Today is the seventh day of the Chandan Yatra, concluding the first special seven days of this divine summer festival, where each day, our beloved Lords are adorned in unique and exquisite vesas (outfits) as part of their cooling sandalwood pastimes. 

Our beloved Madhava and Chota Madhava appeared today in the majestic Chakra Narayana Vesa, completely draped in blue — a vision reminiscent of Sri Krishna in Vrindavan Dham, immersed in the transcendental moods of the divine forest. 

Alongside this, we reflect on a heartfelt prayer from Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī (Padyāvalī):

“The elephant of my mind is drowning in the waters of material illusion. Strongly held by the ferocious crocodile of the threefold miseries, it anxiously cries with fear in its heart. O Lord Hari, please rescue it with Your glowing Sudarśana cakra, which cuts the sufferings of the demigods to pieces.”

Let us offer the struggles of our minds at the Lord’s feet and remember His Sudarśana, which can dispel all darkness and suffering. 

Today is also the final day of the Boat Festival for Chota Radha Madhava, who have delighted us for seven nights with Their blissful boat pastimes. Their gentle swaying upon the sacred waters has touched the hearts of thousands. 

But the celebrations continue! Very soon, we will welcome the Boat Festival of Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Universe! 

Just yesterday, Lord Jagannatha was dressed in the stunning Govardhana Vesa, draped in blue — symbolizing His mighty pastime of lifting Govardhana Hill and sheltering the Vrajavasis.

May these first seven days of Chandan Yatra forever cool our hearts, purify our minds, and deepen our love for the Lord. The journey continues, and so does the joy! 

Jaya Jagannatha! Jaya Radha Madhava!

Today, the Lords appear in Their Khat Doli Vesa, gracefully enjoying Their eternal swing pastimes beneath the lush groves of Vrindavan. As the golden swing sways gently from a flowering tree, Their transcendental beauty captivates the hearts of all who behold Them. 

As described in Bhakti Ratnakara by Pundarika Vidyanidhi:

“Krishna is enjoying the beauty of Radha-kunda.

The kunda is full of pure water and lotuses.

Bumblebees hum amongst the lotuses, and the gentle wind causes small ripples in the water.

Aquatics move pleasurably through the water.

The banks of the kunda are decorated with different kinds of gems.

The covered terrace on the bank is decorated with painted pictures.

The abode of Cupid bows its head, feeling inferior.

The birds and peacocks sing and dance as Radha and Krishna swing on a golden gem-studded swing hanging from the tree.” 

Today’s darshan invites us into this beautiful realm of Chota Radha Madhava — where the divine love swings to the rhythm of birdsong, and every breeze carries the scent of eternity. 

Sri Radha Madhava Ki Jai!!!

Click for Darshan Photos

Today, our beloved Lords appear in Their enchanting Vana Bihari form — the divine forest wanderer, delighting in sweet pastimes beneath flowering trees and along the cooling banks of the Yamuna. 

Adorned with fresh sandalwood paste, vibrant forest garlands, and the aroma of Vrindavan’s wilderness, They remind us of playful moments spent with cowherd friends — laughter echoing through the groves, the soft murmur of bees and birds, and the sacred joy of divine companionship. 

As described so sweetly in the Garga Samhita:

“After rescuing the calves and gopas from the death in Aghasura’s mouth, Sri Krishna went to the Yamuna’s shore and spoke the following delightful words:

‘O gopas, let us go to this beautiful and pleasing riverbank of soft sands, which is flooded with pollen from the lotuses blossoming in autumn, fragrant with a breeze carrying three scents, and filled with trees, vines and the humming of bees.

And now that three hours have passed and it is time for lunch, let us take our lunch here. I see that this place with soft sands is a very good place for our lunch. The calves will drink the water here, and then they will go to the new grasses there.’

Hearing Krishna’s words, the boys said, ‘So be it’. They all sat down on the riverbank to take lunch.”

— Sri Garga Samhita, Ch 7, Texts 3–7

 Such is the sweetness of Krishna's company — where every leaf whispers love, every breeze carries joy, and every moment becomes a divine festival.

Today’s Chandan Yatra vesa brings to life a thrilling and deeply meaningful pastime from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 10.12) — the killing of Aghāsura, the monstrous python demon.

“One day, Krishna desired to enjoy a picnic lunch in the forest with His cowherd boyfriends. As they wandered, laughing and playing with their calves, a terrifying figure awaited them – Aghāsura, the younger brother of Pūtanā and Bakāsura.”

Sent by Kaṁsa, Aghāsura took the terrifying form of a massive python, his mouth stretching from the earth to the heavens. He lay still on the forest path, his appearance deceptively blending in with the surroundings. The innocent cowherd boys, seeing the demon’s gaping mouth, mistook it for a cave or play structure, and — completely fearless due to Krishna’s presence — they entered inside, laughing and joking.

