Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 4: A divine atmosphere pervaded Gokul as the Gopalakrishna Public Trust, in association with the BSKB Association, celebrated the sacred Karthika Masa with 13 days of devotional fervour, bhajans and cultural festivities culminating in the grand Sri Krishna Tulsi Vivah on Utthana Dwadashi. The celebration, held from October 22 to November 3, brought together hundreds of devotees from across Mumbai.
Each evening, the temple premises came alive with Harinaama Sankeerthane, Bhakti Sangeet, Bharatanatyam, violin recitals and a variety of devotional and classical performances presented by several bhajana groups. The 13-day festival was jointly organised by the Gokul Bhajana Mandali and the Gokul Cultural Education Centre.
Participating bhajana troupes included Sri Gopalakrishna Bhajana Mandali (Andheri), Sri Uma Maheshwari Bhajana Mandali (Jarimari), Sri Vagdevi Bhajana Mandali (Borivali), GSB Mahila Bhajana Mandali (Matunga), Sri Madhvesh Bhajana Mandali (Santacruz), Sri Mookambika Bhajana Mandali (Ghansoli), Sri Vitthala Bhajana Mandali (Mira Road), Sri Harikrishna Bhajana Mandali (Navi Mumbai), Sri Skanda Bhajana Mandali (Chembur), Sri Mahalakshmi Bhajana Mandali (Andheri), Gokul Yuva Kalavrinda and Sri Ekanatheshwari Bhajana Mandali (Dadar). Their melodious bhajans and devotional dances infused the venue with spiritual vibrancy.
The cultural evenings featured violin recitals by Guru Shekhar Tanjorkar and disciples of Gana Kala Vidya Nilaya, Bharatanatyam by disciples of Guru Meenakshi Shreyan of Arunodaya Kala Niketan, and devotional songs by Guru Sridhar Chari and his disciples. Other notable performances included Bharatanatyam by Dr Lata Surendra’s disciple, dance renditions by Pavitra Art and Visual Institute, Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Academy students (Bhakti Rasa Manjari), Bharatanatyam by Shashi Bala Ramesh and disciples of Lavanya Institute of Dance Arts, Kathak by Ved Institute of Performing Arts, and Odissi and Bharatanatyam by disciples of Guru Vidya Venkateshwaran of Natanapriya Naadam.
The event comperes included Prema Rao, Sahana Poti, Shailini Rao, Smita Bhatt, Prafulla Rao, Prema N. Rao, Anjana Rao, Shanthala Udupa, Vanita Rao, Rajeshwari Bhatt, Yashoda Vailaya, Veena Rao and Kusum Srinivas. Each evening concluded with nitya puja, Tulsi puja and Tulsi Sankeerthane led by temple priests.
Utthana Dwadashi and the sacred tulsi vivah
“Worship without Tulsi is incomplete — the Lord either accepts or rejects based on her presence,” said the saint-poets, reminding devotees of the sacredness of Tulsi. On Monday, November 3, marking Utthana Dwadashi, devotees gathered in large numbers to witness the holy Sri Krishna Tulsi Vivah.
Morning rituals were conducted by Veda Moorthi Ganesh Bhat, who performed Tulsi Puja, Go Puja and Sankeerthane. In the evening, the exquisitely adorned idol of Goddess Tulsi, beautifully decorated by Shalini Udupa, was placed in the decorated Tulsi Vrindavana.
After the night puja at Sri Gopalakrishna Temple, the majestic Sri Krishna Tulsi Vivah and Ksheerabdhi Mahotsava were held under the guidance of chief priest Daregudde Srinivas Bhat. The ceremony was sponsored and hosted by Dr Suresh S Rao and Vijayalakshmi S Rao. Following the rituals, devotees took part in traditional Tulsi Sankeerthane, Teertha-Prasada distribution and a sumptuous dinner. As every year, Ramesh Shetty and family of Mysore Boarding sponsored the Laddu Prasada.
Adding a musical flourish, Harish Poojary and team presented a soulful saxophone recital, followed by devotional performances by members of Gokul and Sri Krishna Bhajana Mandali.
The list of sponsors and patrons who supported the religious and cultural events included B Ramananda Rao, Mohan Raj, Lakshminarayan Acharya, H Lakshminarayan, Veda Moorthi S N Udupa, Dr Arun Rao, Draupadi Venkatachalan, Venkatesh Rao Balur, Akshay Ballal, Savitha Gururaj, Avyay Shashikiran Rao, Jagadishchandra Kumar, Sumangala Tantri and Krishnadevi Shetty. Dr Suresh S Rao was the chief sponsor for the Tulsi Vivah ceremony, while several devotees also contributed generously to the puja offerings.
The grand Sri Krishna Tulsi Kalyanotsava concluded in a spirit of devotion and unity, with participation from trustees of the Gopalakrishna Public Trust, members of the Religious Committee, office-bearers of the BSKB Association, executive committee members and devotees from across Mumbai — numbering over 300 participants in total.