Sanjhi (flower & sand painting)

[Guest guest]

Radha shows her love and anguish through her songs, sweet and bitter, but

she wants Krishna's physical presence, and she recreates that with the help

of flowers in the grove. She creates the image of Krishna, and recreates the

time they have spent together in earlier lilas, and thus feels His presence.

This flower and sand painting by Radha and her girlfriends at the evening

hour is called Sanjhi.

 

Usually late in September falls the fortnight when we remember and honour

our ancestors, Pitripaksh. From a ritual point of view this is an

inauspicious time when no special activity is conducted, but in the service

of Krishna this is a good time for the priests in the temple to perform the

temple sanjhis. Every day for five or fifteen days they recreate a new lila

of Radha and Krishna with coloured powder, to be worshipped in the evening.

 

The Sanjhis are offered each evening at Sri Radharamana Mandir (Vrndavana).

 

Celebrating Krishna by Srivatsa Goswami (Radharamana Temple)