Gaura Poornima

Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the great apostle of love of God and the father of the congregational chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord, advented Himself at Sridhama Mayapura, a quarter in the city of Navadvipa in Bengal, on the Phalguni Poornima evening in the year 1407 Sakabda (corresponding to February 1486 by the Christian calendar). His father was Sri Jagannatha Mishra, a learned brahmana from the district of Sylhet. His mother was Srimati Sachidevi, a daughter of Srila Nilambara Chakravarti, the great, learned scholar of Navadvipa. Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His transcendental activities for forty-eight years and then withdrew his mortal form in the year 1455 Sakabda at Puri.

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On Gaura Poornima, the festival to commemorate Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental appearance on this planet more than 500 years ago, to propagate the yuga dharma of Kali-yuga, Harinama sankirtana, devotees fast till moon rise.

At ISKCON Bangalore, the utsava Deities of Nitai Gauranga (Lord Nityananda and Lord Chaitanya) receive a very grand abhisheka from 108 kalashas. They then receive a wonderful offering of 108 dishes. The devotees enact Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes relating to preaching Krishna’s message to the masses. A Shayana arati is performed, to the accompaniment of a special song glorifying Lord Chaitanya. The Deities are then taken in a pallakki with the singing of the most ecstatic kirtanas. The festival ends with an anukalpa feast (made from non-grain ingredients).

Lord Chaitanya moved the masses by performing the congregational chanting of the holy name. The intelligent people of this fallen age take to this method of worship of the Supreme Lord.

Click here to view the Photo Gallery of Sri Gaura Poornima 2001 - 2010