ISKCON Bangalore celebrated the monthly Silver Jubilee on 22 March 2025 at Hare Krishna Hill, Rajajinagar, marking the culmination of a series of monthly festivals held since the previous Brahmotsava. This year-long celebration honoured ISKCON Bangalore’s Silver Jubilee, commemorating over 25 years of service and blessings to the world. The festivities glorified the divine appearance of Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra and the other presiding Deities on Hare Krishna Hill in 1997.
The day’s events featured two grand celebrations: a resplendent vahanotsava in the morning and a splendid shayana pallakki utsava in the evening.
A large congregation of devotees gathered in the morning for the vahanotsava, a magnificent procession in which the utsava Deities of Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra were adorned in Sri Rukmini Vijaya alankara. This decoration signifies the glorious pastime from the Srimad Bhagavatam, wherein Lord Krishna kidnaps Rukmini-devi, carrying her away to Dwaraka in a horse-drawn chariot after defeating all His rivals.
A special highlight of the festival was the sacred presence of the beautiful Chaka Dola Deities of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Krishnachandra, worshipped by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s grandparents, Sri Upendra Mishra and Smt. Shobha Devi. These Deities hold immense historical and spiritual significance for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. As part of Their South India tour, the Deities graced the celebrations at ISKCON Bangalore, showering Their merciful blessings upon all the devotees.
The Chaka Dola Deities are named after Their striking round eyes, like those of Lord Jagannatha, who is also known as Chaka Dola. While Lord Krishnachandra is depicted playing the flute, Lord Chaitanya is seen in the form of a sannyasi, with one hand in danda mudra and the other in bhiksha mudra.
Originally worshipped in Sylhet, Bangladesh, these Deities are presently residing in Silchar, Assam, under the loving care of Sri Nitai Baba, Sri Radha Pada Mishra, and Sri Gaura Mohan De, who personally accompanied the Deities to ISKCON Hare Krishna Hill for this event. Sri Radha Pada Mishra is a 14th-generation descendant of Sri Jagannatha Mishra, the father of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Before the vahanotsava, Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Senior Vice President of ISKCON Bangalore, narrated the divine history of the Chaka Dola Deities, enlightening the devotees about the wonderful manifestation of the Deity of Lord Chaitanya.
During the vahanotsava, Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra and the Chaka Dola Deities rode on the Ashva (horse) Vahana and Their majestic procession around the temple premises was accompanied by exuberant kirtans and Harinama Sankirtana, as devotees enthusiastically pulled the vahana in great joy.
In the evening, the Chaka Dola Deities were taken to ISKCON Vaikuntha Hill, Vasanthapura, where They received a grand ceremonial welcome with the melodious tunes of nadaswaram and joyous sankirtan. They were honoured with flower showers and upacharas (ritual offerings). Subsequently, They received a pushpa abhisheka with 10 varieties of fragrant flowers, arati, and a special bhoga at the Sri Radha Krishnachandra temple, and then had darshan of all the other presiding Deities on the Vaikuntha Hill.
The grandeur of the celebrations at Hare Krishna Hill culminated with the shayana pallakki utsava, a magnificent night procession of the Deities in ornate pallakkis. In addition to the regular pallakki of kautuka Deities, the Chaka Dola Deities and pallakkis of the utsava Deities of Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra, Sri Krishna, Rukmini and Satyabhama, Sri Prahlada Narasimha, and Srila Prabhupada were carried in a majestic procession. The vibrant Harinama Sankirtana filled the atmosphere with divine ecstasy and spiritual vibrancy.
The splendid culmination of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, graced by the auspicious presence of the Chaka Dola Deities, left devotees feeling spiritually enriched and blessed, further deepening their love and devotion for Lord Sri Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Witness the complete celebrations at: