Srimad Bhagavatam Narration of Lord Balarama’s Appearance
Lord Balarama is the adi-guru, the original spiritual master. In Chaitanya Lila, Lord Balarama appears as Lord Nityananda, the bestower of mercy to even the most fallen conditioned soul. Therefore His appearance as the son of Rohini and Vasudeva is celebrated by devotees with great jubilation.
On the eve of Balarama-purnima, an adhivasa ceremony is performed in the evening to invoke auspiciousness.
On the day of Balarama-purnima, devotees fast till noon. Murtis of Krishna-Balarama are decorated nicely and kept on the altar platform. At around 11 a.m., an abhisheka is performed and bhoga of varieties of sweets, savories, chutneys, rice, sabjis, cakes and pastries are offered. Flowers are offered at Their lotus feet and a maha-arati is performed. , and a grand feast is served at 2 p.m.
In the evening, devotees commemorate Lord Balarama’s breaking a honey pot. A huge pot containing honey and some maha-prasada are placed in pots and tied up on a post. Some devotees are blindfolded, and they try to break that pot using a stick. The pot moves up and down. It’s fun time for devotees watching and participating. Even though everyone is eager for a taste of the honey, hardly anyone can hit the pot. When the pot is broken, devotees relish the honey and the maha-prasada. Such an event gives us a glimpse of the bliss that the gopas might have enjoyed in the company of the Lord while breaking the pots in Vraja.
Balarama-purnima also marks the end of Jhulana-yatra and the first month of chaturmasya.
