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The Holy Birth Place of "Sri Chaitanyadeb" is known as "Gour
Gangar Desh" as well as " Oxford of Bengal". We are proud for Sri chaitanyadeb,
Krishnanda Agambagish, Basudeb Sarbobhouma etc. The religious atmosphere of
Nabadwip is a combination of Baishnaba, Shakta, Buddha, Saiba due to the
aforesaid leaders, Pal Monarchy, Sen Monarchy etc. The main festival of Nabadwip
is "RASH UTSAV" . It is also known as "Pat Purnima" or "Rash Kali Puja" or
"Shakta Rash" as "Gour Ganger Desh" as well as " Oxford of Bengal". We are proud
for Srichaitanyadeb, Krishnanda Agambagish, Basudeb Sarbobhouma etc. The
religious atmosphere of Nabadwip is a combination of Baishnaba, Shakta, Buddha,
Saiba due to the aforesaid leaders, Pal Monarchy, Sen Monarchy etc. The main
festival of Nabadwip is "RASH UTSAV" . It is also known as "Pat Purnima" or
"Rash Kali Puja" or "Shakta Rash". The varieties of Baishnaba, Shakta, Saiba
Pratima (Idols) attracts every one. The Rash Utsav is likenational festival of
the inhabitants of Nabadwip. By this Website we tried to show a little bit of
Nabadwip Rash Utsav. Enjoy our site. Thanking you.
Nabadwip : Nabadwip is a holy place for the Vaishnavites as it is the place of
birth of Chaitanyadev (1486 AD). But it is also a holy place for people of all
religions. Nabadwip is now directly connected by bus and train with Krishnanagar
through the Gouranga Bridge on the river Ganges. In the 11th and 12th century
Nabadwip was the capital of Banga. It was famous for education in Sanskrit
language. There are numerous temples (186) of all sects like Vaishnavas,
Sak-tas, Shivaites in Nabadwip. Nabadwip becomes gay and festive at the time of
full moon day in the Bengali month of Agra-hayan (November). People enjoy the
festival of "Raas" with dance, songs, tableau, lighting, colourful decoration
etc. Thousands of outsiders flock to Nabadwip to enjoy the festival of Raas.
The whole town can be visited by hiring a rickshaw.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST ) (Bengali ) (1486 -
1533), was an ascetic Vaishnava monk and social reformer in 16th century Bengal.
Chaitanya was a notable proponent for the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga
(meaning loving devotion to Krishna/God) based on the philosophy of the
Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita. Specifically he worshipped the forms of
Radha and Krishna and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. His
line of followers, known as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as an avatar of
Krishna in the mood of Radharani. who was prophesised to appear in the later
verses of the Bhagavata Purana.
He was also sometimes referred to by the names Gaura (Sanskrit for "the fair /
golden one") due to his light skin complexion, and Nimai due to his being born
underneath a Neem tree. There are numerous biographies available from the time
giving details of Chaitanya's life, the most prominent ones being the Chaitanya
Charitamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami and the earlier Chaitanya Bhagavata
of Vrindavana Dasa Thakura.
Chaitanya's life
According to the biography, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Nimai was born on the full
moon night of February 18th 1486 at the time of a lunar eclipse<ref> Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts, by Bhaktivinoda Thakura "Caitanya
Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia just after sunset on the
evening of the 23rd Phalguna 1407 Sakabda, answering to the 18th of February,
1486, of the Christian Era. The moon was eclipsed at the time of his
birth"</ref>. His parents named him 'Visvambhar' - he was the second son of
Jagannath Mishra and his wife Sachi Devi who lived in the town of Nabadwip in
Nadia, West Bengal<ref> Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts, by
Bhaktivinoda Thakura </ref>. Chaitanya's ancestry is a contentious issue between
the people of Orissa and West Bengal with Chaitanya having family roots in
Jajpur, Orissa, from where his grandfather, Madhukar Mishra had emigrated to
nearby Bengal<ref>H. W. B. Moreno. (1932) "Sree Chaitanya", The Theosophical
Publishing House, Adyar, Chennai.</ref>.
In his youth, Chaitanya was primarily known as an erudite scholar, whose
learning and skills in argumentation in his locality were second to none. A
number of stories also exist telling of Chaitanya's apparent attraction to the
chanting and singing of Krishna's names from a very young age<ref> CC Adi lila
14.22 </ref>, but largely this was perceived as being secondary to his interest
in acquiring knowledge and studying Sanskrit. When traveling to Gaya to perform
the shraddha ceremony for his departed father Chaitanya met his guru, the
ascetic Ishvara Puri, from whom he received initiation with the Gopala Krishna
mantra. This meeting was to mark a significant change in Mahaprabhu's
outlook<ref> CC Adi lila 17.9 "In Gaya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was initiated by
Isvara Puri, and immediately afterwards He exhibited signs of love of Godhead.
He again displayed such symptoms after returning home." </ref> and upon his
return to Bengal the local Vaishnavas, headed by Advaita Acharya, were stunned
at his external sudden 'change of heart' (from 'scholar' to 'devotee') and soon
Chaitanya became the eminent leader of their Vaishnava group within Nadiya.
