Janmāṣṭamī Festival and Vyāsa-pūjā

Five thousand years ago, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, descended from the spiritual world and appeared in Vṛndāvana, India. Naturally an occasion of great joy for His devotees, His Appearance Day, Janmāṣṭamī, was celebrated with opulence and festivities. The original Janmāṣṭamī took place in Vṛndāvana at the house of Kṛṣṇa's foster father, Nanda Mahārāja. Learned brāhmaṇas and astrologers led the festivities, and all the town's residents joined in the singing, dancing, and feasting. Each year since then Lord Kṛṣṇa's devotees have marked the auspicious event in the same way.

Vyāsa-pūjā, celebrates the Appearance Day of the Spiritual Master. According to all the revealed Vedic scriptures, one should honour the Spiritual Master as much as one honours the Supreme Lord because he is aconfidential representative of the Lord. The Appearance Day of our Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, is the day after Janmāṣṭamī. Thus the devotees observe Janmāṣṭamī, as Vedic scriptures enjoin, by fasting all day and hearing and chanting Lord Kṛṣṇa's glories; then on the next day, Vyāsa-pūjā, the devotees glorify the spiritual master by offering prayers, flowers and ceremonies in his honour, and then an opulent feast. Since the service of the Spiritual Master is the life and soul of a sincere disciple, all the members of the Esoteric teaching observe Vyāsa-pūjā with great devotion .