HOLI
Holi is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna (Feb-March). Holi in Braja is celebrated for several days, at different places around Braja, before the actual day of Holi.
People throw colored powdered dye and colored water on each other. This is joyfully celebrated in Braja, especially at Varsana, Nandagram and Dauji. In Varsana the festival includes colorful processions with music, song, dance, and some boisterous scenes around the temples. If you go to these festivals you should expect to be totally covered in dye and never to be able to use the clothes that you are wearing again, at least until next year's festival. This is celebrated at the same time as Gaura Purnima.
Places Holi Is celebrated
Varsana Groups of visitors go around in small and large groups here. In the afternoon gopas (men) from Nandagram come to Varsana and play Holi with the local gopis (women) of Varsana. The women hit the men hard with 2 ½m (7ft) long bamboo staffs. The men have shields which they protect themselves with. During this time local songs are sung. This festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Nandagram The day after the Holi festival at Varsana, Holi is celebrated in Nandagram. The gopas (men) from Varsana come to Nandagram to play Holi with the gopis (women) there. The flag of the Larily Lal Temple in Varsana is carried in an elaborate procession to Nandagram. At this time the residents of Nandagram attempt to capture the flag, but their attempts are foiled. After this, women play Holi with bamboo staffs. This festival is celebrated on the tenth day (dasami) of the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Phalen On the full moon night in Feb/March a huge bon-fire is burned. One of the local priests walks through the fire unscathed. One story about Holi is that Prahlada Maharaja refused to worship his father and wanted to worship his father's enemy, Lord Vishnu instead. His father's sister Holika, who was immune to being burned, sat with the boy in a big fire. Prahlada's devotion was so great that Holika was burnt to death and Prahlada was unharmed. The Holi festival at Phalen re-enacts this event.
Dauji (Baldeo) The festival here is a pretty wild event. Women pore buckets of colored water on the men. The men are also thrashed with whips made of cloth, which has been torn apart from men's clothing. The men can not touch the bodies of the women or unveil their faces. From the roof of the temple; basketfuls of colored powder are emptied on participants and onlookers, creating a thick haze of colors.
Of course, the most important festival is Janmashtami. The birth of Shri Krishna is celebrated with great pomp and splendour. The Raaslila is enacted recreating the many legends of Shri Krishna's life - his exploits and his amorous dalliances with the gopis. Ceremonies in the temples at midnight include the bathing of the image of infant Krishna which is then placed in a silver cradle. Songs of devotion are sung and toys offered for the amusement of the divine child. Thousands gather to offer their prayers and Mathura is astir with their devotion and celebrations.
Vasant Panchami
This festival takes place in the month of Magha (Jan-Feb). The end of February is the end of the winter season. This day is the beginning day of the Holi season in Braja. This is also the appearance day of Vishnupriya, the wife of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At night the beautiful Vasanti Kamara room in the Shahji Temple is open. The Deities in this temple are brought to this room. The Vasanti Kamara (the yellow room) has a completely yellow décor. This is a very crowded event.
Appearance Day of Shri Banke Bihari
This festival is in the month of Magha (Jan-Feb). Large crowds of people come for this festival. This day is the 5th day after the new moon in the month of Magha. This day is celebrated as Bihari Panchami. Banke Bihari was discovered at Nidhivana by Haridas Swami.
Shiva-Ratri
This is the appearance day of Lord Siva in the month of Phalguna (Feb-March). There is a special festival at the Gopisvara temple on this day.
Gaura Purnima
This is an important Gaudiya Vaishnava festival that falls at the same time as Holi, in the month of Phalguna (Feb-March). As many temples in Vrindavana were established by followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this is an important festival in Vrindavana.
Brahmosava Festival
This is a ten day festival at the Sri Ranganath temple, during which time the golden cart festival takes place. There are fire-works during this festival. Over a hundred thousand people come to the cart festival. This festival takes place during the month of Chaitra (March-April). The cart festival is known as Rath Ka Mela. The Deities are taken out on a 15m (45 ft) high chariot. The Deities are pulled by devotees from the Ranganatha temple to the Rangji gardens and back.
Rama Naumi
This is the appearance day of Lord Rama, which falls in the month of Chaitra (March-April). In Rambag of the Ranganatha temple there is a special ceremony.
Ful dol
The Deities in the temples are decorated with a variety of the choicest roses. Different temples observe this festival at different times. The dresses of the Deities are made of flowers on this day.
Akshaya- Tritiya
This festival day takes place in the month of Vaisakha (April-May). This is the day when the feet of Banke Bihari are seen. In the other temples in Vrindavana, the Deities are decorated with sandalwood paste. On this day the dress of Radha-Raman is made completely of sandalwood paste.
At the Garuda Govinda temple, the 12 handed Deity of Govinda is seen mounted on His bird carrier, Garuda.
Darsan Of Banke Bihari
This is the only day of the years when it is possible to see the feet of the Deity of Banke Bihari. This happen on the Sukal Tritiya (Akshaya Tritiya) day in the month of Vaisakha (April-May). This is said to be the first day of the creation of the world. This is one of the most crowded days of the year in Vrindavana. Large crowds of people come on this day to the Banke Bihari Temple.
