Panihati Chida-dahi Utsava 2026 | ISKCON Hare Krishna Hill

Panihati Chida-dahi Utsava is celebrated at ISKCON Hare Krishna Hill, Rajajinagar, with a ceremonial abhisheka for Their Lordships Sri Nitai Gauranga, followed by a boat festival and distribution of Chida-dahi mahaprasadam. The temple pond is beautifully decorated with colourful flowers floating on its calm ripples. Sri Nitai Gauranga are carried from the temple to the kalyani in a pallakki utsava. An abhisheka is performed with milk, curd, ghee, honey, jaggery water, and exotic fruit juices. Following this, a grand arati is performed, and the Deities are taken for Nauka Vihara in the temple kalyani.  Devotees prepare a variety of dishes by mixing chipped rice with condensed milk, yoghurt, sugar, bananas, mangoes, and assorted savouries. These offerings are first offered to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Nitai Gauranga, then distributed to all assembled devotees as maha prasadam. Historical significance: Panihati Chida-dahi Mahotsava is celebrated to mark a significant event in the history of Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya when Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami received Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s blessings to attain shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, born around 1494 AD in Saptagram, Hooghly, West Bengal, was the only son of wealthy landlord Govardhana Majumdar. He displayed a strong sense of detachment from worldly life from a young age. He had an intense longing to join Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission of spreading the holy names and glories of Lord Krishna. Nonetheless, he faced many obstacles in leaving home and dedicating his life to serving Lord Chaitanya. Upon hearing about Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s visit to Panihati, Raghunatha Dasa hastened to meet him. Sri Nityananda Prabhu, an incarnation of Lord Balarama, was seated under a banyan tree by the Ganges, surrounded by devotees. Raghunatha Dasa initially had inhibitions but was eventually noticed and summoned by Nityananda Prabhu, who playfully accused him of hiding like a thief. Nityananda Prabhu placed His lotus feet on Raghunatha’s head and commanded him to celebrate a festival by serving yoghurt and chipped rice to the devotees, marking the first Chida-dahi Mahotsava. With the blessings of Nityananda Prabhu, Raghunatha Dasa overcame all the hurdles on his spiritual path and soon joined Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, becoming one of His six principal disciples. This joyful chida-dahi festival is celebrated annually on the thirteenth day of the bright moon in the month of Jyeshtha (May-June) in Panihati and at the Hare Krishna Movement centres worldwide.