A Maha Kumbhabhisheka was performed at the holy shrines of the temple’s Presiding Deities, Sri Prahlada Narasimha, Sri Srinivasa Govinda, Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga, Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra, and Sri Sri Krishna Balarama, as part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Sri Brahmotsava at ISKCON Sri Radha Krishnachandra Temple, Rajajinagar, Bangalore.
Maha Kumbahisheka is performed once every twelve years to the Mula Vigrahas of the temple. It offers the devotees a chance to serve the Lord by participating in the joyous festivities.
Maha Kumbhabhisheka to Sri Prahlada Narasimha
On 27 April 2024, the Mula Vigraha of Sri Prahlada Narasimha received an elaborate Abhisheka beginning with invocation prayers to the Lord and His associates, the guru, Srila Prabhupada, Maha Sankalpa mantras and Dhyana shlokas meditating on the Lord’s divine form (Sodasha Bahu Narasimha Ashtakam).
This was followed by welcoming the Lord and offering a seat and offering sanctified water, milk, curd, honey, ghee, cow urine, cow dung, herbal waters, fruit juices, tender coconut water and sandal water along with a massage using sandal oil, sesame paste and sandal paste accompanied by the melodious chanting of Vedic mantras, especially the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, prayers by Prahlada Maharaja from the Srimad Bhagavatam (7.9.8-50) and Sankirtana including the Narasimha Pranama, glorifying the divine qualities and activities of the Lord.
They were then offered a haldi snana, a turmeric bath followed by aratis and pushpa vrishti, a shower of multicoloured and aromatic flowers accompanied by the chanting and Sankirtana of Sri Narasimha Bija Mantra.
The Maha Kumbabhisheka culminated with a Nava kalasha snana, bathing with nine pots of sanctified water. Lord Narasimha was then specially decorated with a golden jewelled helmet and coverings for His limbs, disc and conch studded with golden jewels along with a similar decoration for Ananta-sesha.
To relive the entire celebrations, please visit:
Maha Kumbhabhisheka to Sri Srinivasa Govinda
On 26 April 2024, the Mula Vigraha of Sri Srinivasa Govinda received an elaborate abhisheka beginning with invocation prayers to the Lord and His associates, the guru, Srila Prabhupada, Maha Sankalpa mantras and Dhyana shlokas meditating on the Lord’s divine form (Sri Vishnu Stuti).
This was followed by welcoming the Lord and offering a seat and offering sanctified water, milk, curd, honey, ghee, cow urine, cow dung, herbal waters, fruit juices, tender coconut water and sandal water along with a massage using sandal oil, sesame paste and sandal paste accompanied by the melodious chanting of Vedic mantras, especially the Hare Krishna mahamantra, the Brahma-samhita (composed by Lord Brahma) and sankirtana glorifying the divine qualities and activities of the Lord.
They were then offered a haldi snana, a turmeric bath followed by aratis and pushpa vrishti, a shower of multicoloured and aromatic flowers accompanied by the chanting of the Sri Govinda Namavali and Sankirtana.
The Maha Kumbabhisheka culminated with a Nava kalasha snana, bathing with nine pots of sanctified water. Sri Srinivasa Govinda was then specially decorated with a golden jewelled helmet and coverings for His limbs, disc and conch studded with golden jewels, along with a similar decoration for Ananta-sesha.
To relive the entire celebrations, visit:
Maha Kumbhabhisheka to Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga, Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra and Sri Sri Krishna Balarama
On 2 May 2024, the day before the final day of the Brahmotsava, all the Utsava and Kautuka Vigrahas of the temple and the Mula Vigrahas in the main temple hall received an elaborate Abhisheka beginning with invocation prayers to the Lord and His associates, the guru, Srila Prabhupada, Maha Sankalpa mantras and Dhyana shlokas meditating on the Lord and His associates including the Sudarshanashtakam, Sri Vishnu Stuti and others.
This was followed by welcoming the Deities, offering a seat, Arati and Abhisheka consisting of pancha-gavya, panchamrita, phalamrita, herbal waters and sanctified kalasha waters, pushpa vrishti accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras including the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, Narasimha Pranama mantra, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Pranama mantra, mantras from the Vishnu Purana, Vishnu Sahasranama, Krishna Pranama mantra, Pancha Tattva mantra, Radharani Pranama mantra, Purusha-sukta and Brahma-samhita and Harinama Sankirtana with bhajans and songs composed by various Vaishnava Acharyas including Sri Nama-kirtana and Sri Vraja-dhama-mahimamrta.
As part of Sri Brahmotsava, the Deities were also offered a Churnabhisheka, an Abhisheka with turmeric water, and finally concluded with a grand Pallaki Utsava for Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra.
The devotees gathered in the main temple hall and the upper balconies to watch the celebrations. They also watched Abhisheka on a big LED screen outside in the new open-air theatre. Despite being slightly packed and experiencing the heat waves of summer, the devotees enthusiastically participated in the celebrations and kirtans and felt blessed to be a part of the once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.
The grand celebrations of the 13-day Brahmotsava festival (20 Apr – 3 May 2024) were marked by vibrant processions, devotional singing, enlightening discourses, cultural programs and the heartfelt participation of numerous devotees, patrons, guests and well-wishers of the temple.
To relive the entire celebrations, please visit: