Programme Brochure - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

ISSN 1449 - 3551
Proudly Supported By
Presented By
12 - 14 March 2010
Darling Harbour
AUSTRALIA
b h a v a n a u s t r a l i a . o r g
Programme Brochure
www.incredibleindia.org
S t a t e B a n k o f I n d i a , S y d n e y
w w w. s b i s y d . c o m . a u

Holi Mahotsav
Aknowlegdements
Holi Mahotsav the grand festival of friendship and harmony is celebrated culture, colours and folk and fun. This
day is specially chosen to forgive ‘foes’ and forget old difference to become friends again. People from all castes
and religions come together to enjoy the spirit of Holi. It harbingers the arrival of spring and new harvest. In India
during Holi days one can see colours of joy everywhere.
We decided to celebrate Holi in Australia in a most prominent location constantly visited by people from every
community. Our obvious choice was Darling Harbour where flow of people never stops and we wanted it to be free
for everyone to join in the festivities.
This year we are celebrating Holi Mahotsav over three days of festivities from the Aquashell in cockle Bay Wharf
and the delicious Indian vegetarian food stalls, craft stalls and marquees in the Palm Grove and convention Centre
Forecourts
The festivities of three days start on Friday evening with ‘Images of India portrayed through Kathak dance repertoire
by Olga followed by the ever so lively Bhangra dances by Platinum Bhangra and two hours of Indian DJ - Sydney’s
Party Guru Raj Khanna presents an absolutely banging Bollywood extravaganza!
Saturday is celebrated with spiritual extravaganza, the highlight being Rath Yatra (the journey of the hand-pulled
Chariot of Lord Jagannätha) through the busy streets of Sydney, culminating into Darling harbour and staying at the
Palm Grove, courtesy of ISKCON Sydney our partner in peace and spirituality. Yoga demonstrations are provided by
Yoga in Daily Life, another of our partners in peace. And of course there are dances and fashion show and musical
performances.
Sunday is a long day of cultural extravaganza with all sorts of dances from India and other cultures, musical bands,
fashion show. Nearly two hundred artists join us in presenting this marvel. And of course the special attraction of
playing with colours – for everyone who wishes to participate.
We are indeed immensely grateful to all those who have travelled with us in past seven years in turning Holi
Mahotsav an Indian festival of harmony and friendship into mainstream grand Australian festival of harmony today.
Australian community has made Holi part of our evolving cultural calendar. Our special thanks are due to Sydney
Harbour Foreshore Authority, India Tourism Sydney and ISKCON Sydney who agreed to and encouraged our plans
for Holi Mahotsav in 2003 and have remained with us since then. The Premier of New South Wales has been
supporting Holi Mahotsav since 2005 with grants from the Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural
NSW. We are grateful to City of Sydney and City Central Command of NSW Police who have greatly supported our
Street Procession / Rath Yatra every year since 2005. Our sincere thanks and gratitude are due to them.
This year Lebara Mobile have joined us a major sponsor. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Lebara Mobile and
other sponsors: Incredible India, State Bank of India-Sydney, Vision Asia and The Indian Link. We are grateful to
our media supporters The Indian, Indus Age, The Indian down under, Punjab Times, who join us in making this 2010
festival even brighter and diverse.
The stalls during the Holi Mahotsav pep up the festival but adding variety to the event. This year stalls we have
limited the number of stalls but not he variety of food and craft.
Holi Mahotsav could not have been possible without the selfless untiring support of over 400 artists from a large
number of Dance academies and cultural groups. We bow before and salute them with humility and greatest gratitude.
Our gratitude is due to the wonderful masters of ceremonies.
Bhoji Watts and Manju Chand have been managing the stage and production supported by Reena Doshi and other
graceful ladies every year since inception. Without these wonderful ladies the Holi Mahotsav could not have
happened. We salute them too with humility and gratitude and pride. We are thankful to our dedicated staff and
volunteers led by the untiring dedication of Utkarsh Doshi. This year the youthful groups led by d, Anchal Saxena,
Rajesh Katakdhond, Ryan D’Lima, Deepti Pathak and Dinesh Raman have joined us in this monumental assignment;
we are grateful to them.
- Gambhir Watts, President Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Australia.

Performances 12 March
» » Olga»Chepelianskaia
Performance» Details: Images of India portrays various
colorful and dismaying aspects of India through Kathak
dance repertoire, a classical and creative dance of Northern
India. Three key aspects of Indian life - spirituality, love and
festivity - are depicted
» » Platinum»Bhangra
Group»Coordinator:»Harinder»Kaur»and»Manu»Singh
Performers: Manu Singh, Bulla Singh, Devinder Sandhu,
Preet Singh
Performance»Details: Bhangra Dances
» » DJ»by»Raj»Khanna
Dhol Players dressed in traditional outfits (Drums with
traditional beats), Bollywood DJs
Performances 13 March
» » Yoga»in»Daily»Life
Group»Coordinator:»Bhakti»Johnson
Performance»Details: Yoga Demonstrations
» » Songs»by»Gurjot»Singh
» » Samvar»Dance»Class
Group»Coordinator:»Samiksha
Performers:» Aaryan Parmar, Deeti Jani, Jay Mehta,
Kanishka Desai, Meet Vyas, Paritosh Sharma, Riya Patel,
Samarth Shah, Varishi Shah.
Performance»Details: Dances on songs Zoobie Doobie and
Tararumpum
» » Ghaziya
Group»Coordinator:»Kristie»Wolf,»Devi»Mamak»(teacher)
Performers:» Victoria Walker, Sara Haidinger and Kirstie
Wulf
Performance»Details: Tribal Belly Dance Style performance.
Performing “Hip Shaker”, “Spanish Galleon”, “Setrak”,
“Beastie Bys’, “Joi”
Olga Chepelianskaia
Platinum Bhangra
Raj Khanna
Gurjot Singh

