What is a Phool Bangla?
A Phool Bangla is an expression of love by devotees to the Lord. Literally speaking, a Phool Bangla is a summer house made of flowers. The temple interiors are decorated with flowers. The deities’ dresses and jewellery are made of flowers – jasmines, roses, oleander buds, gerbera, marigold, lotus, and a dash of leaves and other embellishments.
The idea is to shower love and comfort the Lord at the advent of summer. Summer is scorching here, therefore flowers, water fountains, sandalwood and camphor paste, cooling drinks and food preparations are served to the Lord.
Sri Radha Vallabh in a Phool Bangla, evening arti darshan
Here is a Phool Banla day in the courtyard of Sri Radha Vallabh Temple in Vrindavan
A Phool Bangla usually takes half a day to prepare and in the evening when the temple opens for devotees, it is ready to be seen. Sometimes, the next morning also, the Phool Bangla decor on the temple walls can be seen, but the deities’ flowers are exchanged for summery clothing next morning.
Banana leaves, marigold flowers and paintings of Gopis are the theme for the Phool Bangla made today
This picture shows Sri Giriraj shila, in the Sri Radha Vallabh Temple courtyard. Giriraj or Govardhan shila is a piece of rock from Govardhan hill, which is considered a manifestation of Lord Krishna. Annakoot pooja is celebrated a day after the festival of Diwali to honour Govardhan Hill and Lord Krishna. Raslila performances in Vrindavan show a beautiful rendition relating the activities of Krishna, and Annakoot pooja. Sri Govardhan Nath ji, the deity at Nathdwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan was discovered at Govardhan Hill by Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, who started Pushti Sampradaay, a Vaishnav community for worshipping Sri Krishna. His first compostition in praise of Sri Krishna is Madhurashtak which is even now (after 500 years) a popular Sanskrit song. Click here to listen to Madhurashtak with lyrics.
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