Welcome to Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra Mandir
“Temple means people should come, people should learn the science of God. Temple means spiritual educational shelter. People should come and learn what is spiritual life, what is God, what is my relationship with God.”
— Srila Prabhupada
Morning Programme
There are several services throughout the day at Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra Mandir to which everyone is welcome to attend. Aside from these times, It is open daily from 4.30am – 8.30pm for pilgrims and guests.
The scriptures recommend that spiritual activities performed in the auspicious time of brahma-muhurta (one and a half hours before sunrise) have greater effect. Srila Prabhupada mandated that devotees should wake up early in the morning at 3:30 am and prepare themselves for rendering devotional service. This mandate is strictly followed by all the devotees who practice the principles of Krishna consciousness.
4.30 AM - 4.50 AM : Mangala Arati
Srila Prabhupada has given a mandate that there must be regular mangala-arati in the temple, an hour and a half before sunrise. (Ref: CC. Madhya 24.334, purport)
Mangala-arati is the first temple ceremony of the day. It begins at 4:30am and is considered mangala, or ‘auspicious’ for all who participate. A grand arati is performed by offering incense, ghee lamp, water, cloth, flowers, chamara (fan made of yak tail) & vyajana (fan made of peacock feathers) to Their Lordships. Devotees sing Guru-ashtaka, a song composed by Srila Vishwanatha Chakravarthi Thakura glorifying the spiritual master and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
4.50 AM - 4.55 AM : Narasimha Kirtan
This ceremony is right after mangala-arati. Narasimha is all powerful and The Supreme Lord appeared in the form of Narasimha, half-lion and half-man form, to protect His devotee Prahlada from the wrath of his father Hiranyakashipu, the greatest demon who defied the Supreme Lord. Lord Narasimha always protects His devotees and takes away the obstacles in their devotional service. Devotees offer Him prayers before they begin their services as the devotees sing Narasimha Kirtan.
4.55 AM - 5.15 AM : Tulasi Arati & Prayer
Tulasi is the eternal consort of Lord Krishna, and the most pure devotee, and therefore, the Tulasi plant is worshiped by Vaishnavas and it is most beneficial. Simply by worshiping her faithfully, a devotee can free himself from all material miseries.
Tulasi-arati is performed like this: The devotees sing prayers to Tulasi-devi while one devotee offers her arati with incense, ghee lamp, and flowers. When the song is finished, the devotees circumambulate Tulasi-devi minimum four times and offer her water by pouring minimum three drops at her root. It is said that when a person circumambulates Tulasi Devi, all the sins devotee may have committed are destroyed at every step. Devotees again offer obeisances chanting the Tulasi Pranama Mantra.
Devotees chant Vedic hymns like Sri Siksastakam, Brahma Samhita, selected prayers from Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Venkatesha Suprabhata, Purusha-sukta, Narasimha-kavacha etc., to greet the Lord after He is awake.
5.15 AM – 7.30 AM : Nitya Shodasha Upachara Puja & Japa Meditation
Devotees assemble in the temple hall and chant Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. The powerful holy name of the Lord can certainly deliver one from sinful effects, but one who desires to utilize this transcendental potency of the holy name of the Lord in one’s sinister activities is the most degraded person in the world. Since no one is more powerful than or equal to the energy of the Supreme Lord, no one’s name can be as powerful as that of the Lord. By chanting the Lord’s holy name, one can immediately becomes auspicious and transcendental to the infection of material qualities and one can derive all the stipulated energy synchronized from all sources.
Srila Prabhupada recommended that we chant at least 16 rounds (1 round = 108 times) of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra every day.
Behind the closed altar doors, the kautuka murtis of Sri Radha Krishnachandra and Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga are offered shodashopachara seva (worship of the Deities with sixteen upacharas). As part of the shodashopachara seva, the Deities are also offered abhisheka and are adorned in gorgeous outfits and garlands.