» » Camp»Quality»Yoga
Group»Coordinator:»Heidi»Bock
Laughter»Yoga»Demonstration
» » Vishvaas»production»band
Group»Coordinator:»Dinesh»Ramanan
Performers:» Chiranth Wodeyar Gana Aruneswaran,
Pratamesh Datar, Prabanjan Datar, Aditya Prasad, Liam
Holley
Performance» Details: Musical Performance (1) Mahatma
(Gandhi Title Track), (2) Akayla Asoka (Asoka Title Track)
» » Isckon» temple» Kirtan» Demonstration,»
Speeches»and»Discusions»followed»by»Cultural»
Bon-Fire»Ceremony.
» » Hola»Maholla
Group»Coordinator:»Preetraj»Singh,»»Moninder»singh
Performance» Details: Gatka, An Ancient martial art used
by the Sikh Gurus to help defend the ‘basic human right’ to
live and let live not only for Sikhs but also for people from
other faiths. Gatka is considered to be spiritual as well as a
physical exercise.
» » AXR»Youth»Band
Group»Coordinator:»Anchal»Saxena
Performers:Gulnav»Hora, Pranish Rai, Prashant Rai, Gagan
Singh, Anchal Lal
» » Mahmood»Khan»Funk
Group»Coordinator:»Mahmood»Khan
Performers:»Anthony Lee, grace coburn, isac hayward, joe
manton, maharshi raval, mahmood khan, mike chin, naomi
csoke, phil sander, ron manton, shaun tarring, tamasin
howard
Performance»Details:»World»
» » Priya»Deewan»Dance»Acadamy
Group»Coordinator:»Priya»Deewan
Performers:»Rhea, Kavisha, nikita , shivani, sonali, sohana,
satchi, radikha, Priyanka
Performance» Details: Dance on Just Do It (Chance Pe
Dance) and a Bollywood Medly
Samvar Dance Classes
Ghaziya
AXR Youth Band
Mahmood Khan Funk
Priya Deewan Dance Acadamy

» » AXR» entertainment» Fashion» Show» by»
Sareehaven
Group»Coordinator:»Anchal»Saxena
Performers: Aahuti Dasour, Nikita Krishnan, Ruchi Arora
Saadia Miah, Vanita Balani, Linda
» » AXR»Entertainment»-»Element»Five»band
Group»Coordinator:»Anchal»Saxena
Performers:» Arjun Nidigallu, Mandeep Singh, Prathamesh
Datar, Shankar Athreiya, Prabhanjan Datar
Performances 14 March
» » Dance»Group»Name:»Gurjot»singh»
Group»Coordinator:»Gurjot»singh
Performers:»names: Gurjot Singh
Performance»Details:»Singing
» » Ritika»Satsangi»and»Group»
Group»Coordinator:»»Ritika»Satsangi
Performers:»Sona Garg, Ritika Satsangi,Niyati Gajjar, Dipali
Goel, Shivank Goel, Aditi Dala, Sanya Dalal
Performance»Details: Bollywood Classical Dances
» » IABBV»Hindi»School
Group»Coordinator:»Mala»Mehta
Performers:» Shriya Kamboj, Thripura S. Hariharan, Pooja
S. Hariharan, Shirali Garga, Khushboo Mahajan, Shagun
Panwar, Deepti Virmani
Performance» Details: medley of two short Song Remixes
“Holi Re” & “Gunji Angana Mein Shehnai” and Bhangra
» » Neetal»Desai’s»Gujarati»Dance»Group
Group»Coordinator:»»Neetal»Desai
Performers:» Isha Desai, Sonia Giga, Rajsi Vyas, Aalapi
Shreekumar, Manasi Shelat, Niyati Desai, Pavitraa Hathi,
Aashka Desai, Stuti Bhatt, Urja Bhatia, Dhanvi Dave, Neha
Patel, Sonali Malhotra, Pavitraa Hathi, Divyansha Kumar,
Michelle Khurana, Anushka, Nikita Jain, Dhatri Bellave,
Divya Saxena, Ria Bhargava, Aananya Deshpande, Isha
Baldeo, Mugdha Ghosh, Jannavi Rao, Aashna Khanna
Performance»Details: Traditional Gujarati Garba and Duha
Fashion Show by Sareehaven
Element Five (V) Band
Gurjot Singh
Ritika Satsangi and Group
IABBV Hindi School

» » Bollystar»Dance»School
Group»Coordinator:»Neha»Madaan
Performers:»names: Neha Madaan, Monica Mookhy, Vidhi
Keerthana, Divya, Amisha, Diya, Diantha.
Performance»Details: Semi Classical Bollywood Dancing
» » Azif»and»Las»hermanas»Tribal»Belly»Dancing
Group»Coordinator:»Sandy»Burrow
Performers: Sandy Burrow, Karen Kelly, Sharrie Hannan,
Bec Slade, Sue Kennedy, Jodie , Stewart, Katie, Ruza
Milkovic and Merilyn Hyde.
Performance»Details: Tribal Belly Dances.
» » Dance»Group»Name:»Mango»Dance»Studio
Group»Coordinator:»Farah»Shah
Performers:
Performance»Details: A wide variety of Bollywood Dances
from Performers of all ages.
» » Aboriginal»Smoke»Ceremony»
Group»Coordinator:»»Peta»Strathan
Performance»by»»Max»Harrison
» » VIP»Session
» » Aboriginal»Performance»
Group»Coordinator:»»Peta»Strathan
Performance»by»»Max»Harrison
» » Contemperary»Dance»Acedemy.
Group»Coordinator:»Shwetambra»Barar»/»Anita»Barar
Performers:»names: Aishani Mahabir, Alisha Behl, Angelina
White, Anoushika Ginni, Anusha Kumar, Anushwa Ravalji,
Harshini Vaghela, Inaya Vhora, Isabella White, Ishaita
Katyal, Naomi, Navpreet kaur, Nikhita Kumar, Nikita Naidu,
Nikita Nandoskar, Niyati Desai, Nolene Sharma,Paris Ali,
Prisha Singh, Rachna Deshpande, Rhea Varandani, Rishika
Mahabir, Rohini Kamath, Ruhee Dixit, Sanaa Vhora,
Sandhya Menon, Sangeeta Menon, Sanjana Chand, Sanjana
Nagesh, Saya Varandani, Sharmin Zaman, Shauna Abel,
Shivani Raman, Simar Batra, Srishti Yadav, Tina Kumar,
Uma Dawson, Yasmin Zaman
Performance» Details: Mix of Semi-Classical Bollywood
and Fusion Dances.
Neetal Desai’s Gujarati Dance Group
Bollystar Dance School
Azif and Las hermanas
Mango Dance Studio

