What a transcendental sight! In the park near to the Lotus building, there were three Pandals put up for the bathing ceremony of Lord Caitanya. Each had a bathing sthana and all was tastefully decorated with a special kind of rare flowers and an opulence of garlands. From distant we heard a kirtan approaching, escorting the golden hued Lords on fancily decorated Singhasanas: two different sized Mahaprabhus were carried to the left Pandal for the male devotees’ bathing. Mahaprabhu from Pancha Tattva altar was carried for the sannyasis, Prabhupada ‘sons’ and senior devotees to offer abhiseka and Prabhupada’s daughters’, granddaughters’and other matajis’ had the opportunity to bathe the first astadhatu Lord Mahaprabhu from the side of the small Radha Madhava, originally installed by Srila Prabhupada Himself. The air was filled with jubilation at Their Divine Presence. Srila Prabhupada several times exclaimed at different occasions: “If you only knew Who else was present here!”

For more pictures…

The queues of devotees, dressed most preciously, were unending, what to speak about the number of on looking pilgrims who had been waiting since long time on the premises of ISKCON etc for the great event of His Appearance, during the day attending multi-cultural shows and dramas and during the night watching the moon reaching his full size ultimately. Kalash or silver/copper pots, conchshells were also offered as a larger contribution right from the loving hearts of many devotees for our most merciful Lord of Kali-Yuga.

Lovingly fanned by Chamaras and listening to the repeated yearning sounds of conch shells Their Lordships underwent the two hour bathing ceremonies, ignoring the cool evening bruise and soaked wet dhotis, Their eyes sparkled from the divine liquids floating over them. They just emanated this wonderful shine, once golden from honey, once white from yoghurt after the lavish chandan and ghee massage lovingly offered by the devotees, ultimately washed away by the ‘rain’ offering under the ecstatic ‘ulu dhvani’, reminding us of the peacock cries of Vraj for Their Divine Couple Sri Sri Radhe Shyam of Goloka Vrndavana, Who united appeared as Lord Chaitanya.

After They were all dried and dressed freshly, the were dived from above into millions of flower petals up to the neck, changing from color to color. Then all devotees were leaping and rushing anxiously to catch hold of this most precious maha flower petals and under joyful Haribols bathed each other in this rare Prasad. Repeatedly I looked upto the sky but I couldn’t see the moon in this corner of the Lotusbuilding. Was it that chandamama had paled away by this wonderful sight of so many Chandradoyas, lovingly bathed by Their devotees? After this we all, decorated with crowns of the flower paddles, left after exchanging amazing Charanamrita, extremely joyful and satisfied….