Sri Govardhan
Sri Govardhan Puja Festival
10:30 am special offerings, kirtan and hari katha
at Sri Giriraj Raja Mandira on top of the hill
Santa Cruz
6 pm main festival program in the temple
Santa Cruz and San Jose
Dear *|MERGE3|*,
On behalf of Srila Janardan Maharaj I cordially invite you to attend next Tuesday’s festival celebrating Sri Govardhan Puja. Please bring your friends and family. The program will start with arotik at 6 pm, include kirtan, a lecture, and a sumptuous vegetarian feast.
Did you hear about the festival that was held for Sri Giriraj on top of the hill at our Santa Cruz Seva Ashram this summer? There are photos to check out as well as a video of the whole event. This Tuesday the main festival in Santa Cruz will be held in the evening in the temple, but during the day there will be a kirtan procession to the top of the hill where special offerings will be made for Sri Giriraj and there will be kirtan and krishna katha. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Photos of the Sri Giriraja Raja Mandira Inauguration
Video of the inauguration festival on Facebook
Yours in the Lord’s service,
Sushila devi dasi
Relevant links
Video: Sri Govardhan Parikrama. Clip beginning at Srila Govinda Maharaj’s samadhi mandir.By Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj. Posted on Beauty Over Power.
Watch on Youtube
Video: Sri Govardhan Puja Lecture by Srila Govinda Maharaj. His Divine Grace’s lecture in Soquel California on the celebration of Sri Govardhan Puja. He shares a little about the exalted position of Sri Govardhan, as well as a description of the wealth of Krishna consciousness. (2008). Posted on Vimeo.
Article: The Shelter of Sri Giriraj Govardhan. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami’s vision of Sriman Mahaprabhu’s mercy. Spoken on 18 February 2008 in Sri Vrndavan Dham by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Posted on GaudiyaDarshan.com.
Read online
Audio: of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s Sri Govardhan Puja discourse and chanting ‘Jaya Radha-Madhava….’ (3 November 2005) in our Kaikhali Temple, Kolkata, in mp3 audio format plus fifty-two pictures taken that day, posted on Jamuna Priya Dasi’s ‘VerandaViews’ web-log.
Audio: of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s Sri Govardhan Puja discourse and chanting ‘Jaya Radha-Madhava….’ (3 November 2005) in our Kaikhali Temple, Kolkata, in mp3 audio format.
Article: Both Lord and Servant: The worship of Sri Giriraj Govardhan in the line of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami. By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
“This is one form of Govardhan: the form of a servitor. The other form of Govardhan is Krishna Himself. Krishna took form as Govardhan and with His hands took the food being offered to Him by the Vraja-vasis. Simultaneously, Krishna remained in His form as a boy and said to the Vraja-vasis: “You see, Govardhan is taking your offerings. Govardhan is your Lord, and He is taking everything you are offering Him.” Posted on GauidayDarshan.com.
Read online
Article: Morning darshan reflections: Sri Govardhan Puja. Morning darshan on 2 November 2005 with Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, reported by Kumkum Dasi staying at that time with His Divine Grace at our Dum Dum Park Temple, Kolkata
Article: Residence in Sri Govardhan: The respectful and liberal mood of the Lord’s servants here. By Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
“Giriraj Govardhan is the very favourite abode of our Guru Maharaj. Radha Kunda is the highest, but our Guru-varga, our senior and superior guides, will be there, and we will stay a little far off. We should not encroach on the highest position. Rather, from Govardhan, we will come, serve them, and then go back.” Posted on GaudiyaDarshan.com.
Read online
Book: Loving Search for the Lost Servant: Lord of the Cows. Chapter from the book by Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
” From this verse of Srimad Bhagavatam, we can understand the position of the Lord’s Pastime at Govardhan. It is also described here that when the Vraja-vasis worshipped Him and engaged in sacrifice for His satisfaction, they saw Govardhan Hill as the Supreme Person, extending His hands, accepting the things offered to Him, and feeding Himself. ” Posted on GaudiyaDarshan.com.
Read online
Article: Ten prayers for a dwelling near Sri Govardhan by Srila Raghunath Das Goswami.
” You alone give happiness to the people, animals, and birds of Vraja, who are filled with the mood of friendship towards Radha, Krsna, and Their companions. You are immeasurably merciful. So, please accept me, a wearied soul, and give me a dwelling near you, O Govardhan! Although I am insincere and deceitful, I have been given to you by Your dear Sri Sachi Nandan, who is unconditionally merciful. So, please do not judge whether I am qualified or unqualified, and give me a dwelling near you, O Govardhan!” Posted on GaudiyaDarshan.com.
Read online
Article: Illustrated article for children: Sri Krishna lifts up Sri Govardhan Hill. 330 K PDF document prepared for this festival in 2005 by Parama Bhakti Devi Dasi of Holland.
