Past Events

First month: No leafy vegetables, such as spinach, salads of [...]

Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami appeared in Sri Rangam, South India. Lord Caitanya once stayed four months in his home, & converted the family to Gaudiya Vaisnavism. A mere boy at this time, Gopala personally served the Lord.

Lokanatha Goswami was a personal associate of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya ordered him and Bhugarbha Goswami to find the lost holy places of Vrndavana. Years later, the six Goswamis came to Vrndavana and continued this work.

Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in 1966.

The saintly king Yudhisthira maharaj said, “Oh Supreme Lord, I have heard from You the glories of fasting on Deva-sayani Ekadashi, which occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Ashadha. Now I would like to hear from You the glories of the Ekadashi that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the month of Shravana (July – August). Oh Govindadeva, please be merciful to me and explain its glories. Oh Supreme Vasudeva, I offer my most humble obeisances unto You.”

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.’

Sri Yudhishthira Maharaja said, “Oh Supreme Lord, what is the name and character of that Ekadasii that occurs during the dark fortnight (krishna paksha) of the extra, leap year month of Purushottama. Also, Oh master of all the universes, what is the process for observing it properly? Kindly narrate all of this to me?” The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, replied, “Oh Yudhishthira, this meritorious day is called Parama Ekadasi. It bestows the great benediction of an enjoyable life and ultimate liberation, release from birth and death. The process for observing it is similar to that for observing the Ekadasii that occurs during the light part of this month of Kartika. That is to say, on this Ekadasi one should worship Me, the best of all living beings, with full love and devotion. In this connection I will now tell you a wonderful history, just as I heard it from the great sage in the city of Kampilya.

Raghunandan Thakura was the son of the great devotee Mukunda Dasa.

Vamsidasa Babaji Maharaja was a paramahamsa devotee who sometimes lived in Navadvipa at the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, “Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekadashi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August).” The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, “Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred Ekadashi one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice. “At the dawn of Dvarpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next.

The swing festival of Radha-Krsna. The Deities ride on an elaborately decorated swing. Deities in the temples are swung on a swing. 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. In our Iskcon temples we observe for five days in accordance with Srila Prabhupada's instructions. So whether one observes for the four days or for the seven, or thirteen days, the same festival is put on for the pleasure of the Lord and His loving associates. This is a wonderful ceremonial function of Lord Krishna's pastimes that reflects practically how we are to render service to the Lord for His pleasure.

Rupa Goswami is known as bhakti-rasacarya, the expert in the tastes of pure devotional service. He and his elder brother, Srila Sanatana Goswami, left high posts in the government of Nawab Hussein Shah to join Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.