Diwali or Deepawali is the festival of lights. This festival is celebrated in the entire world with an extreme splurge. On this day people exchange best wishes and sweets with each other. Deepawali is the association of five festivals. It includes Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdashi, Deepawali, Govardhan and Bhai dooj.

Jollification Of Dhanteras

In our country, this festival is celebrated with extreme joy and happiness. The celebration of Deepawali starts from Dhanteras. And before this festival people do various preparation such as whitewashing their houses, cleaning etc.

On Dhanteras, people purchase multiple items required for Deepawali. On this day, no one lends their things to anyone. On this auspicious day, people buy new utensils, things, deities of Laxmi Ganesha to worship, sweets and gold and silver jewellery. The founder of ayurvedic medicine, Dhanwantari Vaidya, appeared with Amrit Kalash at sea. So Dhanteras is also considered as Dhanwantri Jayanti.

Importance Of Chhoti Deepawali

On the following day of Dhanteras comes Chhoti Diwali or Narak Chaturdashi. On this day, Lord Krishna killed Narakasur. Narakasur was a demon. On this day, Lord Krishna released the world from his terror. To commemorate the victory of good over evil, we celebrate this festival by lighting lamps.

Significance Of Deepawali

On the following day of Chhoti Deepawali, we celebrate Badi Deepawali. On this day, we forget our all grief and celebrate this festival with full enthusiasm. We celebrate this festival by returning Ayodhya of Lord Sri Ram with Sita Devi and brother Laxman after 14 years of exile. In another era, this was also the day when Lord Krishna performed His Damodar Lila of breaking the pots of butter and yoghurt and letting Himself be bound by Mother Yashoda. 

Preparation Of Deepawali

People make beautiful colourful rangolis at the entrance and light lamps at the centre of rangoli. Many people even make feet of Laxmi Devi at the door and decorate their house with a series of lamps. The light of lamps brighten the outside of the house and signifies the enlightenment of the inside. Everyone needs to be knowledgeable and happy. The gold and silver purchased in Deepawali signify prosperity. It is just an external wealth. The original required wealth in life is present inside us.

The True Wealth Of Life

In this material world, people are so obsessed with wealth, gold etc. But they do not understand the original wealth is love, peace, and harmony. There is no other wealth needed in life other than this to lead a happy life. So natural and actual luxury and the best knowledge make you realize what true life is and why it is so? And what should you do in life?

How A Person Can Attain True Happiness

A person’s character, peace and self-confidence is our actual property. When we proceed in life with the blessings of the Supreme Lord being a devotee, there cannot be any other wealth superior to this. You can realise it by serving Supreme Lord with complete love and devotion. One best example to understand the strength of the Supreme Lord is sea waves. When sea waves are attached to the sea, and a part of it also gets supreme power. We get the same strength from Supreme Lord when we stay connected with Him. So this festival of light illuminates our inside and outside both. It makes our life meaningful and shows the path to attain our goals.

With these illuminated lights on the next day of Deepawali comes Govardhan Puja. This festival is the real example of love and devotion towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. People know this with the name of Annakut also. On Govardhan pooja Godhan, i.e. people worship cows. In Shastra cow is said to be as sacred as the holy Ganga. The cow is noted as the Swaroop of mother Laxmi. As Laxmi Devi provides happiness and prosperity, a cow gives us milk that enriches our health, true wealth. 

Supreme Lord Sri Krishna performed the Govardhan Leela to establish glory Giriraj Govardhan. A pure devotee of Lord Krishna doesn’t have to perform any of the ceremonial functions enjoined in the Vedas, nor is he required to worship any demigods.

Observance Of Govardhan Puja

On the day of Govardhan Puja, people make Govardhan mountain using cow dung. On this day, people worship and do parikrama and offer various types of delicious bhoga offerings. The bhoga offerings are stacked like a small hill and presented to the Lord. Then it is distributed to everyone as prasadam. Hence, this festival is also called Annakuta Festival. 

