By Dhirnayaka dasa (Utkal-Banga Padayatra leader)
Chandan-yatra marks the start of the summer season in Vrindavan and is celebrated for twenty-one days. The festival starts on Akshaya Tritiya and ends on the full-moon day of Vaishakha. In 2023 the dates were April 23 to May 14.
During the auspicious Chandan-yatra, devotees anoint the deities with sandalwood paste (candana). The festival is held in the hot season in India, when sandalwood provides the Lord with relief from the scorching heat of summer in the months of Vaishakha/Jyestha (May/June). Apart from the eyes, sandalwood is applied all over the Lord’s body. It is among the most sacred yatras in India.
We padayatris celebrated Chandan-yatra and applied sandalwood to our deities. Ours is a moving temple. Leaving all the comforts of the temple, Their Lordships move on a chariot, tolerating all the seasons. Summer is going on and the temperature is increasing day by day. The Chandan-yatra gave some relief to Their Lordships.
Chandan-yatra, ki jai.
