FESTIVALS

Sharad Purnima marks the autumn full moon and celebrates Lord Krishna's divine “rasa-lila” with the gopis of Vrindavan, His most beloved devotees. On this auspicious night, devotees gather for a special darshan of the Deities, beautifully adorned with exquisite outfits, ornaments and fresh flower garlands amidst an atmosphere inspired by moonlit Vrindavan, filled with flowers, devotion and melodious kirtan.

The sacred Month of Damodara, also known as Kartik, is a special time to deepen love and devotion to Lord Krishna. During this holiest of months, devotees worship Krishna in His childhood form as Damodara, the mischievous child lovingly bound at the waist by Mother Yashoda. Each morning and evening, devotees can offer ghee lamps while singing heartfelt prayers before the Lord.

Govardhan Puja commemorates Lord Krishna's pastime of lifting Govardhan Hill on His little finger for seven days to protect the residents of Vrindavana from the torrential rains sent by Indra. Devotees celebrate this event by offering a magnificent feast arranged as Govardhan Hill, worshipping Krishna as Giridhari, honouring Govardhan Hill and the cows dear to Him, and sharing the blessed prasadam.

The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred text across all Hindu traditions and is considered a summary of all ancient Vedic philosophical texts. The Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna Himself to His best friend Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, 5,000 years ago. The Bhagavad Gita, literally means "The Lord’s Song" and is understood as a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna but meant for the whole world’s benefit. On this day, devotees gather to recite all 700 verses together remembering this sacred conversation between the Lord and His dear devotee.