After leaving Bengal and receiving entrance into the sannyasa order by Keshava
Bharati<ref> Teachings of Lord Chaitanya "They were surprised to see Lord
Caitanya after He accepted His sannyasa order from Kesava Bharati"</ref>,
Chaitanya journeyed throughout the length and breadth of India for several
years, chanting the names of Krishna constantly. He spent the last 24 years of
his life in Puri, Orissa<ref> History of Gaudiya Vaishnavism "Chaitanya spent
the remainder of his life, another 24 years, in Jagannath Puri in the company of
some of his intimate followers, such as Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda
Raya"</ref>, the great temple city of Jagannath. The king of Orissa, Maharaja
Prataparudra, regarded him as Krishna incarnate and was an enthusiastic patron
and devotee of Chaitanya's sankirtan party<ref> Gaudiya Vaishnavas "his
magnetism attracted men of great learning such as Sarvabhauma, the greatest
authority on logic, and Advaita, leader of the Vaishnavas in Bengal, and men of
power and wealth like the King of Orissa, Pratapa Rudra and his brahman
minister, Ramananda Ray..." </ref>. It was during these years that Chaitanya is
believed by his followers to have sank deep into various meditational trances
(samadhi) and performed pastimes of divine ecstasy (bhakti).<ref> Srimad
Bhagavatam, Introduction "At Puri, when He [Caitanya] entered the temple of
Jagannatha, He became at once saturated with transcendental ecstasy" </ref>
Chaitanya's tradition
Despite having been initiated in the Madhvacharya tradition, Chaitanya's
philosophy is sometimes regarded as a tradition of his own within the Vaishnava
framework - having some marked differences with the practices and the theology
of other followers of Madhvacharya.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is not known to have written anything himself except for a
series of verses known as the Siksastaka, "eight verses of instruction"<ref>
TLC: Lord Chaitanya's Mission "Although Lord Caitanya was widely renowned as a
scholar in His youth, He left only eight verses, called Sikshashtaka" </ref>
which he spoke were recorded by one of his close colleagues. The eight verses
created by Mahaprabhu are considered to contain the complete philosophy of
Gaudiya Vaishnavism in condensed form. Chaitanya requested a select few among
his followers (who later came to be known as the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan) to
systematically present the theology of bhakti he had taught to them in their own
writings<ref> History of Gaudiya Vaishnavism "He requested ... the Six Goswamis
of Vrindavan, to systematically present ... the theology of bhakti he had
taught" </ref>. The six saints and theologians were Rupa Goswami, Sanatana
Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha dasa
Goswami and Jiva Goswami, a nephew of brothers Rupa and Sanatana. These
individuals were responsible for systematizing Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology.
Narottama Dasa Thakur, Srinivasa Acarya and Syamananda Pandit were among the
stalwarts of the second generation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Having studied under
Jiva Goswami, they were instrumental in propagating the teachings of the
Goswamis throughout Bengal, Orissa and other regions of Eastern India. Many
among their associates, such as Ramacandra Kaviraja and Ganga Narayan
Chakravarti, were also eminent teachers in their own right.<ref> Narottama Dasa
Thakur: Biography </ref>
The festival of Kheturi, presided over by Jahnava Thakurani<ref> Festival of
Kheturi </ref>, the wife of Nityananda Prabhu, was the first time the leaders of
the various branches of Chaitanya's followers assembled together. Through such
festivals, members of the loosely organized tradition became acquainted with
other branches along with their respective theological and practical
nuances<ref> Charismatic Renewal in Gaudiya Vaishnavism (pdf) </ref>. Around
these times, the disciples and descendants of Nityananda and Advaita Acharya,
headed by Virabhadra and Krishna Mishra respectively, started their family
lineages (vamsa) to maintain the tradition. The vamsa descending from Nityananda
through his son Virabhadra forms the most prominent branch of the modern Gaudiya
tradition, though descendants of Advaita, along with the descendants of many
other associates of Chaitanya, maintain their following especially in the rural
areas of Bengal. Gopala Guru Goswami, a young associate of Chaitanya and a
follower of Vakresvara Pandit, founded another branch based in Orissa. The
writings of Gopala, along with those of his disciple Dhyanacandra Goswami, have
had a substantial influence on the methods of internal worship in the tradition.
In the 20th century the teachings of Chaitanya were brought to the West by A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a representative of the Saraswata (i.e.
disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) branch of Chaitanya's tradition.
Bhaktivedanta Swami founded his movement known as The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to spread Chaitanya's teachings throughout the
world.<ref> History of the Hare Krishna Movement </ref>. Saraswata gurus and
acharyas, members of the Goswami lineages and several other Hindu sects which
revere Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, including devotees from the major Vaishnava holy
places in Mathura District, West Bengal and Orissa, also established temples
dedicated to Krishna and Chaitanya outside India in the closing decades of the
20th century. In the 21st century Vaishnava bhakti is now also being studied
through the academic medium of Krishnology in a number of academic
institutions<r |