Chandan Yatra Festival
Chandan Yatra Festival: Lord Sri Krishna is the ocean of mercy, a friend of the fallen soul. He wants to distribute his undeserved mercy to fallen creatures. The suffering of the creature will come to an end Only after receiving the grace of God. The festival of the destruction of those suffering is the festival of Chandan Yatra. It is described in Utkal-Khanda, Sri Jagannath Dev said to Maharaj Indradymna that- Baiśākhasya mitē pakṣē tr̥tīẏākṣaẏasan̄jñikā. Tatra māṁ lēpaẏēdagandhalēpanairatiśōbhanama That is, on the third day of the holy month of Baisakh, named Akshay Tritiya will impregnate my limbs with aromatic sandalwood. ‘Anūlēpana mukhyanta candanaṁ parikīrtitama’, Supreme Personality of Godhead Jagannath ordered His best servant Sri Indradumnya to impose aromatic sandalwood on his beautiful body on the third-most famous date of the month of Baisakh, as Chandan was the best of the rubbing products. Accordingly, from the beginning of Akshaya Tritiya to the Shukla Eighth Tithi of the month of Jaithya, Chandan is implanted in the Sri Anga of Sri Jagannath Vigraha every day for this long 21 days and every day is offered various nice Bhoga. At this time, a regular periodic boat rally was held in Srinarendra Sarobar along with the triumphant deity of Sri Jagannatha Dev in Puridham. Then the hot dress of light and floral garland is frequently worn. The sandalwood of Sri Vigraha in the Daytime is called ‘Chandan Besh’. It is mentioned in the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, once in a dream in Sri Dham Vrindaban, the Great Vaisnava Sri Madhavendra Puri, that his adorable Sri Gopal Vigraha said, “Heat of My body is not pacifying. So bring sandalwood from the mountains of Moloy and rub it on my limbs, then it will appeasing my heat.” Then, when Jagannath Puri came to the temple, the old Madhavendrapuri came to Sri Gopinath temple at Remuna, when he came to Vrindavan with Maloyas Chandan and Camphor from the servants, he dreamed that night when he was sleeping, Gopal said, “Gopinath and I are identical.” If you put sandalwood on Sri Gopinath’s limbs, my limbs will be cool. ” In the summer season, Lord Sri Hari was very pleased when Camphor Chandan was implanted on Sri Hari’s body. Srila Madhavendra Puripad applied sandalwood to Gopal for 21 days to remove body heat. As a result, Gopal’s heat was removed. If we can cool Gopal then we too will be cool. And if we do not cool Sri Krishna, that is, we will continue to burn in Bhavdabagani(Fire of Material sufferings). The significance of sandalwood is-
- Provide cooling,
- Sri or beauty increases and
- Spreading the scent.
- Cool: The coolest thing in the world is camphor. But sandalwood is a cooler object than camphor. That is why sandalwood with camphor mixed pulp is used in the surface of the Lord’s body. But the moon’s rays are billions of times cooler than sandalwood. This helps to release all the heat of the human mind.
When a snake accumulates too much poison, it is attached to the sandalwood tree to cool off the poison. But the poison of the Material existence is far more poisonous effect than the poison of the snake. The way to escape from there is to put offering Chandan on your body. Godliness arises in the cool heart.
- Beauty increases: Like the water-filled cloud of Sravana, the sandalwood is added to Krishna’s Shyam color body and thus beauty is increased. Seeing the beauty of God, the devotee’s Spiritual beauty increases. Just as seeing the beauty of Krishna, the beauty of Sri Brajagopika also increased.
- Aroma: Chandan smells all the forest with its smell, in the same way, a pure devotee influences another person by his devotion to become a pure devotee.
Lord’s body is Sat-Chit-Anandamoya and beyond the three modes of material nature. It cannot contain any heat. However, the purpose of such a Lila of God is to increase one’s glory by serving him. To pay him back to return to Godhead. In the case of pure devotees, the joy of the devotee is to be saved and the world is saved by hearing it. To commemorate the Lila of Sri Madhavendrapuri a 21-day Chandan Yatra Festival is held every year at the ISKCON Swamibag Ashram. Śrī Kr̥ṣṇēra Basantalīlā
Candanacarcitanīlakalēbara pītabasanabanamālī
Kēlicalanmaṇikuṇḍalamaṇḍitagaṇḍayugasmitaśālī.
Haririha mugdhabadhūnikarē.
Bilāsinī bilasati kēliparē. 1.
Pīnapaẏōdharabhārabharēṇa hariṁ parirabhya sarāgam.
Gōpabadhūranugāẏati kācidudañcitapañcamarāgam. 2.
Kāpi bilāsabilōlabilōcanakhēlanajanitamanōjam.
Dhyāẏati mugdhabadhūradhikaṁ madhusūdanabadanasarōjam. 3.
Kāpi kapōlatalē militā lapituṁ kimapi śrutimulē.
Cāru cucumba nitambabatī daẏitaṁ pulakairanukūlē. 4.
Kēlikalākutukēna ca kācidamuṁ yamunājalakūlē.
Mañjulabañjulakuñjagataṁ bicakarṣa karēṇa dukūlē. 5.
Karatalatālataralabalaẏābalikalitakalasbanabanśē.
Rāsarasē sahanr̥tyaparā hariṇā yubatiḥ praśansē. 6.
Śliṣyati kāmapi cumbati kāmapi kāmapi ramaẏati rāmām.
Paśyati sasmitacāru parāmaparāmanugacchati bāmām. 7.
Śrījaẏadēbabhaṇitamidamadbhutakēśabakēlirahasyam.
Br̥ndābanabipinē lalitaṁ bitanōtu śubhāni yaśasyam. 8.