A Grand Festival in Śrī Māyāpura (Śrī Śrī Māyāpura Mahā-mahotsava)
A Grand Festival in Śrī Māyāpura (Śrī Śrī Māyāpura Mahā-mahotsava)
Overview
This article was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī (Vol.6, Issue 1) in 1894. Herein, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives a report of the first Gaura Pūrṇimā festival held in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura and compares it to the first Gaura Pūrṇimā festival in Kheturi, organised by Ṭhākura Narottama Dāsa.
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
(translated by Swami B.V. Giri)
O devotees, please listen! On the Phalguni Pūrṇimā of the 8th of Caitra *(1), Kali-yuga-pāvana Śrī Gaurāṅga reappeared in His Deity form along with Śrī Viṣṇupriyā in the home of Śrīmatī Śacī Devī.
Tuesday Evening 7th CaitraThe Deities of the Divine Couple, were seated on the throne at Śrī Yogapīṭha. At that time, the singer Śrīyuta Hari Dāsa, along with the devotees, sang songs for the Adhivāsa.*(2)
Wednesday, 8th Caitra
The happiness of that day cannot be described. Early in the morning, when Śrī Gaurāṅga and Viṣṇupriyā were seated on a throne in the temple at Śrī Yogapīṭha, and Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava were seated on another throne, thousands and thousands of pilgrims and devotees, overwhelmed with bliss, chanted “Jaya!” immersed in the joy of taking darśana. Meanwhile, the Lord’s attendants were moving about, engaged in blissful service. At the same time, many devotees from various places, including Sylhet, Dhaka, Tripura, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Faridpur, Jessore, Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Medinipur, Hooghly, 24 Parganas, and Kolkata, were entering with joy, desiring to have darśana of the Deities of the Divine Couple as well as that of the mahājanas there. Government representatives who are tasked with maintaining the peace, made arrangements to ensure that everyone could have proper darśana.
After around 25,000 to 30,000 pilgrims finished taking darśana, the pratiṣṭhā ceremony began. It took three hours to complete the pratiṣṭhā, pūjā and bhoga offering. Many of the scholarly community from Navadvīpa were present at that time. In the afternoon, the pilgrims experienced supreme joy during the Holi celebrations.
In the evening and at night, during the time of the lunar eclipse, Śrī Jayagopāla Gosvāmī Mahāśaya recited the pastimes of Śrī Gaurāṅga’s birth. At that time, some extraordinary pastimes were observed.
During the grand saṅkīrtana, thousands of people, overwhelmed with ecstasy, began to bathe in the waters of the Jāhnavī at Śrī Gaṅgānagar, in front of Śrī Māyāpura. Later, in the nāṭa-mandira, enchanting saṅkīrtana was performed by Śrī Banuyārī Dāsa and Śrī Hari Dāsa.
At the time of Mahāprabhu, Śrī Māyāpura was situated in the midst of the great city of Navadvīpa. About a hundred years later, due to extensive land erosion caused by the Gaṅgā and Khaḍiyā (Sarasvatī/Jālangī), the local brāhmaṇas, paṇḍitas, and wealthy individuals moved to the west bank of Śrī Gaṅgā Devī. Initially, they settled in Bāblā-Āḍi village and later in the village of Kuliyā, which is now the site of present-day Navadvīpa. They relocated their community and deities there. Since that time, Māyāpura gradually simply became a small habitation for a few people. This year, just as in 1407 of the Śaka Era (1485 CE), due to the appearance of the Lord, the city of Māyāpura is being re-established on that very land. Many people felt sad due to the availability of only a few pakka houses or lodging facilities for pilgrims. By the desire of Śrī Mahāprabhu, starting this coming year, much of that distress will be alleviated. An arrangement for a reservoir with good water is being made near Śrī Yogapīṭha.
