Jhulan Purnima: Difference between revisions

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'''Jhulan Purnima,''' '''Jhulan Yatra''' or '''Hindola''' is a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] swinging festival that is dedicated to Hindu god [[Krishna]] and goddess [[Radha]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Underhill |first=Muriel Marion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wJzXAAAAMAAJ&q=hindola |title=The Hindu Religious Year |date=1921 |publisher=Association Press |pages=82 |language=en}}</ref> It is popularly celebrated by the Hindu [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] sect in the month of [[Shraavana|Shravana]] (July-August) which falls under the monsoon season in India when the weather is hot, humid and slightly breezy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Melton |first=J. Gordon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KDU30Ae4S4cC&dq=jhulan+yatra&pg=PA460 |title=Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations |date=2011-09-13 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-59884-205-0 |pages=460 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jafa |first=Navina |date=July 8, 2018 |title=Sway, play |url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2018/06/30/sway-play.html |website=The Week}}</ref> This festival is known for its display of decorated swings, songs and dance. It is a joyful festival which celebrates the amour of divine couple [[Radha]] and [[Krishna]] along with the romantic fervor of the rainy season in [[India]].

== Etymology ==

Hindola or ''Hiṇḍōla'' (हिंडॊल) is a Sanskrit word which means "a swing" or "swinging cradle".<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDEOAAAAIAAJ&dq=hindola+sanskrit+dictionary&pg=RA74-PA23 |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: With References to the Best Editions of Sanskrit Authors and Etymologies and Comparisons of Cognate Words Chiefly in Greek, Latin, Gothic, and Anglo-Saxon |date=1866 |publisher=Longmans, Green, and Company |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Morgan |first=Edward Delmar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qzhbAAAAQAAJ&dq=hindola+meaning&pg=PA507 |title=Indian and Aryan sections |date=1893 |publisher=committee of the Congress |pages=507 |language=en}}</ref> Hindola is also known as a special musical tune (''[[raga]]'') designed to accompany the act of swinging. <ref>{{Cite book |last=Department |first=India Imperial Record |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AI1AAAAAIAAJ&dq=hindola+festival&pg=PA37 |title=An Alphabetical List of the Feasts and Holidays of the Hindus and Muhammadans |date=1914 |publisher=Superintendent Government Print., India |pages=37 |language=en}}</ref>

Jhulan Yatra has been inspired from the swing pastimes of Krishna with the [[Gopi|Gopis]]in[[Vrindavan]].<ref name=":0" /> These pastimes are mentioned in literature such as the [[Bhagavata Purana]], the Harivamsa, and the Gita Govinda. The metaphor of the swing of the monsoon or 'Sawan Ke Jhuley' have since been used by poets and songwriters to describe the romantic feeling that permeates the [[Monsoon of South Asia|rainy season]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/Jhulan-Yatra.htm|title=Jhulan Yatra, the Joyful Monsoon Swing Festival|access-date=24 April 2015|archive-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403180326/http://hinduism.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/a/Jhulan-Yatra.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The popular Krishna literature Hari Bhakti Vilasa (Performance of Devotion to Hari or Krishna) mentions Jhulan Yatra as part of the various festivals dedicated to Krishna: "…the devotees serve the Lord during the summer by placing Him on the boat, taking Him out on a procession, applying sandalwood on His body, fanning Him with chamara, decorating Him with jeweled necklaces, offering Him palatable foodstuffs, and bringing Him out to swing Him in the pleasant moonlight."{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

==Celebrations ==

=== Mathura, Vrindavan, and Mayapur ===

Of all the places in India, [[Mathura]], Vrindavan, and [[Mayapur]] are most famous for Jhulan Yatra celebrations. During the thirteen days of Jhulan— from the third day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu month of [[Shraavana|Shravan]] (July–August) until the full moon night of the month, called Shravan Purnima— thousands of [[Krishna]] devotees throng from around the world to the holy cities of Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, and Mayapur in West Bengal, India.

=== Orissa ===

In the [[Jagannath Temple, Puri|Jaganath Temple, Puri]] and other shrines and ''[[Matha|mathas]]'' in Orissa, Jhulan Purnima is celebrated by swinging the image of [[Jagannath|Lord Jagannath]] to the accompaniment of music and dance. This is celebrated in the month of August for a week leading up to the full moon or ''Shravana Purnima''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Verma |first=Manish |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z4gzFFLdBoYC&dq=jhulan+yatra&pg=PA40 |title=Fasts and Festivals of India |date=2013 |publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. |isbn=978-81-7182-076-4 |language=en}}</ref>

=== ISKCON ===

Many Hindu organizations, especially the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]], observe Jhulan Purnima for five days.<ref name=":0" /> At Mayapur, the world headquarters of the ISKCON, deities of Radha and Krishna are decorated and placed on an ornate swing in the temple courtyard for devotees to swing their favorite deities using a flowery rope while offering flower petals amid [[Bhajan|bhajans]] and [[Kirtan|kirtans]]. They dance and sing the popular hymns '[[Hare Krishna (mantra)|Hare Krishna Mahamantra]],' 'Jaya Radhe, Jaya Krishna,' 'Jaya Vrindavan,' 'Jaya Radhe, Jaya Jaya Madhava' and other devotional songs. A special '[[Arti (Hinduism)|aarti]]' ritual is performed after the deities are placed on the swing, as devotees bring their '[[bhog]]' or food offerings for the divine couple.

[[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada|Srila Prabhupada]], the founder of ISKCON, prescribed the following rituals to honor Krishna on Jhulan Yatra: During these five days the deities' clothes should be changed daily, a nice [[Prasada|prasad]] (food offering) be distribution, and ''sankirtan'' (group singing) should be performed. A throne may be constructed on which the deities (Radha and Krishna) can be placed, and swayed gently with accompanying music.

=== Pushtimarg ===

In the [[Pushtimarg|Pushtimarg Vaishnava]] sect, Hindola is celebrated for 15 days during the monsoon season. Elaborate hindolas or swings are decorated with different material for each day. <ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ambalal |first1=Amit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qFZxCwAAQBAJ&dq=hindola+pushtimarg&pg=PA45 |title=Gates of the Lord: The Tradition of Krishna Paintings |last2=Krishna |first2=Kalyan |last3=Bachrach |first3=Emilia |last4=Lyons |first4=Tryna |last5=Shah |first5=Anita |date=2015-01-01 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-21472-7 |language=en}}</ref>

== Music ==

The songs that are sung in the accompaniment of this festival is sung in a special ''raga'' or metre called "hindola".<ref name=":1" /> Hindola, which were sung by saints like [[Premanand Swami]], are sung accompanied by musical instruments during this festival.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-03-30 |title=Hindola Darshan, Hindola Wallpapers, Hindola Photos, Hindola Videos, Swaminarayan Hindola, Swaminarayan Temple Hindola, Swaminarayan Mandir Hindola, Ghanshyam Maharaj Hindola Darshan, Shreeji Maharaj Hindola, India Hindola, Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, Shree Ghanshyam Maharaj, Shree Nar Narayan Dev, Shree Radha Krishna Dev, Shree Swaminarayan Bhagwan |url=http://www.hkshastri.org/hd-photo-swaminarayan-temple-hindola.html |access-date=2023-03-11 |archive-date=30 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330194256/http://www.hkshastri.org/hd-photo-swaminarayan-temple-hindola.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

== External links ==

{{Commons category}}