Govardhana Annakuta: Badger 2005

June 17, 2005

A majestic, magical, celestial, transcendental festival descended upon the forest-mountains of New Vraja – Badger, California – on June 17, 2005. This festival has been taking place in New Vraja each year at this time for the past nine years, since 1996, when Srila Narayana Maharaja had first installed Govardhana after calling him from Goloka Vrndavana.

Over 600 devotees took part in the celebrations. Many devotees had spent several happy hours cooking over 765 preparations, decorating the Govardhana Hill and making garlands. After that Srila Narayana Maharaja requested that the ladies and men make two kirtana parties, in order to inaugurate the festivities with nagara-sankirtana.

The parties chanted and danced, purifying all the living entities throughout the pathways and forests of New Vraja, and then they proceeded to the large pandal in front of the home of Sripad Nirguna dasa Adhikari and family. There, Srila Narayana Maharaja and his helpers placed paper plates with the various preparations on top of the devotees' heads, and the devotees then continued their nagara-sankirtana chanting until they arrived at the foot of Govardana.

Once the devotees reached Govardhana, Srila Narayana Maharaja led them in the performance of Go-puja, offering arati to the large sacred cow arati. The cow also received hand-prints made of tumaric and other auspicious substances all over her body. Under Srila Maharaja's guidance the devotees then performed Govardhana-puja, which consisted of arati, prayers, abhiseka (the bathing of several Govardhana silas with pancamrta (ghee, honey, milk, yogart, sugar, and water) and an offering of the variety of food preparations. Srila Maharaja also uttered prayers to Govardahana in the English, which the devotees repeated a few words at a time: "O govardhana, you take great pleasure in witnessing the confidential pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, which They perform in your caves and kunjas. Please grant me a residence near you so that I may also witness and serve those pastimes."

Nagara-sankirtana to Govardhana Hill



Ladies nagara-sankirtana party

Annakuta bhoga offering



Go-puja: honoring the cow

As Srila Narayana Maharaja began arati, devotees became
astonished as Sridam dasa reinacted the appearance of Govardhana's
two-armed form shouting, "Aniyor! Aniyor! Bring more, bring more."

Abhiseka: bathing Giriraja Govardhana




Circumambulating Govardhana Hill

Govardhana Annakuta, India -- November 13, 2004

Following in the footsteps of Lord Krsna and His beloved associates who worshipped Govardhana Hill, Srila Narayana Maharaja and his followers performed Govardhana annakuta. Srila Maharaja led the devotees in first performing go-puja (worship of a cow) in front of Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, and they also performed Vaisnava puja. Then they performed Giriraja abhiseka (bathing a Govardhana stone with auspicious ingredients like yogart, ghee and milk) and then they offered 1,200 food preparations to Govardhana. Srila Maharaja discussed the glories of Sri Govardhana and then led the devotees in prayers to receive his blessings.

Before worshipping Giriraja Govardhana Srila Maharaja led the devotees in cow worship.

Devotees carrying offerings through the town of Govardhana to present to Giriraja (Giriraja literally translates as King of Mountains, and that is Govardhana himself)

Offerings being presented to Giriraja

Srila Maharaja bathing Giriraja

Giving hari-katha and leading devotees in offering prayers to Sri Giriraja Govardhana

Govardhana, India -- November 12, 2004

Srila Narayana Maharaja and the parikrama party arrived in Govardhana, at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, on November 10, 2004. Pleased with the development of the temple, he toured the outside garden, guesthouse (which includes his own room) the inside temple room, the new hand-carved wooden altar, and the newly painted Govardhana pastime bas reliefs. Since that day, in the temple room each morning after mangala arati and bhajanas, he has been giving classes on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Sri Bhajana Rahasya. In the evenings he gives class on Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami's Sri Manah Siksa. Both mornings and evenings he discusses the glory of Govardhana and sometimes he glorifies the holy places visited by the devotees that day.

Looking at the bas relief paintings at the entrance of Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha

After morning class Srila Narayana Maharaja installed Sudarsana Cakra, to be soon placed on the highest spire of the new Giridhari Gaudiya Matha

The parikrama party circumambulates Manasi Ganga

At Srila Sanatana Gosvami's bhajana kutira and Cakalesvara Mahadeva on the bank of Manasi Ganga

Manasi Ganga