Srila Prabhupada once explained the festival this way: “Krishna was just a toy in the hands of the

Gopis, so one day the Gopis decided that we shall decorate Him. Pusya abhisheka means a
ceremony to decorate the deity profusely with flowers, ornaments, cloths.

After there should be lavish feasting and a procession through the streets, so that all the citizens
should see how beautiful Krishna appears.”

How Sri Sri Radha Gopinath of Iskcon Chowpatty enjoys this festival. Pushya Abhishek is the first
festival of the year celebrated in January. Most festivals celebrated in the temple involve the
Abhishek of the utsava murtis (small brass Deities); but on this special festival, the mula vigrahas or
the main Deities of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath are showered with one ton (1000 kgs) of colorful flower
petals. The best flowers are procured from different parts of the country specially for this occasion –
Roses from Vrindavan, Jasmines from Coimbatore.

The preparation for the festival begins early morning, at 7:30 a.m. Many little mounds of flowers, of
different colors and varieties, each with devoted hearts sitting around, plucking out tender petals: the
preparation looks as festive as the festival itself. In all, a few hundred assemble, and they are as
varied as the flowers plucked: CEOs, PhD scholars, Heads of Departments of Universities, lawyers,
Sanskrit scholars, simple railway workers, farmers, the poor, the rich, Indians, Germans, Americans,
Australians, Ukrainians, Russians, Africans, etc.

If you are out to locate Radhanath Swami, you can be sure of his being at Radha Gopinath temple on
this day. He addresses the volunteers at 8:15 a.m., giving them the spiritual insight into what they are
doing. Though the scriptural examples quoted vary every year, the theme remains the same: “The
Supreme Lord is the proprietor of everything, and so does not require anything more. He is not in
need of food, wealth, palaces, jewels—or even flower petals. If these things are offered to Him
without proper humility or devotion, He will not even look in that direction. The holy scriptures are
filled with examples that illustrate this.” While the Lord is averse to the offering done in the wrong
attitude, he hankers for the offerings done in devotion. And what will the volunteers get in return for
their devotional offerings? “… to experience the essence of real happiness, the treasures of the soul,
is so easy. Whoever we are, but if we have the consciousness of humility, generosity, and devotion,
any one of these flower petals that we pluck—any single one of them—can help us attain the highest
perfection of life. That’s how gracious God is.” The plucking proceeds till dusk, as basket after basket
gets brimmed with fragrant petals.

On this day, after the Mangala Arati, the next darshan of their Lordships is only in the evening. The
pujaris dress the Deities all day long in colorful flower garments and decorate them with exquisite
floral ornaments. Series of flower decorations all over the altar and the temple hall add to the
splendour of the festival. As the festiva spirit intensifies during the course of the preparations, the real
spectacle starts after dusk. Accompanied by melodious kirtans, the flower bathing of the Deities lasts
for more than an hour. As petals of various colors are showered upon their Lordships, the delight in
the faces of the devotees is a sight to behold. Once the deities are bathed on the offered petals are
then brought outside the altar and showered upon all the devotees . The festival concludes with
delicious prasadam feast.

– adapted from www.radhagopinath.com
Simple service but making a garland for Krishna is a deep meditation.  With every flower that we
string on the mala our meditation should be an offering of our love, our devotion to Krishna.  Actually
if you make even a single garland with that attitude your life will be perfect.  One mala offered or
made with that spirit of devotion and you can go to Golaka Vrindavan.  But it is not easy.  Actually
making garland is a sadhana like chanting our rounds.  If we can say one name of Krishna purely, we
can go to Golaka.  We are chanting and chanting with the intent that some day that name will come
from our heart and our life will be perfect.  Similarly, when that one flower strung with pure devotion,
an honest and sincere intent is put on the mala, your life could be perfect.  That is the power of
bhakti.  Even in such a simple service we can reach the highest perfection.  In the spiritual world the
simplest things are the highest. The Gopas, they decorate Krishna and Balaram with feathers, fruits,
leaves and flowers.  Whenever they find them on the ground, they somehow put them together and
make decorations for Krishna and Balaram.  The Gopis, there are so many gardens in Vrindavan.
Pushpavan near Kusum Sarovar, where every day, just before noon, Smt. Radharani  collects
flowers from that garden to make beautiful garlands to offer to Krishna when He meets her at Radha
Kund. The Pushpavan is very symbolic.  The highest devotee, Smt. Radharani, at the highest place
at Radha Kund, with highest Lila is manifested.  She is plucking flowers and making garlands for
Krishna every day for all of eternity.  What is our qualification to make the mala for Radha and
Gopinath, for Gaur Nitai, for Gopalji.  Actually we have no qualification.  In the spiritual world most
intimate associates of the Supreme Lord are performing this service.  But by Srila Prabhupada’s
mercy, by the mercy of vaisnavas, even with our false egos, our material desires and our spiritual
laziness we have been given this service.  If we understand its value then we are really grateful.  We
can achieve the greatest benefit.

Sankirtan is the process in this age of kali.  Caitanya Caritamrita describes that Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, through naam-sankirtan or prem-sankirtan, He garlanded the entire world.  Sankirtan
means together. Together we are trying to create a garland by which we chant the holy names
together.  It gives the highest pleasure to Krishna.  Now what would happen if all the flowers in a
garland are fighting with one another.  It would be extremely uncomfortable for Radha-Gopinath.  
They are arguing, fighting, envious of each other.  But when all the garlands, not the one flower
saying ‘I am the best, you are all inferior to me, because of me this garland is excellent’.  If the mala
had any flower of that type of false ego, it would be a disturbance to Krishna.  Every flower in the
garland is there for the purpose of the whole garland.  No flower is thinking ‘ I am the center’.  Every
flower is thinking ‘to whom we are being offered is the center – Krishna’, and we are all united for His
pleasure.  The big flowers, the little flowers, the red flowers, orange flowers, yellow flowers, white
flowers, there is no racism among flowers.  Not that I am whiter than you, I am bigger than you.  All
the flowers are ‘Achintya bheda-abheda’.  They are simultaneously one and different.  One in the
sense that they are all united for the pleasure of Radharani and Krishna,  and different in the sense
that according to their capacity they are contributing their own beauty, their own softness, their own
fragrance, and they are helping to make each  other beautiful.  A wonderful garland is where every
flower is enchancing the beauty of every other flower.  Not where one flower is trying to take the
attention from all others.  Simply by studying very carefully, philosophically, analytically, emotionally
the nature of the single garland we can understand the inner truths of bhakti.

“patram puspam phalam toyam

yo me bhakta prayacchati”
Krishna tells “offer me with love and devotion, a flower, a fruit, little water, even a leaf; and I will
accept it”. Everything is based on our devotion. Symptom of our devotion is our willingness to humble
ourselves to be united for the service of Krishna.  if you want to be great there is no place for you in
Vrindavan or  Vaikuntha.  Because in the spiritual world it is a society where everyone is thinking
everyone else is greater than me.  Srila Prabhupada says ‘that is Vaikuntha consciousness – every
other devotee is better than me, let me assist them, let me help them, let me harmonize with them’. 
That is devotion, because that is the consciousness that pleases Krishna.  Selfishness, egotisms has
no place in the spiritual world and it should be seen as the greatest distraction for our own spiritual
development.   But the tendency is to become caught up by the illusions of maya and we strive to
achieve what is the absolute worst thing for our welfare.   That is how maya breaks us, breaks our
communities and breaks the chance of the world to receive bhakti.  And we should know that the
consciousness that  you thread each flower is what Krishna accepts, not what everybody sees.  
Devotee may say that is the nicest garland I have ever seen, offered to Gopinath.  But if you thread
the flowers on it with ego, with bad feelings towards others in your mind while you are doing it, with
selfishness;  while others are saying ‘O it is a beautiful garland’, Gopinath would rather have thorns
and prickers put on Him – ugly rotten thorns and prickers.  That is the way He sees it.  Because He
sees the devotion, He feels the devotion, not what it looks like.  Of course our devotion is to try to
make it look as best as possible.  We will not put thorns and prickers on the garland and call it love
and devotion.  We will get the best possible flowers and put them in the best possible combinations
with the best possible consciousness.   Selfish desires, envy towards others, parjalpa while making
garlands, is like a poison.  It is like giving nice sweet rice to Krishna and putting poison in it.  He will
not enjoy it.