Thursday, 9th of CaitraPreparations for the grand festival began in the morning. About a thousand people were involved in cooking rice and other preparations, and it was almost afternoon by the time the bhoga was offered to Śrī Śrī Mahāprabhu. The thousand-eyed Indra, who supports the pastimes of Mahāprabhu, covered the fierce heat of the sun with a dense canopy of clouds, providing special comfort to the pilgrims who were arriving. For the benefit of the grand festival, at that time, a kīrtana procession led by Śrī Kailasa Chandra Mukhopadhyaya Mahāśaya commenced in the mango grove of Śrīvāsāṅgana. The pilgrims were especially satisfied hearing this until evening. Following the procession, there was an exceptional performance of manohara-sāhi at the nāṭa-mandira of Mahāprabhu.*(3)
Friday, 10th of CaitraTo the great happiness of the pilgrims, there was a melā (fair) where there were things to buy and sell, as well as pūjā and bhoga offerings to Śrī Śrī Mahāprabhu, and a long kīrtana. In the morning of that day there was a memorable procession to the samādhi of Cānda Kazi Mahāśaya in Mathurā***(4). All the Hindus and Muslims rejoiced at that. A saṅkīrtana party from Śrī Śrī Mahāprabhu’s residence carrying fourteen mṛdaṅgas, banners and ḍaṅkās*(5)** went to the samādhi of Kazi Mahāśaya. During the saṅkīrtana, the devotees danced and spread the bliss of the Holy Name, moving through the various places associated with Mahāprabhu’s pastimes, such as the Ballāl-Dighī and Brāhman Puṣkariṇī in Śrī Māyāpura. The great devotee, Śrī Naphar Chandra Pal Chaudhury Mahāśaya, especially showed great bliss during saṅkīrtana along with many other devotees.
Saturday, 11th of CaitraAll the previous festivals had taken place. That night, the festival concluded with the performance of songs about rāma-līlā.
It seems that apart from the mahā-mahotsava of Śrīpāṭa Kheturī, there has been no other worldwide festival like the mahā-mahotsava in Śrī Śrī Māyāpura.*(6) In many places, wealthy devotees have been organising grand festivals at their own homes, spending vast amounts of money. However, by the inspiration of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, such a worldwide event, organised at the personal expense and care of the general devotees, has not been observed anywhere else. A huge fair was organised – toraṇas were erected, and naharata and other instruments were played.*(7) Various kinds of renunciates and Vaiṣṇavas wearing different insignia all sat in various places feeling blissful. Many learned men, who had mostly abandoned respect for their own country in favour of Western learning, also sincerely participated in large numbers in the mahā-mahotsava, adopting the dress of Vaiṣṇavas. About fifty thousand people came from far and wide to Śrī Māyāpura to witness the mahā-mahotsava. Hoping to see modern Navadvīpa overshadow the glories of the ancient Śrī Māyāpura, only a few selfish persons undertook some action opposing its development. However, since the devotees of Bhagavān were aware of the glories of Śrī Māyāpura, they disregarded all the obstacles presented by them and came to Śrī Māyāpura, expressing particular joy.
Srihatta, Maimansingh, Faridpur, Jessore, Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Medinipur, and Kolkata – there were many pure devotees of Gaura present from all these places. We have heard that some people, having been instructed, and others, through inspiration, have made special endeavours regarding the manifestation of Māyāpura. The names of all these mahātmās will be revealed in a separate publication.
Regarding the use of the funds collected for this matter, a detailed printed description has been issued, and we will provide a statement concerning that. We hope that within a year, the construction of a brick temple for Śrīman Mahāprabhu will be completed. Those mahātmās who have not yet made their contributions should not delay any longer. Send all possible help to the honourable chairman.
*****
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:
*(1) Caitra is the Hindu calendar month corresponding to March-April.
*(2) Ādhivāsa is an auspicious ceremony performed a day before a major event.
*(3) Manohara-sāhi is a style of kīrtana which was originally propagated by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya.
*(4) The place of Canda Kazi’s samādhi in Gauḍa-maṇḍala is non-different from Mathurā in Vraja-maṇḍala, because Canda Kazi was Kaṁsa in kṛṣṇa-līlā.
*(5) A ḍaṅkā (or dhak) is a large drum from Bengal played with wooden sticks. It is especially popular during Durgā Pūjā.
*(6) Śrīpāṭa Kheturī is a place in the Rajshahi District of East Bengal (now Bangladesh) where Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura organised the first Gaura Pūrṇimā festival.
*(7) A toraṇa is an archway. During festivals in India, temporary arches made of bamboo, cloth, flowers etc, are erected on a road. Naharata refers to a professional drum group that plays in a synchronised fashion.