Appearance Day of Sri Nimbarkacarya

What is the Appearance Day of Sri Nimbarkacarya?

Devotees keep the Appearance Day of Sri Nimbarkacarya to honour one of the great Vaishnava acaryas. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday, 24 November, the full moon of Kartika.

Significance

Sri Nimbarkacarya belongs to the Kumara sampradaya, the line that comes down from the four Kumaras. Srila Prabhupada counted it among the four original and authorized Vaishnava sampradayas. Believed to have lived in about the 11th and 12th centuries, Sri Nimbarka spent most of his devotional life at Nimbagrama, near Govardhana. He wrote many books on dvaitadvaita-vada, the teaching that the soul is at once different from the Lord and one with Him.

Srila Prabhupada also explained why the sampradayas number four:

There were four listeners when Krishna instructed Arjuna, so there are four bona fide Visnu sampradayas.

Srila Prabhupada, Letter to Madhavananda, 25 April 1972

How to observe it

On this day devotees hear about Sri Nimbarka's life and teachings, offer him their obeisances and chant the holy names. In 2026 the full moon is also the day of Sri Krsna Rasayatra and Tulasi-Saligrama Vivaha, and it brings Bhisma Pancaka to a close.

This holy day falls in Kartik, the month of Lord Damodara, when devotees offer Him a lamp each evening and sing Damodarashtakam. Read about Kartik (Damodara) Month, and offer your own lamp from wherever you are through our Kartik Deep Daan Seva.