(Pic: Iskcon Kolkata)
Jhulan Yatra or the swing festival is being celebrated with great enthusiasm. Replica of the forest groves of Vrindavan has been created within the temple. The swing and the arena where the festival is being celebrated have been beautifully decorated with colourful flowers and leaves. A magnificent swing bedecked with jewels is hung from the branches of trees with ropes. In such a splendid atmosphere Krishna and Radharani blissfully swings.
The sight of Krishna and Radharani swinging gives great joy to the devotees. Devotees swing the Lord of their heart with great pleasure and throughout the festival they blissfully dance and joyfully sing the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, Jaya Radhe Jaya Krishna Jaya Vrindavan, Jaya Radhe, Jaya Jaya Madhava dayite and other devotional songs for the pleasure of the divine couple.
Jhulan Yatra or the swing festival goes on eternally in the spiritual world. The Jhulan Yatra pastime occurred in the forest groves of Vrindavan. Even the residents of the heavenly planets like Siddhas, Vidyadharas, Caranas, Kinnaras arrived on their celestial planes joyfully playing their musical instruments to witness the beautiful event. This wonderful pastime of the Lord with his consort Radharani and the Gopis of Vrindavan brought great joy to everyone. This pastime is still celebrated in Vrindavan and in several other parts of the world by the devotees of Krishna.
In “Ananda Vrindavana Champu”, Kavi Karnapura explains: “The swing festival is the perfect object of meditation for those desiring a taste of devotion”. Devotees very eagerly wait for this festival; when the festival commemorates they make a magnificent jhulan (swing) for Krishna and Radharani.
This year the festival will be celebrated from 17th Aug to 21st Aug.
