Festivals
The festivals of the Chaitanya sect are those of the Vaishnavas generally, with the addition of Chaitanya's birthday. As this falls on the occasion of the Dolajātrā it does not add a fresh festival.
The principal festivals of the Bengal Vaishnavas are briefly as follows:
The Dolajātrā is celebrated usually at full moon in the month of Phalguṇa (February-March). It commemorates a feat of Śrī Krishna's in killing a demoness; the chief features of the festivity are the swinging of the image of Krishna, and the ubiquitous ābīra, red powder.
As Chaitanya was born at the time of the full moon in Phalguṇa, the celebration of his birthday coincides with the Dolajātrā festivities.
In Navadvīpa, naturally, this occasion receives most attention. A 3-4 days mela is held, and special effort made to draw pilgrims to the sacred shrines.
A 4-5 days parikrama, a circumambulating pilgrimage touching points round about Navadvīpa connected in any way with Chaitanya's life, is one of the features of the celebration.
All Chaitanya temples celebrate this day as of greatest sanctity. In Calcutta during recent years an effort has been made to observe Chaitanya’s birthday as a public event:
One of the public squares of the city is requisitioned for the day, and public sankirtan and notable speakers are advertised by handbills.
The Jhulana jātrā occurs in the month of Śravaṇa (July-August). The chief point of the festival is the nightly swinging of the images of Rādhā-Krishna in a specially-prepared swing.
This festival is observed with considerable display at Dhākkādakshin in Sylhet:
An all-day-and-night sankirtan is held, and large numbers of pilgrims are sumptuously fed.
Janmāṣṭamī, the anniversary of Krishna's birth, is celebrated on the 8th lunar day in the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra (August-September). This is one of the most important festival days of Hinduism, and is observed by all Vaishnavas with fasting.
Rādhāṣṭamī, the birthday of Rādhā, falls in the same month of Bhādra. It is not so generally celebrated.
The Rās jātrā, celebrated in the month of Kārtik (October-November) is a popular festival. It commemorates the story of Krishna's dance with the gopis.
It continues for three nights, with jātrās and dancing for the crowds.
The Ratha jātrā, or car festival, commemorating the journey of Krishna from Gokula to Māthura, where he killed the demon king Kaṁsa, is probably the chief Vaishnava festival in Bengal:
Every village has its small car, while in certain places, like Dhamrāi, near Dacca, Mahesh and Ballabhpur, near Serampore, huge cars are maintained and the festival is celebrated with great pomp.
At the famous temple of Jagannāth, in Purī, this is the crowning festivity of the year.
Preceding this festival by 15 days is the Snāna jātrā, which is observed usually whenever the Ratha jātrā is:
This is a popular occasion, because the bathing and dressing of the gods takes place in the open, on a platform, where all can follow the proceedings.