Sri Narahari Sarkara's Disappearance day (Viraha-utsava)

5 day Festival in Srikhanda – DAY 1

Jaya Narahari Prana Gora ! Gadadhare Citta Cora ! Vishnupriya Lakshmipriya Premer Pati ! 

INTRODUCTION :

452 years ago at Srikhanda, on the Krsna-ekadasi day in Karttika, Sri Narahari Sarkara Thakura's first viraha mahotsava was inaugurated by his nephew, Sri Raghunandana Thakura, along with Srinivasa Acarya and Nityananda's son, Sri Birbhadra Prabhu. Though still to this day Sri Narahari's Vaisnava family descendants maintain the tradition of his rasaraja Gauranga worship, as they celebrate this festival with great pomp for 5 days every year.

I was fortunate enough to attend the 5 day festival this year. This festival was the main reason for my visit to Bengal this year. Gadadhara Prana Prabhu invited me to attend and I rushed to book my ticket, and within a week I was all set to go.

During the festival, the deity of Rasaraja Gauranga is taken from the temple and is taken on a palanquin 2 km away to Bordanga to spend 5 rasa filled days in Sri Narahari's Vilasa kunja. The kirtan, both to and from Bordanga mainly consists of the Nadiya nagari bhava padavali (songs) of Narahari and his disciple Locana dasa (author of Caitanya mangala).

The festival was truly amazing and many Vaisnavas from different Gaudiya Vaisnava groups attended. A few notable Vaisnava guests were, Murari dasa Babaji, Jivasarana dasa Babaji, Locana dasa Babaji, Svarupa Damodara Babaji, Prakasananda Thakura, Banku bilasa Thakura and many others. Certainly Sri Narahari Sarkara's kripa was raining down on everyone.

Some say they lost their heart in Vrindavan, some say they lost their heart in Nabadwip and yet others, in Puri....But I lost MY heart in Srikhanda to rasamaya Gorakisora.

Day 1

We arrived in Srikhanda at Haridasa ji's home (local Vaisnava) and were served prasadam and a place to rest for a little while.

We had a few hours before the procession would begin and so Haridasji took Gadadharaji and myself to meet some of the Srikhanda Vaishnavas, the descendants of Narahari Thakura.

- MEETING WITH NARAHARI'S VAMSADHARAS

Siddha Jagannath dasa Babaji used to often say :

sri khanda nivasi iha siddha vamsa haya

era sthane diksa laibare se juwaya
narahari thakurera sambandhe je dhare
rasamaya gaura-pati milaye tahare

“The residents of Srikhanda belong to a siddha parampara, so to take diksa from them is very befitting. Those who maintain a relationship with Thakura Narahari will be privileged to attain rasamaya Gaura as their prema pati /lover.”

We first met Banku bilasa Thakura. As we offered him our dandavat pranaam, he did the same, owing to his natural humility. He was quite busy due to the festival preparations and so asked us to return a little later.

    Sri Banku bilasa Thakura

We then met with Nityananda Thakura, the honourable son of Gauragunananda Thakura, a prominent Vaishnava from Narahari's family line. He received us warmly and allowed Gadadhara Prana to read the Bengali manuscript of his new book, Advaita Acharya's Stavaraja to him for some time. Apparently, Nityananda Thakura was supposed to have taken his meal many hours before and his son and disciples were getting concerned about this sweet 102 year old Vaishnava. However, he was enjoying Gadadharaji's Bengali recital so much that he eagerly listened on, telling his disciples to delay the meal. After listening for some time, he offered a wonderful blessing to both Gadadhara and myself. “By the blessing of Narahari, may this new book and your preaching of Nadiya Nagari Bhava reach many readers throughout the world!” Truly a great blessing from a great Vaishnava.

                     

 Sri Gauragunananda Thakura -                                             Sri Gauragunananda Thakura -
              earlier years                                                                                   later years       

Sri Nityananda Thakura - earlier years














Gadadhara Prana ji reading his Bengali manuscript of his new book,

Advaita's Stavaraja, to Sri Nityananda Thakura and his son.

THE FESTIVAL BEGINS -

Gadadhara Prana and I soon raced off to the Sri mandira where Narahari's personal vigraha (deity) Rasaraja Gauranga starts his journey.

Gaurasundara was sitting outside on the balcony, striking an alluring dancing pose whilst adorned in his natavara vesh, fine dancer's dress. He really was a beautiful sight to behold.

Narahari's descendants and many other guests from near and far assembled and began the kirtan. The kirtan was led by Sri Prakasananda Thakura and continued for about 2 hours.