Sita Devi's Appearance Day
This day is on the 9th day of Sukla, in the month of Vaisakha (April-May). Sita is the wife of Lord Rama.
Appearance of Hit Harivasma Goswami
This festival is celebrated on the 10th day of Sukla, in the month of Vaisakha (April-May), at the Rasa Mandala. Hit Harivamsa Gosvami founded the Radha Ballabha temple in Vrindavana.
Narasimba's Appearance Day
This festival is on the 14th day of Vaisakha (April-May).
Appearance day of Radha-Raman
This is on the 15th day of the month of Vaisakha (April-May), the day after the appearance day of Lord Narasimha. This event is celebrated by bathing the Deity with over 300 litres of milk and other auspicious items. The remnants of this abhiseka (bathing) are then distributed to the public. This day falls on the full moon day (Purnima) in the moon of Vaisakha.
Krishna-Pakshya Ban Bihar Parkrima
This is celebrated at night, on the second day of the month of Jyaistha (May-June). Devotees do parikrama of Vridavana at night.
Jal Yatra
This is celebrated on the 15th day of Jyaistha (May-June).Guru Purnima
This festival takes place in the month of Asadha (June-July). It is customary to worship the spiritual master on this day, because it is the appearance day of Vyasadeva. On this day many devotees gather at Manasi Ganga and do Govardhana parikrama. Sanatana Gosvami left his body on Guru Purnima, at Manasi Ganga, on the full moon day in the month of Asadha, in 1558.
Jhulan Yatra Mahotsava
This festival lasts for 13 days. It starts on the Tritya (third day) of the bright fortnight of Sravana (July-Aug) and lasts until the full moon night of the month. During this festival the Radha-Krishna Deities in the temples are swung on a swing. This is one of the biggest festivals of the year and Vrindavana is very crowded at this time. Often the swings are gold and silver. Some of the main temples that this festival is celebrated at are the Banke Bihari Temple and the Radha-Raman Temple in Vrindavana, the Dwarkadish temple in Mathura, and the Larily Lal Temple in Varsana.
Shahaji Temple
Two days before Balarama's Appearance Day, during the Jhulan Yatra swing festival, the Vasanti Kamara room in the Shahji Temple is open. The Deities in this temple are brought to this room. This is a crowded event.
Balarama's Appearance Day
This festival is in the month of Sravana (July-Aug). On this day Lord Balarama appeared in Gokula.
Special Darsan all Goswami temple
This is the day after Balarama's Appearance Day. Some of the special darshans are: Madana Mohana Temple (Rairaja), Radha Damodara (Syama Sakhi), Syamasundara (Naukar Bihar), Gokulananda (Raval Raja), Gopinatha (Van Bihar), and Govindaji (Subal Vesh).
Krishna Janmastami
This celebrate the appearance day of Lord Krishna in Mathura. It is celebrated in an elaborate way in Vrindavana. Rasalila plays are performed, which shows different pastimes of Lord Krishna. There is a huge arati at 12 midnight in temples all over Vrindavana. Janmastami falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadra (August/Sept).
Nandotsava
This festival is the day after Janmastami. This celebrates the birth celebration performed by Nanda Maharaja after Krishna was born.
A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
This is the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada, who is the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. This day falls on the same day as Nandotsava. There is a festival held in the morning at the Krishna Balaram Temple. This event is celebrated at some other temple in Vrindavana.
Festival at the Ranganatha Temple
This festival takes place on Nandotsava. A thirty foot wooden post is erected near the front gate of the Ranganatha temple. The wooden post is lubricated with mustard oil. Mustard oil is regularly poured down the post to make it very slippery. People then try to climb to the top of the post.
Jal Jhulan
This is the swing festival at the Ranganatha temple. At night the temple tank is lit up. This festival is on the 11th day of the month of Bhadra (Aug-Sept).
Shastri Shri Lalita Appearance
There is the swing festival on this day at Huncha Gaon. This day falls in the month of Bhadra (Aug-Sep), two days before Radharani's appearance day.
Radhastami
This is the appearance day of Radharani. This festival falls on the eighth day, of the bright fort-night in the month of Bhadra (August-Sept), 15 days after the appearance of Lord Krishna. There is an all night kirtana held the night before Radhastami at the Larila Lal Temple in Varsana, ending with an ecstatic mangala arati. Many people go to Varsana on this day. This is also a popular day in Vrindavana.
Dipawali
This festival is celebrated 20 days after Dussera. It celebrates the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, after His victory over Ravana. This is celebrated by burning lamps and candles in temples and homes and by fire-works. This is a very important festival all over India.
On this night Govardhana Hill is lit by thousands of lights. Especially lit up is Manasi Ganga in the town of Govardhana.
This festival is celebrated during the month of Kartika (Oct-Nov) on the day after Dipawali. This festival celebrates the offering of a mountain of food items to Govardhana Hill, by Nanda Maharaja and the residences of Braja. In most of the temples of Vridavan and Braja, huge quantities of food are prepared in this ceremony and are very sumptuously distributed to the general population. On this Govardhana Hill is worshiped. A large hill of prasada (sacred food) is made in many temples. Devotees circle the hill and then honor the prasada from this hill. Also models of Govardhana Hill are made of cow dung. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Important Fairs and Festivals
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