Bhai Dooj

 In this series of festivals, the last but the important festival is Bhai dooj or bhaiya dooj. This festival is the symbol of the unbreakable bond of brother and sister. On this day, married women invite their brothers to their home, do tilak and ask their brothers to have a feast. On this auspicious day, brothers and sisters who live in one house have a feast together. If a brother and sister take a bath at Yamuna river and take meals at the bank of the river, then it is considered most auspicious and fortunate. This festival is also known as ‘Yama Dwitiya.

In this way, this series of festivals of lamps is an association of five auspicious festivals. These festivals are related and linked to our lives’ phases and enhance our consciousness and strength. It helps us understand reality, and it shows the way to achieve our goal of life that is transcendental loving devotional service towards the Supreme Lord wholeheartedly. So come, let’s celebrate this festival of light with jubilance and try to lighten our inside that is surrendering soul unto the lotus feet of Supreme Lord Krishna and chant the glories of Sri Krishna by His Holy Names.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

I wish you a very Happy Krishna Conscious Deepawali.

Importance of Gopastami – Gopastami is one of the most important and cheerful pastimes among all the pastimes of lord Shri Krishna. The eighth lunar day of Kartik month is known as Gopastami. It is believed that on this auspicious day Nanda Maharaj send his children Krishna and Balrama for the first time to herd the cows. Krishna now stepped into the age of kumara from pauganda. Till the age of pauganda, Krishna was a calf keeper. After stepping into the age of Kaumara, on the auspicious day of Gopastami lord Shri Krishna started to herd the cows. To witness this incident Shri Radharani took the form of his Sakha.

How Gopastami is celebrated

On this auspicious day, people worship cows. They offer fodder to cows. On Kartik month’s Shukla Ashtami tithi early morning people bathe cows, offer them flowers, and scents and decorate them with different clothes.

People feed fodder to cows and do parikrama, and then go after cows for some distance. Then in the evening when cows come back that time is known as godhuli muhurat. At that time also they are greeted and worshipped. After this, they touch their lotus feet and pray for their healthy and prosperous future. The charity is given in gaushala on this day.

In Srimad Bhagawatam, it is stated that lord Shri Krishna used to walk barefooted at the age of six keeping cows ahead. At that time even his footsteps were not properly developed. Krishna gets delighted when the foot dust of cows falls on him.
Krishna used to walk barefooted in dust leaving footprints of his lotus feet everywhere. This is the reason for the dazzling beauty of Vrindavan.

It is said that Nanda maharaja had 9 lakh cows and lord Shri Krishna was aware of their names. All the cows were identified by their names. If any cow gets separated from the group then Krishna calls them back with their names. Due to this affection, Krishna is also known as Gopal or Govind.

Reason for the importance of cows 

Krishna was fond of cows. He used to apply gauraj tilak on his forehead. He showed his affection for gau seva through his words and pastime to people. In this way, Krishna and Balrama are the symbols of cow protection. In Hindu, culture cows are not considered an ordinary animals. Cows are considered mothers. It is said that by drinking cow’s milk our brain works more actively and we can analyse our shastra easily. In shastra, it is said that inside cows 33 thousand gods and goddesses exist. The cow is the symbol of our prosperity.

Objective of Gopastami

The main aim of Gopastami is to protect cows and provide service for their sewa. We should always try to provide a safe, loving and caring environment to cows as they are the favourite Krishna. It is said that in places where cow seva is done Lord Hari uses it to provide infinite grace. We are dependent on cows’ blessings. We should always provide service and take care of cows. Cows expand prosperity and establish spirituality in the surrounding. Whether we live in cities or villages consuming the milk of desi cow and using other dairy products made of it also contributes to the seva of cows. By doing so we are playing an important role in the country’s economy.

