Panihati Chida Dahi Festival (Part 1)

Radhanath Swami

Under this banian tree on the bank of holy river ganga, one of the great pastimes of the supreme personality of godhead was enacted. In fact, to commemorate this pastime, on our vaihsnava calendar there is a festival every year, and in most festivals throughout the international society for Krishna consciousness, gaudiya maths, and ther gaudiya vaishanva lines, this festival is celebrated with great joy. It is called the choda dahi utsav. Generally on our Vaishnava calendar we find the appearance and disappearance days of the lord or his devotees. This sounds a bit peculiar for those who are not confidentially understanding the intricacies of our sampradaya, the festival of chipped rice and yogurt. Chipped rice is perhaps the cheapest food you can get. What kind of feast you have with chipped rice? Chipped rice is what you give beggars. I remember when I was a beggar, living in the role of sahdu, Himalayas, I was taught this is how you can go into the forest and live for weeks at a time without depending on anyone. You go to market place and beg or chipped rice, everyone will give you chipped rice. If you go to a shopkeeper, that the cheapest food that have is chipped rice, chida. And you collect enough to fill a gamcha about this much and then you go to the forest and stay one two months, find a little water mix it, eat a handful in a day and your food problem is solved.