied. This mood was carried all though his life.

As the years went by, Kedarnatha Datta had various positions, and finally in 1866, became a District Magistrate high court judge. Thakura juggled his government responsibilities as a high court judge, maintained a Krishna conscious family and studied and wrote many books.

“So Bhaktivinoda Thakura is an ideal guru. He was not a sannyasi; he was grihastha, householder, living with family, wife, children. Still, he was guru…In spite of his becoming a responsible magistrate, a householder, still, he was acarya”
- Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Appearance day lecture, September 3, 1971, London

Even though it had only been a couple hundred years since Caitanya Mahaprabhu disappeared, His teachings were practically lost. It took Thakura eight constant years of trying to finally get his hands on a copy of the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta. Once he got his own copy of the Sri Caitanya Caritamrta and the Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt that his search for answers was done. He would constantly read the biography of Lord Caitanya over and over again. In his autobiography, Thakura stated that, “From this time my respect and reverence for Sri Caitanyadeva was born. That seed of faith for the Vaishnava-dharma which was implanted within my heart soon sprouted. Now I love to study the Sastras dealing with Krishna both day and night”

Between the years 1874 and 1893, Thakura Bhaktivinoda followed a rigid schedule, allowing him to manage all his duties and responsibilities along with his studies and writing.

8 pm – 10 pm                     Rest
10 pm – 4 am                     Write
4 am – 4:30 am                  Rest
4:30 am – 7 am                  Chant Japa
7 am – 7:30 am                  Correspondence 
7:30 am – 9:30 am            Study sastras
9:30 am – 10 am                Bathe, simple prasadam
10 am – 1 pm                     Court duties
1 pm – 2 pm                       Refresh at home
2 pm – 5 pm                       Court duties
5 pm – 7 pm                       Translate Sanskrit sastras to Bengali
7 pm – 8 pm                       Bathe, simple prasadam

Thakura Bhaktivinoda rested for three hours in total, in order to fit in his studies and japa, which took roughly four and a half hours, his writing which took up about eight and a half hours, and his services for the government which took around six hours of his time. He followed it very strictly.

In the years to come, Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda composed over one-hundred books and songs such as Sri Krishna-samhita, Jaiva Dharma, Sri Caitanya-sikshamrita, Vaishnava-siddhanta-mala, Prema-pradipa,  Manah-shiksha, Saranagati, Gitamala, Gitavali and so on, as well as established many centers. He also defeated and dealt with many trouble makers such as:
- Mystic Bishakishena, who claimed he was God,
- Carana dasa Babaji who was printing bogus books and preaching philosophy that was not according to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings,
- King of Puri at that time, who was using Jagannatha’s money for his own enjoyment,
-Bankima Chandra who wrote a book stating that Krishna was an ordinary person.

He had no tolerance for anyone or anything which did not align with the teachings of Sri Caitanyadeva. During that time, Thakura Bhaktivinoda had also taken Vaisnava initiation into the Vaisnava line coming from Sri Jahnava Devi – the wife of Lord Nityananda.

By 1887, wanting to leave his government services, Bhaktivinoda Thakura desired to quickly leave to Vrndavan, and do bhajana, or meditation on the banks of the Yamuna river until the end of his life. One night following the Thakura’s thoughts, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself appeared to Bhaktivinoda Thakura in a dream and told him:
 “You will certainly go to Vrndavan, but first there is some service you must perform in Navadvipa, so what will you do about that?”

The Lord then disappeared and Thakura Bhaktivinoda awoke, and thereafter was advised to apply for a government transfer to Krishnanagar, which is nearby to Navadvipa. The Thakura tried very hard to get a transfer to the holy dham of Lord Caitanya. Finally, after much endeavor and requests to be relieved of his official duties, Bhaktivinoda Thakura was finally able to arrange a mutual exchange with the Deputy Magistrate of Krishnanagar, Babu Radha Madhava Vasu, in the December of 1887 and thus, he finally went to Krishnanagar to execute the mission the Lord had given him.

While stationed in Krishnanagar, Bhaktivinoda Thakura would regularly visit the present day Navadvipa, searching for the Janmastan, or birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One Saturday evening, Thakura was sitting on the roof of the Rani Dharmasala in Navadvipa with his third son, Kamal Prasad, and a friend who was a clerk. It was late at night, around 10pm, it was very dark, and the sky was covered with clouds. Thakura then writes about is experience: "Across the Ganga, in the northern direction, I saw a large mansion flooded with light. When I asked Kamal [about this], he confirmed that he had seen it also. When I asked the clerk, he said, 'I didn't see anything.' I was utterly amazed by that. When I looked carefully at that area in the morning from the roof of Rani's house, I saw a tal [palm] tree located there.”

He inquired about the place, and learned that right next to that place was the ruins of an old fort and kingdom - large pond of King Ballal Sen, from which the town got its name of Ballaldighi. Aside from that, however, there was nothing of importance in that area. The following Saturday, Thakura went to Ballaldighi, where again at night, he had a wonderful vision. The next day, he wandered around the site, and the elderly locals told him that this was indeed the Janmastan of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They pointed out the Tulasi plants growing in abundance, none of them ever being planted.

Thakura Bhaktivinoda then began extensive research using old maps and manuscripts such as Caitanya Bhagavata, Bhakti Ratnakara, Narahari Sarakar Thakura’s Navadvipa-parikrama-paddhati, along with very old maps of the district. It was interesting to find that on one map in particular, from the late eighteenth century, the name “Sri Mayapura” was found on the map, which was later to be known as Ballaldighi. While reading Bhakti Ratnakara, he found the following verse, which confirmed his discovery:

navadvipa madhye mayapura name sthan
yathaya janmilen gauracandra bhagavan

"In the center of Navadvipa there is a place called Mayapura. At this place the Supreme Lord, Gauracandra, took His birth."