Sri Raghunandana Thakura (Narahari's nephew) and his Mother



Here are audio samples of the kirtan that I recorded at this time :

1) https://app.box.com/s/l3fs9t0jm8m6l55k2rxb – 4 mins

“ Gora Narahari Lila ! Nagara Nagari Lila ! Gora Narahari Lila ! Nagara Nagari Lila !” - Gora and Narahari's Lila is the Lila between a Nagara and Nagari ! "

Those familiar with the siddhanta regarding Gauranga nagari bhava, know that Narahari has a female svarupa by which he enjoys such loving pastimes with Gora. This kirtan is especially sung to make this point clear.

2) Beginning of adhivasa kirtan : “Jaya Narahari Prana Gora!” - 16 mins

https://app.box.com/s/uj9ps02mprc6i3u4gt5o – Prakasananda Thakura

3) Gora Narahari Lila kirtan – longer version – 30 mins

https://app.box.com/s/gsvl8t3sqceuteormsn4

RASARAJA GAURANGA'S JOURNEY TO BORDANGA

The Vaishnavas then carried Gaura on a beautifully decorated palanquin.

1) Gauranga Nagara sets off !  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7128ZrP8q0 – 1min 

2) Kirtan on the way :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08DbnKckZAY – 1min

Dilip Raya Thakura, Gadadhara Prana and others can be seen during the procession here.

After more than 2 hours of nagara kirtan, Gora was close to Bordanga. Narahari nagari was waiting in her kunja, beautifully dressed by her sakhis. Her heart beat quickened, Gora will arrive at any moment and be eager to begin their rati keli tournament. With this in mind, the following types of kirtan were sung at this point.

jaiye re nagara – Go nagara Gora! Don't delay!

purna habe asa, mitibe pipasa – all your desires will be fulfilled, your thirst (for conjugal pastimes) will be quenched (by Narahari's rasika skills)

At this point, the kirtan and dancing was pretty wild! Hence no videos of this, a nagari's gotta dance too right?

3) Gaura arrives in Bordanga!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlzNbQwt1LA&feature=youtu.be

Bilasa kunje Gaura elo! - Gaura has arrived at the bilasa kunja (the forest grove where bilasa takes place)

Narahari bilasa kunje....bilasa kunje Gaura elo! - our Gaura has arrived at Narahari's bilasa kunja!

Gaura elo re! Gaura elo re! - Gaura has arrived! Gaura has arrived!

An arati took place, followed by many hours of kirtan in the night.

Gadadhara Prana and his family had to return back to Mayapura, he couldn't stay away from his Gaura Gadadhara seva for too long, and so I stayed on in Srikhanda. What a wonderful first day!

Stay tuned for Part Two.

Extra nectar - Glorification of Srikhanda by Raya sekhara.

Rāya sekhara is Srī Raghunandana Thākura's disciple, and hence, he follows the tradition of Srī Narahari Sarkāra's Gaura rasarāja upāsanā. Though his Dandātmika collection of poetry lucidly follows after Govinda līlāmrta's astakāla Krsnalīlā format. Rāya sekhar is equally acclaimed as other famous Mahājanas such as Rādhāmohan Thākura, Balarāma dāsa and Jnānadāsa, and his contribution to Vaisnava padāvalī is vast. Here he tells about the glories of Srīkhanda :

bhūmandala mājhe, tāhāte srīkhanda sāje, madhumatī jāhe parakāsa

thākura gaurānga sane, vilāsaye ratri dine, nāma dhore narahari dāsa

srīrādhikāra sahacari, rupe gune agori, madhura mādhurī anupama

avani āvatari, purusa akriti dhore, pūrna kailo caitanyera kāma

madhumatī madhu dane, bhāsāila tribhūvane, matta kailo gaurānga nāgara

mātila se nityānanda, āra saba bhaktavrnda, veda viddhi porila phāpora

joga patha kori nāsa, bhaktira parakāsa, kaila mukunda sahodara

pāpiyā sekhara rāya, bikāila ranga pāya, srī raghunandan prānesvara

“ Srīkhanda is the transcendental abode that Madhumatī Sakhī brought to our world, and after becoming Narahari she enjoys prema vilāsa with Gaurānga day and night. Madhumatī is Rādhika's ( suhrd-poksa ) sakhī, and her form, qualities and sweetness are incomparable. But in her avatāra as Narahari she satiates Gaurānga's madhura loving desires. By supplying honey, She intoxicates Gaurānga nāgara, and fills the world with bliss. But Nityānanda also gets drunk, and so do the bhaktas – which even astonishes the Creator and the Personified Vedas ! Narahari's elder brother Mukunda has defeated the path of Yoga to establish bhakti. Though Rāyasekhara's shelter is at Srī Raghunandana's lotus feet, for he is the Lord of my life. ” - Translation by Gadadhara Prana dasa.