So on this auspicious day of Gopastami, let’s provide some service for the protection of cows. We can try to offer them a loving and protective environment. In this way, we can surely impress our Lord Krishna and get the lord’s blessings.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

Krishna Janmashtami this year is celebrated on 26th August, 2024. Devotees of Lord Krishna celebrate this auspicious festival by keeping fast, night-sankirtans, holding bhakti events, etc. Sri Krishna’s devotees celebrate this day to express their love for Lord Krishna.

Though Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated worldwide, It is chronicled with the most enthusiasm in the ISKCON temple. The appearance of Lord Krishna is significant. Krishna’s Janam Leela is divine and sacred. The reason for the advent of the Supreme Lord is to end the cruelty of evil Kansa and give the pleasure to the devotees.

Lord Krishna appeared in the prison of Mathura at midnight on the eighth day of Krishna paksha to Mother Devaki and Vasudeva. That night was remarkable. During the manifestation of Lord Krishna, all the places were irradiated to portray the Advent of the Supreme Lord.

Prophecy of the “Downfall of Kansa”

It is believed that King Kansa made splendid arrangements for the marriage of his beloved sister Devaki. But at the same time, prophecy took place that the eighth son of Devaki will be the reason for the end of the dictatorial rule of Kansa and will be the reason for his ruination.

Why Kansa killed all the children of Devaki?

When Kansa came to know that Devaki’s child will be the cause of Kansa’s death, he forgot all the bonds and love for his sister, and in a rage, he held Devaki’s hair and was going to kill her. Then Vasudeva advised the situation with his patience and wisdom to save the life of his wife, Devaki. He stopped Kansa wisely, saying that “why are you taking the stigma of killing a woman and that too your sister on your head. We will hand over our eighth son willingly to you.”

After hearing this, the evil Kansa left the idea of killing his sister and decided to spare her life, imprisoned his sister and her husband, and waited for their eighth son’s birth.

On observing the delay of Lord Krishna’s descent (birth), representing all demigods Devarshi Narada said to Kansa that lord Krishna is very clever. So Lord Krishna doesn’t need to take birth as their eighth son; He can appear anytime. And in this way, the evil Kansa brutally killed all seven children born to Devaki and Vasudeva.

The Appearance of Lord Krishna

During the birth of the eighth child, the Lord appeared in chaturbhuj form and visited Devaki and Vasudeva. A beautiful divine child born as their son.

Surprisingly as soon as the divine child took birth, the shackles got unlocked and magically freed him, the iron door of their cell opened itself, and all the guards slept under a magic spell.

Vasudeva came out of the prison to rescue the newly born child and carried him across the Yamuna. Then, he gave the child to his closest friend Maharaj Nanda. Then, he came back to the cell with the baby girl born in Nanda’s house.

Kansa Arrival to the Cell on Receiving the News of Eighth Child Birth

Immediately after that, Kansa was informed about the newly born child. He reached the cell to kill the newly born girl child. As he tried to kill the baby girl, the baby slipped from his hand and went towards the sky and proclaimed, “evil Kansa, the reason for your death has already taken birth.”

Description of Lord Krishna’s Birth According to Shastra

People say Lord never takes birth, but Lord Krishna took delivery from their mother’s womb, so He cannot be Lord. But Lord Sri Krishna did not take delivery from Mother Devaki’s womb like a normal baby where the mother has to bear labour pain.

As described in Shastras, He took birth in the chaturbhuj form and later adopted a child’s form.

Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness classifies when sun sets and again rises. It is not considered as the sun took rebirth. The absence of the sun does not mean that it perished. It just hides from our sight. Still, going out of our site, it appears somewhere else. In the same way Supreme Lord is beyond life and death and appears in one place after finishing his pastimes in other place.

Generally, the following two shlokas of BHAGAVAD GITA are very known-

“yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham” (-Bg 4.7)

This means when adharma starts to prevail, and Dharma starts to perish. Lord Sri Krishna appears at his own will.