» » Karen»McPhillips»School»of»highland»dancing
Group»Coordinator:»Karen»Macphilis
Performers:» Lauren Caunter, Emily Carr, Emily McGuire,
Madeline James, Michaela Ng
Performance»Details: Traditional dances from Scotland
» » Camp»Quality»Yoga
Group»Coordinator:»Heidi»Bock
Laughter»Yoga»Demonstration
» » Nupur»Dance»Group
Group»Coordinator:»Manjusha»De»&»Jinnie»De
Performers:» Suhani, Arianna, Anisha, Parvati, Mahima,
Mahika, Palak, Junita,Sanjana, Anika, Jenny, Megha, Jinnie,
Parisa, Shilvana, Sharmila, Upasna, Aditi, Jyosthna, Junita,
Jerestene, Sarah, Vani, Aarushi, Akshita, Soumya, Prashant,
Rishab,Simi, Rani,Devika, Ritika, Sareena, Claudia
Performance» Details: Fusion Bollywood with aspects of
classical styles and the last dance item is Bollywood/Bhangra
» » Ghungaroo»academy»of»music»and»dance
Group»Coordinator:»Kanan»J»shah
Performers:»Kanan J Shah, kanan shah, vinita, Kavita, richa
pandey
Performance» Details: Rajasthani Group Dance and Semi-
Classical Folk
» » Geetanjali» School» of» Dance» and» Performing»
Arts
Group»Coordinator:»Sharmila»Maitra.
Performers:»Esha Arora, Sonel Arora, Priya Basu, Sheekha
Chalise, Arkita Chowdhury, Debi Chowdhury, Debolina
Chowdhury, Ritika Chowdhury, Ria Danwer, Alisha
DasGupta, Arya Goswami, Kavya Gupta, Shuchi Gupta,
Medha Gupta, Trisha Paul, Emil Rayan, Erika Rayan, Erina
Rayan, Anushuya Roy, Amy Shah, Diya Sharma, Shyrin
Sharma, Vidhushi Sharma, Ragini Sood, Shruti Yardi
Performance» Details: “Ocean of Love” - Semi Classical
Fushion Dance, “Bhalo Koria” - Bangladesh Folk Songs,
“Saiya re”- Semi-Classical Bollywood Dance, “Kashmiri
Folk and a Dance Medly
» » Tokyo»Love-In
Group»Coordinator:»Michael»Chin
Performers:» Yamha Sarshar, Sangeet Mishra and Michael
Chin
Contemperary Dance Acedemy
Karen McPhillips School
Nupur Dance Group
Geetanjali School of Dance

Performance»Details: Fusion between Indian Classical music,
contemporary beats and world music.
» » Folk»and»Fun
Group»Coordinator:»Raju»Sarai
Performers:»
Performance»Details: Bhangra Dances
» » Master»of»Ceremonies
Anchal» Saxena,» Dyasmin» Sandu,» Priya» Rao,» Sophil» and»
Soiam»Raja
» » Stage»Managers
Bhoji» Watts,» Manju» Chand,» Reena» Doshi,» Rajesh»
Katakdhond,»Jimmy»Talatia
» » Staff»and»Volunteers
Utkarsh» Doshi,» Jenny» Ren,» Sudhir» Das,» Zsolt» Naggy,»
Bushra,» Emilie,» Anchal» Saxena,» Ryan» D’Lima,» Deepthi»
Pathak,»Veena»Sashikumar,»Dinesh»Raman,»Gautam»Sehgal,»
Rinul» Pashankar,» Hitashi» Gohil,» Saurabh» Arora,» Gagan»
Puri,»Orsi»Toth,»Raghu,»Sumedh,»Anita»Nath,»Nitin»Navale,»
Amit»Dongre,»Robin»Dmello,»Pratik»Patel,»Jishiv»Patel,»Ravi»
Pandya,»Bhavesh»Savaliya
» » Photogrphers:»
Gred»Dickens,»Misa»Okumura.
» » Video»graphers»:»
Will»Walquist,»Zsolt»Naggy,»Arvind»Shukla,»Nitisha»Tripathi
Folk and Fun
Masters»of»Ceremonies
Food»Stall»Holders
Chandni Chowk Pty Ltd Stay Cool Tropical Sno
Fine Event Indian Cuisine Taj Indian Sweets and Restaurant
Sri Annapoorna Restaurant & Catering Taza Tandoori Restaurant
Merchandise»Stall»Holders
Australian Association of Yoga in Daily Life Konnectv Pty Ltd
AXR Entertainment UAE Exchange Australia Pty. Ltd.
Gocool Sugar cane Juicery Vision Asia Pty. Ltd.
Indian Link India Tourism Sydney
Marquee»Stall»Holders
Lebara Mobile Saileen Fashions
ISKCON Temple Marquee Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

PRIME MINISTER
C ANBERRA
MESSAGE FOR HOLI MAHOTSAV SOUVENIR ISSUE OF
BHAVAN AUSTRALIA
The Holi Mahotsav festival of friendship and harmony, now in its eighth Australian
year, has become a mainstream Sydney festival celebrating Indian culture through
dance and music performances, cultural workshops, meditation sessions, food and
merchandise stalls.
Around 250,000 people of Indian heritage live in Australia, and we value their
contribution to our society, our economy and our nation. These people-to-people ties
are an integral part of the strong and growing relationship between Australia and
India.
Congratulations to the organisers for their efforts in continuing this great event. I
wish readers of of Bhavan Australia magazine and all those attending Holi Mahotsav
an enjoyable and memorable day.
The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister of Australia

VEDANTA»CENTRE»OF»SYDNEY»
(a»branch»of»the»Ramakrishna»Math»and»Ramakrishna»Mission,»India)»
2»Stewart»Street,»Ermington»NSW»2115»
Tel:»02»8197»7351»
Email: vedasydney@gmail.com.»www.vedantasydney.org»
Mr.Gambhir Watts
President
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Sydney
Dear Mr.Watts
We are glad to learn that the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is organizing the Holi
Mahotsav on the 14 th March 2010.
Holi is a celebration of the different colours denoting variety but yet
reminding us of the unity behind it. Mythologically, it is the burning of evil
in the all consuming fire like Holika (the demoness) did and protecting the
purity of the virtuous (like Prahlada). Today’s world needs the message of
Unity in Diversity and the victory of Virtue and other spiritual values very
much.
May the inspiration of this great festival help us to achieve peace is our
humble prayer.
With regards
Swami Sridharananda
President
P.O.BOX 1319, ASHFIELD NSW 1800, AUSTRALIA
Branch: 2, Stewart Street, Dundas, NSW 2115

