Festival Schedule - August 9-11, 2012

janmastami

We invite you and your friends and family to join us in celebrating the auspicious events of Sri Krishna Janmastami (August 9) and Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa-puja (August 10). The celebrations will also continue on Saturday, August 11! We are most priviledged to have His Holiness Niranjana Swami as a special guest on all three days. Please join us!

Sri Krishna Janmastami

The auspicious day of the appearance of Lord Krishna is celebrated all over the world as Sri Krishna Janmashtami. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Shraavan. Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared in Mathura as son of Vasudeva and Devaki.

“As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. “ – Chapter 3: Birth of Lord Krishna, Krishna Book by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad gita, Chapter 4 text 8 describes the reason of His appearance as follows:

paritranay sadhunam
vinsaya ca duskrtam
darma-samsthapanrthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge


"To deliver the pious and annihilate the miscreants, as well also restablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear millennium after millennium."


Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja

Vyasa-puja is an annual celebration by the devotees of Lord Krishna to offer homage to their guru, or spiritual master. Vyasa-puja means “worship of Vyasa,” Vyasa being the compiler of the Vedic scriptures and thus the original spiritual master.

The ceremony takes place on the spiritual master’s appearance day (a respectful term for “birthday”). Disciples honor their guru because he authentically transmits the teachings of Vyasa.

Although the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has many spiritual masters, or acaryas, Srila Prabhupada, its founder-Acharya, holds a permanent position of special esteem. So just as when he was physically present (1965 through 1977), each year his disciples and followers gather on his appearance day to praise him and recall his glories.