So our temple is for one purpose only to help people realize how to love Krishna.  When we offer
beautiful cloths, beautiful garlands, beautiful ornaments to the Deities it attracts people to Krishna. 
Actually it is preaching.  People see how these devotees are taking so much care, so much time, God
must be in this form.  They would not be doing this for a statue; otherwise they would be getting paid
for it.  So by doing the best we can, we actually attract people’s consciousness to begin to appreciate
Krishna in His Personal Form.  But the consciousness with which we make these garlands is what is
going to have the potency to actually affect people’s hearts.  To the degree we offer our service with
pure devotion, to that degree anyone who appreciates it, makes great spiritual progress. Whereas if
we offer something in a very material state of consciousness, people who appreciate it will make very
little progress.

Garland is a special part of our tradition.  It is the way we honor special guests.  It is the way we
honor the spiritual master and the vaisnavas.  It is a form of worship.  It is a form of appreciation. 
Deities are getting two garlands every day – Morning before Mangal Arati, and before the Shringar
Dharshan. But just to humble you, when I was Pujari, when we woke them up in the afternoon,  we
also gave them new garlands.  Even Radha Vrindavan Chandar, when I was pujari, we have before
Mangal Arati, Sringar darshan, then we put them to rest, we changed all their cloths and gave them
new garlands every afternoon also.  I think you should consult others, especially the treasurer.   But
it’s wonderful how worship is increasing so beautifully.  And it is so nice to see how you are all doing
your seva at home.  I am very happy for this day, because now if any of you will invite me to your
house, I can say I have already been there.  But the spirit of ladies coming together every morning,
every evening, working for hours and hours to do this humble service for the Deities and for Srila
Prabhupada, it is very beautiful to see a very simple part of the heart of our temple.  Many visitors
from other places, they speak with great appreciation for the garland makers.  Just to see every one
coming, working hour after hour after hour.  Even people coming from long distances almost every
day, just to be together with devotees to serve Radharani and Gopinath.   Very simple, very deep,
very wonderful.  Soon we will be having Pushya-abhishek, where hundreds and hundreds of
members of the congregation are allowed to also participate in this service.

Gopal’s Garden – all our children are like flowers,  Gopal’s Fun School also.  Bringing all these
children together to make them into a beautiful garland to offer to Krishna.   Planting the seeds,
offering the water, pulling the weeds, putting the natural fertilizers just to make that flower grow.  You
should meditate on the miracle of every flower you string  on that garland.  It is a living miracle.  It is
coming out of the ground, grows with water, with sunlight, with earth, with fertilizer to a brilliant color,
nectarine fragrance, lovely texture, so beautiful.  Then little bee comes on it, takes its …… and puts it
on another.  The wind may also spread the ………. from one flower to another.  The flowers have
babies.  It is like that.  Every flower is actually a baby of a mother.  It is Krishna’s miracle.  One of the
beautiful things I appreciate about flowers and garlands is how within a day they wilt and become
soggy and lose their fragrance, lose their color, lose their texture and nobody wants them.   Is not that
wonderful?  It is so metaphorical to a life.  Everything in this world like a flower begins as a seed. 
Every living being  begins like a seed and starts to grow as a sprout, then blossoms, then wilts and
dies finally.   But Krishna accepts the essence.  This body does not last much longer than a flower
garland from the perspective of eternity.  The amount of time that a flower garland wilts and is no
longer nice in our vision, is really a long time compared to our time from the perspective of Lord
Brahma.  Our whole life span is not even a second from his perspective, and all the aging and wilting
and everything.  So a devotee is sargrahi.  All he is concerned with is the essence, seeking the
essence of life, seeking the essence of everything we see.  And what is the essence?  The essence
is that everything is connected to Krishna.  The essence is eternal.  The essence cannot be wilted by
time.  “…………………….”   When you offer a garland to Krishna, or you put a flower, when you offer
one flower, some people thread the flowers, other tie the flowers, according to your tradition of
garland making.  Did you ever see those malas when they tie, with little string they tie each flower –
very strong garlands. And every time you place one on, the act of devotion is eternal. Whatever you
offer to Krishna that investment of devotion will never wilt, will never be lost.  It is ever fresh and
forever.  That is the beauty of bhakti.

Thank you very much, Hare Krishna.