His»Holiness»Periyavals»of»Kanchimutt»has»blessed»the»Holi»Mahotsav

March, 2010
Blessed Selves, Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The significance of Holi is that victory of good over evil is achieved through unshakable
devotion for the Lord. That same unshakeable devotion is required today if humans are to
live sustainably on this planet and achieve lasting world peace.
Spirituality is the only answer to the world’s problems and revival of humanity’s ethical
and spiritual values is the only guiding force that will affect the necessary change we
want for humanity and Mother Earth. To re-awaken and re-commit to maintaining these
values is an obligation required by everyone if we are to achieve the ultimate victory of
good over evil.
If we want peace in the world, we must first have peace within. There must be mutual
respect, love, understanding and compassion, not only for other humans, but also for all
of nature and the creatures that live therein. Such mutual recognition is not bought in
the market place, it can only be cultivated within by treating others as we wish to be
treated. Only this will awaken the sense of universal accountability.
A Yogi would say, “Renounce and limit your needs”. Renounce greed, renounce anger,
renounce duality and narrow-thinking. Open the heart and give. Understand another’s
feelings, understand another’s life situation and grant them their rights. Give them
happiness and forgiveness. Never violate anyone physically, mentally or emotionally.
Never be the cause of another’s tears, since all beings are the embodiment of God.
The Vedas declare that one God has created this world. All creatures therefore are the
children of one Creator and all living beings are part of the one universal family. That is
why the aim of every individual should be to create a responsible and caring society so
that all may experience the beauty of life and realise God. As Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan
Mahaprabhuji said, “Love each and every living being as least as much as you love
yourself”.
Thank you Mr. Gambhir Watts, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia and all
sponsors and participants, for organising and supporting this meaningful event of Holi
Mahotsav 2010.
With Blessings of the Almighty
Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda
Founder of Yoga in Daily Life, the System
International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship
Schikanedergasse 12/13, A-1040 Vienna AUSTRIA
Telephone: +43.1.586 7445
www.yogaindailylife.org www.swamiji.tv

Gambhir Watts
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Sydney, Australia
Dear Mr. Watts,
GLOBAL»ORGANIZATION»OF»PEOPLE
OF»INDIAN»ORIGIN»(GOPIO),»INC.»
USA»Tel:»818/708-3885»E-mail:»gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net
Web:»www.gopio.net
March 6, 2010
I am glad to know that Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Australia, is organizing Holi Mahotsav –
the age old Indian festival of colors – at the well known Australian venue of Darling
Harbor. It is heartening to know that the mainstream Australian communities will join the
Indian Australian community in tens of thousands in this remarkable celebration. I
congratulate you on your leadership role for the event and commend you for providing a
forum for introduction of India’s culture to Australians.
Holi festival has an ancient origin and many legends & stories are associated with it. Holi
celebration marks the triumph of 'good' over 'bad' and is celebrated with a lot of pomp
and pageantry through the width and breadth of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka irrespective
of caste, creed or religion. Sikhs celebrate a similar festival known as Hola Mohalla.
Holi, heralds spring in India. It is also known as Phagwa after the name of the month
Phalgun, which usually falls in the later part of February or March. Holi celebration has
also become an important festival in many countries where Indian Diaspora had gone and
settled, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, Mauritius, Fiji, some
countries in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and others.
I convey my greetings to the Indian Australian community and members of Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan for celebrating the Holi festival in a spirit of fellow feeling and friendship.
I also admire the commitment and dedication with which you and the Holi festival
committee have been organizing the event, year after year, for the past 7 years.
Respectfully,
Inder Singh, Chairman
GOPIO International

The colourful festival of Holi is celebrated on
Phalgun Purnima which comes in February end
or early March. Holi festival has an ancient
origin and celebrates the triumph of ‘good’ over ‘bad’.
The colourful festival bridges the social gap and renews
sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish
each other ‘Happy Holi’.
Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on
the Holi eve. Numerous legends and stories associated
with Holi celebration make the festival more exuberant
and vivid. People rub ‘gulal’ and ‘abeer’ on each others’
faces and cheer up saying, “bura na maano Holi hai”.
Holi also gives a wonderful chance to send blessings
and love to dear ones wrapped in a special Holi gift.
History of Holi
Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally
known as ‘Holika’. Historians also believe that Holi was
celebrated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part
of India. It is said that Holi existed several centuries
before Christ. The festival used to be a special rite
performed by married women for the happiness and
well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was
worshiped. The full moon festival of Holika gradually
became a festival of merrymaking, announcing the
commencement of the spring season.
Reference in Ancient Texts and
Inscriptions
Holi Mahotsav
Besides having a detailed description in the Vedas and
Puranas such as Narad Purana and Bhavishya Purana,
the festival of Holi finds a mention in Jaimini Mimansa.
A stone inscription belonging to 300 BC found at
Ramgarh in the province of Vindhya has mention
of Holikotsav on it. King Harsha, too has mentioned
about Holikotsav in his work Ratnavali that was written
during the 7th century.
The famous Muslim tourist, Ulbaruni too has mentioned
about Holikotsav in his historical memories. Other
Muslim writers of that period have mentioned, that
Holikotsav was not only celebrated by the Hindus but
also by the Muslims.
Reference in Ancient Paintings and
Murals
-Parveen
The festival of Holi also finds a reference in the
sculptures on walls of old temples. A 16th century panel
sculpted in a temple at Hampi, capital of Vijayanagar,
shows a joyous scene of Holi. The painting depicts a
Prince and his Princess standing amidst maids waiting
with syringes or pichkaris to drench the Royal couple in
coloured water.
A 16th century Ahmednagar painting is on the theme
of Vasanta Ragini—spring song or music. It shows a
royal couple sitting on a grand swing, while maidens
are playing music and spraying colours with pichkaris.
There are a lot of other paintings and murals in the temples
of medieval India which provide a pictorial description
of Holi. For instance, a Mewar painting (circa 1755)
shows the Maharana with his courtiers. While the ruler
is bestowing gifts on some people, a merry dance is on,
and in the center is a tank filled with coloured water.
Also, a Bundi miniature shows a king seated on a tusker
and from a balcony above some damsels are showering
gulal (coloured powders) on him.
Legends and Mythology
In some parts of India, specially in Bengal and Orissa,
Holi Purnima is also celebrated as the birthday of Shri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (A.D. 1486–1533). However,
the literal meaning of the word ‘Holi’ is ‘burning’.
There are various legends to explain the meaning of this
word, most prominent of all is the legend associated
with demon king Hiranyakashyap.
Hiranyakashyap wanted everybody in his kingdom to
worship only him but to his great disappointment, his

