On the 10th of February, two days after our return from Ekachakra to Mayapur was Vasanta Pancami - the beginning of spring. It is always such a beautiful day, when Radha Madhava and the Astha Sakhis are dressed in yellow, with profuse flower decorations - all in yellow.
The spring season signifies new life and joy, and Mother Nature shares that jubilation in the form of blossoming flowers and flourishing trees. It is indeed a very beautiful time of the year. As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita: “…and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.”
Traditionally in Vrndavan, Vasanta Pancami is celebrated very wonderfully. All the deities are dressed in beautiful yellow cloth and elaborately decorated, and all ladies dress in various shades of yellow or green.
In Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha Madhava are offered a new dress designed by the community devotees and decorated with many flowers. Everything, from the cloth to the jewellery to the decorations and even the complexion of Srimati Radharani and the gopis, is yellow.
Traditionally in Vrndavan, Vasanta Pancami is celebrated very wonderfully. All the deities are dressed in beautiful yellow cloth and elaborately decorated, and all ladies dress in various shades of yellow or green.
In Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha Madhava are offered a new dress designed by the community devotees and decorated with many flowers. Everything, from the cloth to the jewellery to the decorations and even the complexion of Srimati Radharani and the gopis, is yellow.
The white marble of the gopis’ forms is given a golden hue using a specially prepared mixture of saffron powder and water. Along with a small group of pujaris, Jananivas Prabhu carefully applies the fragrant pigmented mixture on the gopis’ bodies with a soft cloth.
The deities look so breathtakingly beautiful in Their new flower-bedecked outfits, which perfectly complement Their golden complexions, and the heavenly aroma from the bodies of Srimati Radhika and Her sakhis permeates the temple hall, and amplifies the sweetness and ecstasy of the devotees.
The deities look so breathtakingly beautiful in Their new flower-bedecked outfits, which perfectly complement Their golden complexions, and the heavenly aroma from the bodies of Srimati Radhika and Her sakhis permeates the temple hall, and amplifies the sweetness and ecstasy of the devotees.
Vasanta Pancami is also a very popular day for weddings, and Saci-Suta Prabhu and Rasarani Mataji chose to get married on this auspicious day.
Three years ago, when she had finished the girls' school of Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja in Mayapur, I had taken her on a little tour around Europe for four months. She had moved to Mayapur with her parents at the age of one year, and she had only been outside of Mayapur two times for two weeks, to renew her passport. After finishing school she had turned 18, and her parents desired for her to see the world of ISKCON and travel a little. Even though they did not know me, they somehow trusted me and put their daughter under my care. It had been a nice experience for her, and I felt honored to offer some insignificant service to her by broadening her life experience.
Three years ago, when she had finished the girls' school of Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja in Mayapur, I had taken her on a little tour around Europe for four months. She had moved to Mayapur with her parents at the age of one year, and she had only been outside of Mayapur two times for two weeks, to renew her passport. After finishing school she had turned 18, and her parents desired for her to see the world of ISKCON and travel a little. Even though they did not know me, they somehow trusted me and put their daughter under my care. It had been a nice experience for her, and I felt honored to offer some insignificant service to her by broadening her life experience.
After this tour her parents had searched for a suitable husband for her, and Saci-Suta Prabhu, a nice kirtaniya who also grew up in ISKCON was to be the chosen one.
This wedding was the most stylish and beautiful wedding I had ever attended. The venue was behind the Mayapur goshala, under the trees - in open nature. There was no fancy pandal, but everything was kept so simple, natural and tasteful: the trees decorated with lights served as the pandal, and a little mandap for the sacrifice was made from flowers and lights. The area was nicely decorated with naturally kept flower arrangements and painted water pots. The bride arrived in a beautifully decorated bullock cart driven by her brother, who was festively dressed up and was wearing a turban. The bride was accompanied by her girl-friends from school riding along in the bullock cart, carrying beautifully decorated and painted water pots. It was truly a scene from Vraja, reminding of the gopis! All the young ladies emanated such a chaste beauty - they had grown up with good Vaishnava training according to the principles of chastity and shyness.
This wedding was the most stylish and beautiful wedding I had ever attended. The venue was behind the Mayapur goshala, under the trees - in open nature. There was no fancy pandal, but everything was kept so simple, natural and tasteful: the trees decorated with lights served as the pandal, and a little mandap for the sacrifice was made from flowers and lights. The area was nicely decorated with naturally kept flower arrangements and painted water pots. The bride arrived in a beautifully decorated bullock cart driven by her brother, who was festively dressed up and was wearing a turban. The bride was accompanied by her girl-friends from school riding along in the bullock cart, carrying beautifully decorated and painted water pots. It was truly a scene from Vraja, reminding of the gopis! All the young ladies emanated such a chaste beauty - they had grown up with good Vaishnava training according to the principles of chastity and shyness.
Most of the attending guests were all in the mood of simple living and Bhakti Vidya Purna Maharaja's teachings, which created a very harmonious and pleasing atmosphere. Subhekshana Prabhu conducted the ceremony, and Madhava Prabhu had specially come to the wedding to lead the kirtan, being an old friend of Saci-suta Prabhu, both having served for many years in the 24-hour kirtan in Vrindavan. Maharaja also attended the wedding, and I could sense a certain fatherly pride in him, seeing one of his girls getting married, who concluded the entire girls' school education. He spoke some words of wisdom, and after the sacrifice the newly wedded couple went to all the senior guests and well-wishers, begging for blessings and giving boxes of sweets in charity. I gave a hand-made cloth doll of Lord Nrsimhadeva and Prahlada as a gift - for the future children.....
And while taking the delicious feast, we could hear the cows and bulls mooing in the back ground......
The beautiful impressions stayed with me for a few days. It was a wedding in the mood of "Mayapur meets Vrindavan"......
Your servant, Devaki dd
And while taking the delicious feast, we could hear the cows and bulls mooing in the back ground......
The beautiful impressions stayed with me for a few days. It was a wedding in the mood of "Mayapur meets Vrindavan"......
Your servant, Devaki dd
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