Thakura Bhaktivinoda, to confirm it for sure, asked Srila Jagannatha Das Babaji, who was the head of the Gaudiya Vaisnava community to come to the site. Babaji Maharaja, being over one-hundred and twenty years old at that time was so weak, he had to be carried everywhere in a basket, and upon arriving at the place Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered to be the birth place of Lord Caitanya, Babaji Maharaja literally jumped up into the air in ecstasy and cried "ei to 'nimai-janma-bhumi!", meaning 'This is indeed the birth place of Lord Nimai!' This was the ultimate confirmation, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was indeed the original birth place of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore, from both a factual and spiritual point of view, the place of Lord Caitanya's birth was thus confirmed. This monumental discovery took place toward the beginning of 1888, and was a landmark event in Gaudiya History. Thereafter, he began extensive research and re-discovered other pastime places of the Lord, and produced the book Sri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya which was published in 1890.

In August of 1891, Thakura was granted a two year break from his government services. He got a place in Godrumadvipa, commonly known as Svarupaganga, and it was there in Surabhi Kunja that he started the Nama-hatta, or the market place of the Holy Name. Thakura Bhaktivinoda established over five-hundred Nama-hatta sangas. He wrote an essay entitled Sri Godruma Kalpatavi. Within this newsletter collection, he describes the structure of the Nama-hatta. He humbly addressed himself as the sweeper of the market place. This composition was made to guide those leaders and members in the preaching movement, who are trying to lead a balanced Krishna conscious life, while maintaining a family and career.

The glories of this great personality are limitless, and his achievements are countless. Mere words cannot do justice to his glories. Although Bhaktivinoda Thakura is especially recognised for re-discovering the birth place of Lord Caitanya, he in fact re-discovered and re-established Lord Caitanya’s movement, which was practically lost due to the cultural and religious fanaticism of the British rulers, and the concocted philosophies of deviant sects, who aimed to discredit and contradict the original teachings of the Supreme Lord.

“Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German and American people will take up banners, mrdangas and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of 'jaya sacinandana, jaya sacinandana ki jaya' and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be? On such a day they will say, 'Our dear Brothers, we have taken shelter of the ocean of Lord Caitanya's Love; kindly embrace us.' When will that day come? That day will witness the holy transcendental ecstasy of the Vaisnava-dharma to be the only dharma, and all the sects and religions will flow like rivers into the ocean of Vaisnava -dharma. When will that day come?"
-Bhaktivinoda Thakura

And then he penned another amazing prediction, which can be applied to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, but also, most certainly, to Srila Prabhupada: "A personality will soon appear to preach the teachings of Lord Caitanya and move unrestrictedly over the whole world with His message."

Sri Mayapur Dham ki jaya! Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

*References: Vedabase, Vanipedia, Seventh Goswami

This year, Indulekha Devi's appearance day fell on the 1st of September 2017.

In 1986, just before the annual Gaura Purnima Festival, Sri Indulekha devi and three other sakhis were installed in Sri Dham Mayapur and joined Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the altar.  Indulekha Devi stands next to Visakha Devi, second to the right from Srimati Radharani.

Sri Indulekha Devi is one of the eight Asta-sakhis, the most confidential associates of Srimati Radharani. Her father is Sagara, her mother is Vela Devi, and her husband is Durbala. Indulekha Devi’s complexion is described as haritala, or greenish-yellow, and her clothing is described to be the light scarlet colour of pomegranate flowers. Her kunja or grove is called Purnendu (Full Moon), and is located to the Southeast of Radha Kunda.  It is white like the moon, and has a golden aura. 

Indulekha Devi’s favourite instrument is the manjira, or finger cymbals, and her favorite tune is raga Vihaga.  Her main service is to prepare nectarean foods for the Divine Couple, and some authorities say that another of her primary services is dancing.  In Sri Dham Mayapur, she can be seen offering a silver box full of tambula to Sri Sri Radha Madhava.  Indulekha Devi is three days younger than Srimati Radharani, and is eternally fourteen years, two months, and ten and a half days old.

Her mood is known as prosita-bhartrka, the mood of a heroine who suffers when her beloved is far away, and her temperament is vama-prakhara, or contrary and hot-tempered.

Indulekha Devi is well-known for her singing ability, just like her father, who is a famous singer.  She is learned in the science of snake-charming, and also very expert in palmistry.  She is expert in stringing different kinds of necklaces and doing other kinds of beadwork, and is an expert at gemology.  Her other areas of expertise include painting pictures, decorating the teeth with red substances, weaving cloth, and writing auspicious mantras that are placed inside talismans that are worn by the Divine Couple in order to increase Their mutual attraction.  Indulekha Devi is aware of all of the Divine Couple’s secrets, and she is the leader of the maidservants who carry messages.  She is also the leader of the maidservants who fashion ornaments and clothing, and who guard the treasury.

According to Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika, Indulekha Devi appears in Gaura-lila as Krishnadasa Brahmachari, and some say as Vasu Ramananda. 

(References:- Srila Rupa Goswami's Sri Sri Radha Krsna Ganodesa Dipika and Srila Kavi Karnapur's Sri Gaura Ganodesa Dipika)

“I went to your country with a mission and you all good souls were sent by Krishna to me.” 

– Srila Prabhupada

One of the great souls sent by Krishna to Srila Prabhupada is His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, who has been serving Srila Prabhupada as a selfless worker for almost five decades.

In 1968, Gordon John Erdman took his first initiation in Montreal, Canada and was given the name Jayapataka das brahmacari and was very soon afterwards awarded second initiation in New York.

Later, on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada, Jayapataka das brahmacari went to Toronto to open a center there. Then on the order of Srila Prabhupada he left for India in 1970.

In Calcutta, Jayapataka das began to learn Bengali. Not fazed by the violence in the city, he conducted house programs, organized pandal programs, and personally went out on nagara-sankirtana and book distribution, along with the other devotees.

Soon the devotees found a new place in Mayapur and Srila Prabhupada arrived on the 29th of August, 1970, in India. At this point, Srila Prabhupada had already given sannyasa initiation to nine devotees in the West. One day, Srila Prabhupada called Jayapataka das and asked him if he would take sannyasa. In response, Jayapataka das said, “Yes, Srila Prabhupada whatever you like.”

Thus on the day of the most auspicious Radhastami in 1970, in Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada personally performed the fire yajna and Jayapataka das was given sannyasa initiation. This eleventh sannyasi disciple of Srila Prabhupada would be henceforth known as Tridandi Bhikṣu Jayapataka Swami.

All Glories to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami! 

This year, Campakalata's appearance day fell on the 30th of August 2017.