Their faith in Krishna’s protection was unshakable. Though they suspected danger, they knew Krishna would save them — and indeed, He did. After they were swallowed, Krishna entered the demon’s mouth Himself. There, He expanded His form, suffocating the demon from within and bursting Aghāsura’s body, liberating him and saving His dear friends.

This pastime is not only awe-inspiring but filled with lessons of:

Faith in Krishna’s protection

The Lord’s loving nature toward His devotees

How even a great demon, upon contact with Krishna, can be liberated

Let us reflect on the sweet confidence of the Vrajavāsīs — how their simple faith and childlike trust in Krishna became the cause of their protection and joy.

As part of today’s Chandan Yatra darshan, Their Lordships are dressed in a stunning vesa remembering this divine pastime — inviting us all to enter the spiritual world through remembrance, darshan, and śravaṇam.

Today, as part of the grand celebration of Chandan Yatra, Chota Madhava was adorned in a beautiful Raghunatha Vesa. 

A Glimpse from the Ramayana: 

As Lord Rāmacandra, accompanied by His brother Bharata, entered the city of Ayodhyā in the midst of a grand festival, the air was filled with joy and reverence. Upon entering the palace, Lord Rāma humbly offered obeisances to the revered mothers of His kingdom, including Kaikeyī, and especially to His beloved mother Kauśalyā. 

He also paid His respects to the spiritual preceptors, like Vasiṣṭha, and to the friends and companions, regardless of age, who were eager to offer Him their respect. Lord Lakṣmaṇa and Mother Sītā followed His example, returning obeisances to all as they entered the palace, where love and devotion filled every corner. 

In this beautiful moment, we are reminded of Lord Rāma's supreme humility and His unwavering respect for His family, mentors, and all those who hold Him dear. May we all learn to offer such love and respect in our own lives. 

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!!!

Today, in the sacred land of Sri Mayapur Dham, Their Lordships were adorned in the Vastra Harana Vesa, commemorating one of the most tender and intimate pastimes of Lord Krishna with the gopīs of Vraja.

This pastime is lovingly narrated in Chapter 22 of the Krishna Book, and is a divine example of how the pure-hearted devotion of the gopīs became the very cause of Krishna’s sweet reciprocation.

The unmarried gopīs, deeply desiring to have Krishna, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, as their husband, observed the Kātyāyanī-vrata with great sincerity. Each morning, before sunrise, they would bathe in the Yamunā River, then worship the deity of Goddess Kātyāyanī (Durgā) with candana pulp, garlands, incense, lamps, grains, fruits, and sacred twigs. Their heartfelt prayer:

“O supreme external energy of the Personality of Godhead, O supreme mystic power, O Goddess, please be kind to us and arrange for our marriage with the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa.”

Though Vaiṣṇavas do not typically worship demigods, and Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura strongly advises against it for those pursuing pure bhakti, the gopīs are an exception. Their worship was not for material gain—but purely to attain Krishna, the ultimate goal of all devotion. Their purpose was single-minded and divinely motivated. As Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, when Krishna is the center, any means sincerely aimed at reaching Him is acceptable in devotional life.

In response to their pure devotion, Krishna playfully appeared at the Yamunā, where the gopīs had left their garments on the shore, and stole them. Climbing a Kadamba tree, He joyfully engaged in teasing words, revealing His affection and eventually blessing the gopīs by fulfilling their desire.

As described in Vraja Vilāsa Stava by Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Goswāmī:

“Entering the clear waters of the Yamunā to prepare for the incomparable worship of Goddess Kātyāyanī, the girls of Vraja left their garments on the shore. Smiling and clever Krishna stole those garments, climbed a Kadamba tree, embarrassed the girls by speaking many splendid joking words, and eventually returned the garments. Take shelter of Ciraghattā, where the Lord enjoyed these pastimes.”

— Vraja Vilāsa Stava, Text 84

On the first day of Chandan Yatra in Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha Madhava with Their Asta-sakhis are offered the Rasamandala Vesa, depicting the divine Rasa Lila pastime of Lord Krishna.

Thus hearing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, speaking to pacify them, the gopīs became very much pleased. They became completely relieved of the great suffering of separation, not only by hearing the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead but also by touching His hands and legs. After this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead began His rāsa dance. A dance in the midst of many girls is called a rāsa dance. So Kṛṣṇa began to dance among the most beautiful and fortunate girls within the three worlds. The gopīs of Vṛndāvana, who were so attracted to Him, danced with Kṛṣṇa, hand in hand.

