Disappearance Day of Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura
Utpanna Ekadashi
Disappearance Day
All day
What is the Disappearance Day of Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura?
The Disappearance Day of Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura is the day this dear associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left this world. In 2026 it falls on Friday, 4 December, which is also Utpanna Ekadashi.
Significance
Narahari Sarakara lived in the village of Srikhanda. Even before he met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he had composed many Sanskrit and Bengali songs about Radha and Krishna in Vraja. In those pastimes he is Madhumati, a dear sakhi of Srimati Radharani, supplying sweet honey to Radha and Krishna and Their friends.
Later Narahari stayed with Mahaprabhu and pleased the Lord by fanning Him with a camara. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes this service in his Gaura-arati song, which devotees sing at Lord Caitanya's arati:
Narahari Sarakāra and other associates of Lord Caitanya fan Him with cāmaras, and devotees headed by Sañjaya Paṇḍita, Mukunda Datta, and Vāsu Ghoṣa sing sweet kīrtana.
Gaura-arati, text 4 (translation), by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta, Volume Two
How to observe it
Devotees honour Narahari Sarakara Thakura by chanting the holy names with feeling, singing the Gaura-arati and hearing the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Since the day is also Utpanna Ekadashi, they keep the Ekadashi fast and avoid grains and beans.
Questions
When is Narahari Sarakara Thakura's Disappearance Day in 2026?
It falls on Friday, 4 December 2026, the day of Utpanna Ekadashi. Because the date is set by the lunar calendar, it moves from one year to the next.
Who was Narahari Sarakara Thakura?
Narahari Sarakara Thakura was an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who lived in Srikhanda. He composed songs about Radha and Krishna and served the Lord by waving a camara. The Caitanya-caritamrta lists him among the branches of the Caitanya tree.
What is Narahari Sarakara's identity in Krishna's pastimes?
In Vraja he is Madhumati, a dear sakhi of Srimati Radharani, and his service there is to supply honey. The Gaudiya Vaishnava biographies on Gaudiya History give him this identity and describe him as a storehouse of Radha-Krishna prema.
Reviewed by ISKCON Kurukshetra · Updated
Key facts
- Date
- Friday, 4 December 2026
- Also on this day
- Utpanna Ekadashi
- Home village
- Srikhanda
- Identity in Vraja
- Madhumati, a sakhi of Srimati Radharani
Seva for this day
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