Read online
Kartik month
Audio: This auspicious month of Karttik, Damodar. Srila Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaj giving a class at our Saint Petersburg Temple. English lecture with Russian translation by Kundalata Devi Dasi. 9 October 2006:
Download, or listen online (25 minutes, 4.3 MB mp3 audio).
Article: Month of Service — Life of Service. Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj discusses Kartik-vrata and niyom-seva. 13 October 2019: Read online
Article:Kartik Vrata. Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj concisely explains the observance of Kartik in Sri Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh.Translated from the Bengali editorial published in Sri Gaudiya Darshan, Issue 3, Volume 3, 14 October 1957:
Read online
Audio: Saradiya Rasa Purnima and the beginning of Karttik. Morning informal discourse by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj at our Saint Petersburg Temple, Russia.
7 October 2006:
Download, or listen online (4.2 MB mp3 audio).
Audio: Karttik Month begins. Class given by Srila Bhakti Sundar Dev-Goswami Maharaj in 1989 about the Holy Month of Karttik. “This month devotees are getting the chance to consciously follow higher Vaisnavism.”
14 October 1989, in Nabadwip.
Download, or listen online (22+ minutes, 5+ MB mp3 audio)
Audio:Karttik month. Narottam Das Thakur. Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj discusses in 1982 about the month of Karttik especially in relation to Srimati Radharani. His Divine Grace also extensively chants the glories of Srila Narottam Das Thakur in relation to his upcoming disappearance festival.
Kartik kirtan
Audio: Karttik Evening Kirttans. Siksastakam related kirtans composed by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, chanted here at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip, recorded and posted on the web in response to enquiries asking the tune to which these are sung.
Listen online (mp3 playlist)
or download (mp3 audio files):
Siksastakam Kirttans 1, 2 and 3 (9 minutes, 1.6 MB mp3 audio).
Siksastakam Kirttans 4, 5 and 6 (12 minutes, 2.1 MB mp3 audio).
Siksastakam Kirttans 7 and 8 (13+ minutes, 2.4 MB mp3 audio).
The Mahamantra chanted at the end (8+ minutes, 1.5 MB mp3 audio).
Additional Kirttans are chanted throughout Karttik at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math: six in the morning and a series of eight each evening. These are listed in The Daily Programme available here in pdf format (45 K), which refers to the Kirttan Guide book, available in full here in pdf format (650 K). The latest edition of the Kirtan Guide 7th edition is also available.
The following recordings were prepared informally by Sadhu Priya and Manasa Krishna Prabhus and are offered now only to assist newcomers in the temple in learning some of the kartik kirtans:
Please do not share them publicly.
Sri Sriman Mahaprabhu Sata-Nam
(nadiya nagare nitai nece nece gai re jagannath-suta mahaprabhu visvambhara) 10+ minutes
“In the towns and villages of Nadia, Lord Nityananda ecstatically dances and sings these names of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Lord Chaitanya is the beloved son of Jagannath Misra; He is Mahaprabhu, the great master, protector, and maintainer of the whole world….”
Sri Krsner Vimsottara-Sata-Nam-Sankirtana
(nagare nagare gora gay yasomati-stanya-payi sri-nanda-nandana) 9 minutes
“From village to village Lord Gaura sings these names of Sri Krishna: Krishna is the baby who feeds on the breast of Mother Yasoda. He is the son of Maharaj Nanda, dark blue like and indra-nila gem, and the life of the residents of Vraja.”
Damodarastakam
(namaisvaram sac-cid-ananda rupam) 8+ minutes
“To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro, who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula, who is quickly running from the wooden grinding mortar in fear of Mother Yasoda, but who has been caught from behind by her who ran after Him with greater speed—to that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances.”
Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava-daite 5+ minutes
“All liberated devotees, the highly qualified mukta-purusa devotees such as Sanaka and Sanatan, always glorify the abode of Krishna with His devotees and particularly the Supreme Servitor of Krishna, Srimati Radharani. O merciful Srimati Radharani, please bestow You mercy on me.”
Vaishnava calendar
Repaired calendar links:
Seva Ashram wall calendar October 2019
Seva Ashram wall calendar November 2019
Seva Ashram wall calendar December 2019
October 29 – Sri Govardhan-puja
October 31 – Disappearance of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad
November 5 – Ekadasi (fast from grains)
November 6 – Paran 6:42-10:08 (break fast), Disappearance of Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji
November 12 – Krishna Rasa Yatra, Arrival of Sri Gaurangasundar in San Jose Seva Ashram
November 22 – Ekadasi (fast from grains)
November 23 – Paran 6:58-10:15 (break fast)
December 7 – Ekadasi (fast from grains)
December 8 – Paran 7:14-10:24 (break fast)
December 14 – Appearance of Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
December 16 – Disappearance of Bhagavan Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
December 21 – Ekadasi (fast from grains)
December 22 – Paran 7:37-10:32 (break fast)
Sri Govinda Mela 2019
The following are links:
Videos of lectures and events on our Facebook page
Photos from day 1
Photos from day 2
Photos from day 3
Photos from day 4
Photos from day 5