Gaura purnima is a Vaisnava festival observed on the full moon day in March of every year. This is the celebration day of the divine appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on this earth. Gaura Purnima means ‘Golden Full Moon which refers Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. On this special festival day of Vaisnavas, they spend the day fasting and in the evening at moon rise a grand feast is arranged. The devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spend the day chanting the Holy Name and hearing about Lord Chaitanya’s lila. This celebration of Gaura purnima festival coincides with Holi, the festival of colors.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in A.D. 1486 in West Bengal and worked to show to the power of love. He used to teach Srimad Bhagavat Purana to the people of then undivided Bengal and won the hearts of the people of his time. Lord Chaitanya was son of Jagannatha Mishra and Sachidevi in the evening of 18 February 1486. At that time the moon was about to rise and there was a lunar eclipse. This is a Bengali custom to be engaged in purification methods at the time of eclipse shouting ‘Haribol’ and at that time Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born. As Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born under a Neem tree he was called as ‘Nimai’ by his mother. Due to golden complexion he was also called as ‘Gaura’. Lord Chaitanya was a scholar and expert in Sanskrit. Gradually he became devotee of Lord Krishna and afterwards the leader of Vaishnavas.
Celebrations of Gaura Purnima festival
Vaishnavas celebrate Gaura Purnima festival with great devotion. Thousands of devotees and common people from all over world reach Mayapur on that special religious festival day. Mayapur is the birth place of Sri Chaitanya. The devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu observe day long fast till the moon rise on this Gaura Purnima festival day. The temples of Sri Gauranga are being decorated. The idols of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda are bathed with holy waters and after that the abhisheka ceremony is performed on this day of Gaura Purnima festival. The whole area echoes the Holy Name.
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