The glories of Mohini Ekadasi which occurs during the waxing moon in the month of Vaisakha are told in the Surya Purana.
Once Maharaja Yudhisthira asked Lord Krsna, "O Janardana! Pray tell me, what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the waxing Moon in the month of Vaisakha (April/May.) Please describe unto me the most meritorious benefit one may receive by such observance.
Sri Krsna replied: "O most merciful King, son of Dharma personified! Please hear Me attentively as I describe unto you the story that the great sage Vaisistha once told to Lord Ramacandra.
Sri Rukhmini Dwadasi, is observed as the birthday (the day Rukmini Devi appeared on earth) of Rukmini, the consort of Lord Krishna.
The love story of Rukmini and Lord Krishna and their elopement is one of the most famous stories associated with Lord Krishna. Rukmini Dwadashi is observed on the twelfth day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon) of Vaisakh month (April – May). It is believed that those who offer worship prayers and pujas with flowers will have their wishes fulfilled.
Prayers dedicated to Rukhmini Devi are held on the day at Lord Krishna Temples. Special pujas are held at the Dwarkadish Temple in Mathura on the day.
"O Keshava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of half-man, half-lion! All glories to You! Just as one can easily crush a wasp between one's fingernails, so in the same way the body of the wasp like demon Hiranyakashipu has been ripped apart by the wonderful pointed nails on Your beautiful lotus hands."
"The fourth incarnation is Nrisimhadeva. Nrisimhadeva appeared to save Prahlada Maharaja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiranyakasipu took benediction from Brahma that he’ll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord’s intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiranyakasipu wanted to cheat Brahma by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal.
Madhavendra Puri was the spiritual master of the spiritual master of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Madhavendra Puri established the worship of the Gopala Deity, who is today worshiped as Srinathaji.
Srinivasa Acharya was a member of the party that 1st brought the books of the 6 Gosvamis from Vrndavana to Bengal & Orissa. He converted King Birahambira to the Vaisnava religion & helped organized the 1st Gaura Purnima festival.
A summer boat festival for the Deities of Sri Sri Radha Krishna.
In the Krishna Balaram mandir in Sri Vrindavana the devotees fill the large marble court-yard with water, make a pontoon boat for Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Shyamasundara's pleasure and take Them (the utsav vighraha) around the pond with kirtan and loving sentiments.
Ramananda Raya was one of the most intimate associates of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Gauraganoddesadipika (120-124) states that Ramananda Raya was Arjuna in his past incarnation.
The divine topics of Apara Ekadasi are described in the Brahmanda purana in a conversation between Lord Krsna and Maharaja Yudhisthira. Once Maharaja Yudhisthira asked of Lord Krsna. "O Lord, O Janardana, what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the waning moon in the month of Jyestha (May / June) and what are it's glories? Please descrive unto me in understandable language the process for observing this Ekadasi.
Sri Krsna replied, "O Maharaja Yudhisthira, you have asked Me and intelligent question that is actually beneficial for everyone. The name of this Ekadasi is Apara. O King! This Ekadasi awards a tremendous amount of piety to those who observe it and destroys all their sinful reactions. By observing this Apara Ekadasi many grave sinful activities are destroyed such as killing a Brahmana, cow slaughter, killing an embryo, criticizing others, illicit sex life, speaking lies, giving false witness, bragging to others, reciting or teaching the Vedas for the sake of money, and concocting one's own scripture.
Vrndavana Dasa Thakura was the author of Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, a great biography of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is considered the manifest Vyasadeva of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes.
Sri Suta Goswami said, “Yudhishthira Maharaja said, Oh Janardana, what is the name of the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight (shukla paksha) of the extra, leap year month?
How does one observe it properly? Please narrate all this to me.”
“The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, replied, ‘Oh Pandava, the meritorious Ekadasii that occurs during the light fortnight of the extra month of leap-year is called Padmini.
It is very auspicious. The fortunate soul who observes it with great determination and faith will return to My personal abode. This extra-month Ekadasi is as powerful as I am in nullifying sins. Even four-headed Lord Brahma cannot glorify it sufficiently. Long ago Lord Brahma told Narada about this liberating, sin-removing Ekadasi.’