son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana.
Hiaranyakashyap commanded his sister, Holika to enter
a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a
boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage
on herself. However, she was not aware that the boon
worked only when she enters the fire alone. As a result
she got burned completely, while Prahlad was saved
by the grace of the God for his extreme devotion. The
festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over
evil and also the triumph of devotion.
Legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with this play
of colours as the Lord started the tradition of this play
with colours by applying colours on his beloved Radha
and other gopis. Gradually, the play gained popularity
with the people and became a tradition. There are also
a few other legends associated with the festival—like
the legend of Shiva and Kaamadeva and those of Ogress
Dhundhi and Pootana. All depict triumph of good over
evil—lending a philosophy to the festival.
Rituals of Holi
Rituals of the ancient festival of Holi are religiously
followed every year with care and enthusiasm. Days
before the festival people start gathering wood for
the lighting of the bonfire called Holika at the major
crossroads of the city. This ensures that at the time of
the actual celebration a huge pile of wood is collected.
Then on the eve of Holi, Holika Dahan takes place.
Effigy of Holika, the devil minded sister of demon
King Hiranyakashyap is placed in the wood and burnt.
Children also hurl abuses at Holika and pray pranks, as if
they still try to chase away Dhundhi who once troubled
little ones in the Kingdom of Prithu. Some people also
take embers from the fire to their homes to rekindle their
own domestic fires.
Play of Colours
Next day, is of course the
main day of Holi celebrations.
The day is called Dhuleti and it is on this day that the
actual play of colours take place. There is no tradition
of holding Pooja and is meant for pure enjoyment. The
tradition of playing colours is particularly rampant in
north India and even in that region, there can be no
comparison to the Holi of Mathura and Vrindavan. In
Maharashtra and Gujarat too Holi is celebrated with lot
of enthusiasm and fun. People take extreme delight in
spraying coloured water on each other with pichkaris or
pouring buckets and buckets of it. Singing Bollywood
Holi numbers and dancing on the beat of dholak is also
a part of the tradition. Amidst all this activity people
relish gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional
Holi delicacies with great joy. Drinks, specially thandai
laced with bhang is also an intrinsic part of the Holi
festivity. Bhang helps to further enhance the spirit of
the occasion.
Significance of Holi
In spite of being such a colourful and gay festival, there
are various aspects of Holi which makes it so significant
for our lives. Though they might not be so apparent
but a closer look and a little thought will reveal the
significance of Holi in more ways. Ranging from sociocultural,
religious to biological there is every reason
why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the
reasons for its celebrations.
So when, it is time for Holi, people enjoy the festival to
the hilt by participating with full enthusiasm in every
small tradition related to the festival.
Mythological Significance
Holi gets us close to our religion and our mythology
as it is essentially the celebration of various legends
associated with the festival. These legends reassure the
people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these
legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The
legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the
fact that extreme devotion to God pays as God always
takes His true devotee under His shelter.
All these legends help the people to follow a good
conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being
truthful. This is extremely important in the modern day
society when so many people resort to evil practices for
small gains and torture one who is honest. Holi helps
the people to believe in the virtue of being truthful and

honest and also to fight away the evil. Besides, Holi
is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are
in full bloom and people are expecting a good harvest.
This gives people a good reason to rejoice, make merry
and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi.
Social Significance
Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen
the secular fabric of our country. For, the festival is
celebrated by non-Hindus also as everybody like to be
a part of such a colouful and joyous festival.
Also, the tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies
turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship
that may be present. Besides, on this day people do not
differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody
celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie
and brotherhood.
In the evening people visit friends and relatives and
exchange gifts, sweets and greetings. This helps in
revitalising relationships and strengthening emotional
bonds between people.
Biological Significance
Festival of Holi is significant for our lives and body in
many other ways than only providing joy and fun.
We also need to thank our forefathers who started
the trend of celebrating Holi at such a scientifically
accurate time. And, also for incorporating so much fun
in the festival as Holi comes at a time of the year when
people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. This is
natural for the body to experience some tardiness due to
the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere.
To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing
loudly or even speak loudly.
Their movements are brisk
and their music is loud. All
of this helps to rejuvenate the
system of the human body. Besides, the colours when
sprayed on the body have a great impact on it. Biologists
believe the liquid dye or Abeer penetrates the body and
enters into the pores. It has the effect of strengthening the
ions in the body and adds health and beauty to it. There
is yet another scientific reason for celebrating the Holi,
this however pertains to the tradition of Holika Dahan.
The mutation period of winter and spring, induces the
growth of bacteria in the atmosphere as well as in the
body. When Holika is burnt, temperature rises to about
145 degrees Fahrenhiet. Following the tradition when
people perform Parikrima (circumambulation or going
around) around the fire, the heat from the fire kills the
bacteria in the body thus, cleansing it.
The way Holi is celebrated in south, the festival also
promotes good health. For, the day after the burning
of Holika people put ash (Vibhuti) on their forehead
and they would mix Chandan (sandalpaste) with
the young leaves and flowers of the Mango tree and
consume it to promote good health. Some also believe
that playing with colours helps to promote good health
as colours are said to have great impact on our body
and our health. Western-Physicians and doctors believe
that for a healthy body, colours too have an important
place besides the other vital elements. Deficiency of a
particular colour in our body causes ailment, which can
be cured only after supplementing the body with that
particular colour. People also clean-up their houses on
Holi which helps in clearing up the dust and mess in
the house and get rid of mosquitoes and others pests.
A clean house generally makes the residents feel good
and generate positive energies.
Photo’s from Holi Mahotsav Celebrations at Darling Harbour organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Tradition of Holi
The colourful festival of Holi is celebrated by different
names in this vast and culturally diverse country. The
traditions followed for the festival varies a little and at
times a lot as one moves from one state to other studying
the various facets of the festival and getting behind the
various colours of it. Nowhere it is celebrated with so
much charm and enthusiasm as in Mathura, Vrindavan,
Barsana and Nandgaon—the places associated with the
birth and childhood of Lord Krishna. At Barsana Holi
assumes the name of Lathmaar Holi. Here, women of
Barsana give a tough time to men of Nandgaon as they
come to play Holi with them. Women drag the unlucky
captives, beat them, dress them in a female attire—yet
all is in the spirit of Holi.
Women of Haryana, specifically the bhabhis too get an
upper hand on the day as they get a social sanction to
beat their devars and take a sweet revenge for all the
mischiefs they have played on them. This revengeful
tradition is called the Dulandi Holi. The most enjoyable
tradition of Holi, of course, apart from the play of colours
is the tradition of breaking the pot. It is celebrated
with much enthusiasm in the states of Maharashtra and
Gujarat. Here a pot of buttermilk is hung high on the
streets. Men form a huge human pyramid and one on the
top breaks the pot with his head. All this while women
keep singing Holi folk songs and throwing buckets and
buckets of water on them. The tradition has its roots
in the mischievous nature of Lord Krishna who was so
fond of butter milk that he used to steal it from every
accessible house in the village. To hide the butter from
young Krishna, womenfolk used to hang it high. All in
vain!
Holi is celebrated in the most dignified manner in the
state of Bengal. Vishwa Bharti University, founded by
Rabindranath Tagore started
the tradition of celebrating
Holi as ‘Basant Utsav’ or
‘Spring Festival’. Students decorate the campus with
intricate Rangolis and carry out Prabhat Pheris in the
morning. Clad in traditional attires young boys and
girls sing songs composed by Gurudev and present an
enchanting view to the onlookers who gather in large
number here. In other parts of Bengal, Holi is celebrated
as Dol Yatra where the idols of Radha and Krishna are
placed on a decorated palanquin and taken out in a
procession.
For Sikhs, Holi calls for the display of their physical
strength and military prowess as they gather at Anandpur
Sahib a day after Holi to celebrate Hola Mohalla. The
tradition was started by the tenth and last guru of Sikh
religion, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and is being religiously
carried forward. In the north east, Manipuris celebrate
the festival in a colourful manner for six continuous days.
Here, the centuries old Yaosang Festival of Manipur
amalgamated with Holi alongwith the introduction of
Vaishnavism in the eighteenth century. The highlight
of the festival here is a special Manipuri dance, called
‘Thabal Chongba’.
Different states, different cities and different villages
have come out with their unique and innovative styles
of playing Holi. Despite there being so much variance
in the ways of celebrating Holi at different places, the
spirit of Holi remains the same throughout. It is the
festival which generates the spirit of brotherhood and
bring people close—and this is what matters most than
anything else.
Photo’s from Holi Festival being celebrated in Rotorua, New Zealand
*Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Source: www.holifestival.org

