Gaura Purnima

This festival celebrates the appearance of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapur, India, over 500 years ago. It is observed annually in March in temples all over the world, and especially in the Mayapur area.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself appearing as His own devotee to teach us that we can gain full enlightenment simply by chanting the holy names of the Lord:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Those who witnessed the Lord’s pastimes saw Him dance and chant with ecstatic love for God. Mahaprabhu induced many people to take up the process and taste the spiritual pleasure it bestows on anyone who begins to chant, no matter what their background or level of spiritual qualification.

The present-day International Society for Krishna Consciousness continues the work begun by Lord Chaitanya, who predicted that the chanting of the holy names of Krishna would spread all over the world.

Gaura Purnima means “Golden Full Moon,” signifying that Lord Chaitanya took birth at the time of the full moon, and that the Lord blesses everyone with the soothing, moonlike rays of His sublime teachings. His followers observe this festival by fasting and chanting the holy names. At moonrise, a sumptuous vegetarian feast is offered to the Lord and then enjoyed by all.

Links:

• Lord Chaitanya’s Teachings
• The Gaura Purnima Festival in Mayapur
• Srila Prabhupada speaks about Gaura Purnima
• Lord Chaitanya Art Gallery
• Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, the biography of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
• More information about the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.