With the beginning of Shukla ekadashi, begins the 40 day long Kartik Niyam Seva celebration where devotees all round the world gather in Vrindavan to celebrate and adopt satvik lifestyles in the name of the Lord.
The devotees sing and dance glorifying the Lord’s name. Groups of devotees belonging from various ashrams and temple participate in the Nagar Sankirtans which pass through the markets and small lanes of Shri Dham Vrindavan.
Devotees offer lamps to the deities in the morning and in the evening during the aratis. They perform four rounds of Parikrama of the Damodar Mandir, resembling one full parikrama of Shri Govardhan hill. Many devotees take the vow of daily parikrama of Shri Dham Vrindavan.
It is seen that Gaudiyas normally observe this fast in order to please the divine couple . Following strict rules like walking barefoot, cooking food with own hands, bathing early morning reciting japas and sacred texts mark their love and devotion to the Lord and his consort.