Now the question arises what the purpose of His self appearance is?
The purpose is-

“paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām
dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge” (-Bg 4.8)

Supreme Lord constantly lives in His dham (divine abode), but when He descends to the material world, He is called Avatar. This is because He descends for the redemption of His devotees and to end evil.

Significance of Sri Krishna Avatar

There are many types of Avatars like Purusha Avatar, Gunavatar, Lilavatar, Shaktyavesh avatar, Manvantara avatar, and Yugavatar. All of these descents in this universe incarnate in order. But Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and source of all the Avatars. He can destroy evil in any way.

He does not need to incarnate particularly. So Lord Krishna takes Avatar for the particular purpose of taking away the worries of his devotees who are curious to see his actual pastimes of Vrindavan.

Hence the real purpose of Krishna Avatar is to give pleasure to his pure devotees who are devoid of fruitive activities. It is not a fact that Supreme Lord descends only to the land of India. He can appear anywhere anytime. So on taking every Avatar, He speaks about the Dharma. But the purpose remains the same: to make people filled with religious feelings and to make them obedient to religious rules.

Sometimes He appears Himself, and sometimes He sends His authentic representative in the form of His son or a follower or appears Himself in disguise.

Lord Krishna appears in Brahma’s one-day seventh Manu twenty-eighth Chaturyuga’s end of Dwapara. That is why we are fortunate that we are born in that duration of Kaliyuga when it has been just 5249 years of His disappearance.

After that, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also appeared 500 years ago and made us familiar with Krishna bhakti (Harinam-Sankirtan). So, come, let’s celebrate this Janmashtami for our beloved Lord Krishna’s pleasure and try to bring His transcendental teachings into our life.

-> Fasting till midnight (only Ekadashi Prasadam to be taken)

The Snana Yatra, also known as Dev Snana Purnima, is a sacred bathing festival of deities observed on the Purnima (full moon) day of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. According to Skanda Purana, this auspicious event commemorates the appearance of Lord Jagannath and holds significant importance for Vaishnavas. There are innumerable pastimes of the Lord Jagannath. 

The Lord not only performs these transcendental pastimes with devotees for emotional exchanges but to uplift the fallen conditioned souls of the material world. Also, when we hear and understand these transcendental pastimes of the Lord, our sins which we have accumulated since many births, will be destroyed. After repeatedly hearing the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, real love for the Lord also arises in our hearts.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can manifest in various forms such as Narasimha, Matsya, Kurma, or even as the wooden deity Jagannath, provides a shelter for wandering souls like us. The primary purpose is to seek refuge and solace in the Lord’s divine presence. And through the medium of the Lord’s transcendental pastimes, it becomes possible, and after hearing such transcendental glories of the Lord, a living entity automatically gets dragged toward the Lord as a river gets attracted toward the ocean. According to Skanda Purana, Snana Yatra is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Jagannath. So, let’s first understand the analogy behind the appearance of Lord Jagannath.

Historical Significance of Snana Yatra

Once upon a time in Dwarka, Mother Rohini was telling the queens of the Lord about the pastimes of the Lord with Radharani and other Gopis in Vrindavana. Hearing the pastimes narrated by Mother Rohini, Lord Krishna, Baladeva, and Subhadra became so delighted, overwhelmed with an emotional touch, and surprised that their eyes became wide, mouths remained open, and other parts became small and inserted inside their body. In this manner, Lord Krishna became Jagannath. When Devarshi Narad took Darshan of this transcendental form, he requested Lord to provide an opportunity to the whole world to have the Darshan of this unique form. 

After a certain period, King Indradyumna fulfilled this desire of Devarshi Narad. Then, Lord, after coming in the dream of King Indradyumna, says- ‘Hey King, I tend to appear on the Purnima particular date of the Jyeshtha month. So, on that day after consecration, I performed my worship with a full heart. From then, King Indradyumna from that day inaugurated the Snana Yatra festival. 