7.30 AM – 7.45 AM : Sringar Darshan Arati
At 7:15 am, the conch shells blow, announcing the opening of Lord’s darshan. Deity Greeting After the Deities have been worshiped in private, They give Their audience (darshana) to the devotees and the public, who then can see the shrine and offer worship and prayers. This is accompanied by a recorded singing of the Govindam prayers of the Brahma-samhita. A short arati is performed with incense, flower, chamara, and a peacock fan.
7.45 AM – 8.10 AM : Guru Puja & Kirtan
After the Darshana arati, devotees carry Srila Prabhupada’s Deity in a pallakki and circumambulate the temple (pradakshina). Srila Prabhupada receives charanamrita and shatari and then he receives guru-puja, an elaborate arati performed by the devotees.
At this time, as members of the Hare Krishna Movement we offer our obeisances to Srila Prabhupada as the guru for all devotees. We are eternally indebted to him for single-handedly bringing Krishna to whole world and thus giving everyone the opportunity to become a lover of God. During the guru-puja, the devotees sing prayers glorifying the spiritual master and offer flower petals and obeisances at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. And after finishing the glorification prayers for spiritual master, devotees participate in Hare-Krishna kirtan by singing and dancing.
8.10 AM – 9.00 AM : Vaishanava Bhajan & Lecture on the Srimad-Bhagavatam
After the guru-puja, devotees accept the charanamrita of the Lord and then devotees sing Vaishanava Bhajan compiled by various Vaishanava Acharyas.
“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.” – SB 1.2.18
Every day at 8.00am there is a lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam. It is said nityam bhagavata-sevaya: devotees listen to a lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam. By this process of regular hearing, all the contamination in our heart will be cleansed and the devotional attitude will develop.
The speaker reads a verse and Srila Prabhupada’s explanation of it, and then elaborates on the topics discussed there. At the end of the class, there are usually questions or comments. Thus an interesting and enlightening discussion takes place.
We request you to be part of this morning program and share the bliss with us.
12.30 PM – 12.50 PM : Rajbhog Arati
The raja-bhoga-arati follows the noon offering of food to the Deities. It lasts for about 20 minutes. Their Lordships are offered rajbhog arati with incense, ghee lamp, water, cloth, flowers, chamara & a peacock fan. Prior to this arati, at 12:00 pm Their Lordships receive the Rajbhog offering, the grand offering of foodstuffs for the day. Rajbhog comprises varieties of delicacies like sweets, savouries, salads, vegetables, rice, roti, dhal, fruit juice, etc.
Evening Programme
04.30 PM – 04.40 PM : Dhupa Arati
This arati lasts for 10 minutes. The priest offers incense, flowers, camara, and also a peacock fan. Prior to this arati, at 4:00 pm Their Lordships receive fruit offering.
06.45 PM – 06.55 PM : Tulasi Arati
This arati lasts for 10 minutes. Devotee offers incense, ghee lamp and flowers. Tulasi kirtan is performed with tulasi pramana and tulasi pradaksina.
07.00 PM – 07.25 PM : Sandhya Arati & Narasimha Kirtan
This is also known as Gaura-arati. The devotees sing Sri Gaura-arati–a joyful song glorifying Lord Chaitanya and His associates. It lasts for about 20 minutes. It is a spiritually enlivening experience for the devotees to witness the sandhya arati in the evening. Their Lordships are offered incense, ghee lamp, water, cloth, flowers, chamara and a peacock fan.
07.30 PM – 08.00 PM : Bhagavad Gita Class
Conducted in a similar manner to the morning Bhagavatam class, evening Bhagavad-gita class draws in congregation members as well as the residents’ devotees.
08.15 PM – 08.30 PM : Shayana Arati
The final arati of the day allows all the devotees to have a last opportunity to see the Deities and sing a beautiful song accompanied with music on the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha Krishnachandra. Their Lordships are offered various articles like incense, flowers, chamara and a peacock fan.
On every Sunday, this arati is followed by a grand shayana pallakki utsava when the kautuka murtis of Their Lordships Nitai-Gauranga are carried in a pallakki around the altar and then duly worshiped. The pallakki utsava combined with Harinama sankirtan is not only a visual delight but also a spiritually uplifting experience.