Just before the annual Gaura Purnima festival in Mayapur in 1986, Campakalata Devi, along with three other sakhis, was installed and joined Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the altar.

Sri Campakalata Devi is the third of the eight principle gopis. Her father is Arama, her mother is Vatika-devi and her husband is Candaksa. She has a yellow-white complexion, just like the colour of a full-blown champaka flower. Her garments are described as chataka, or brown like a sparrow’s feather. Campakalata Devi’s kunja (grove) is located south of Sri Radha Kunda. It is the colour of molten gold, and is named Kamalata, or the Vine of Cupid.

Her favourite instrument is the sarangi. She especially serves the Divine Couple by waving the chamara (yak tail) whisk and offering jeweled necklaces. On the altar in Mayapur, she can be seen offering jeweled necklaces to Radha Madhava. She is one day younger than Srimati Radharani.Her eternal age is fourteen years, two months and thirteen and a half days old.

Campakalata Devi’s mood is vasaka-sajja, which is the mood of a heroine who decorates herself and waits for her beloved to arrive, and has a moderately contrary nature. Her nature and qualities can be compared to and greatly resemble those of Visakha Devi – sarvan gunams tulayitum dadhatim visakham. Her maidservant is Guna-manjari.

Just like her father, Campakalata Devi is learned in many different arts, such as gambling with dice, collecting forest flowers and roots, and using her own hands to create pottery out of clay. She is nicknamed mista-hasta, which means sweet-hands, because of her dexterity in making a wide variety of sweetmeats. She is well versed in the literature which describes the six flavours of gourmet cooking, and the kitchen in her kunja is very famous.

Being an expertly skilled diplomat in the art of logical persuasion, Campakalata Devi can easily defeat any rival gopis who dare to come in Srimati Radhika’s way. Gopis of rival groups will never walk near Campakalata Devi. She is also a skilled messenger, and can carry out her activities in absolute secrecy, going unnoticed by anyone.

Sri Campakalata Devi appears as Raghava Goswami in Gaura-lila. Originally coming from South India, Raghava Goswami lived next to the sacred Govardhana mountain, constantly absorbed in singing the glories of Sri Sri Radha Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wrote the book called Bhakti-ratna-prakasa. On the request of Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Raghava Goswami took Srinivasa Acarya, Narottama das Thakura and Syamananda Pandit on parikrama, or pilgrimage, around Braja-mandal.

(References:- Srila Rupa Goswami's Sri Sri Radha Krsna Ganodesa Dipika and Srila Kavi Karnapur's Sri Gaura Ganodesa Dipika)

This year, Sri Radhastami fell on the 29th of August 2017.

“O Radha! O beloved of Madhava! O you who are worshiped by all the young girls of Gokula! All glories unto You! All glories unto You!” (Sri Radhika-stava, by Srila Rupa Gosvami)

Sri Janmastami is celebrated with much grandeur all over the world, because it is the birthday celebration of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.  Can there be any festival greater than this?  If this question is asked to devotees in Sri Dham Mayapur, the answer will be ‘Yes.’ Sri Krishna may be God, but there is one personality who devotees honor even more than Him.

Who is greater than God Himself?  Sri Krishna, by definition, must be the greatest, but He has expanded Himself as Srimati Radharani, and although the whole world is controlled by Krishna, Krishna is controlled by Srimati Radhika. 

Srila Prabhupada explains: “Krishna,everyone is trying to love Krishna, but Krishna is trying to love somebody. Now how great She is. Just try to understand. Everyone, the whole world, the whole universe, all living entities, they are trying to love Krishna, krsna-prema.… So krsna-prema is so valuable, but Krishna is after Radharani. Just see how Radharani is great. Just try to understand the greatness of Radharani. Therefore She is so great, and we have to offer our respect."(Montreal, August 30, 1968)

Pleasing Srimati Radharani is the ultimate goal, for if She is pleased, then automatically Krishna is pleased.  Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus it can be difficult to approach Him, but through Radharani He can easily become accessible.  Srila Prabhupada explains in the Nectar of Devotion that Srimati Radharani is the representation of Krishna’s compassionate nature, and so devotees pray to Srimati Radharani in order to achieve Krishna’s compassion and mercy.

On Radhastami, devotees take advantage of this day to serve and please Srimati Radharani and obtain Her mercy, and through honoring Her on Her appearance day, also greatly please Her Lord Krishna.  Therefore, apart from the annual ISKCON Gaura Purnima festival, Sri Radhastami is one of the most grandly celebrated festivals in ISKCON Mayapur.

Radhastami in Sri Dham Mayapur has a unique sweetness.  Sri Navadvipa Dham is a manifestation of Srimati Radharani’s mercy and of Her desire to serve and please Lord Krishna; She personally created Sri Dham Mayapur in order to enchant Him, and He eternally resides there and is especially merciful to devotees who perform devotional service to Him and Sri Radhika in Mayapur Dham.  Honoring Sri Radhastami, the most merciful of days, in the most merciful land created by Sri Radhika, is a wonderful way to obtain the mercy of the Lord.

The day before Radhastami in Sri Dham Mayapur, Radhastami celebrations have already begun, as the devotees’ excitement to honor Srimati Radharani cannot be contained for another day.  The Radha Premdan Kirtan Utsav commences, and ecstatic kirtan is performed all day as devotees make preparations for the next day’s festival.  Many devotees, both residents of Sri Dham Mayapur and visiting devotees, get the opportunity to sing for Sri Sri Radha Madhava.  The climax of the day’s Radha Premdan Kirtan Utsav is during the Adhivas ceremony that evening, when Sri Sri Radha Madhava are honored with 26 auspicious items and the devotees are encouraged to prepare their consciousness for Sri Radhastami the next day with an Adhivas address by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami.

On Radhastami day itself, senior devotees speak about the glories of Srimati Radharani and Sri Radhastami during Srimad Bhagavatam class.  This takes place before Darshan Arati, which is one hour later than usual in order to allow Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s pujaris to exquisitely adorn the deities in a new dress and to transform Their altar with elaborate decorations.  Devotees crowd into Radha Madhava’s temple hall and call out to Sri Sri Radha Madhava as they wait to take darshan of Srimati Radhika.As the curtains of the altar are drawn back and Sri Sri Radha Madhava are revealed, the beauty of Srimati Radharani stuns all who are assembled.

Srimati Radharani’s beauty surpasses all other beauty, and it is described by Srila Rupa Goswami as follows:“The beauty of Srimati Radharani's eyes forcibly devours the beauty of newly grown blue lotus flowers, and the beauty of Her face surpasses that of an entire forest of fully blossomed lotuses. Her bodily luster seems to place even gold in a painful situation. Thus the wonderful, unprecedented beauty of Srimati Radharani is awakening Vrindavana.”This is a beauty beyond compare.

Srimati Radharani is glorified and served in many ways in Sri Dham Mayapur on Her divine appearance day. The Radha Premdan Kirtan Utsav continues throughout the day, as devotees glorify Srimati Radharani with Her holy name.  A booth is set up in the temple where devotees can sponsor gifts to offer to Srimati Radharani, and hundreds of these gifts are offered.  Srimati Radharani is given new cloth and jewelry, such as shawls, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, noserings, and anklets.  She is given many varieties of foodstuffs – numerous types of fruits, vegetables, and sweets, and honey, ghee, and other auspicious items.Throughout the day, the devotees bring these gifts onto the altar and offer them to Srimati Radharani.

A special dance drama is performed for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha Madhava and the assembled devotees, in which devotees play the parts of Vrajavasis and demonstrate the happiness the Vrajavasis felt upon hearing about the appearance of Srimati Radharani.

A Maha abhiseka is performed for Radha Madhava and They are bathed with a variety of auspicious substances – panca gavya, pancamrita, various fruit juices, scented sugar syrups, and flower waters.  Radha Madhava are also given two kinds of showers: Sarva Aushadi and Maha Aushadi, which use natural medicinal and herbal substances to bathe the Lord. After being bathed in these various substances, sandalwood paste is applied and then washed off of Radha Madhava’s forms with a steady shower of Ganga water known as Sahastradhara. The abhiseka finishes with a Puspa abhiseka,in which Radha Madhava are showered with flower petals until They are almost completely covered by what resembles a hill of petals, and only Their lotus faces can be seen.

Hundreds of bhoga preparations are cooked by the devotees of the community and offered to Radha Madhava and Their Asta-sakhis.  Among these offerings are two birthday cakes for Srimati Radharani, but these cakes are not like most cakes; the double layer cakes are massive, with one measuring 3 feetby 7 feet(21 square feet) and the other measuring 3 feet by 9 feet(27 square feet).

A Maha arati isperformed for Radha Madhava, and then afeast is served to all of the devotees, in various venues, before the devotees return to the temple to again take darshan of Sri Sri Radha Madhava and to engage in the kirtan which has been going on continuously, and which continues until late in the evening.At this time, all of the devotees offer ghee lamps to the deities, illuminating the temple with the flickering light of their offerings, and Srimati Radharani is glorified through the singing of Sri Radhikastakam, led by His Grace Naru Gopal Prabhu.  This ecstatic kirtan concludes the festivities.

By honoring Srimati Radharani on Her appearance day, devotees become filled with bliss, because when Lord Krishna is pleased, the whole world becomes pleased, and there is no better way to please the Lord than by honoring His devotees – and of all the devotees Srimati Radharani is topmost.

“So this is our philosophy, to please Krishna through Radharani, and just today is the auspicious day of Radharani appearance. So we should … pray to Radharani that ‘Radharani, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Krishna. To Your Krishna. Krishna is Yours.’ Krishna, Radha-Krishna. Krishna is not independent. Krishna is Radharani’s property. So you have to approach Krishna through Radharani. That is, today is the auspicious day. Worship Radharani very nicely and be happy.”(Lecture given by Srila Prabhupada on September 5, 1973)

This year, Visakha Devi's appearance day fell on the 29th of August 2017.

Just prior to the annual Gaura Purnima festival of 1986, Srimati Visakha Devi, along with three other principle sakhis, was installed in the Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir and joined Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the altar. She stands directly next to Srimati Radharani.

Srimati Visakha is the foremost gopi, along with Lalita devi, among the eight principle sakhis, or girlfriends, of Srimati Radhika. Visakha’s father is Pavana, her mother is Sudaksina and her husband is Vahika. Her complexion is vidyut, like lightning. She wears taravali cloth, which is patterned like clusters of stars. Her kunja (grove) is situated to the northeast of Sri Radha Kunda. It is megha or raincloud-like in colour, and everything within is coloured red, green, yellow and black. This grove is named Visakhananda.

Visakha Devi’s favourite instrument is the mrdanga, and her favourite tune is raga Saranga.  She renders the special service of vastralankara or arranging for the clothing and ornamentation of the Divine Couple. In Mayapur, she can be seen offering a chamara whisk to the Divine couple. She is exactly the same age as Srimati Radharani, being eternally fourteen years, two months and fifteen days old.

Her mood is called svadhina-bhartrka, which is the mood of a heroine who controls her beloved but in a soft and gentle way. Her temperament is adhika-madhya, moderately exalted.

Visakha Devi is very learned in many branches of knowledge, just like her scholarly father. She is a wise counselor and a diplomat in loving affairs, and is very expert at joking.  She is expert at making different arrangements for the Divine Couple to meet and experience different mellows of love. She skillfully paints flower and leaf designs on the divine forms of Srimati Radhika and Sri Madhava, and makes different kinds of crowns for Them out of flower garlands.

Along with personally embroidering Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s cloth, Visakha Devi also supervises the sakhis and their assistants who produce and care for Their Lordship’s clothing. She also directs the maidservants of Vrinda Devi who maintain the flowers, vines and creepers, and trees of Vrndavana. Visakha Devi’s maidservant is Vilasa-manjari.

Although it appears that Srimati Visakha comes second to Lalita Devi, she is actually Srimati Radhika's dearmost girlfriend. Sri radhike tava carita-gunanurupam – her qualities and characteristics are very similar to Srimati Radharani's; They are so similar, that They seem almost like twins.

Visakha Devi's other form is the Yamuna River. Whenever Sri Madhava sees Visakha Devi, He immediately thinks of Sri Radha; whenever Sri Radha sees the syama (dark blue) waters of the Yamuna River, She immediately thinks of Madhava.

Sri Visakha Devi appears in Gaura-lila as Sri Ramananda Raya. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya told Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that no one’s knowledge can compare to Ramananda Raya’s in the field of the Divine Couple’s madhurya rasa, or sweet conjugal affairs. Upon meeting Ramananda Raya for the first time, Mahaprabhu told him, “My dear Ramananda, both you and I are madmen and therefore we meet intimately on an equal level.” Outwardly, Ramananda Raya acted as the Governor of Madras, but internally, he was a poet, Sanskrit scholar, and a dramatist well-versed in rasa literature, music, singing and dancing.

(References:- Srila Rupa Goswami's Sri Sri Radha Krsna Ganodesa Dipika and Srila Kavi Karnapur's Sri Gaura Ganodesa Dipika)

Srimati Lalita Devi's appearance day falls on the 27th of August 2017 this year.

Just prior to the annual Gaura Purnima festival of 1986, Srimati Lalita devi, along with three other principle sakhis, was installed in the Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir and joined Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the altar. She stands directly next to Sri Madhava on His right.

Srimati Lalita devi is the foremost among the eight most confidential associates of Srimati Radhika. Her her father is Visoka, her mother is Saradi and her husband is Bhairava. She has the complexion of garocana, a type of yellow pigment. She wears cloth that is sikhi-piccha, like peacock feathers. Her kunja (grove) is colored like lightning and is studded with rubies. It is called Lalitananda and is to the north of Radha Kunda.

Lalita devi’s favourite instrument is the vina, and her favourite tune is raga Bhairava-kalingada. She specialises in serving tambula, betel nut to the Divine Couple. She can be seen offering a chamara whisk to Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the altar in Mayapur. She is twenty-seven days older than Srimati Radharani, her age being eternally fourteen years, eight months and twenty-seven days old.

Her mood is khandita, like that of a jealous heroine who chastises her beloved. This mood is never manifested in relation to herself, however, but only when there is a delay in the meeting of Sri Radha and Madhava. She is well known for her hot and contrary nature, and her protective mood over her Prana-sakhi – Srimati Radhika.

Lalita devi is brilliant in composing and understanding riddles, and whenever engaged in a transcendental quarrel, Lalita devi is the one who opposes Krsna. She frequently becomes furious with Him and speaks outrageously insolent retorts. She affectionately teaches Srimati Radharani the ways of jealous anger, considering Her too docile for Her own good.

Lalita devi is the leader of the asta-sakhis, radhe tava priya-sakhim ca gurum sakhinam, "Oh Radhe! Your dear companion Lalita is the guru of all the gopis". Rupa-manjarai is her maidservant and chief assistant. Like her father, she is extremely magnanimous. She instigates the pastimes of the Divine Couple. As clever and mischievous as Krsna may be in His approach to Srimati Radharani, Lalita is more clever and obliges Him to behave nicely to Sri Radha.

She is also expert in fashioning things with flowers, like canopies, arenas for dancing, umbrellas, couches, bowers and so on. Lalita devi is a conjuror, expert in magic tricks and juggling.

In Gaura-lila, she appears as Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s personal servant and associate. No one could approach or present anything to Gauranga Mahaprabhu without his sanction.

No one can approach the sweet and intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Madhava without the blessing and permission of Lalita devi, who is the constant companion of Srimati Radharani. And in the same way, Svarupa Damodara Goswami was the constant companion of Lord Chaitanya, and he experienced the highest ecstasies of the Rasas of Sri Radha. 

(References:- Srila Rupa Goswami's Sri Sri Radha Krsna Ganodesa Dipika and Srila Kavi Karnapur's Sri Gaura Ganodesa Dipika)

Tens of thousands of devotees and pilgrims gather in Sri Mayapur Dham every year to celebrate the auspicious appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, who is worshipped in ISKCON Mayapur as Sri Madhava.Between fifty and sixty thousand pilgrims come from all over India to participate in the grand Janmastami festival, and as a result, the Mayapur guesthouses are usually fully booked two months in advance. Many pilgrims end up setting up camp outside, not to be deterred from attending this festival and taking the darshan of Sri Madhava on His appearance day.

To prepare the minds and hearts of the devotees of Mayapur for Janmastami day, the devotees are absorbed in Krishna-katha every morning during Srimad Bhagavatam class for the week leading up to Janmastami. The day before Janmastami, an auspicious Adhivas ceremony takes place in order to invoke auspiciousness for the festival to follow.

On Janmastami day, Sri Sri Radha Madhava and all the deities of Mayapur are offered a new dress, and Their altars and the temple are elaborately decorated. Many of the devotees of Mayapur write sweet ‘birthday cards’ for Sri Madhava, and present thoughtful gifts to Him, which are placed at His lotus feet and remain there until the end of the day.

Lord Krishna, during His manifest pastimes, set the example for everyone by perfectly performing the duties of an ordinary human being. Thus, Sri Krishna received all the requisite samskaras of Vedic society, and in Mayapur, all these samskara ceremonies are performed for Sri Madhava on Janmastami day. A young child is selected to represent Madhava, and a qualified husband and wife to represent Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda, who perform the samskaras for Sri Madhava according to Srila Rupa Goswami’s Sri Krishna Janma Tithi Vidhi, a book that describes in intricate detail how to perform the proper worship of Sri Madhava on His appearance day.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Sri Madhava is brought down from the altarand seated on a beautifully decorated throne, and is given a wonderful reception. Priests then start a yajna and perform all of Krishna’s samskaras. They begin with the Jata Karma ceremony, in which Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda perform a fire yajna for their newly bornson and pray for His protection. After that, they perform the Niskramanam ceremony, which is performed when Sri Madhava is taken out of the house for the first time, followed by the name giving ceremony, the hair cutting ceremony, and the piercing of Lord Krishna’s ears. Sri Nanda Maharaja goes for a pilgrimage, and upon his return, out of affection he smells his son’s head, which is called Putra Murdhabhighranam. Thereafter, the Vidyarambha ceremony is performed to inaugurate the starting of Sri Madhava’s education. His Grace Jananivasa Prabhu represents Garga Muni, who teaches Sri Madhava to write His first words, and then grants Sri Madhava Vedic initiation and gives Him the sacred thread in the Upanayanam ceremony. Once Sri Madhava receives His sacred thread, He goes out to beg dakshina for His guru, and all the assembled devotees gather around Him and give donations.

