Vrindavan, 2017.05.08 (VT) The Appearance Day of Shri Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu, the founder of the Radhavallabh Sampraday, was celebrated on Saturday.
Shri Hit Harivansh’s family was from Deoband in Northeast Uttar Pradesh. His father, Shri Vyas Mishra, was a Gaur Brahmin who, according to the Tarikh-i-Deoband, was employed by the Mughal Emperor Humayun.
One summer, as he was travelling West with the royal caravan from Agra, they crossed the land of Braj. It was ekadashi when Shri Vyas Mishra’s wife gave birth in Braj’s Baad village, and thus Shri Hit Harivansh appeared in this world. The year of his birth is disputed, but it is somewhere around the year 1500 A.D.
Despite having been born a Brajwasi, Shri Hit Harivansh ji spent his childhood with his family in Deoband. It was there that, according to Shri Radhavallabh Sampraday, he received mantra from Shri Radha in a dream, thus becoming Her disciple. In another story, the Gaudiya Sampraday says that Shri Gopal Bhatt Goswami gave initiation to Shri Hit Harivansh on his way to Nepal, although the Radhavallabh Sampraday does not accept this account.
In the year 1534, Shri Hit Harivansh returned home to Braj. Thereafter, he lived in Vrindavan permanently. There he established the Shri Radhavallabh Temple and promoted the worship of Shri Radharani as the Supreme Power. His beautiful songs, full of love for the Divine Couple Shri Radha and Krishna, still resound through the narrow pathways of Vrindavan.
Shri Hit Harivansh’s Appearance Day was celebrated with great joy at the Shri Radhavallabh Temple in Vrindavan and related ashrams. Devotees offered worship to Shri Hit Harivansh at the Bade Raasmandal. On Saturday morning, abhishek was offered to Radhavallabhji amidst the singing of Shri Harivansh’s divine pads. After that, the Shri Radhavallabh Lal gave His darshan sitting in a flower-palace.
Devotees sang kirtan in procession through the streets of Vrindavan, finally reaching the Bade Raasmandal. There Samaj Gayan (a type of traditional singing) was was offered to Shri Radharani. Some rasik saints put on sakhi vesh and danced with great feeling, inspiring all the devotees. Soon they all began to dance. The blissful festival lasted late into the night.
Shri Radhavallabh Lal
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