2026.03.16 (Vrindavan Today News): Vrindavan will observe the 535th birth anniversary of Shri Ashudhir Maharaj on March 19, coinciding with the auspicious Hindu New Year, Nav Samvatsar. The celebrations will take place at the revered Banke Bihari Temple, where special rituals and offerings will mark the occasion.
On this day, Banke Bihari Ji will be offered a traditional bhog of kand (edible roots), freshly churned butter, and tender sweet neem buds. The offering is prepared according to long-standing temple traditions associated with the beginning of the Hindu lunar year.
Temple servitor and historian Acharya Prahlad Vallabh Goswami explained that the festival falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, the first day of the new Hindu calendar year. The day is also commemorated as the appearance anniversary of Shri Ashudhir Maharaj, who was the father and spiritual preceptor of the revered Bhakti saint Swami Haridas, widely honored as the “Rasik Samrat” of Braj.
Significance of the Neem Offering
According to Acharya Prahlad Vallabh Goswami, the offering and consumption of tender neem leaves at the beginning of the year carries both symbolic and practical significance. Neem is traditionally regarded as beneficial for health, helping cleanse the body, strengthen digestion, and protect against seasonal infections during the transition of weather. Offering these medicinal leaves to the deity reflects the prayer for well-being and purification in the coming year.
Traditional New Year Rituals
As a part of the celebrations, the Goswami families serving the temple will gather in a circular assembly within the temple premises. The temple’s Kul Purohit will then present the astrological forecast for the Hindu year 2083, outlining the planetary influences and interpreting the auspicious and challenging aspects for the zodiac signs.
Following the reading, the Kul Purohit will be ceremonially honored by the temple servitors, patrons, and members of the temple management committee. A special New Year almanac will then be offered at the lotus feet of Thakur Banke Bihari and distributed among devotees as a mark of blessings for the new year.
Historical Background
According to temple historian Acharya Prahlad Vallabh Goswami, Shri Ashudhir Maharaj was born in 1491 CE in Uchch village of the Multan district, then part of the Punjab province of undivided India (now in Pakistan). He spent his early years in the Lahori Gate locality of Multan, residing in the Punjabi Sarai area.
Around 1507 CE, Ashudhir Maharaj migrated with his family to the Braj region and settled in a village near Khair in present-day Uttar Pradesh. There he established the deity of Khaireswar Mahadev. It was in this village that his three sons were born, including the illustrious saint Swami Haridas, who later became one of the most celebrated devotional figures associated with Vrindavan and the spiritual heritage of Braj.
