ISKCON Bangalore celebrated the Monthly Silver Jubilee Festival on 23rd November 2024 at Hare Krishna Hill, Rajajinagar. The event commemorated the divine appearance of Their Lordships in Deity form in 1997.
Chants of the Hare Krishna mantra reverberated in the air as thousands of devotees thronged the Hare Krishna Hill to participate in the November month’s Silver Jubilee celebrations of the temple.
On this auspicious occasion, the bright green Hanumad Vahana was adorned with radiant ornaments. Large and colourful rangolis greeted devotees who started trooping in hours before the event which began at 6.30 pm. An extremely festive atmosphere enveloped Hare Krishna Hill as visiting devotees offered obeisances first to Their Lordships Sri Prahlada Narasimha, followed by Sri Srinivasa Govinda, and then headed to the main temple hall to have darshan of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga.
Devotees came in droves and were at their festive best. There were many who came with their families. Fathers carried their little ones on their shoulders to enable a better view of the proceedings. As the chants began, the little ones also started clapping. There were people of all ages in the temple. Very often many in the gathering broke into song and dance.
Around half past six, the utsava murtis of Srila Prabhupada, followed by that of Their Lordships Sri Radha Krishnachandra, were taken in a procession in palanquins and were joined by all the devotees.
The Deities of Sri Radha Krishnachandra were then placed on the shoulders of Bhakta Hanuman, symbolising the Pattabhisheka ceremony of Lord Ramachandra and Mother Sita as the King and Queen of Ayodhya. The bejewelled Deities were a sight to behold.
The large palanquin that carried Sri Hanuman and Radha Krishnachandra in the Sri Sita Rama Pattabhisheka alankara, was then carried by 75 able-bodied devotees in a circumambulation. All along, Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, the President of ISKCON Bangalore and Sri Jai Chaitanya Dasa, Vice President of ISKCON Bangalore, were on the palanquin with the Deities. The palanquin bearers swung the palanquin as the procession moved amid Harinama Kirtans.
After a ceremonial circumambulation, the Deities of Srila Prabhupada and Their Lordships Sri Radha Krishnachandra were carried to the Open-Air Theatre, where They were gracefully offered Jhulan Seva.
After a talk by Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa highlighting the life of Sri Ramachandra and Mother Sita’s divine position, the kirtan singers led by Sri Ananta Kirti Dasa began singing bhajans. The tempo picked up when the curtains were pulled apart for devotees to participate in the Jhulan seva. A grand arati was performed, accompanied by the song Sri Nama Ramayana.
Soon after the Jhulan seva, Their Lordships were carried to the main temple hall for the Shayana Pallakki Utsava, which was also joined by the utsava murtis of Their Lordships Sri Prahlada Narasimha and Sri Krishna, Rukmini and Satyabhama.
The Shayana Pallakki Utsava was a magnificent procession where the Deities were carried around the temple hall, accompanied by grand kirtans. Devotees joyfully sang and danced in blissful ecstasy. The event culminated in a final arati, as the atmosphere resonated with high-energy chants, filling hearts with devotion and joy.
Join us for the next Monthly Silver Jubilee celebrations on 23 December 2024 with your friends and family and be blessed.