Hare Krsna
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The Chipped Rice Festival of Panihati
The Chida-dahi Mahotsav, also known as the Chipped Rice Festival of Panihati, is a yearly celebration commemorating the pastime of Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami meeting Nityananda Prabhu.
Panihati, located in the Indian State of West Bengal, is a place of religious importance for the ISKCON community. Panihati was one of the leading trade centres in earlier days when river route was the main means of communication. A special rice called Peneti was imported from a place Jessore in East Bengal. The name Panihati, in all probability, may have been derived from this trade connection.
Significance:
This place, for devotees, signifies the cosmic connection between Nityananda Prabhu (who was Lord Balarama Himself) and one of the eternally liberated devotees of Lord, Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami. Srila Raghunatha dasa met Nityananda Prabhu in Panihati and according to His order organized a grand feast and distributed prasadam delicacies prepared with chipped rice (chida) and yogurt (dahi).
To this day, pilgrims travel annually to Panihati in commemoration of the Chida-dahi Festival. It is celebrated on the thirteenth day of the bright moon in the month of Jyeshta (May-June).
Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami was one of the six goswamis of Vridavana. Goswami means one who has control over his senses. Five hundred years ago, when Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to propagate the Sankirtana Movement, many of His eternal associates (nitya-siddha devotees) appeared along with Him. Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami also appeared in this world to join the Lord in His mission. A devotee of the highest order, Srila Raghunatha, displayed a spirit of renunciation and detachment from the material world at a very early age. He wanted to leave home and surrender at the lotus feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu instructed him not to do so and assured him Krishna will soon deliver him from the clutches of maya.
Two years later, Nityananda Prabhu came to and stayed at Panihati, which was very close to Raghunatha's village Srikrishnapura. Srila Raghunatha being a great devotee understood that to please Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he should first please Nityananda Prabhu. Inspired by this thought, he took permission of his father Govardhan Mazumdar and left for Panihati.
At Panihati, he saw Lord Nityananda sitting on a large rock under a magnificent banyan tree. However, he was hesitant to approach the Lord. Nityananda Prabhu understood his state of mind and decided to play a joke with him. He called Srila Raghunatha dasa and said "Raghunatha dasa! You are a thief! Come here, and I will now punish you.'' Then Lord Nityananda caught Raghunatha Dasa and forcibly put His Divine feet on Raghunatha's head.
Nityananda Prabhu ordered Raghunatha to celebrate a big festival and serve all the devotees - yogurt and chipped rice. As directed, Srila Raghunatha arranged for vast quantities of chipped rice, yogurt, milk, pastries, sugar, bananas, and assorted savories, which were then mixed in earthen pots in different proportions and offered as a grand feast to the devotees. This occasion also came to be known as Danda Mahotsava or The Festival of Punishment.
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