*Day 16 – Govardhana-puja and Varsana Parikrama*
Today we will be spending the day at our camp at Sri Varshana Dham, Celebrating Govardhan Puja, and in the afternoon will go for Varshana Parikrama. Today is also the beginning of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of Kartik Month and also the appearance day of Sri Rasikanand Prabhu, the foremost disciple of Shyamanand Prabhu a stalwart preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Tomorrow many devotees from various ISKCON temples will join us for the Govardhan Puja.
*Go Puja*
After morning class we will perform Go-Puja. Krishna is famous as Gopala, the protector of the cows 🐄🐂. We will also decorate a large pandal with flowers and balloons for Govardhana-puja festival, today’s highlights are as follows
*1. Go-puja*
After morning class we perform go-puja. Krishna is famous as Gopala, protector of cows. Cows are one of our seven mothers. We wash cows’ hooves, offer them garlands, feed them laddus, pay our obeisances and circumambulate them.
*2. Govardhana-puja*
With melodious kirtana, we offer lamps to large Giriraja-sila and perform grand abhiseka with panca-gavya, pancamrta, 8 types of seeds and various fruit juices.
After abhiseka He is showered with flower petals of all kinds.
As the arati is offered to Giriraja, our kirtana fills the sky. Many senior devotees glorify Govardhana in turns.
Devotees from all over Vraja gather at Aniyora to perform the famous Annakuta ceremony.
We offer 56 bhoga (often more than that) to a large Govardhana Hill made of halava.
Ecstatic kirtan and pooja takes place.
We honor opulent prasadam. After the feast, we load huge quantities of halava onto Parasurama Prabhu’s bullock cart to be taken out and shared with the residents of Varsana.
*3. Varsana Parikrama*
The name Varsana is derived from Vrsabhanu-pura, capital of Maharaja Vrsabhanu.
Lord Siva, Brahma and Visnu all desired residence in Vrajabhumi. Lord Siva became Nandisvara Hill in Nandigrama. Lord Brahma incarnated as Varsana Hill who has four peaks (Mana-garh, Mayura-kutira, Dana-garh and peak of Ladali-Lala temple) representing His four heads. Lord Visnu appeared as Vilasa-garh.
We visit Vrsabhanu-kunda.
*4. Sankari-khor*
It’s a narrow path among two hills where Krishna and cowherd boys had broken earthern pots of gopis.
*5. Ciksauli-grama*
It’s Citra Sakhi’s birthplace. Citra is 4th among 8 principal gopis. A nearby pond Mayura-sarovara, was created by Citra Sakhi.
*6. Gahvarvana and Krishna-kunda*
In the middle of beautiful forest, Gahvarvana and at the foot of Mor-kutira Hill is Krishna-kunda. We can see Madhumangala’s throne to the side of Kunda.
*7. Mor-kutira (Mayura-kutira)*
It’s the temple of the peacocks. It’s a place of beautiful pastimes Krishna and Radharani dancing in the form of peacocks.
*8. Mana-garh*
At the top of hill is a small, well maintained temple Mana-kutira. Srimati Radharani exhibited Her jealous anger (mana) towards Lord Krishna.
*9. Dana-garh*
We have darsana of beautiful Sri Sri Radha-Dana-bihari. Here Lord Krishna had given a brahmana in charity the gold and diamonds weighing equal to Radharani.
*10. Radha-Kusala-bihari Mandira*
It is a splendid temple built by the king of Jaipur.
*11. Ladali-Lala temple (Sriji Mandira)*
Beautiful Deities of Ladali-Lala are a point of everyone’s attraction. Here Maharaja Vrsabhanu’s palace once stood.
On the way of parikrama there is a beautiful lake north of Varsana known as *Pili-pokhara* where Radharani had washed her hands (turmeric paste applied by Mother Yasoda).