History of Rath Yatra
Jagannatha Puri, a town of 75,000, is one of the most
important pilgrimage centers and one of the four
holiest cities in India. These four cities are Badrinatha
in the north, Dvaraka in the west, Ramesvaram in the
south, and Puri in the east. Badrinarayan in Badrinatha
was especially worshiped in Satya-yuga, Rama in
Ramesvaram in Treta-yuga, Dvarakanatha in Dvaraka
in Dvapara-yuga, but Lord Jagannatha in Puri can
be worshiped by everyone in Kali-yuga. In fact, the
importance of Jagannatha Puri, sometimes called
Purushottama-Ksetra, is explained in the Uttarabhaga
section of the Narada Purana. There we find it stated
that simply by visiting Puri, which is rarely achieved
except for those who have performed many pious acts,
and by seeing the Deity of Jagannatha (Krishna), one
can easily attain freedom from future births and reach
the spiritual abode.
In the middle of this city is the large temple dedicated
to Lord Krishna as Jagannatha, meaning “Lord of the
Universe.” From the Skanda Purana we get information
that the original construction of the first Jagannatha
temple was in Satya-yuga, millions of years ago. It is
related that Lord Jagannatha told Maharaja Indradyumna
that He first appeared in the Svayambhuva Manvantara
of the first part of Satya-yuga, on the full moon day,
after being pleased by devotion. This is about 153
million years ago. Then Brahma installed the Deities in
the temple. This appearance is celebrated by the Snana
Purnima, or Snana-Yatra, which is the public bathing of
Lord Jagannatha, His brother Balarama, and His sister
Subhadra. The celebrated Ratha-Yatra festival is said
to have started in the time of Svarochisha Manu, or the
second Manvantara period, and is predicted to continue
until the end of the second half of Lord Brahma’s
lifetime. Even in the Ramayana by Valmiki Muni (Uttara
Khanda) it is related that when Lord Rama was getting
ready to leave this world he told Vibhishan, Ravana’s
younger brother, that in His absence he should worship
Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Iksvaku dynasty.
The Skanda Purana also fixes the date of the Ratha-
Yatra festival, which should be celebrated on the second
day of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashadha,
a day called Pushyami Nakshatra by astrological
calculations. The Padma Purana describes (as related
in Sanatana Goswami’s Dig Darshini Tika to his
Brihad-Bhagavatamrita) that in Purushottama-kshetra,
or Jagannatha Puri, the supremely blissful Personality
of Godhead pretends to be made of wood. In this way,
--Stephen Knapp*
although the Lord takes on what appears to be a material
form, it is completely spiritual by the causeless mercy of
the Lord for the conditioned souls who cannot perceive
the transcendental domain.
The main temple building, called Sri Mandir, was built
in the 12th century by King Chodaganga Deva, though
the site goes back much farther as described above.
This is a huge complex where buildings house as many
as 5,000 priests and assistants. The whole compound
is surrounded by a thick stone wall 20 feet tall that
encloses an area 665 feet by 640 feet. The wall has four
large gates, one on each side. The additional smaller
buildings were added after the 16th century. The main
temple, which reaches 215 feet in height, is where we
find the six foot tall Deities of Jagannatha, Balarama,
and the shorter Subhadra. They stand on a five foot
high throne facing the pilgrims as they enter the temple
room. Outside the main temple hall are over 100 smaller
shrines dedicated to the various demigods. There is an
Aarti ceremony six times a day from 4 AM to 9 PM when
devotees come in for Darshan of the Deities, in which
they sing, chant, or worship the Deities in ecstasy. As
many as 50,000 people come to the Jagannatha temple
in a day.
The temple compound also has a huge kitchen, employing
over 650 cooks and helpers who make hundreds of
vegetarian preparations for the 54 separate offerings

