Atmosphere of this festival is sweet as everyone has a chance to serve Radha Krsna

[krsna]

 

 

Radha-Krishna Swing Festival Begins August 26

 

 

VRINDABAN, INDIA, August 20, 2004: G

 

One of the most popular events in the holy town of Vrindavan, India --

where Lord Krishna appeared 5,000 years ago -- is the celebration of

Jhulan Yatra, the Radha-Krishna swing festival. It begins from Aug 26,

2004, Ekadashi this year. In Vrindavan, among the local villagers and

inhabitants, this festival lasts for 13 days. In Vrindavan this is one

of the biggest festivals of the year, and Vrindavana is very crowded at

this time. Literally hundreds of thousands of people from surrounding

towns and villages visit Vrindavan over this period in the auspicious

sacred month of Shravana (July-Aug). Opulence or simplicity, but often

the swings are made of gold or silver. In Sri Vrindavan for five days,

in many of the 5,000 temples there, the small Utsav-vighraha functional

Deities (Vijay-utsav bera) are taken from the altar and placed on an

elaborately decorated swing in the temple room. After receiving the

traditional arati worship, the Deities are pushed on Their swing.

Members of the congregation are invited to participate. Each person

offers flower petals and personal prayers, and then pushes the swing

several times as the other members chant Hare Krishna, Jaya Radhe Jaya

Krishna jaya Vrindavan, or Jaya Radhe, Jaya Jaya Madhava dayite in

kirtan. The atmosphere of this festival is especially sweet as everyone

has the chance to intimately serve Radha and Krishna.