During the hot summer months in Sri Dham Mayapur, Sri Sri Radha Madhava enjoy many beautiful and refreshing water pastimes. One of the most special times for these pastimes is during the Candana-yatra season, when Their Lordships are lovingly covered with sandalwood paste to keep Them cool. Following this, another sweet festival takes place—the Salila Vihar Festival, which begins just after Narasimha Caturdashi. The purpose of this festival is to offer pleasure and comfort to the Divine Couple during the intense summer heat. Devotees lovingly arrange for Their Lordships to enjoy soothing water pastimes in a sacred and joyful atmosphere.

In the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Chapter 10, verses 41–52, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami gives a glimpse of such water pastimes experienced by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees: “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 Vaishnavas 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.” Inspired by these loving examples, the devotees of Mayapur arrange a beautiful setting for Sri Sri Radha Madhava to enjoy Their own Salila Vihar. A lotus-shaped pond is filled with hundreds of blooming lotuses, each containing sacred tulasi leaves, and in the center of this pond, Radha Madhava are seated on an elegant flower throne under a canopy made entirely of fragrant flowers. Gentle fountains sprinkle lotus- and tulasi-scented water to cool Their transcendental bodies.

As the evening unfolds, devotees gather around the pond, holding scented flowers and tulasi leaves. Each person is given a special name of Sri Radha from the Radhika-Ashtottara-sata-nama stotram or Sri Krishna from the Krishna-Ashtottara-sata-nama stotram—a total of 108 names for each. These names are offered lovingly to the Lord along with the flowers, as a deep and personal act of devotion. Once all 216 names are offered, Sri Sri Radha Madhava retire for the night, and devotees are invited to receive the maha-lotus flowers from the sacred pond. These lotuses, soaked in the cooling water of the Lord’s pastimes, are lovingly placed on the heads of the devotees, offering both physical relief and spiritual joy. In previous years, this service was often performed by His Grace Jananivas Prabhu, the head pujari of Mayapur, whose gentle and affectionate presence added to the sacredness of the moment. Whether by him or other dedicated pujaris, the experience remains deeply touching, as devotees leave blissfully drenched in mercy and cooled by divine love.

The festival concludes with the distribution of maha-fruits from Radha Madhava’s bhoga—mangoes, bananas, apples, and other sweet seasonal fruits are joyfully honored by all present. Every evening for one whole month, Sri Sri Radha Madhava continue to enjoy these cooling and joyful water pastimes, surrounded by Their loving devotees. 

Let us pray to one day witness or serve these sweet pastimes, and remember that just hearing about them brings deep spiritual joy.