This Sunday, Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple is very excited to announce that we will be celebrating our first Panihati festival at New Remua Dhama!
Panihati is located on the banks of the Ganges 10 miles North of Calcutta, in West Bengal India. It is the site of many wonderful spiritual pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His close personal associates. In this region at this time of year June, pre-monsoon it is so hot, often up in the mid-to-high 40 C. The most cooling of foods in such a temperature is yogurt, cool yogurt (dahi). This pastime of the Lord is about how the devotees pleased Lord Chaitanya and how the Lord reciprocated with the devotees in a very wonderful and pleasing festival called the Panihati Cida-Dadhi Mahotsav. (you can read more about the festival by clicking here)
Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple will be honoured to be hosting four very special VIPs! HH Bhaktimarga Swami, HG Kratu das, HG Brhat Mrdanga das and HG Atmarama das will be attending the festival.
The festival will actualy begin at 5:00pm with a spine-tingling Nama-Yajna, led by HG Atmarama das. If you’ve never heard him sing, you can hear some of his beautiful bhajans below! The program will also feature a special drama, presented by HH Bhaktimarga Swami!
The official schedule is as follows (subject to change):
5:00pm to 6:00pm – Nama-Yajna (Kirtan) led by HG Atmarama das
6:00pm to 6:30pm – Arati led by HG Atmarama das
6:30pm to 6:40pm – Welcome & Announcements
6:40pm to 7:15pm – Class on Panihati by HG Kratu das
7:15pm to 8:00pm – Drama by Bhaktimarga Swami – “The Witness”
8:00pm to 8:30pm – Arati led by HG Atmarama das
8:30pm – Prasadam