that are given to the Deities every day. After the food is
given to the Deities it becomes Prasada, or the Lord’s
mercy. By taking such spiritually powerful food it is said
that one becomes more and more spiritually surcharged
and free from past karma. Much of the Prasada is sold
or given to people who depend on the temple. Taking
this Prasada at Puri is to partake in a tradition that goes
back thousands of years and is considered especially
purifying. It is said that only by Krishna’s grace does
one get the opportunity to receive the remnants of food
offered to Him.
The Appearance of Lord Jagannatha
The significance of Jagannatha Puri and the story of how
the Deities first appeared goes back many hundreds of
years to the time of King Indradyumna, who was a great
devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is related that one time in his
court the King heard from a devotee about an incarnation
of Lord Vishnu, named Nilamadhava (Nilamadhava is
the Deity form of Lord Vishnu). The King very much
wanted to see this form of the Supreme and sent many
Brahmanas to search for Nilamadhava. All came back
unsuccessful except for Vidyapati, who did not come
back at all. He had wandered to a distant town which
was populated by a tribe of people known as Shabaras
of non-Aryan heritage. He had stayed in the house of
Visvasu, and later, at Visvasu’s request, married his
daughter, Lalita.
After some time Vidyapati noticed that Visvasu would
leave the house every night and return at noon the
next day. Vidyapati asked his wife about this. Though
her father had ordered her not to tell anyone, she told
Vidyapati that Visvasu would go in secret to worship
Nilamadhava. After repeated requests, Vidyapati finally
got permission to go see Nilamadhava, only if he went
blindfolded. But Vidyapati’s wife had bound some
mustard seeds in his cloth so that a trail could be left
to follow later. When they reached the shrine, Vidyapati
saw the Deity Nilamadhava after the Shabara took off
the blindfold, and he felt great ecstasy.
The story continues to relate that while Visvasu was
out collecting items for worship, Vidyapati saw a bird
fall into the nearby lake and
drown. The soul of the bird
suddenly took a spiritual
form and ascended back to
the spiritual world. Vidyapati wanted to do the same and
climbed the tree to jump in the lake. Then a voice from
the sky declared that before he jumped he should tell
Indradyumna that he had found Nilamadhava.
When Visvasu returned to worship the Deity,
Nilamadhava spoke and said that He had accepted the
simple worship from him for so many days, but now
He wanted to accept the opulent worship that would be
offered by King Indradyumna. When Vidyapati went
back to tell the King, Indradyumna immediately went
to find Nilamadhava but could not locate Him. So the
King arrested Visvasu, but a voice told him to release
the Shabara and that he should build a temple on top of
Nila Hill where the King would see the Lord as Darubrahman,
the wooden manifestation of the Absolute.
After great endeavor, King Indradyumna built the temple
at Sri Kshetra, now known as Jagannatha Puri, and
later prayed to Lord Brahma to consecrate it. However,
Lord Brahma said that it was not within his power to
consecrate the temple since Sri Kshetra is manifested
by the Supreme’s own internal potency and is where the
Lord manifests Himself. So Brahma simply put a flag on
top of the temple and blessed it, saying that anyone who
from a distance saw the flag and offered obeisance would
easily be liberated from the material world. Nonetheless,
after much waiting the King became anxious since
Nilamadhava had not manifested Himself. Thinking his
life was useless, the King decided he should end his life
by fasting. But in a dream the Lord said that He would
appear floating in from the sea in His form as Darubrahman.
The King went to the shore and found a huge piece of
wood that had the markings of a conch, disc, club, and
lotus. This was Daru-brahman. But try as they might,
the men could not budge the wood. In a dream the Lord
spoke to the King and instructed him to get Visvasu and
put a golden chariot in front of Daru-brahman. After
doing this and forming a kirtana party to chant the holy
names, and praying for Daru-brahman to mount the
chariot, Daru-brahman was easily moved. Lord Brahma
performed a sacrifice where the present temple now
stands and installed a Deity of Lord Narasimhadeva, the
Deity that is now on the western side of the temple.
From the wooden Daru-brahman, the King requested
many expert carvers to carve the form of the Deity, but
none could do so for their chisels immediately broke
when they touched the wood. Finally the architect of
the demigods, Visvakarma, (some say the Lord Himself)

arrived as an old artist, Ananta Maharana, and promised
that he would carve the Deity form of the Lord inside
the temple in three weeks if the King would allow him
to work behind closed doors. But after 14 days the King
became very anxious because he could no longer hear
the sounds of the carving. Finally he could stand it no
more. On the advice of the queen he personally opened
the doors of the temple to see what was happening. Then
he saw the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama,
and Lady Subhadra. But because the King had opened
the doors sooner than he was supposed to, the Deities
were not completed; Their feet and hands had not yet
been carved. Thus, the Supreme manifested Himself in
this form.
The King felt he had committed a great offense for
having opened the doors before the allotted three
weeks had passed, so he decided to end his life. But
in a dream Lord Jagannatha told the King that though
he had broken his promise, this was just a part of the
Supreme’s pastimes to display this particular form. The
King was told that this form, even though it appeared to
be incomplete, was actually the form of the Lord that
was meant to be worshiped in this age of Kali-yuga.
Occasionally the King could decorate the Deity with
golden hands and feet. Yet those devotees filled with
love would always see the form of Lord Jagannatha as
the threefold bending form of Syamasundara, Krishna,
holding a flute. Thus, the Supreme appeared in this form
so that people could approach and see Him, especially
as He rides through town on the huge carts during the
Ratha-Yatra festival.
The Ratha-Yatra Festival
Ratha-Yatra festival is the most popular time to go to
Jagannatha Puri. Thousands upon thousands of pilgrims
flock to Puri to take part in this auspicious event, which
is said to have been celebrated for thousands of years,
making it one of the oldest and
one of the biggest religious
festivals in the world. This is
the time when the Deities come out of the temple for
all to see. It is also the time when as many as a million
people gather in this small city with one purpose: to
show their faith and devotion to God in the form of
Lord Jagannatha.
The actual construction of the carts begins two months
before the festival day, on the third day of the bright
fortnight of Vaisakha (April–May). More than 600
trees, or 400 cubic meters of wood, are needed for the
construction, taken from the local forests along the
banks of the Mahanadi River. Using the same simple
tools and procedures as they have for the past hundreds
of years, once the basic elements are made, such as the
wheels, then the actual construction begins only a few
weeks before the festival. The construction crew works
on them night and day, and everything gets ready the
day before the festival.
In front of the temple huge stacks of wood are used to
assemble the three chariots which will reach up to three
storeys tall and will roll on wheels, each eight feet high.
The chariots are painted with bright colours and the tops
are covered with red, black, yellow, or green canopies.
The colours signify which chariot is for which Deity.
Lord Jagannatha uses red and yellow, Lord Balarama
uses red and green, while Subhadra uses red and black.
The Deities are also painted with particular colours
that mean something. Jagannatha’s blackish colour
represents faultless qualities; Balarama’s white colour
signifies enlightenment; and Subhadra’s yellow colour
signifies goodness.
Each cart is different. The cart of Lord Jagannatha
is called Cakradhvaja or Nandigosha, which means
tumultuous and blissful sound. Using 16 wheels, it rises
45 feet tall, and weighs 65 tons. It also carries a figure of
Garuda on its crest, and is drawn by four white wooden
horses. Balarama’s cart is called Taladhvaja, meaning
the sound of significantly powerful rhythm. It has 14
wheels, and is drawn by four black wooden horses. It
carries Hanuman on its crest. Subhadra’s cart is called
Padmadhvaja or Darpadalan, which means destroyer of
pride. It has a lotus on its crest, uses 12 wheels, and
is drawn by four red wooden horses. After the Ratha-
Yatra festival the wood from the carts is used as fuel for
the big kitchen in the temple, which can last up to nine
months.
About two weeks before the festival, the Deities of
Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra are given a ritual

