Hindola Utsav

Hindola Utsav is celebrated with great love, devotion ( bhakti ) and festivity in the temples. For one whole month, the chal (mobile) murti of the Harikrishna maharaj is placed in a hindola and swayed to and fro with a string.

It originated in the garden of Vrindavan 5000 years ago where the Gopis swayed Lord Krishna on a decorated swing. Ever since, to experience the divine joy of swaying the mighty Lord in a Hindola, the hindola festival became the focus of devotion.

Once in Vadtal, a decorative twelve door hindolo was tied to two mango trees, and the devotees swayed the Lord to and fro which was constructed by Nishkulanad swami. In response to their devotion, the Lord, while standing in the hindola, appeared in twelve divine forms and blessed the devotees.

The hindola festival is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm at all Swaminarayan mandirs. Sadhus and devotees spend great time and effort to produce hindolas of a variety of colors, shapes and forms. The hindolas can made of varieties of things i.e., beads, fruits, flowers, dry fruits, beans, rakhis.

 

See Other Festivals