Throughout the day, ecstatic kirtan is performed for Sri Madhava, leading up to His grand Maha Abhisek ceremony, which takes place at 10pm and continues until midnight.

For His abhisek, Sri Madhava along with Srimati Radhika comes down from the altar, and They are opulently welcomed and are then bathed with numerous items. They are bathed with Panca-gavya – the five sacred items from a cow – and are then bathed with milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and sugar water, which are known as the five nectars. They are also bathed with seasonal and colourful juices, from fruits such as mangoes, grapes, pomegranates, oranges, watermelons, and papayas.  Water scented with saffron, rose, aguru, musk and kusha grass is also used to bathe Their Lordships, and fragrant flower waters made with flowers such as rose, bakul, lotus, jasmine, and gandharaj. Radha Madhava are also bathed in coconut water and are given two kinds of showers: Sarva Aushadi and Maha Aushadi, which use natural medicinal and herbal substances to bathe the Lord. After being bathed in these various substances, sandalwood paste is applied and then washed off of Radha Madhava’s forms with a steady shower of pure Ganga water.

Once the Lord’s elaborate abhisek is completed, Their Lordships are dried, and They are then showered in flower petals before They return to the altar to be dressed in fresh clothes.

The devotees of the community, with much love and devotion, cook over 400 preparations to offer to Sri Sri Radha Madhava for Their grand bhoga offering. Once Their Lordships have honoured the preparations offered to Them, the altar opens and Sri Sri Radha Madhava give a breathtaking darshan in Their new night outfit, and at midnight a Maha Arati is performed while all of the assembled devotees engage in an ecstatic kirtan.

Once the deities retire for the night, an anukalpa feast is served to everyone, and the blissful day of festivities comes to an end.

All glories to Sri Krishna Janmastami! 

Srila Rupa Goswami in his Sri Sri Radha Krishna Ganoddesa Dipika beautifully describes Sri Baladeva as follows:

"Powerful Lord Balarama is sixteen years old, full of the luster of youth and has a fair complexion the color of crystal. He wears blue garments and a garland of forest flowers. His handsome hair is tied in a graceful topknot.

Splendid earrings adorn His ears and His neck is splendidly decorated with garlands of flowers and strings of jewels. Splendid armlets and bracelets ornament Dauji's graceful and very strong arms and His feet are decorated with splendid jeweled anklets.

Lord Balarama's beauty is enhanced by the earrings touching His cheeks. His face is decorated with tilaka made from musk, and His broad chest is ornamented with a garland of gunja. Balarama’s voice is very grave and His arms are very long, touching His thighs.

The splendour of Lord Balarama's transcendental form eclipses many millions of glistening rising moons, and the slightest scent of His boundless strength is sufficient to destroy many armies of demons. Although He knows the supernatural power of His younger brother,Krishna, still, out of love for Him, He never leaves Krishna alone in the forest even for a moment. Balarama is Sri Krishna's dearest friend and is a great reservoir of the nectar mellows of many kinds of transcendental pastimes."

Lord Balarama is the direct expansion of Krishna, and from Him, all the other expansions of the Lord come. He exemplifies service to Krishna, and is present wherever Krishna is. His only mission is to please Krishna by rendering service to Him, whether it is in the creation of the material worlds, maintaining the spiritual world or as His personal paraphernalia.

Lord Balarama’s appearance day, commonly known as Balarama Purnima or Balarama Jayanti, is celebrated in Rajapur and Mayapur. In the ISKCON Rajapur Jagannatha mandir, the devotees have a wonderful abhisek ceremony for Sri Baladeva with ecstatic kirtan, and distribute maha prasadam.

In Mayapur, just before midday, an abhisek is performed, along with a grand bhoga offering, followed by puspanjali, or offering of flowers. Thereafter, there is a Maha Arati and the distribution of the maha prasadam.

In the evening, devotees bring offerings for Lord Balarama, throw coloured powders on each other, and celebrate the breaking of the Varuni pot. Clay pots of various sizes are filled with sweet honey nectar and other delightful sweets and are strung up in the air. The devotees take turns to hit the pots while blindfolded, and once a pot is broken, the contents of the pot are distributed, another pot is strung up, and the devotees get ready for another round.

Throughout the festival, Lord Balarama’s favourite ambrosial drink is served out. Although not containing any intoxicants, the Varuni drink seems to have a similar effect on those who drink a lot of this honey flavoured drink. Celebrations continue later into the night with ecstatic kirtan.

All glories to Sri Baladeva! 

“… intelligence is proved not by ease of learning, but by understanding what we learn.”

Lord Sri Krishna says that the Bhagavad-gita is raja-guhyam, the King of Knowledge. The Bhaktivedanta Academy helps to equip those eager to learn with the knowledge of the Absolute. Those who have successfully completed their studies in the Academy are able to address common unanswered questions such as: 
“Who am I?”
“Why am I here?”
“What is the purpose of life?”

The Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy started in 1994 under the direction and guidance of His Holiness Bhakti Purusottama Swami, and is located north of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. It provides various courses on our Vedic literature, such as the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad Bhagavatam. The courses are designed in a way that benefits everyone who partakes in them, by building a strong foundation in sastra, and most importantly, helping the participants grow and mature in their Krishna consciousness. Whether a participant is new to the faith, or has followed the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita for many years, this course is beneficial for all. The Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy’s systematic courses will meet the needs of every participant and challenge them to grow and mature.

The devotees of the Academy develop and conduct Krishna conscious courses through direct courses (pathachakra) and correspondence. At present, over 1000 students have completed the pathachakra, or direct courses, and 16500 students have completed the correspondence study programs – the Gita Study course, which began in 1994, and the Bhagavatam Study course which began in 2004. Students come from all over India with all kinds of backgrounds.

The Gita Study Course consists of two levels:-

- On the first level, the students learn a summary of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is. They study six chapters at a time, and the entire Bhagavad-gita is completed over a period of six months.

-On the second level, the students study in detail and complete the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, the Teachings of Queen Kunti and the Nectar of Instruction over a period of one year.

