6th May: Many Many Happy Appearance Day Festival of Lord Radha-Raman lal Ji, Vrindavana.

 Arup

6th May: Many Many Happy Appearance Day Festival of Lord Radha-Raman lal Ji, Vrindavana.
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Story about Appearance of Lord Radha-Raman:

One night Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to Srila Gopala Bhatta in a dream and told him to go to the Gandaki River in Nepal and obtain some Shaligram-silas to worship. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami then went personally to the source of the Gandaki River in Nepal and collected twelve Shaligram-shilas. One of the shalagram was distinctly a Damodara Shalagram. Srila Gopala Bhatta took the shalagrams and placed them in a basket, which he hung on the branch of a tree that was located at the place of the rasa-lila. He worshiped them daily reverentially. Gopala Bhatta would worship these shalagrama-silas in his place near Nidhivana.
Eventually a rich man came and donated dresses and ornaments for the Deities in the temples in Vrindavana. He also donated some dresses and ornaments for the salagrama-silas. Srila Gopala Bhatta went to this man and said, “How can I dress my salagrams with these dresses and ornaments.” He then thought that he had been very unlucky not to be able to have the darshan and perform further service to Sri Caitanya. He then prayed to Lord Caitanya that you fulfill the desires of your devotees, please give me your bodily darshan, so I can worship you in this form. This happened on the appearance day of Lord Narasimhadeva.
The next morning he saw that a beautiful Deity of Krishna had manifested from the Damodara-sila. His face was like Govindaji, His chest was like Gopinath, and His legs and feet were similar to Madana-Mohan. Srila Gopala Bhatta gave this attractive Deity the name Radha-Raman.
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Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami established this temple. The Deity of Sri Radha-Raman was manifested from one of Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s salagrama-silas (Damodara), on the full moon day (Purnima), 15th day of the month of Vaishaka (April-May) in 1542. It is the day after the appearance day of Lord Narasimha. This event is celebrated every year (April-May) by bathing the Deity of Radha-Raman with over 300 litres of milk and other auspicious items. Radha-Raman is bathed in pancamrita, which consists of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and sugar. The remnants of this abhiseka (bathing) are like nectar. Sri Radha Raman’s appearance place is in the Radha-Raman Temple, next to the samadhi of Srila Gopala Bhatta. It is said that there are markings of discs on the Deity’s back and feet. The Deity of Radha-Raman is around 30cm (1 foot) tall. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s other salagram-silas are also worshiped on the altar here.


                                                               Jay Jay Sri Radharama jiu!!!