PLATE SEVEN

“Accompanied by His personal associates, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
washed and swept the Gundica temple, cleansing it as usual. The Lord
danced and chanted and then enjoyed a picnic in the garden as He had
done before. As previously, He danced in front of the Jagannatha car and
observed the festival of Hera-paficami.” (pp.247-248 )

The details of the Herad-paficami festival (as given in Madhya-lila,
Chapter 14, verses 106-135) are as follows: “The Herad-paficami festival
takes place five days after the Ratha-yatra festival. Lord Jagannatha has
left His wife, the goddess of fortune, and gone to Vrndavana, which is the
Gundica temple. Due to separation from the Lord, the goddess of fortune
arrives at the main gate of the temple accompanied by many members of
her family, all of whom exhibit uncommon opulence. When the proces-
sion arrives, the maidservants of the goddess of fortune begin to arrest all
the principal servants of Lord Jagannatha. The maidservants bind the ser-
vants of Jagannatha, handcuff them, and make them fall down at the lotus
feet of the goddess of fortune. When the servants fall down before the
lotus feet of the goddess of fortune, they almost fall unconscious. They
are chastised and made the butt of jokes and loose language.”