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Congratulations you have taken one giant step towards giving a sanctified healthy meal to an underprivileged Indian.
Face the fact: (Source Global Huger Index 2017)
India is world’s second largest food producer yet it is home to world second biggest undernourished population. Source FAO 2015 25 % of all hungry people worldwide live in India. 44% of Indian Children below the age of 5 are underweight. Out of Worst hunger struck 119 countries India is at 100
What does a healthy human being need?
A balanced diet is one that helps a person maintain or improve health. It includes carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, proteins, roughage, water, and minerals. The amount of these nutrients varies with gender, age, occupation, climate and region. However, at ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, we understand that a complete meal is not just numbers and formulae. It is not just chopped-up vegetables and boiled grains. It is love that is the primary constituent of a healthy meal. The same love that a mother pours while she is at work in the kitchen, the same love that a father ploughs when he is toiling in the office, and the same love that siblings share when they fight.
How does ISKCON Punjabi Bagh satisfy this hunger?
We, at ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, understand that apart from a person’s body craving for satisfaction of the stomach, the satisfaction of the person occupying that body is also of primary importance. We solve this eternal craving of the soul through World’s Largest vegetarian Non-Profit Food Relief program called the Hare Krishna Food-for-Life.
Each meal is not only delicious but is also prepared with full attention to personnel & infrastructure hygiene. The food so prepared is first offered to the almighty Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, therefore, although its quantity remains unchanged but qualitatively it is transformed from meal to Prasadam. Such sanctified meals on the one hand fulfil the basic necessity of the body and on the other purify the consciousness of a person. The fortunate people who receive Prasadam meals develop all good human qualities such as kindness, truthfulness, cleanliness, and gain immense control over the agitations of mind. No other food item in the world can offer such spiritual benefits.
Is it really World’s Largest?
Yes, ISKCON volunteers provide up to 2,000,000 (Two Million) free meals every day. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, instructed his disciples that no one should sleep hungry within a 10 mile radius of a Hare Krishna centre. Keeping true to His Divine Grace’s instructions, every centre based on the available resources tries to serve nutritious meals free of cost to every person who gives the temple an opportunity to serve. This includes visitors, pilgrims, and residents of neighbouring areas. In fact, monthly processions are also accompanied by free distribution of food. Apart from this, special relief packages are designed and dispatched to areas affected by natural calamities.
Can non-ISKCON people contribute?
We are all children of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This makes us God-brothers & God-sisters. Therefore, we encourage the more fortunate brothers and sisters to come forward and help the less fortunate ones. This can be achieved by sponsoring meals for the homeless, disadvantaged children, pilgrims and slum dwellers. We have created this web-page specifically for reaching out to people who have a big heart and a little time, energy and resources to spare. Your small contribution here can make 2 square meals possible for unprivileged brethren.
Where will my money go?
As every ISKCON temple is completely financially independent of the other, all money donated to ISKCON Punjabi Bagh temple is utilized locally within New Delhi. At times, we also travel the Indian sub-continent and distribute free Prasadam across the length and breadth of India.
No money from your donation is transferred outside the country without explicitly mentioning it. ISKCON centres worldwide manage their funds locally for the benefit of that region’s local population.
Because of this reason,currently, ISKCON Punjabi Bagh also does not accept any donations from foreign countries for the Food for Life program. In case, you are eager to contribute we suggest getting in touch with an ISKCON centre in your neighbouring area. The complete list of ISKCON centres world wide can be found here: http://centers.iskcondesiretree.com/ Hopefully, at a later time, when people all over the world have transcended the boundaries of nationality, colour, language, ethnicity and politics, we might be able to extend ourselves to help all children of God irrespective of geographical location.
I am still not sure if I want to contribute!
No Problem, we thank you for taking out time to read about the Hare Krishna Food for Life program. we suggest that you scroll through the rest of the website. It is highly probable that you will find another social cause that is worth investing your time and resources in such as education, organic farming, sustainable living and much more.
