Our Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) is coming up in less than 3 weeks and the festivities kick off this Sunday with the annual Gundica Cleanup (Temple Cleanup) and Snana-Yatra (Bathing festival) festivals!As tradition every year, we clean the temple two weeks in advance. This is following the example set by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who held the first Gundica Clean Up some 500 years ago. This year we will be cleaning the temple on Snana Yatra, which is the day the deities of Jaganatha, Baladeva and Subhadra are bathed. After this bathing ceremony, all three fall ill and go into seclusion in order to get better. After two weeks, They will re-emerge for Ratha Yatra. It is important that the temple is clean for when Lord Jaganatha makes His appearance after recuperating from being ill for two weeks.
The clean-up will start at 10:00am in the temple room and will continue until 3:00pm. Special Lunch (prasadam) will be provided for those who come out to help clean!
The clean-up will be followed by the Snana-Yatra festival starting at 6:45pm.
A warm invitation goes out to you and your family to join in the wonderful celebrations of Gundica Cleanup and Snana-Yatra festivals this upcoming Sunday!