Ashrama Events 2005 - Sri Narasingha Caitanya Matha

2005 - 1 [Jan-Feb.] — Nityananda Trayodasi, Vasanta-pancami, Installation of Lord Jagannatha and Gaura-Gadadhara, Ashrama Publications & Videos, Kaliya-Mardana Krsna Asrama, Kannada Songbook Printed.

See Events Index below for more events from 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 & 2000.

February 2005

Nityananda Trayodasi
Devotees at the matha celebrated the holy appearance of Lord Nityananda on trayodasi, Mon. 21st February.

Gaura Nityananda Swami Narasingha on Nityananda Trayodasi

The morning program began with the decorating of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and the devotees sang various bhajanas praising the mercy of Lord Nityananda. After, Srila Narasingha Maharaja gave class from Caitanya-caritamrta and Caitanya-bhagavata extolling the glories of Nityananda Prabhu. Narasingha Maharaja stressed that a genuine Gaudiya Vaisnava will never neglect the worship of Lord Nityananda. Maharaja also spoke about the position of Lord Nityananda as non-different from Lord Balarama and told how Srila Yayavara Maharaja and Srila Sridhara Maharaja had declared that Srila Prabhupada (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami) was empowered by Lord Nityananda to spread the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the world and that Lord Niyananda personally resided in the body of Srila Prabhupada for twelve years and made him dance. Narasingha Maharaja also spoke about faith in guru and Krsna being above knowledge.

Later in the day, devotees and guests honored a prasadam feast (mercy of Lord Nityananda) offered to the Deities. Narasingha Maharaja's lecture will be available soon as a downloadable mp3 audio file.

Vasanta-pancami Mahotsava
Vasanta-pancami, the first day of the spring season, was celebrated on 13th Feb at the matha. Sri Sri Radha-Madhava were dressed in yellow and the altar was profusely decorated with flowers, buds and mango leaves. In commemoration of Vasanta-pancami, a variety of sweets were offered to Their Lordships at midday.

Radha Madhava Vasanta Pancami Vasanta Pancami Prasadam

Vasanta-pancami also happens to be the appearance day of Srimati Visnu-priya Thakurani, Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and the disappearance day of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. In the afternoon, Bhakti Vijnana Giri Maharaja gave class on the life of Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami.

In Bangalore Sripada Visnu Maharaja held a program at the home of Vaisnavananda Prabhu and Gopala Dasi which was attended by many devotees and congregation members. Maharaja spoke about the occasion of Vasanta-pancami and the life and precepts of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami as well as those of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.

January 2005

Grand Installation Ceremony of Lord Jagannatha and Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara
On 25th January, on the auspicious occasion of Pusyabhiseka, the devotees of Sri Narasingha Caitanya Matha performed the installation ceremony of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara and Sri Patita-pavana Jagannatha. (Pusyabhiseka is the same day, as in Satya-yuga, that the original Deity of Lord Jagannatha was first installed.)

About 250 devotees and guests from Bangalore, Mysore, and Mandya came for the festival at Govindaji Gardens. Sripada Jayadvaita Swami Maharaja of ISKCON, Sripada Bhakti Vedanta Vaikhanasa Maharaja of Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti and Caru Dasa Prabhu of the Sri Sri Radha-Krsna Temple of Utah, USA were some of the special guests that attended the function.

At 8:30 am Srila Narasingha Maharaja requested Sripada Jayadvaita Maharaja and Sripada Vaikhanasa Maharaja to give class to the assembled devotees on the first verse of Siksastakam extolling the glories of the Holy Name.

Jayadvaita Swami Kirtan

Jayadwaita Swami Class Gaura Gadadhara Abhiseka

At 10:00, everyone gathered outside Lord Jagannatha's new temple to witness the abhiseka of Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara. Amidst a roaring kirtana led by H.H. Bhakti Srirupa Madhava Maharaja and the blowing of conches, the Deities were brought out to the snana-vedi and bathed by Srila Narasingha Maharaja and Srila Visnu Maharaja in panca-gavya, pancamrta and other auspicious substances.

Gauranga Mahaprabhu Abhiseka Gadadhara Pandita Abhiseka

After the bathing ceremony was over, Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara were taken into the temple where the prana-pratistha was performed, formally requesting Lord Jagannatha and Gaura-Gadadhara to accept worship from Their servitors. Then, as the kirtana gathered momentum, the doors were opened and everyone took darsana for the first time.

Jagannatha Darshan

It would be no exaggeration to say that the darsana was so breathtaking that all the devotees were instantly stunned. All the devotees and guests then came up to the temple to offer puspanjali to the lotus feet of Jagannatha while Narasingha Maharaja and Visnu Maharaja performed puspa-abhiseka with rose petals.

