O.P. Bagla, the founding chairman of the Shri Ram Krishna Seva Sansthan—a member of the Rajasthani diaspora—stated that the 'Raasleela and Maha-Raas Mahotsav', which conveys the message of the divine love, devotion, and spiritual union of Lord Krishna and Radha, will commence at 5:30 PM on Sunday, October 25, at the Shah Auditorium. This event aims to connect devotees with the spiritual culture of the Braj region and the tradition of devotion to Krishna.
Mahendra Kumar Gupta, the head of the organization, mentioned that the 'Maha-Raas Leela' will be performed by a world-renowned Raasleela troupe from Vrindavan, under the direction of Rasacharya Ramballabh Ji—son of the late Padma Shri Swami Ramswaroop Ji. Entry will be by invitation card only.
Jai Prakash Goyal, the General Secretary of the organization, noted that the organizing committee includes, among others, Neeraj Goyal, Pradeep Beriwal, Pushpendra Kumar Goyal, Shyam Sundar Gupta, Lalit Poddar, and K.C. Other office-bearers involved include Lath and Harish Narsaria, Praveen Jalan Pinky, Satish Jindal, Ratish Mittal, Rajesh Bansal, Pramod Kansal, Pawan Jain, Pawan Kumar Goyal, B. K. Gupta, Raju Singhal, Vipin Poddar, Ramesh Bagla, Ashwini Chaudhary, Nitin Gupta, Kshitij Mittal, and Tarun Singhal.
Chairman O. P. Bagla stated that in today’s rapidly changing urban life, such cultural and religious events serve as a medium to pass on Indian traditions, folk theatre, and devotional literature to the new generation. 'Raaslila' is a unique tradition of Indian theatre that integrates music, dance, dialogue, and spirituality. The festival will feature performances depicting themes such as Radha’s singular devotion to Lord Krishna, the loving dedication of the Gopis, episodes involving Narada and Kamadeva (the god of love), and the story of Lord Shiva participating in the Raaslila in the guise of a Gopi. The soulful presentation of the 'Gopi Geet' (songs of the Gopis) and the 'Maharaas' (the grand divine dance) will be the special highlights of the event.
*An Opportunity to Connect with Braj Culture*
Organized on the occasion of Sharad Purnima, this festival will offer the residents of Delhi an experience of the 'Raas' tradition of the Braj region, while conveying a message of love, compassion, surrender, and spiritual unity between Radha and Krishna. Through the 'Maharaas', the divine spiritual bond between Lord Krishna, Radha, and the Gopis—symbolizing the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul, transcending worldly love—will be portrayed.
*Maharaas: A Message of Love, Devotion, and Spiritual Consciousness*
Sharad Purnima holds a special significance in relation to Lord Krishna’s 'Maharaas Leela'. According to religious belief, it was on the night of Sharad Purnima, on the banks of the Yamuna, that Lord Krishna performed the 'Maharaas' with the Gopis, bestowing upon them an experience of profound love, surrender, and spiritual bliss. The essence of this *līlā* (divine play) lies not merely in dance and music, but in liberation from the ego, selfless love, and complete surrender to the Divine.