Sri Balarama’s appearance day (28.08.07)

… It is a traditional Indian chariot festival, when the deities of Sri Sri Jagannatha-Baladeva and Subhadra are drawn through the town on a wonderful chariot…..
We start at 11.00am. at Bismarckplatz and go singing and dancing through the pedestrian street to the market place and back to the Neckarwiese. There, prasadam will be offered.
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The appearance days of Sri Nityananda, Sri Caitanya and Sri Ramacandra

These are the three greatest festivals in the Heidelberg centre.
These festivals begin with the Mangal-arati as usual at 4.30 am, then the deities are very nicely dressed and the altar is opulently decorated, and all devotees are waiting with joyous endeavour for the opening of the altar. After the normal (but in a way special) morning program the preparations for the great feast in the afternoon start. Many various preparations are cooked for the deities (the record till now is 138!), the whole centre is decorated, sometimes theatre sketches are rehearsed or similar presentations are prepared. At 3.30 pm we start: First of all there is a traditional bathing ceremony of the deities (abhiseka), then someone speaks about the the life, the activities, the importance etc. of Sri Nityananda, respectively Sri Caitanya. Afterwards there is an ecstatic Gaura-arati (altar ceremony), and all guests are invited to sing and dance. Finally prasadam is taken.

You should not miss these two festivals!!!

Course for Vedic cooking - One day seminar
with Vipula Prabhu and Ananda-vardhana Prabhu

Spicy vegetable subjis, refined rice dishes, strong snacks, exotic sweets and aromatic drinks; the Vedic kitchen offers innumerable exquisite specialities, where no wish remains unfulfilled. Very important is the chosen combination of spices giving the dishes not only their incomparable taste but are also digestive.

Finally we have found a nice place for our popular cooking courses, the “House of inner wisdom” in Odenwald. Here we will be absorbed in the world of old India and taste the extreme culinary variety of this country.for one whole day.

Sunday feast with Vedic fire ceremony

In the Vedic tradition it is customary that the day when a baby gets cereals for the first time is celebrated with a fire yajna. Little Devika will be in the centre of this ceremony looking forward to eating her first milk mash.

Disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada

This day we remember thankfully Srila Prabhupada who spread Krsna consciousness in the whole world. We will see a video about his life and his glorious last days, will worship him with bhajanas and a puja and accept the prasadam we will cook together for him, in his honour.

Govardhana-Puja

The govardhana mountain is a holy mountain near Vrndavana, the town where Krsna appeared. On this day traditionally we make a big mountain with cake and other sweets in the temple, which is distributed to all guests in the end. There are stories about the Govardhana-mountain, bhajans, Govardhana-puja and an opulent feast.

Deepavali – the Indian light festival

Divali is one of the most popular Indian festivals. There are various traditional tales explaining why the whole house resp. temple is decorated with candles and lights on this day. In our tradition we celebrate the arrival of Sri Ramacandra and Sitadevi in Ayodhya. This year our Indian guests will organize the festival. The guests may experience some surprises and a wonderful Indian feast.