Salila Vihara is a summer festival celebrated for the pleasure of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. The festival starts after Nrsimha Caturdasi and continues for 15 days. To keep the deities cool from the scorching heat of sunny days, They are seated in a water pond or ‘Salila’ where They enjoy Their pastimes or ‘Vihar’.
Sri Sri Radha-Madhava gracefully adorn a flower throne in a decorated pond, under an exquisitely decorated flower canopy. With cooling water splashing out of fountain in the pond, Sri Radha-Madhava enjoy Their eternal water pastimes during summer months .Lotus flowers are offered by pronouncing 108 names of Sri Krishna and Sri Radha. The flower offering continues for an hour. The devotees bring offerings like Bhoga, flower garlands that are offered to the Divine couple. At the end of the offerings, the lotuses offered to the Lordships are placed in the heads of the devotees as blessings from the Lord.
If you wish to offer lotus flowers for the pleasure of Sri Radha-Madhava, one day Salil Vihara seva is Rs. 5000. You can offer it online here: https://www.mayapur.com/serve-mayapur/general-donation/
& send us your preference of date and any prayers to be offered.
Various scriptures offer accounts of water pastimes in which the Lord engaged at different times such as in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta,
Antya-lila, 10.41-52:
“Thus all the Vaisnavas from Bengal went to Jagannatha Puri. By chance, they arrived on the day when Lord Jagannatha performs pastimes in the water. Boarding a boat in the water of Narendrasarovara, Lord Govinda performed His water pastimes with all the devotees. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived with His personal associates to see the jubilant pastimes of Lord Jagannatha in Narendra- sarovara. At the same time, all the devotees from Bengal arrived at the lake and had a great meeting with the Lord. All the devotees immediately fell at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Lord lifted and embraced every one of them.The Gaudiya-sampradaya, consisting of all the devotees from Bengal, began congregational chanting. When they met the Lord, they began to cry loudly in ecstatic love. Because of the pastimes in the water, there was great jubilation on the shore, with music, singing, chanting and dancing creating a tumultuous sound. Indeed, the chanting and crying of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas mixed and created a tumultuous sound vibration that filled the entire universe. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered the water with His devotees and began His pastimes with them in great jubilation
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