Past Events

Bhismastami is the appearance anniversary of Bhismadeva, the “grandfather” of the Pandavas. Bhishma's name in his boyhood was Devavrata.

Madhvacharya is the principal acharya, or spiritual teacher, in in the Brahma-sampradaya, the Vaisnava disciplic line from which the Gaudiya sampradaya descends. He was born in Udupi, South India, in the early thirteenth century.

Ramanujacharya was the principal acarya in the Sri sampradaya, one of the four main lines of Vaisnava teachers and disciples. His Vedanta-sutra commentary Sri-bhasya establishes the doctrine known as Visistadvaita, “qualified nondualism.”

It is said that if one observes upavasa on this day then one receives entrance to Visnu’s abode, even though one has not performed the other vratas of the year. Yudhisthira Maharaj said, “Oh Lord of the lords, Sri Krishna, all glories unto You! Oh Master of the universe, You alone are the source of the four types of living entities those born from eggs, those born from perspiration, those born from seeds and those born from embryos. You alone are the root cause of all, Oh Lord, and therefore You are the creator, maintainer and destroyer.

Varahadeva is the boar incarnation Sri Krsna. He assumed the form of a boar to lift the drowning planet earth from the Garbhodaka Ocean with His tusks. The demon Hiryanyaksa had thrown the planet earth into this ocean, but the Lord stabbed the demon with His tusks and saved the earth. After describing the appearance of the white Boar Incarnation that had appeared during the Svayambhuva devastation, Maitreya next described the red Boar Incarnation that had appeared during the Chakshusha devastation. Maitreya related these pastimes to Vidura in the same manner in which he had heard them long ago when Lord Brahma had narrated them to the demigods.

Lord Nityananda Prabhu appeared as Lord Caitanya’s principal associate for spreading the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. He especially spread the holy name of the Lord throughout Bengal. He is considered an incarnation of Lord Balarama.

There are various festivities where Lord Krishna’s rasa lila is celebrated – this festival being just one of them. The purnima or full moon of Damodara month is the second full moon of the autumn season, and rasa lila is again celebrated. This second rasa yatra is celebrated more in Bengal, whereas the first one is celebrated more in Vrindavana. On this day one should perform full worship of Radha and Krishna with many flowers, and place them in a rasa mandapa surrounded by the gopis. Sri Krishna Vasant Rasa is similar excepting that it is in the Spring (Vasant), at this time everyone dresses in yellow. On this full moon night the devotees usually leave out pots of sweet rice payasam for the Lord to enjoy during His rasas.

Narottama Dasa Thakura was a leading acarya in the Gaudiya Vaisnava line. He was the only disciple of Srila Lokanatha Gosvami. Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura helped bring the books of the Gosvamis from Vrndavana to Bengal and Orissa.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura powerfully spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the early twentieth century.

Purusottama Dasa Thakura was a great devotee of Lord Nityananda. In Goloka Vrndavana, Purusottama Dasa Thakura serves Lord Balarama as a cowherd boy.

Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaj appeared on the 2nd of September in the Gaurabda year 443 (1929 A.D.) in Orissa, India. Both his parents were devotees of Krishna and Jagannath, as were their ancestors up to the time of Sri Syamananda Prabhu.

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, “Oh Lord Sri Krishna, O glorious son of Vasudeva, please be merciful to me and describe the Ekadasii that occurs during the dark fortnight of the month of Phalguna (February-March)” Lord Sri Krishna replied, “Oh Yudhisthira, Oh king of kings, gladly I shall tell you about this great fast, known as Vijaya Ekadasii. Whoever observes it certainly achieves success in this life and the next. All the sins of one who fasts on this Ekadasii and hears its sublime glories are eradicated.