As the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa danced together, a very blissful musical sound was produced from the tinkling of their bells, ornaments and bangles. It appeared that Kṛṣṇa was a greenish sapphire locket in the midst of a golden necklace decorated with valuable stones. While Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs danced, they displayed extraordinary bodily features. The movements of their legs, their placing their hands on one another, the movements of their eyebrows, their smiling, the movements of the gopīs’ breasts, gopīs’ clothes and earrings, their cheeks, their hair with flowers – as Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs sang and danced these combined to appear like clouds, thunder, snow and lightning. Kṛṣṇa’s bodily features appeared just like a group of clouds, the gopīs’ songs were like thunder, their beauty appeared to be just like lightning in the sky, and the drops of perspiration visible on their faces appeared like falling snow. In this way, the gopīs and Kṛṣṇa fully engaged in dancing.

Also, at Sri Rajapur Jagannath Mandir, the divine forms of Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Srimati Subhadra Maharani have been beautifully adorned, marking the official beginning of this sacred summer festival. As the heat of the season arrives, we are blessed with the opportunity to lovingly anoint the Lord's transcendental body with cooling sandalwood paste—an offering of devotion and service.

View Chandan Yatra Vesa Darshan

Sri Rasa Mandala Ki Jai!

On a warm December morning last year, around 11:00 a.m., as I sought the association of the magnificent Lord and prayed to His dear most devotee Prahlada, I found myself involved in one of His temple lilas (pastimes), much to my astonishment

After offering my obeisances to the captivating Prahlada, who stands next to his beloved Lord with his hands folded and his small body decorated with fresh fresh flowers and beautiful ornaments, I prayed, "My dear Prahlada, you are expert in receiving all kinds of blessings from Lord Nrsimhadev. You even received the blessings of forgiveness for you demoniac father, Hiranyakasipu. Please ask you Lord to bless this poor soul with the destruction of everything that stands in the way of her devotional service. Show me the way to real happiness."

Then, as I stood meditating on the Lord's beauty and mercy, I heard a very sweet, deep voice: "I want My eyes back!" At first, I ignored it and kept my mind in the mode of prayer. But the voice spoke a second time: "I want My eyes back!" Attempting again to disregard this clear message raised a burning and almost a painful sensation in my heart. I was dumbfounded. What was I to do? Then the voice continued: "Go to the pujari." Okay, I thought, I have nothing to lose. If the pujaris think I am crazy, I will at most lose a bit of my false ego.

Praying to the Lord to give me the strength to carry out His order, I paid my obeisances and almost breathlessly headed for the pujari rooms. There I found Jananivas Prabhu reading the Srimad Bhagavatam. The atmosphere in the room was extremely serene and otherworldly. I stood there for several minutes and waited for him to notice me. Then, after I told him what happened, he asked me to go see his twin brother, Pankajanghri Prabhu, the actual pujari of Lord Nrsimhadev.

Somehow I felt that I didn't have to do more at this point."

The following day, as I approached the magnificent form of Lord Nrsimhadev, my mind buzzed with doubt. "What if that voice was just my mind, demanding the healing of my eyesight, which has been very poor and painful for the past six week?"Thinking in this way, I prayed for an answer. The voice spoke to me again, this time with a more serious and firm tone: "You will get your eyes back when I get mine!" His form always emanates a soft light, and my heart felt peaceful and warm. I felt overwhelmed with unusual confidence, as if my head were touching the sky.

The next morning, at 2:20 a.m., I woke up fully refreshed and wide-awake. It was unusually early for me, as I usually get up around six O'clock. A soft voice urged me to rise, bathe and attend mangala-arati (early morning worship)-- which I did.

After the ceremony was over, the same voice urged me to follow Pankajanghri Prabhu from Lord Nrsimhadev's altar into the pujari room. I felt very embarrassed and had tears in my eyes. I also felt a kind of unwillingness in my heart to reveal my mind to him.

As he was preparing the articles for the Lord's abhisheka, I started to talk to him. Pankajanghri Prabhu listened attentively to my story. Then, without saying anything, he smiled and gave me maha sweets from Lord Nrsimhadev's plate.

The following morning, when my daughter returned from the temple, she was shouting, "Mommy, they changed Nrsimhadev's eyes! He has beautiful red eyes now." And as the sweet deep voice had promised, my eyesight was miraculously cured--within three days.

All glories, all glories to the merciful Lord Nrsimhadev in Sri Mayapur.

[Editor's note: Lord Nrsimhadev originally had red eyes. One day, a devotee came to Mayapur and offered two precious yellow stones for His eyes, and the pujaris reluctantly changed the eyes on the Deity. They felt happy when the Lord revealed that He wanted His original red eyes.]