And the Bhagavatam Study course, at the moment, teaches the students the first six cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam in great detail.

Since the inception of the Gita Study course, over 4000 students have successfully completed level one, and many more are still in the process. At level two, over 2000 students have enrolled. Out of those who have completed levels one and two, around 700 students have joined the Bhagavatam Study course, and over  350 students are now initiated and strictly practicing Krishna consciousness.

The Gita Bhavan is another division that is run by the Academy. They provide accommodation for over 550 people at a time. Every day, over 1500 plates of prasadam are served, and they have the capacity to serve 9000 plates a day.  There are 14 permanent kitchen staff who cook lunch and dinner every day, and who are all practicing devotees.

Every year, the students go on a couple trips to different places, do harinam, hold preaching programs, workshops, and house programs. Their teachers and mentors accompany them, and on occasion, they are joined by senior devotees and Prabhupada disciples, who guide and encourage the students.

They also organize and partake in various festivals, such as Nityananda Trayodasi in Kolkata, Sri Krishna Janmastami in Haldia, Ratha-yatra in Basirhat & Rajarhat Circle, Navadvip Mandalal Parikrama as the Prabhupada group, Gita Jayanti and of course the world famous Gaura Purnima festival that is celebrated in Mayapur.

The Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy performs such a valuable service, not only teaching the students the most valuable spiritual knowledge, but also engaging them practically in Krishna consciousness and giving them a taste for devotional service.

Jhulan Yatra takes place every year in the monsoon season over a period of five days, leading up to Balarama Purnima. This is the time when Srimati Radhika and Her Madhava enjoy swing pastimes in the spiritual world.

Every year the youth of Mayapur come together and work to make the festival what it has been for the past thirty-two years – an intimate exchange of love. Serving together tirelessly for more than thirty days is as enlivening as it is exhausting, and every year the sweetness grows. They begin preparations for the Jhulan Yatra festival approximately a month before Radha Madhava’s swing pastimes. They transform a wildly overgrown forest into a breathtaking flower grove, decorated with ponds, fountains, waterfalls and lights, and permeated with aromatic smoke which not only sets a romantic mood for the Divine Couple, but also keeps away the mosquitoes!

Sri Sri Radha Madhava are exquisitely dressed for the night in a new dress made of fresh, sweet-smelling flowers and decorated with jewels and pearls. They are then taken to a beautiful palanquin which is placed on a chariot and pulled by the devotees from the temple to Radha Madhava’s secluded kunja, or flower laden bower, which is located near ISKCON Mayapur’s Goshala. As Radha Madhava are brought by procession to Their kunja, auspicious mantras are chanted by our gurukula boys, and a loud kirtan announces the Lord’s arrival.

As soon as They are seated on Their flower and jewel encrusted throne, devotees who have already been eagerly waiting in line for hours flood in to behold the Divine Couple, swing Them, and offer prayers and offerings of love. This is one of the rarest opportunities the community devotees get to personally cook and serve Their Lordships directly.

As Their Lordships are enjoying Their swing pastimes, the devotees sing beautiful bhajans glorifying the Divine Couple, for Their pleasure. They sing songs from many of our different acaryas, such as Rupa Goswami (Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava dayite), Krsna das (Jaya Radhe Jaya Krsna Jaya Vrndavan), Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Jaya Radha Madhava kunja-bihari), and many more. Thereafter, senior devotees and Maharajas talk about the glories and significance of performing the JhulanYatra festival. Once the deities are nicely glorified, the devotees entertain Sri Sri Radha Madhava by performing various arts.

Srila Prabhupada gave instructions regarding the performance of this JhulanYatra festival in a letter to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami in August of ’69:

“Regarding Jhulan Yatra Ceremony, during these five days the Deities’ clothing should be changed every day, and there should be nice prasadam distribution and sankirtana as far as possible. If you are able to do it, a nice throne may be constructed on which the Deities can be placed. This throne may be swung gently during kirtana. That will be very good, and surely the Deities will enjoy the function.”

It’s wonderful to see that now, everything that Srila Prabhupada envisioned for the Jhulan Yatra festival is being followed: a new flower dress is offered every day, delicious prasadam is constantly being served throughout the festival to thousands of people, the chanting of the Lord’s names can be heard in all directions, and Their Lordships not only have a jeweled throne, but also a wonderfully adorned palanquin and chariot. They are given offerings in all forms, shapes and sizes – from home-cooked offerings, to ghee lamps, to prayers and glorification, to songs, to dances…the list is endless.

On the last day, Balarama Purnima, the devotees gather around a huge clay pot filled with gur, honey and various sweets. Devotees are blindfolded and take turns trying to break the pots. Sri Sri Radha Madhava are also anointed with splashes of colour on this day. They are showered with sweet smelling flowers and coloured powder. It really is a festival of sweet, transcendental love.

When the festivities come to an end, Their Lordships are taken to the pukur, or pond, at the entrance of Their secluded kunja, and enjoy a small festival of lights on the water. Thereafter, They are seated on a royal chariot, and are taken back to the temple, led by an ecstatic, tumultuous kirtan. Fairy lights and fireworks shed light onto the path ahead and into the sky above, while a few brave souls breathe fire, illuminating the faces of the smiling devotees around.

“So this Jhulan Yatra is a festival that Krishna personally observes. And He enjoys it very much. So we get a chance to swing the Lord and Radharani every year… In our Krishna consciousness movement we get a chance to do some personal service for the Lord. This is called bhakti-yoga. We do japa, making flower garlands, we cook for the Lord, we dress the Lord. We do all kinds of service. So one of our services is to do the Jhulan.”
-His Holiness Jayapataka Swami,

Jhulan Yatra takes place every year in the monsoon season over a period of five days, leading up to Balarama Purnima. This is the time when Srimati Radhika and Her Madhava enjoy swing pastimes in the spiritual world.

Every year the youth of Mayapur come together and work to make the festival what it has been for the past thirty-two years – an intimate exchange of love. Serving together tirelessly for more than thirty days is as enlivening as it is exhausting, and every year the sweetness grows. They begin preparations for the Jhulan Yatra festival approximately a month before Radha Madhava’s swing pastimes. They transform a wildly overgrown forest into a breathtaking flower grove, decorated with ponds, fountains, waterfalls and lights, and permeated with aromatic smoke which not only sets a romantic mood for the Divine Couple, but also keeps away the mosquitoes!

