Sri Balarama Rasayatra
Appearance Day of Sri Syamananda Prabhu · Appearance Day of Sri Vamsivadana Thakura · Appearance of Radha Kunda and Snana Dana · Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa
Festival
All day
What is Sri Balarama Rasayatra?
Sri Balarama Rasayatra celebrates Lord Balarama's rasa dance with the gopis of Vrindavan. It falls on Tuesday, 20 April 2027. Sri Krishna Vasanta Rasa is celebrated on the same day, which is also the appearance day of Radha Kunda and of Sri Vamsivadana Thakura and Sri Syamananda Prabhu.
Significance
Lord Balarama longed to see Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda, so He drove from Dvaraka to Vrindavan. There the gopis asked Him about Krishna, and Balarama consoled them with the messages Krishna had sent. Then He stayed on to satisfy their love. Srila Prabhupada tells in his Krsna book how long Lord Balarama remained:
To keep the gopīs in Vṛndāvana satisfied, Lord Balarāma stayed there continuously for two months, namely the months of Caitra (March–April) and Vaiśākha (April–May).
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Chapter 65, "Lord Balarama Visits Vrndavana"
How to observe it
Read or hear the sixty-fifth chapter of the Krsna book, "Lord Balarama Visits Vrndavana". It describes how the spring breeze on the Yamuna carried the scent of flowers while Balarama sported with the gopis, and how He humbled the river with His plough. Hearing this pastime is the heart of the day. Offer your respects to Lord Balarama, chant the holy names, and remember how the people of Vrindavan loved Krishna and Balarama above everything else.
Questions
When is Balarama Rasayatra in 2027?
Sri Balarama Rasayatra falls on Tuesday, 20 April 2027. It shares the day with Sri Krishna Vasanta Rasa and the appearance of Radha Kunda.
Why did Lord Balarama go to Vrindavan?
Lord Balarama went to Vrindavan because He longed to see Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda. While there, He consoled the gopis with the messages Lord Krishna had sent through Him.
How long did Lord Balarama stay in Vrindavan?
He stayed for two months, Caitra and Vaisakha, which fall between March and May. Srila Prabhupada writes that He spent every night in the forest with the gopis, and the time passed so quickly that all those nights seemed like one.
What is the rasa dance?
The rasa dance is the circle dance of divine love in which the Lord moves among the gopis of Vrindavan. Lord Krishna performs it, and Srila Prabhupada writes that Lord Balarama also enjoyed it with the gopis.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Date
- Tuesday, 20 April 2027
- Also on this day
- Appearance Day of Sri Syamananda Prabhu · Appearance Day of Sri Vamsivadana Thakura · Appearance of Radha Kunda and Snana Dana · Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa
- Pastime told in
- Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 65
- Place
- Vrindavan, on the banks of the Yamuna
- Length of stay
- Two months, Caitra and Vaisakha
Seva for this day
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