“nityananda namastubhyam premananda-pradayine
kalau kalmasa-nasaya jahnava-pataye namah”
I offer obeisances unto Sri Nityananda Prabhu who bestows the bliss of divine love, who eliminates the filth of the age of Kali, and who is the master of Jahnava-devi.
Nityananda Trayodashi is the auspicious appearance day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appeared in Navadvipa as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish the Sankirtana Movement. To help the Lord Chaitanya in His mission, Lord Balarama appeared as Nityananda Prabhu. He assisted Lord Chaitanya by spreading the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Nityananda Prabhu appeared in the village of Ekachakra, in the district of Birbhum in West Bengal, as the son of Padmavati and Hadai Pandita. He was born on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Magha (Magha Shukla Trayodashi).
In his childhood, Lord Nityananda performed his inconceivably enchanting and amazing pastimes in Ekachakra , then ,he travelled to various places of pilgrimage through out India. Subsequently, He joined Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Sridham Mayapur and together the two brothers drowned the entire universe in the ecstatic chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
Lord Nityananda is even more merciful than the munificent Lord Chaitanya and the two lotus feet of his, which are as cooling as million of moons (nitai-pada-kamala, koti-candra-susitala) are the only shelter for the aspiring devotees of Lord Chaitanya in this age of Kali, which is full of miseries. Lord Nityananda very mercifully inundated the entire universe with Krishna Prem and distributed love of Godhead without considering whether one is qualified or not.
On the appearance day of Lord Nityananda, all the devotees assemble in different ISKCON temples to celebrate His appearance. The ocean of the endless glories of Nitai is discussed till it is time for the Abhishek of their Lordships Gaur – Nitai. The Lords shower the Vaishnavas with unlimited transcendental bliss during this bathing ceremony which is accompanied by Kirtan. This beautiful bathing ceremony is followed by bhoga offering to the Lords prepared by devotees with the desire to please Nityananda Prabhu. Devotees fast till noon on Nityananda-trayodasi. In this way Nityananda Trayodashi is beautifully observed in ISKCON temples.
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