Atlanta, GA: Gaudiya Vaishnava Association (GVA) celebrated the appearance day of Lord Shri Krishna Chaitanya with great fervor and joy on March 5th 2015. The next day was celebrated as Shri Jagannatha Mishra Ananda Utsava. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Person, Lord Shri Krishna himself, who took the mood and complexion of Shrimati Radharani in the form of his own devotee and appeared in Shridhama Mayapur,West Bengal, in 1486, said a press release issued by the organization.
As part of the Shri Jagannatha Mishra Ananda Utsava following Gaura Purnima, GVA organized a grand celebration on the evening of March 7th in the Club House at James Creek,Cumming,Georgia. The program started with ecstatic kirtans by children and adults of the congregation. Special altar for Shri Shri Gaura Nitai deities from Shridama Vrindavan was erected and decorated with abundant flowers.
Guests offered flowers to the deities when they entered the event hall and received the mercy of Shri Shri Gaura Nitai. A full hour of Hari nama sankirtana enthralled the guests and enlivened them. The next event was Tulasi Arati, performed to Mother Tulasi Devi with the Tulasi Arati song rendered beautifully.
Next, children from the congregation, with wonderful costumes, performed an enlightening drama to the delight of all present – The Liberation of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya based on the past times of Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at Shridhama Jagannatha Puri.
A finely decorated cake, pushpanna (Bengali royal rice), halwa, vada, saag paneer, puri and peas sundal were offered as bhoga to the Lords. At the end of the evening, Guru Arati and Sandhya Arati (Gaura Arati) were elaborately performed. The attendees thoroughly enjoyed the program by jubilantly singing the kirtans and dancing during the arati. The program came to an end with a sumptuous dinner prasadam.