Nanda Kisora & Family Jagadishvara & Family

Returning to the verandah of the temple, Narasingha Maharaja spoke about the specialty of Gaura-Gadadhara and Jagannatha. He explained that when Jagannatha is worshipped alone then He is known as Patita-pavana Jagannatha and it was this form of Jagannatha that was worshipped by the ancestors of Bhaktivinoda Thakura for 400 years. Patita-pavana Jagannatha is considered to be most merciful to His devotees.

Swami Narasingha Class Swamis

Narasingha Maharaja also explained the importance of worshipping Gaura-Gadadhara for the Gaudiya Vaisnavas who want to understand the essence of Sri Sri Radha Krsna lila. Maharaja also explained that Gadadhara is considered to be the devotee who has the greatest love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and that Gadadhara represents the guru-tattva in Gaura lila for devotees absorbed in madhurya-rasa. He also explained that the inspiration for the temple of Jagannatha and Gaura-Gadadhara at Govindaji Gardens came from the temple of Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja at Gopinatha Gaudiya Matha in Mayapura where Patitapavana-Jagannatha and Sri Sri Gaura Gadadhara are worshiped on the same altar in the mood of separation, vipralambha-bhava.

Deity Installation Jagannatha Installation

After the lecture, naivedya was offered to the Deities and then the devotees sang the new Jagannatha / Gaura-Gadadhara arati song. All the devotees then assembled in the prasadam hall and honored a wonderful feast of Jagannatha mahaprasadam.

Jagannatha Prasadam

Without a doubt, the darsana of Lord Jagannatha and Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara at Govindaji Gardens is the most spectacular darsana of Lord Jagannatha in the entire world save and except for the darsana of the original Lord Jagannatha in Jagannatha Puri!

Temple of Lord Jagannatha
Swami B. B. Visnu installs the chakra on the top of the new temple of Lord Jagannatha.

On January 25, 2005 devotees will gather at Govindaji Gardens for the installation of Lord Jagannatha and Gaura Gadadhara Deities in their new temple. A grand festival will begin at 10 am with abhiseka, kirtana, puspanjali, class by Swami B. G. Narasingha on the glories of Lord Jagannatha and a special feast offering for Lord Jagannatha.

Follow Angels - BR Sridhara Maharaja Ashrama Publications
The Himalayan Pilgrimage Video by DevaVision Video Documentaries has been completed and will soon be for sale from Mandala Publishing.

Upcoming ashrama publications include a book of Srila Sridhara Maharaja, tentatively entitled, Encounters with Divinity and a Devavision video on the life of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

New Asrama: Kaliya-Mardana Krsna Asrama
Much of the month of December was spent with devotees going back and forth to the west coast of Karnataka where we have recently purchased a small property and are developing a new asrama.

The new asrama is located 30 kilometers south of Udupi at the confluence of the Shyambhavi River and the Arabian Sea. At the time of registering the property in the Village Registration Office it was learned that for 400 years the property had been owned by the Deity, Kaliya-Mardana Krsna, of Krishnapur Matha at Suratkal. The Krishnapur Matha is a Madhva sampradaya temple.

However, due to a decline in the Madhva sampradaya, the properties of the Deity were sold to individuals in 1968 and gradually the matha ceased to exist. The Deity was moved from Suratkal to Udupi where it still remains on the altar of the main Udupi Krsna Matha established by Sri Madhvacarya.

After learning that our recently purchased property was once owned by Kaliya-mardana Krsna we decided to name our new project the Kaliya-mardana Krsna Asrama. During December a compound wall, gate and well were constructed and plans for the new temple and asrama were developed with the help of a local architect. It has also been decided by our senior members that when the construction is completed that the Deity of Kaliya-mardana Krsna will be installed.

More reports of this new asrama and the preaching therein will be posted on our website as things develop. All good fortune comes to us by the grace of Krsna, Guru, and Vaisnava.

Kannada Songbook Printed
The ashrama songbook 'Sri Kirtan' has been translated from English and printed in Kannada, the local language in Karnataka, South India. Plans are underway to print in Kannada a small booklet entitled 'Miracles of Sri Chaitanya," about the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, written by Svami B. G. Narasingha. The unique pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, such as the curing of the leper Vasudeva or His causing the animals of Jharikanda Forest to chant the Holy Name, will be viewed by the local populace as miracles. The book 'Evolution of Theism' by Svami B. G. Narasingha is being translated into Kannada and will be printed soon.

Asrama Events 2005 [January-February]

Asrama Events 2005 [January-February]