In Jagannath Puri, many festivals are celebrated for Lord Jagannath, and the beginning of all these festivals originates from the Snana Yatra. On this day, Lord comes out of the temple. In Puri Anand Bazaar, famous for Prasad, near it, in a high place known as Snana Mandap, the Lord is bathed because it was the order of the Lord to bath him in a place where not only demigods, but the people of the earth would also be able to see him easily.

Elephant Form of Lord Jagannath and Baladeva: Tracing the Scriptural Injunctions

On the very day of the Snana, Lord possesses an elephant form in the evening. The story behind this is as follows- Ganpati Bhatt, a most revered worshiper of Brahma, who, after reading all the scriptures, concluded that by taking Darshan of Parma Brahma, a living entity becomes liberated. In the scriptures, he read that Parma Brahma resides in Jagannath Puri. But from somewhere, it was settled in his mind that Parma Brahma possessed a proboscis. So, when he came to Jagannath Puri on Jyeshtha Purnima for Darshan of the Lord and saw that Lord Jagannath did not have a proboscis, then he inferred that he could not be a Parma Brahma.

Ganpati Bhatt further contemplated that if Jagannath had been a Parma Brahma, then how come people who take Darshan of the Lord are coming back? They must be liberated. Thinking about all this, he started going from there. Seeing this, Lord Jagannath felt sorrow, and he took the form of a Brahman and came to him. Lord, and made him understand that Jagannath is the only one whom he has come to meet. In the form of the Lord, Brahman instructed Ganpati Bhatt to go back and see. When he returned, in actuality, Lord Jagannath and Baladeva’s heads were that of the elephant and an elongated proboscis and teeth of the elephant. Then Ganpati Bhatt believed that Jagannath was the only Parma Brahma.

He further acknowledged that Jagannath is the Lord. From then, on the evening of every Snana Yatra, Gaja Vesha is performed. Lord Jagannath and Baladeva are decorated as an elephant, and Subhadra is adorned in the form of a lotus. For Gaudiya Vaishnavas, this is a special occasion because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, after taking Sannyasa, spent most of his time on the Jagannath Puri. 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also used to take pleasure in that Snana Yatra. As we discussed above, after Snan, Lord does not give Darshan for 15 days because he resides in a wooden made home called Anabasara, where Shivir caste people serve the Lord. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself is Krishna, depicting the mood of Radha Rani. Therefore, his name is also Krishna Virah Vidur. And Jagannath Ji is himself Krishna but depicts the mood of separation from Radha Rani. Therefore, one name of Lord Jagannath is also Radha Virah Vidur. Lord Jagannath chants Radha, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chants Krishna. See, how is the transcendental pastime of the Lord?

Then, they both meet in Jagannath Puri. But after the Snana Yatra, when Mahaprabhu fails to take the Darshan of Lord Jagannath, Mahaprabhu cannot bear this separation. Then, being worried and wandering in all directions, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reaches Alarnath, where a deity of the four-handed Lord Vishnu possesses a conch shell, discus, club, and lotus. And the separation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so extreme that the two hands of Alarnath disappeared, and it became Shyamasundara. And the stone on which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sat and offered obeisance melted from all four sides, and the stone is also situated as it is today there. Therefore, from then, the devotees of the Gaudiya sect reside only in Alarnath on the Anabasara and perform kirtans and bhajans there.

Conclusion

Therefore, along with the season of festivity, Snana Yatra brings with it a feeling of separation. Thus, it all delineates about the Snana Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath. The day when the Lord Jagannath appeared, and from his wooden Brahma form, mercifully manifested in Jagannath Puri to bestow his mercy upon the living entities of the world. In the temples of ISKCON, this festival of Snana Yatra is also celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm. Therefore, it is a humble request to all the devotees to visit their nearest ISKCON temples, take advantage of this special occasion, and obtain the divine mercy of Lord Jagannath on his appearance day.

Lord Krishna’s pastimes are divine and pleasing, and we cannot understand these great pastimes with tiny material intelligence. Therefore, to understand these great pastimes and follow them in our lives, we need bonafide disciplic succession.

Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad -Gita

जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत

janma karma cha me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna (BG 4.9)

Hey Arjun, Those who understand the divine nature of my birth and activities upon leaving the body do not have to retake rebirth. Instead, they come to my eternal abode directly.

Chronicle of Boat Festival

In ISKCON (International Society For Krishna Consciousness), many festivals are organized. Thus, we can remember the Lord’s great sacred pastimes and purify our tainted hearts.

Among all these saintly Leela’s of Lord Krishna Nauka Vihar is one of them. This Leela is mentioned in a transcendental scripture named “Gopal Champu”, written by Srila Jiva Goswami. It is also mentioned in other scripture.

About Goloka

Goloka Vrindavan is Lord Krishna’s eternal abode, and there the pastimes go on continuously. So the root of this religious festival is also linked with the land of Krishna- ” Goloka Vrindavan”.

Anecdote of Boat Festival

Once all the gopis, their pots filled with yoghurt and butter, came to the shore of river Mansi. They had a desire to cross this Mansi Ganga. They met with a boatman and asked him to take them on the other side of Mansi Ganga. That boatman agreed. As soon as the boat reached afar, the boatman stopped.

The gopis asked the boatman what happened to you, why you suddenly stopped? The boatman replied I am hungry. I want to eat yoghurt and butter. The gopis gave him all the curd and butter they had with them so that boatman did not stop sailing. After eating, he sailed for a while. After covering some distance, he again stopped. He said I was exhausted, wanted to take a rest. Gopis told if he does not start sailing, they will throw him from the boat.

How Radha Rani spotted Sri Krishna

Suddenly the whole sky got filled with clouds. Winds started blowing, and the boat started shaking and moving. Gopis got scared. At the same time, Radha rani’s eyes fell on the boatman. She noticed a flute with him. She identified, it is no one else other than their beloved Krishna. All the gopis were extremely happy, knowing that this was their Krishna’s wish. It is an example of extreme reciprocating love between Lord Krishna and his devotees.

Bond Between Gopis With Krishna

Gopis are immense devotees of Lord Krishna. Their love for Krishna is of utmost and can not be mentioned in words. Those who reached an enormous level in spirituality can understand the love and bonding between Krishna and gopis and appreciate them. 

About Boat Festival Commemoration

The Boat festival is astonishing which will be celebrated this year at Sri Sri Radha Parthsarthi temple. This year it is also significant because due to covid we had not observed this festival last year. So this is the twelveth boat festival we are commemorating. Kaliya Krishna pond area inside the temple campus is decorated with attractive flowers, fruits, balloons and different colours. And the decoration of this place fills the heart with exhilaration. In this, many decorations and paintings are done inside water using beautiful flowers and colours.

How Boat Festival Will Be Celebrated At ISKCON

Sri Sri Radha Parthsarthi’s festive deity (Utsav Vigraha) is taken in a boat with Sri Lalita Ji and

Sri Visakha Ji. That scene is ineffable. Lord is taken to a boat ride along with kirtan, and many preparations are offered to Lord as Bhoga. Thousands of devotees assemble and do kirtan boomingly. Lord is seated in a decorated beautiful boat and takes a ride that scene is pure bliss for devotees.

We are inviting you all to come and take part in this auspicious occasion. When we participate in such a festival, our hearts thrive with darshan, kirtan, remembrance, and the company of advanced devotees makes us feel ecstatic.

So come, let’s celebrate this festival together and acquire the Lord’s blessings by chanting –

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa

Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma

Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

• Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Boat Festival ki Jai
• Srila Prabhupada ki Jai

Special Favor of Lord Narasimha

Lord Narasimha and Prahlada Maharaja’s Divine Relation

Who is the real protector?

Ideal Standards to Follow on Narasimha Chaturdashi

Lord Narasimha is Coming to ISKCON Delhi

Conclusion