Festivals We Celebrate
Gopastami
It is believed that on Gopastami, Lord Krishna became a skilled cowherd. Previously, He used to handle the calves only. In the month of Kartika, the 8th lunar day is considered as the Gopastami by the associate authorities.
When boys stepped into the age of 6 years, they are called pauganda and that time they also got the charge of handling the cows as well. This was the day Nanda Maharaja sent his children Krishna and Balarama to herd the cows for the first time. It was a celebration meant only for men and boys. As Srimati Radharani and Her friends wanted to enjoy the fun, and because of Her resemblance to Subala-sakha, She puts on his dhoti and garments and joined Krishna. The other gopis joined in too.
Devotees remember this sweet pastime on Gopashtami day.
During this charge, Lord Krishna and his elder brother Balarama went across the Vrndavan bare feet. It is said that they purified the land of Vrndavan by leaving the prints of their lotus feet.
Govardhan Puja
Govardhan Puja, the day when Lord Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill, is celebrated on the next day of Diwali. Govardhan Hill is a sacred mountain in Vrindavan where Krishna and His cowherd friends performed several childhood pastimes. Lord Krishna said that worshiping Govardhan hill is as good as worshiping Him personally.
ISKCON Govardhan celebrates Govardhan Puja on a grand scale. On this day, a hill made of rice, sweets and savories is prepared and offered to Sri Giriraj and subsequently distributed to everyone. Thousands of visiting devotees and local Vrajabasis are fed sumptuously on this most auspicious day.
One can pray to Sri Govardhan to help us develop unflinching faith in the protection of the Lord just like the residents of Vrindavan who took shelter under Govardhan when Indra sent torrents of rain.
Radhastami
Srimati Radharani is Lord Krishna’s pleasure-giving potency and eternal consort. She is the foremost maha-bhagavata, the greatest devotee. Krishna is all-attractive, but Radharani is so great that she attracts even Krishna. Five thousand years ago, when Lord Krishna came to this planet to perform His pastimes, Srimati Radharani also appeared. Devotees celebrate her appearance on the eighth day of the bright moon in the month of Bhadra (usually in August or September, the solar calendar date varies). This special day is known as Radhashtami. The following is adapted from a lecture by His Holiness Varshana Swami.
“On a half-moon night in the month of Bhadra, King Vrishabhanu came to the Jamuna to bathe and found himself engulfed in a golden aura of pure love. It was emanating from a lotus, which had a baby girl standing on its whorl. When the king returned to his palace with the baby, Queen Kirtida was delighted. She was also shocked that the girl was blind.
“Lord Krishna’s mother, Yashoda, heard that her best friend Kirtida had a baby, so she came to visit along with her husband and her son. Krishna crawled up to the cradle and pulled Himself up and looked in. At that moment, Srimati Radharani’s eyes fluttered and opened wide and blossomed like lotuses. It seems that she did not want to see anything of this world, only the form of Sri Krishna. Everyone was delighted.
“Srimati Radharani is the mother of the universe, the spiritual mother of all souls. And the concept of mother is the most sacred symbol—that of purity, selflessness, caring, sharing, nurturing, and love. That is why our sacred mantra is the holy names.”
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Janmastami
The story of Janmashtami is the story of the Advent of Lord Krishna. It is celebrated each year on the eighth day of the Bhadrapada month. The Supreme Lord appeared in Mathura in a dungeon to Queen Devaki and King Vasudeva.
The story goes that Devaki’s brother; the tyrant Kansa, was told by a voice in the sky that one of her children would kill him. Kansa decided to kill Devaki so that she does not give rise to any children, but Vasudeva, her husband begged Kamsa to forgive Devki and promised that he will give any of her child to Kamsa, so then Kamsa on this assurance from Vasudev, let Devki go. He imprisoned both Queen Devaki and King Vasudeva. Kansa made sure that none of her children survived.
On the night of Lord Krishna’s appearance, Vasudeva was asked by the Lord Himself, to take Him as the baby to his friend Nandraja in Gokul. Nandraja’s wife as we know was Yashoda. Vasudeva was having a hard time to take the baby as Lord Krishna across the raging river Yamuna.
This is when Lord Vishnu’s Shesh Naag arrived and helped Vasudeva to carry the child across the river safely. Vasudeva then exchanged Lord Krishna for a baby girl that Nandraja and Yashoda had that very night and headed back to the prison with the girl child.
When the cruel Kansa came to kill the baby girl, a divine miracle happened. The baby transformed into Goddess Durga who then warned Kansa about his impending doom. This is the story of the Supreme Lord, Krishna’s advent in this world.
Srila Prabhupada Disappearance Day
Around the turn of the century, the great spiritual master Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura made this prediction: “Soon there will appear a personality who will preach the holy name of Hari [Lord Krishna] all over the world.” That personality was His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Throughout his life, Srila Prabhupada prepared himself for his great mission, and from his arrival in America on September 18, 1965, to his passing on November 14, 1977—through some seventy books and thousands of letters, interviews, and lectures-he gave the world the holy names of Krishna and the Vedic science of self-realization.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura also wrote a short stanza about the influence that a Vaisnavas (a pure devotee of the Lord) carries in this world even after his passing:
He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around!
So, while it is natural for us to be sorrowful that Srila Prabhupada has passed away, we can know for sure that he will never pass away, for he is “living still in sound.” As he himself said, “I will never die. I will live forever in my books.” In the days and years to come, may everyone come to remember Srila Prabhupada in the same way that he remembered his spiritual master: “He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the follower lives with him.”
Gaur Purnima
Lord Gauranga appeared on this planet around 500 years ago. The Lord, in his previous incarnations like Krishna, Rama and Narasimha annihilated the miscreants who caused suffering to his devotees. Lord Sri Krishna descended in Kali Yuga as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatar, to deliver the people of this age through Sankirtan, the congregational chanting.
Nityananda Trayodasi
It is the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Nityananda. In his previous incarnations, He appeared as Lord Balaram, the beloved brother of Krishna, and as Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Rama. Lord Sri Krishna descended in Kali Yuga as Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden avatar, to deliver the people of this age through Sankirtan, the congregational chanting.
Nityananda Trayodasi
Sri Narasimha Jayanti is the appearance day of Lord Narasimha, the half-lion half-man incarnation of Supreme Lord Krishna, who appeared to protect Prahlada from his demoniac father Hiranyakashipu. Narasimhadeva appeared at dusk on the Shukla Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the bright fortnight) in the month of Vaishakha (May). Devotees fast till dusk on this day.
Kartika Reading Vrata
Every year during the month of Kartik devotees take a vow in front of Giri Govardhan and read Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and many other literatures from our Vaishnava Acaryas for several hours every day, both individually and collectively. Devotees delve deep into Srila Prabhupada’s books through reading, asking questions, and relishing sweet devotee association.