The Lord’s Appearance Festival (Avirbhāvotsava)
The Lord’s Appearance Festival (Avirbhāvotsava)
Overview
Avirbhāvotsava (‘The Lord’s Appearance Festival’) was first published in Sajjana Toṣaṇī, Vol.4, Issue 12 in 1893. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives a report describing the annual Gaura Pūrṇimā festival in Māyāpura, and how Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī suggested the Deity configuration at Śrī Yogapīṭha and Śrīvāsāṅgana.
by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
(translated by Swami B.V. Giri)
On Thursday, the 20th of Phālguṇa (February/March), devotees from Krishnanagar arrived at Śrī Surabhi Kuñja early in the morning to engage in saṅkīrtana. Immediately, the spreading of coloured powders and joyous dancing began, and the forest of Śrī Godruma became particularly jubilant. Their leaders, namely the great devotee, Śrī Satya-caraṇa Lāhiḍī and others, crossed Vāg Devī (Sarasvatī, or the Jalaṅgī River) with great splendour and proceeded towards Śrī Māyāpura. A group of devotees, carrying flags, gathered on the banks of the Gaṅgā to await the arrival of another group.
At 11 o’clock in the morning, a group of devotees from Navadvīpa crossed over to the western bank in three boats. The great devotee, Mahendra Bābu brought them across. Parama-bhāgavat Śrīyuta Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī was taken across in a palanquin. Accompanied by about a hundred renounced Vaiṣṇavas, Bhāgavat Cuḍāmaṇi Śrī Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya danced along the banks of the Gaṅgā continuously performing kīrtana. As they sang the song, suradhani tīreke u bujhi prema-dātā nitāi esechhe (‘I understand that the giver of prema, Nitāi, has come to the banks of the Gaṅgā’), it seemed as though Gaṅgā Devī herself began to dance in ecstasy.
The number of pilgrims to Śrī Māyāpura could not be counted. Near Māyāpura, it was seen that a group engaged in saṅkīrtana, led by the respected devotee Śrīyuta Dvārika Bābu, joyfully flew different kinds of banners, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Bābājī Mahāśaya at the birthplace of Śrī Śrī Mahāprabhu. When all the devotees began to dance at the appearance place, an astonishing lustre pervaded the entire Navadvīpa-maṇḍala. It seemed that such splendour had not occurred for four-hundred years.
All the Vaiṣṇavas eventually sat down and decided that service should be established at the Lord’s birthplace and at Śrīvāsāṅgana. Finally, Śrīyuta Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī Mahāśaya expressed the idea that at the birthplace, Śrī Jagannātha Miśra and Śrī Śacī Devī should be installed in one building, and Śrī Viṣṇupriyā and Lakṣmī Devī should have another building, with the youthful Deity of Śrī Mahāprabhu along with them. Let the Pañca-Tattva be established at Śrīvāsāṅgana.
Although due to work obligations, the great devotee, Śrīyuta Naphar Bābu could not make it all the way to Śrī Māyāpura and had to return halfway, nevertheless, his enthusiasm still sparked significant activities.
In the afternoon and during the evening, the kīrtana of Śrī Śacīnandana Dāsa as well as other festivities in connection with the holy appearance pastimes of the Lord were held at Śrī Surabhi Kuñja. Due to the bliss of that day, the devotees found it easy to remain awake all night.