Sri Radhika's Yearly Travelling Schedules in Goloka

[Guest guest]

"Srimati Radhikar Stithi Nirnaya"

 

Sri Radhika's Yearly Traveling Schedule

 

Various mahatmas have given their opinions about Sri Rodhika living situation

in regards to Her two principal residences-Her father and mother's place in

Barsana and Her in-laws' palace in Yavat. Her regular yearly schedule of coming

and going is described as follows Note: Months and days are according to lunar

calendar.

 

Schedule # 1:

 

>From Yavat, Sri Radha goes to Her father' palace at Barshana:

 

* For Vasantotsava (the Spring Festival), She goes to Barshana on Magha Shukla

Panchami (and stays about 5 months until Ashadha Shukla Chaturthi).

 

* For the occasion of Jhulan-yatra, She goes to Barshana on Shravana Shukla

Tritiya (staying there 12 days until Shravani Purnima).

 

* For Sri Krishna's Janmostsava (Birthday Festival) She goes to Nandagram on

Bhadra Krishna Saptami, the day before His birthday.

 

* On the occasion of Her own Janmosava, She goes to Barshana on Bhadra Shuila

Saptami, the day before Her birthday (staying 3 days until the Dashami).

 

* For Sharadiya Durgotsava, She goes on Ashvina Shukla Dvitiya (staying 7 days

until the Navami).

 

* On the occasion of Bhratri~dvitiya, She goes on Kartika Shuila Dvitiya

(staying 12 days until the Chaturthi). Then She remains in Yavat for 2 months,

Agrahayana and Pausha.

 

Schedule # 2:

 

* On Magha Shuila Dvitiya, Sri Radhika's older brother Sridama goes from his

residence in Barshana to meet Her in Yavat (at night). The next evening (after

dinner), (on the Tritiya), he escorts Her to Barshana in the company of Her

younger sister Ananga Manjari and all Her closest sakhis, to remain for the 3

months of Magha, Phalguna and Chaitra.

 

* During that period, in the month of Magha is celebrated Vasanta-Panchami

Utsava, Vasanta-Vihara and Madana-Puja; on the plea of this Madana-puja. She

goes (during a Tri-kala-nlyarna) with Sri Sri Madan Mohan to have darshan of

the freshly sprouted forest beauty of the Vasanta Spring season, wandering

throughout the forests amidst profuse jokes and laughter.

 

During that month of Phalguna, They sport the Holi UtsaYa and other festivals.

 

~ During that month of Chaitra, They observe the Phula-Dola, tbe Madhavi-Vilasa

and the Vasantotsava.

 

~ After that, on Vaishakha Shukla Dvitiya- (at night), Sri Radhika's

brother-in-law named Durmada goes to Barsana on horseback. Next day (on the

Tritiya), after the evening meal, He escorts Sri Radhika back to Yavat. There

She stays for the next 3 months of Vaishakha, Jyaistha and Ashadha.

 

~ After that, on Shravana Shukla Pratipad, Her brother Sridama goes to Yavat

and escorts Srimati to Barshana on the next day (the Dvitiya).

 

~ Then She stays in Her father's house for the next 3 months of Shravana,

Bhadra, and Ashvina.

 

~ During that period, in the month of Bhadra (on the Krishna Ashtami), being

invited for Sri Krishna's Janmashtami, Srimati goes along with Her father and

mother to Nandagram and participates in Krishna's birthday celebrations. She

stays overnight to see the Nandotsava (the day after Janrnashtami). On the

occasion of this visit, She has full opportunity to enjoy complete happiness by

seeeing and meeting Her Prana-kanta (Her life and soul's most beloved Sri

Krishna). Then She returns to Barshana.

 

~ Thereafter, Sri Krishna goes to Barshana, being invited for the occasion of

Sri Radhika's Janmotsava (on Bhadra Shukla Ashtami). There He meets His beloved

and enjoys a grand festival of bliss.

 

~ After that, on Ashvina Shukla Dvadashi, Durmada goes to Barshana and escorts

his sister-in-law Sri Radhika back to Yavat on the next day (the Trayodashi).

She remains there for the next 3 months of Kartika, Agrahayana and Pausa.

 

~ During that period, She observes the Sharadiya Utsava in the month of

Ashvina, She observes the Maha-Rasa in the month of Kartika along with the

festivals of Dipavali, Annakuta, Govardhana-puja, Bhratri-Dvitiya and so on.

 

(Thus She travels four times coming and going to and from Her parents' palace

in Barshana.)

 

Note: During all of Sri Radhika~s travels between Yavat and Barshana, She is

always accompanied by Her closest sakhis headed by Sri Lalita, etc., manjaris

headed by Sri Rupa Manjari, etc., and dasis headed by Sri Tulasi, etc.

 

Schedule # 3:

 

~ From Magh Shukla Pancharni to Ashadha Shukla Chalurthi (about 5 months), She

is situated at Vrishabhanu-pura (Barshana) in Her father's house.

 

~ Next day on Ashadha Shukla Panchami.(Hora Panchami Day) She goes. from Her

father's house to Her mother-in-law's house at Yavat, staying there almost a

month until Shravana Shukla Dvitiya.

 

~ The next day, on Shravana Shukla Tritiya, for the occasion of Jhulana Yatra,

She leaves Yavat and returns to Barshana to stay 12 days up to the Purnima.

 

~ Next day, on Bhadra Krishna Pratipad She returns to Yavat and stays 5 days

until Bhadra Krishna Shasthi.

 

~ For the occasion of Krishna Janmotsava, on Bhadra Krishna Saptarni (the day

before Janrnashtami) Mother Yashoda arranges to bring Radhika to Nanda

Maharaja's house in Nandagram where She stays 14 days until Bhadra Shukla

Shasthi.

 

~ For the occasion of Srimati's Janrnotsava, Her mother Sri Kirtida Devi brings

Her from Nandagram to Barshana on Bhadra Shukla Saptami (the day before Her

birthday on the Ashtami), where She remains for 3 days until the Shukla

Dashami.

 

~ On the next day, Bhadra Shukla Ekadashi, She goes from Her father's house to

Yavat again, staying 20 days until Ashvina Shukla Pratipad.

 

~ Then, for the occasion of Sharadiya Puja, Sri Kirtida Mata brings her

daughter back to Barshana on Ashvina Shukla Dvitiya, where She remains for 8

days until the Dashami.

 

~ The next day, on the Ekadashi, She returns to Yavat and stays 20 days up to

Kartika Shukla Pratipad.

 

~ The next day, for the occasion of Bhratri Dvitiya, She goes to Her father's

house on the Kartika Shukla Dvitiya to put tilak on Her own brother Sridama,

staying in Barshana 2 days more until the Shukla Chaturthi.

 

~ The next day, Kartika Shukla Panchami, Srimati returns to Yavat and remains

there about 3 months until Magha Shukla Chaturthi.

 

~ On the occasion of Vasantovsava (Spring festival), She goes to Barshana on

Magha Shukla Panchami.

 

Which of these 3 different proposed schedules is correct? Maybe ALL of them...

or She may follow yet other schedules for the pleasure of Her own

rasika-bhaktas. Sri Radhika's transcendental movements and pastimes cannot ever

be limited to someone's schedule written on paper, but rather She comes and

goes wherever and whenever She pleases, according to Her own sweet will...