Event Details
Śrī Vāmana-dvādaśī is the divine appearance day of Lord Vāmana, the dwarf-brāhmaṇa incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This magnificent incarnation of the Lord captured the entire universe with His three steps, leading to the descent of the Ganges river for the spiritual welfare for all living beings.
chalayasi vikramaṇe balim adbhuta-vāmana
pada-nakha-nīra-janita-jana-pāvana
keśava dhṛta-vāmana-rūpa jaya jagadīśa hare
“O Keśava! O Lord of the universe! O Lord Hari, who have assumed the form of a dwarf-brāhmaṇa! All glories to You! O wonderful dwarf, by Your massive steps You deceive King Bali, and by the Ganges water that has emanated from the nails of your lotus feet, You deliver all living beings within this world.”
(Daśāvatāra-stotra)
Vedic history tells of an incident many hundreds of thousands of years ago, during a period of conflict between the devas and dānavās (demigods and demons) when the dānavās came to power, sending the legitimate royal families into hiding.
The devas prayed to Lord Viṣṇu, the maintainer of the universe, to help them regain their rightful properties and administrative posts. The Lord then appeared as a dwarf, the extraordinarily beautiful miniature child brāhmaṇa Vāmanadeva. In this disguise, the all-powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead approached Bali Mahārāja, king of the dānavās.
As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, described by all scriptures as the original source of all incarnations, appeared as a child from Devakī and Vasudeva, some 5000 years ago.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.11.34-41:
“One should always discuss My birth and activities and enjoy life by participating in festivals, such as Janmāṣṭamī, which glorify My pastimes. In My temple, one should also participate in festivals and ceremonies by singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and discussing Me with other Vaiṣṇavas. One should observe all the regularly celebrated annual festivals by attending ceremonies, pilgrimages and making offerings.”
Janmāṣṭamī is celebrated very gorgeously in International Sri Krishna Mandir. On Janmāṣṭamī day, the mood of a great festival sets in at the temple. There is such a flood of hundreds of visitors and guests that traffic control measures are required to ensure their smooth flow of movement. There are a variety of cultural programs scheduled to entertain the guests. A maha-āratī is performed at midnight and Śrī Śrī Rādhā Madana Mohana will give darśana in a new outfit.
Please join us in this magnificent celebration of Glorification of the Supreme Personality Of Godhead!