Atmarati Dasi, who joined ISKCON in 1980 is from Greece, and she wrote this article for Mayapur journal in 1997.

Yesterday, we celebrated the appearance day of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and it truly felt like a day full of mercy.

From the very start, we were blessed to witness the abhishek of Their Lordships, surrounded by beautiful kīrtan and joyful faces everywhere. It was a moment of deep bliss.

Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita is none other than Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī Herself in Gaura-līlā. Just as Rādhārāṇī is always by Kṛṣṇa’s side, in Gauralīlā, She manifests as Gadādhara Paṇḍita to quietly support Mahāprabhu through His moods of intense love and separation. Her mercy is soft and profound — she doesn’t seek attention, yet gives everything, even Her heart, to serve the Lord. This is the essence of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita’s mood.

But the sweetness didn’t stop there. After 4 p.m., the celebration continued with śloka recitations, glorifications, and a touching drama about Vallabha Bhaṭṭa.

Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, a learned scholar and devotee, had written a commentary on the Bhāgavatam and other scriptures. He came to Purī hoping Mahāprabhu and His associates would appreciate and accept his work. But Mahāprabhu, sensing Vallabha’s pride and that his conclusions weren’t fully aligned with pure devotion, didn’t show much interest.

Seeking support, Vallabha turned to Gadādhara Paṇḍita, who was gentle and humble. Out of kindness, Gadādhara listened to him. When Mahāprabhu found out, He became distant and stopped speaking to Gadādhara for some time. Gadādhara was deeply hurt and begged for forgiveness repeatedly.

Later, Mahāprabhu explained, “You are My very life and soul. If you give support to someone whose conclusions are not fully correct, how can I stay close to you?”

Hearing this, Gadādhara Paṇḍita accepted the words with humility, and seeing his sincerity, Mahāprabhu embraced him once again, restoring their relationship — one that was never truly broken.

After the drama, the children of the community recited more ślokas, and then we sang together with Viśākhā Māta ji and the Mayapur girls, especially the beautiful verses from Gopī-gītā.

As the evening drew to a close, we all sang Bhale Gaura Gadādhara Āratī, and we were blessed with the rare opportunity to personally offer flowers to Pañca Tattva. It was the perfect conclusion to such a meaningful and beautiful celebration.

Today, here in Mayapur, we celebrated the 1st Disappearance Anniversary of H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj.

It feels like it was only yesterday that we were struck by the news of Maharaj's departure — a moment we weren’t prepared for. Yet, isn't it so remarkable how Krishna has His perfect timing in calling back His dear devotees? 

Maharaj’s life is a shining example of how a true Vaishnava should live. Anyone who visited Mayapur would often see Maharaj attending Mangal Arati — whether at the Sri Narasimhadeva altar, Pancha Tattva, or Sri Sri Radha Madhava's altar — regardless of the challenges Maharaj faced with his health.

During major festivals, especially Gaura Purnima, Maharaj would always make the effort to be present among us, embodying the true spirit of a Vaishnava by his humble and devoted lifestyle.

This year’s Gaura Purnima felt very different without Maharaj physically present. Yet, deep in our hearts, we know he is still keeping an eye on all of us, guiding us silently.  We pray that we can genuinely imbibe his glorious example in our own lives.

The Art of Dying 

Srila Prabhupada taught us the sacred Art of Dying, and H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj is the perfect living example of it.

In Kartik 2023, Maharaj personally visited the Vaishnava Samadhi area at ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Gaushala, Sri Vrindavan Dham, to humbly select the location for his own Samadhi. After entering his Nitya Lila, Maharaj was placed exactly where he had desired — amidst the Samadhis of other great Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis.

For ordinary people, the thought of death brings fear. But pure devotees live in such a way that even in their passing, they become shining examples for the whole world. 

Srila Prabhupada explained it beautifully:

The kitten feels pleasure: “Oh, my mother is carrying me.”

The deer feels terror: “Oh, now I’m going to die.”

Though both devotees and non-devotees leave their bodies, the feeling is worlds apart.

Today's Celebration Schedule in Mayapur: 

Venue: TOVP Pujari Floor

Date: 25th April 2025 (Friday)

Schedule:

10:30 am – 10:45 am: Vaishnava Songs & Kirtan

10:45 am – 11:00 am: Video lecture by H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Glorifications by Srila Prabhupada’s Disciples, Senior Leaders & Devotees

Special glorification video by Prabhupada disciples

1:00 pm: Bhoga Offering & Life Journey Video of H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

1:30 pm: Pushpanjali & Arati

2:00 pm: Sumptuous Lunch Prasadam

Maharaj, we miss you dearly. We pray to carry forward your legacy of service, humility, and unwavering devotion.