Sri Nitai Gauranga grace boat festival in temple pond
By
Bharatarshabha Dasa
Panihati Chida-dahi Mahotsava, also known as the Chipped Rice Festival, is a yearly celebration of the pastimes of Nityananda prabhu and Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, one of the Six Goswami’s of Vrindavan, the primary disciples of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. An astonishing celebration took place on the banks of the Ganges at Panihati, which is situated North of Kolkata.
Chida-dahi Mahotsava also known as Danda Mahotsava (the festival of punishment) reminds how Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, as directed by Nityananda prabhu, had arranged distribution of an ecstatic feast of yoghurt and chipped-rice for several thousands of devotees assembled at the banks of Ganges in Panihati.
At Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON Sri Radha Krishna Mandir Bangalore, the utsava deities of Their Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga received grand abhisheka in the temple pond (Kalyani). The pastimes of how Raghunatha Dasa Goswami surrendered to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and original festival at Panihati was discussed through reading from Chaitanya Charitamrita by Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Senior Vice President of the temple.
Their Lordships received special arati with accompaniment of song glorifying the mercy of Sri Chaitanya and Sri Nityananda, composed by Narottama Das Thakur, a great saint and devotee (who appeared in 16th century) in the line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Deities were taken on a boat ride in the temple pond, varieties of chida dahi mahaprasadam were distributed to the devotees.
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https://www.iskconbangalore.org/panihati-2012
Click on the following link to read about the pastimes of Raghunatha Dasa Goswami http://www.harekrishnablog.com/index.php/festival-a-reports/66-festivals/549-panihati-chida-dahi-mahotsava.html