ath, which is performed on the front main wall of the
temple, which allows everyone to observe it from the
street below, or one of the surrounding buildings. This is
called the Snana-Yatra. After this They play the pastime
of getting a cold. They are then taken to a designated
area and given special treatments and offerings. They
may also be repainted at this time. About every 12 or
19 years the bodies of the Deities are replaced with
new ones carved from a ritualistically selected Daru-
Brahman in the form of a nima tree. This is known as the
Nava-Kalevarna festival. It occurs when there is a leap
(additional) month in the Vedic calendar that appears
between Snana-Yatra and Ratha-Yatra.
As the Ratha-Yatra festival draws near, thousands of
pilgrims come to Jagannatha Puri, but as many as a
million or more people may be in town on the day of
the festival. The walk up the gangplanks to the platform
on the cart and sprinkle holy water around while
circumambulating it three times and chanting specific
mantras for purification. Later, the priests bring out the
small Deities that will also ride on the cart. When the
big Deities are brought out, first there is Lord Balarama,
then Lady Subhadra, and then Lord Jagannatha. Each
time excitement suddenly fills the air and many men
blow conch shells and bang on drums and cymbals to
announce the arrival of the Deities at the main gate
of the temple complex. Then the smiling face of Lord
Balarama appears through the doorway and the crowd
shouts and chants, “Jai Balarama. Baladeva ki jai!”
Daityas, strongly built men who lift the Deity, first
carry Lord Balarama then
Subhadra and finally bring
out Lord Jagannatha. All of
these carriers are Daityas,
members of the Dayitapati family who are descendants
of Visvavasu. The festival parade also usually start in
the morning and then stop at noon near the Jagannatha
Vallabha Gardens where the Deities get offerings of food,
worship, etc, from the many devotees. Many thousands
of devotees surround the carts and the people in the
front take up the long, thick ropes to pull the chariots
down the main road to the Gundicha temple, where
the Deities stay for a week. Sometimes the chariots
mysteriously stop, though everyone is pulling hard. In
fact, it is not unusual, as in the case of this festival, that
a chariot may stop completely and stay there overnight
and then continue the next day. Sometimes if there is
difficulty, the local Government Minister will pray to
Lord Jagannatha for forgiveness from whatever offenses
the residents of the town may have committed. Then the
chariots begin to move again as if they move only by the
will of Jagannatha.
The Deities spend the first two nights on the carts outside
the Gundicha temple, or wherever else They may be if
They do not make it there the first night. The Deities are
then taken inside the Gundicha temple only on the third
night. After the Deities’ stay at the Gundicha temple,
They return a week later to the main temple in a similar
parade that is attended by fewer people.
Source: www.salagram.net, www.stephen-knapp.com

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Gaura Purnima celebrates the appearance
anniversary of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
It is observed annually in late February,
early March by Krishna devotees all over the world—
especially in the area of Mayapur, India, the place
where He appeared in the year 1486. Lord Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, appearing as
His own devotee, to teach us that we can gain full
enlightenment simply by chanting the holy names of
the Lord:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna,
Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare
Those who witnessed the Lord’s pastimes saw Him
dance and chant with ecstatic love for God, the likes
of which had never been seen before.
Lord Chaitanya encouraged everyone to follow this
same process. He taught that anyone—regardless of
background or spiritual qualification—can develop
their innate love of God and experience great spiritual
pleasure by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.
Gaura Purnima means “golden full moon,” signifying
that:
(1) Lord Chaitanya was “born” during a full moon,
and
(1) The Lord blesses everyone with the soothing,
moonlike rays of His sublime teachings.
His followers generally observe this festival by
fasting and chanting the holy names all day. At
moonrise, a special multi-course feast is offered to
the Lord and then enjoyed by all.
Who is Lord Chaitanya?
Gaura Purnima
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or Lord Chaitanya is an
incarnation of Krishna who appeared in Nadia, West
Bengal, India in the 15th century AD. His significance
for those of us living in the modern world can hardly
be overstated. When Krishna spoke Bhagavad Gita to
his devotee-disciple-friend, the military commander
Arjuna, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra around
3,000 BC, He exhibited all the power and majesty
of God Himself. His final instruction to Arjuna was
that surrendering to Him is superior to all other
religious duties. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared,
as predicted in the Bhagavad Gita itself: “Whenever
and wherever there is a decline in religiosity, and a
pre-eminent rise in irreligion, at that time I descend
Myself.”
In His youth, Chaitanya was known as Nimai Pandit.
He gained early fame as the world’s preeminent
scholar of the Vedas, able to defeat by logic and
argument any philosophical opposition. His mission
was to popularize the public chanting of the Hare
Krishna mantra. According to many references
in the sacred teachings of the Vedas, chanting this
simple mantra is the most highly recommended
means of achieving spiritual perfection available in
the modern age.
Essentially, Lord Chaitanya is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Himself, appearing as His
own devotee, teaching how to best practice Krishna
consciousness by His own most authorized example.
He debated with some of the most respected Vedic
scholars of His day—Kesava Kashmiri, Sarvabhauma
Bhattacharya, and Prakashananda Sarasvati.
Chaitanya was able to convince each one of them
that the worship of the Personality of God is superior
to any other philosophical system.
He also challenged the religious establishment

y emphasizing spiritual equality of all living beings,
insisting that anyone can become a devotee of Krishna—
and even a spiritual master—regardless of social
position, caste, or even species. His unique position
as Krishna appearing as His own devotee has another
component, which is that He wished to experience the
most sublime spiritual emotions of Srimati Radharani—
Krishna’s own internal potency and greatest devotee. As
a result of experiencing such uncommon spiritual ecstasy,
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu often manifested extreme bodily
symptoms that are almost unbelievable.
Gaura Purnima Festival
The annual Gaura Purnima Festival is the most exciting
event of the year at Mayapur. Since Sri Mayapur is
the transcendental appearance place of the Supreme
Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu, the Mayapur
Chandrodaya Mandir serves
as the international spiritual
headquarters for ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada desired all devotees to come to
Mayapur at least once in a year as far as possible, to get
charged with the unlimited mercy of Mahaprabhu, and
Gaura Purnima is the best time to do this.
The festival officially begins after the ISKCON’s
Governing Body Commission (GBC) meetings and
festivities extend to about 3 weeks. But many devotees
start to assemble at Mayapur even one week earlier,
at the beginning of the GBC meetings. So, about one
month before Gaura Purnima each year Mayapur gets
flooded by devotees from all around the world and
everyone is enjoying blissful Sadhu-sanga. First week
senior and experienced leading Vaishnavas conduct Satsanga
and other seminars organized by the Mayapur
Institute. Award nights praise devotees for preaching
endeavors such as congregational preaching and book
distribution. Second week all devotees perform annual
Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama. Third week is filled
with festivities and cultural programs. Various cultural
entertainment programs such as dance, drama, ISKCON
cinemas, kirtanas, and bhajanas are performed every
evening. A mini-market is set up for the devotees to
procure unique Mayapur products, as well as other
devotional items. Almost every day is dedicated to one
major festivities event.
Source: www.krishna.com, www.gaurapurnima.com
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