A 21 day long festival observing the beauteous Chandana Yatra commenced today at Sri Sri Radha Madhav Mandir, ISKCON, HARE KRISHNA DHAM, SECTOR 36-B, CHANDIGARH. The festival will bring devotees together making sandalwood paste, by grinding sandalwood on a stone grinder, which will be applied to the divine form of Lord Madhava and Gaura-Nitai. This morning, a lecture was delivered elucidating the glories of the Chandana Yatra and enchanting kirtan was held in the evening.
“Chandana yatra” starts on the third lunar day of the waxing moon of Vaisakha month and has the divine significance of Lord Jagannatha giving direct instructions to King Indradyumna to perform this festival at this time. Smearing the body of the Lord with ointments is an act of devotion, and the best of ointments is sandalwood paste. Since the month of Vaisakha is very hot in India, the cooling effect of the sandalwood is very pleasing to the body of the Lord.
The festival is inevitably associated with the day of Akshaya Tritiya, the day of the Hindu calendar which marks the beginning of the construction of the Rathas (chariots) for the ceremonial journey and sojourn of Lord Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra at the Gundicha Temple in Jagannatha Puri for a week. This was the day on which the Treta Yuga began. Barley, one of the main ingredients for homa, which is the yuga dharma of Treta Yuga, was also created on this day. Ganga devi also descended to earth on this day.
Once Lord Gopalji appeared in a dream to Madhavendra Puri (a prominent acharya in Brahma Madhava sampradaya) and told him ‘I am feeling very hot and thus please go the forest nearby Puri in Orissa and bring sandalwood for me”. Thereafter Madhavendra Puri went to Puri and fetched sandalwood as per the instructions of Lord Gopal. On his way back, Gopalji apperared in a dream to him and told him ‘There is no difference between me and Sri Gopinath. So apply chandan to Sri Gopinath whose temple is in Remuna”. Thus, Madhavendra Puri applied the sandalwood he brought for Gopal to Gopinath.So like that there are many pastimes of Lord in this regard. Henceforth ISKCON all over the World started celebrating Chandan yatra each year.
Everyone is cordially invited to grind sandalwood to make sandalwood paste. Lord will accept the service when same paste would be applied on the Lord’s transcendental body. You can also donate sandalwood for this wonderful occasion and thus be blessed by serving ShriShriRadha Madhava .
Many people practice special rituals of worship on this day. The day of Akshaya Tritiya is the very auspicious – there’s no inauspiciousness to be found today, so even checking muhurthas is considered unnecessary. Whatever one does for devotees, and for Krishna, one shall get more benefit than usual days and it’s eternal benefit is never lost. Hence, the service done by the devotees during this festival has everlasting auspiciousness.