dressing

Generally, there are four kinds of garments on the body of Krsna: His shirt, turban, belt and wearing garments. In Vrndavana, He used to put on reddish garments, with a golden shirt on His body and an orange colored turban on His head. The different kinds of belts, combined with His enchanting smile, used to always increase the transcendental bliss of His associates. This dress of Krsna is described as gorgeous. As a baby elephant is sometimes dressed in colorful clothing, so Krsna's gorgeousness was manifested by decoration with such colorful clothing on the different parts of His body.    (More...)

Akalpa refers to the texture of Krsna's hair, His nicely dressed body annointed with sandalwood pulp and decorated with flower garlands, His tilaka, and His chewing pan. Krsna was decorated constantly in this akalpa process. Krsna's hair was sometimes decorated with flowers placed on the middle of His head, or else reaching down to His back. In this way Krsna dressed His hair differently at different times. As for the ointment on His body, the pulp of sandalwood generally appeared to be white, and when it was mixed with saffron dye it appeared to be yellow.    (More...)

Krsna used to put a vaijayanti garland around His neck. This vaijayanti garland is made of at least five differently colored flowers. The length of such a garland was always touching Krsna's knees or feet. Besides this garland of flowers, there were other kinds of flower garlands too-sometimes decorating His head, sometimes hanging around His neck and chest. Artistic painting with sandalwood pulp and colored sandalwood were also to be found on the body of Krsna.    (More...)

One gopi addressed her friend and began to praise the bodily features of Krsna. She praised His blackish complexion, the reddish color of chewing pan enhancing His beauty hundreds of times, the curling hair on His head, the kuhkum* red spots on His body and the tilaka on His forehead.    (More...)

His helmet, His earrings, His necklace, His four garments, the bangles on His head, the rings on His fingers, His ankle bells and His flute-these are the different features of Krsna's ornaments. Krsna, the enemy of Agha, always looked beautiful with His incomparable helmet, His earrings made of diamonds, His necklace of pearls, His bangles, embroidered garments and the beautiful rings on His fingers.    (More...)

Krsna is sometimes called vanamali. Vana means forest and mali means gardener, so vanamali refers to one who extensively uses flowers and garlands on different parts of His body. Krsna was dressed like this not only in Vrndavana but also on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Seeing such colorful dress and the garlands of different flowers, some great sages prayed, "Lord Krsna was going to the battlefield of Kuruksetra not to fight, but to grace all of the devotees with His presence."    (More...)

The next important items are as follows: 1) One should decorate the body with tilaka, which is the sign of the Vaisnavas. (The idea is that as soon as a person sees these marks on the body of the Vaisnava, he will immediately remember Krsna. Lord Caitanya said that a Vaisnava is he whom, when seen, reminds one of Krsna. Therefore, it is essential that a Vaisnava mark his body with tilaka to remind others of Krsna.) 2) In marking such tilaka, sometimes one may write Hare Krsna on the body. 3) One should accept flowers and garlands that have been offered to the Deity and the spiritual master and put them on his body. 4) One should learn to dance before the Deity. 5) One should learn to bow down immediately upon seeing the Deity or the spiritual master. 6) As soon as one visits a temple of Lord Krsna, one must stand up. 7) When the Deity is being borne for a stroll in the street, a devotee should immediately follow the procession. (In this connection it may be noted that in India, especially in Visnu temples, the system is that apart from the big Deity who is permanently situated in the main area of the temple, there is another set of smaller Deities which are taken in procession in the evening. In some temples it is the custom to hold a big procession in the evening with a band playing and a nice big umbrella over the Deities, who sit on decorated thrones on the cart or palanquin which is carried by devotees. The Deities come out onto the street and travel in the neighborhood while the people of the neighborhood come out to offer prasadam. The residents of the neighborhood all follow the procession so that it is a very nice scene. When the Deity is coming out, the servitors in the temple put forward the daily accounts before Them: so much was the collection, so much was the expenditure. The whole idea is that the Deity is considered to be the proprietor of the whole establishment, and all the priests and other people taking care of the temple are considered to be the servants of the Deity. This system is very, very old and is still followed. So, therefore, it is mentioned here that when the Deity is on stroll the people should follow behind.) 8) A devotee must visit a Visnu temple at least once or twice every day, morning and evening. (In Vrndavana this system is followed very strictly. All the devotees in town go every morning and evening to visit different temples. Therefore during these times there are considerable crowds all over the city. There are about 5,000 temples in Vrndavana City. Of course it is not possible to visit all the temples, but there are at least one dozen very big and important temples which were started by the Gosvamis and which should be visited.) 9) One must circumambulate the temple building at least three times. (In every temple there is an arrangement to go around the temple at least three times. Some devotees go around more than three times: ten times, fifteen times-according to their vows. The Gosvamis used to circumambulate Govardhan Hill.) 10) One should circumambulate the whole Vrndavana area. 11) One must worship the Deity in the temple according to the regulative principles. (Offering aratrika, prasadam, decorating the Deity, etc.-these things must be observed regularly.) 12) Rendering personal service to the Deities. 13) Singing. 14) Sahkirtana. 15) Chanting. 16) Offering prayers. 17) Reciting notable prayers. 18) Tasting maha-prasadam (food from the very plate offered before the Deities). 19) Drinking caranamrtam (water from the bathing of the Deities which is offered to guests). 20) One must smell the incense and flowers offered to the Deity. 21) One must touch the lotus feet of the Deity. 22) One must see the Deity with great devotion. 23) One must offer aratrika at different times. 24) One must hear about the Lord and His pastimes from Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Bhagavad-gita, and similar books. 25) One must pray to the Deity for His mercy. 26) One should remember the Deity. 27) One should meditate upon the Deity. 28) One should render some voluntary service. 29) One should think of the Lord as his friend. 30) One should offer everything to the Lord. 31) One should offer a favorite article (as food or a garment). 32) One should take all kinds of risks for Krsna's benefit. 33) In every condition, be a surrendered soul. 34) Pour water on the tulasi tree. 35) Regularly hear Srimad-Bhagavatam and similar literature. 36) Live in a sacred place like Mathura, Vrndavana or Dvaraka. 37) Offer service to Vaisnavas (devotees). 38) Arrange your devotional service according to your means. 39) In the month of Karttika (October and November), make arrangements for special services. 40) During Janmastami (the time of Krsna's appearance in this world) observe a special service. 41) Do whatever is done with great care and devotion for the Deity. 42) Relish the pleasure of Bhagavatam reading amongst devotees and not amongst outsiders. 43) Associate with devotees who are considered more advanced. 44) Live in the jurisdiction of Mathura.    (More...)

A certain gopi once stated to her friend, "My dear friend, when I heard the sound of the leg bell of Sri Krsna, I immediately started to go out of the house to see Him. But most regrettably, my superiors were present just before me at that time, and I could not go out."    (More...)