Sri Sri Radha Madhava are exquisitely dressed for the night in a new dress made of fresh, sweet-smelling flowers and decorated with jewels and pearls.  They are then taken to a beautiful palanquin which is placed on a chariot and pulled by the devotees from the temple to Radha Madhava’s secluded kunja, or flower laden bower, which is located near ISKCON Mayapur’s Goshala. As Radha Madhava are brought by procession to Their kunja, auspicious mantras are chanted by our gurukula boys, and a loud kirtan announces the Lord’s arrival.

As soon as They are seated on Their flower and jewel encrusted throne, devotees who have already been eagerly waiting in line for hours flood in to behold the Divine Couple, swing Them, and offer prayers and offerings of love. This is one of the rarest opportunities the community devotees get to personally cook and serve Their Lordships directly.

As Their Lordships are enjoying Their swing pastimes, the devotees sing beautiful bhajans glorifying the Divine Couple, for Their pleasure. They sing songs from many of our different acaryas, such as Rupa Goswami (Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava dayite), Krsna das (Jaya Radhe Jaya Krsna Jaya Vrndavan), Bhaktivinoda Thakura (Jaya Radha Madhava kunja-bihari), and many more. Thereafter, senior devotees and Maharajas talk about the glories and significance of performing the JhulanYatra festival. Once the deities are nicely glorified, the devotees entertain Sri Sri Radha Madhava by performing various arts.

Srila Prabhupada gave instructions regarding the performance of this JhulanYatra festival in a letter to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami in August of ’69:

“Regarding Jhulan Yatra Ceremony, during these five days the Deities’ clothing should be changed every day, and there should be nice prasadam distribution and sankirtana as far as possible. If you are able to do it, a nice throne may be constructed on which the Deities can be placed. This throne may be swung gently during kirtana. That will be very good, and surely the Deities will enjoy the function.”

It’s wonderful to see that now, everything that Srila Prabhupada envisioned for the Jhulan Yatra festival is being followed: a new flower dress is offered every day, delicious prasadam is constantly being served throughout the festival to thousands of people, the chanting of the Lord’s names can be heard in all directions, and Their Lordships not only have a jeweled throne, but also a wonderfully adorned palanquin and chariot. They are given offerings in all forms, shapes and sizes – from home-cooked offerings, to ghee lamps, to prayers and glorification, to songs, to dances…the list is endless.

On the last day, Balarama Purnima, the devotees gather around a huge clay pot filled with gur, honey and various sweets. Devotees are blindfolded and take turns trying to break the pots. Sri Sri Radha Madhava are also anointed with splashes of colour on this day. They are showered with sweet smelling flowers and coloured powder. It really is a festival of sweet, transcendental love.

When the festivities come to an end, Their Lordships are taken to the pukur, or pond, at the entrance of Their secluded kunja, and enjoy a small festival of lights on the water. Thereafter, They are seated on a royal chariot, and are taken back to the temple, led by an ecstatic, tumultuous kirtan. Fairy lights and fireworks shed light onto the path ahead and into the sky above, while a few brave souls breathe fire, illuminating the faces of the smiling devotees around.

“So this Jhulan Yatra is a festival that Krishna personally observes. And He enjoys it very much. So we get a chance to swing the Lord and Radharani every year… In our Krishna consciousness movement we get a chance to do some personal service for the Lord. This is called bhakti-yoga. We do japa, making flower garlands, we cook for the Lord, we dress the Lord. We do all kinds of service. So one of our services is to do the Jhulan.”

-His Holiness Jayapataka Swami,

“A full twelve hours of pure unalloyed Krsna Consciousness.” – (Shatadhanya Prabhu)

“How can I ever have a favourite part? The kirtans are fantastic, there is so much senior association, all the devotees want to serve, the management is par excellent, the prasad is delicious, and the Dham is so beautiful! Still, hearing from the disciples of Srila Prabhupada is my favourite part.” – (Nimai Sundar Prabhu)

“The parikram brings the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya to life in our hearts.” – (Laxmimoni Mataji)

“Recommend it!? It’s a must! If you haven’t been on the Mayapur Chandra’s Parikrama, 50% of your life is wasted.” – (Pankajanghri Prabhu)

Dear Devotees, welcome to the Mayapur Chandra’s Parikrama. These were some of the realizations from our attending Vaisnavas and their experience, observations, interactions and discussions have joyously revealed that, though the praise was lavish it was far from exaggerated. 

Sunrise to sunset there is one goal on this Parikrama - to hear and chant about Krsna, in His Dham, with His dear most devotees. Members of ISKCON from all over the world and all ages flock in annual attendance to this Prema-filled Parikrama. It is just the perfect package!

There are so many devotees, but not too many; the mood stays intimate. The management is perfect, but flexible; any devotee so inspired always has an opportunity for some service. And best of all, no matter how much your mind tries to wander; there is Krsna Consciousness at every step. No one can escape into the shadows of Maya and the result is brilliant, darkness dispersed, everyone happily accepts their fate and absorbs themselves in the names, abodes, and pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In six short days, you will get the experience of a lifetime. And though admittedly exhausting, it is equally ecstatic. 

Ladies and gentleman, this is not some unreachable utopia, nor a lavish lie. This is Navadwip Dham. It is the spiritual world. Respected Vaishnavas, this is Mayapur Chandra’s Kartik Parikrama. 

For those devotees who couldn’t attend this year’s Parikrama, can grab the opportunity for next year’s Parikrama. The dates are 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd, 24th and 25th October 2017 with a two day break on the 20th and 23rd for Govardhana Puja and Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja respectively. 

Special participants for Kartik Navadvip Mandal Parikrama 2017 are:

• H.H Jayapathaka Swami
• H.H Kavichandra Swami
• H.H Bhakti Purushottam Swami
• H.G Jananivas Prabhu
• H.G Pankajangrhi Prabhu
• H.H Bhakti Brihad Bhagavat Swami

and many more Srila Prabhupada’s disciple and senior devotees.

By Adidev Das