By Deena Bandhu dasa
Now that Janmastami and Radhastami Festivals have finished, naturally thoughts of Kartika begin to drift into the mind. The Puranas glorify the month of Kartika as very special for making spiritual advancement, and the best place to be in Kartika is Sri Braja Dham. In fact this month is known as Damodar since in the middle of this month, the Lord performed His very enchanting Damodar Lila. Kartika month also represents Radharani, and devotees perform special austerities to gain Her favor.
With great happiness in our hearts, we invite everyone to join in the auspicious Kartika Festival in Vrindavan. Since early next year there will be Purusottama extra month, so Kartika is quite early this year and the weather will not be so cold. We have organized a wonderful variety of parikramas to the Holy Places of Krishna’s pastimes in Braja for all of you. Almost daily, we will be going by bus leaving at 7 AM and returning in time for lunch around 2 PM, unless otherwise noted. Sometimes we will also join up with Lokanatha Swami’s Braja Mandala Parikrama and enjoy the association of the many devotees who will be wandering around Braja on foot. Tickets will be available from the newly renovated Information Center next to the temple, and all of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and accompanied family member are free!
The 22nd of October is the Holy Disappearance Day Festival of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and we extend a warm invitation to all to come and commemorate this sacred occassion with us in Sri Vrindavan, where His Divine Grace is sitting in Samadhi. Leading up to this day, every evening, senior disciples will be relating their memories of Srila Prabhupada. One day before, we will take Srila Prabhupada in the very same palanquin from 1977 for a grand Sankirtan Procession past all the Goswami temples in Vrindavan.
Parikrama Schedule
October
4 8:00 PM Moonlit Parikrama of Govardhana
6 7:00 AM Vrindavan Temples
7 7:00 AM Madhuvan Talavan
8 7:00 AM Barsana
9 9:30 AM Narottama Das Disap. Radha Gokulananda Mandir
10 7:00 AM Mansarovar, Bandhirvan, Baelvan Return by Boat
11 8:00 PM Midnight Bath at Radha Kunda
13 7:00 AM Radha Kunda
14 5:00 AM Badrinatha
16 7:00 AM Vrinda Kunda Nandagram, Lunch at Vrinda Kunda
17 7:00 AM Raval and Gokula
18 Govardhan Puja
19 5:00 AM Giriraja Parikrama
21 7:00 AM Srila Prabhupada’s Procession to Goswami Temples
22 Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day
24 7:00 AM Javat – Ter Kadamba – Lunch at Vrinda Kunda
25 7:00 AM Rama Ghata – Chir Ghata
26 12:00 PM Gopastami Ter Kadamba
28 7:00 AM Lohavan
29 4:30 PM All night Kirtan in Vrinda Kunda
30 7:30 AM Vrinda Devi Festival in Vrinda Kunda
November
2 7:00 AM Tulasi Shaligram Vivah Vrinda Kunda
In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi, Deena Bandhu dasa