Tradition Of Ashtayam Sewa Of Radhavallabh Sect
"Tradition" as the word suggests refers to the tradition followed by the Goswamis or priests of the temple of offering their service to Sriji, daily in a systematic order as per their scriptures potray. In the scripts it is penned under the name of "Ashtayam Sewa".
"Ashtayam sewa" refers to the daily service offered in the honor of Shri Radha vallabhji.Also regarded as "Nitya Sewa",this refers to "Ashta-Sewa" meaning "Eight services" offered each day. "Ashtayam" literally refer to the eight "pahars" in a day. According to Hindu calendar 1 day comprises eight "pahars", 1 "pahar"=3 hours Henceforth 8 "pahars"=24 hours which make a day. Every time interval is compelled with a service which is carried out dutifully by the "goswamis"-priests of the temple. In a nutshell, these "sewa" or service offered in the honor of lord are carried out in a orderly manner,the daily routine of service to Sriji is performed with minute accuracy; the lord is hence regaled with necessities and luxuries of life in due succession,even to changing of clothes, offering of cooked food, fruits etc. and Sriji's parting to rest.
Ashtayam Sewa is described below as performed at the Temple during 'Eight Prahars' of the Day:-
Dawn - Hours 5:00 AM to 6:30 AM
Morning - Hours 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM
Morning - Hours 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Noon - Hours 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Evening - Hours 05:00 PM to 05:30 PM
Evening - Hours 05:30 PM to 06:30 PM
Evening - Hours 07:00 PM to 08:00 PM
Night - Hours 09:00 PM to 09:30 PM
'Bhog' prepared according to Festival:
At the time of Sandhya Bhog, various types of delicacies e.g., Ladoos of several types, Gujhias (A special kind of sweet prepared from rice or wheat flour with dry fruits lavishly stuffed inside with saffron and cardamom), Sugar Coated Almonds, Coconut slices water chestnuts (makhaana), Lotus seeds, melon seeds, Matharis (both sweet and salty), Sakalpara etc.
Besides several other delicacies are offered sumptuously to the Deity. Rajbhog, on this day also lavish and sumptuous which consists of "Sakhri"-Several kinds of rice e.g. Bhat, Jeera Bhat, Mewa Bhat, Boora Bhat, Kesar Bhat, Dahi Bhat (Rice, Cumin Rice, Dry Fruit Rice, Sugar-Butter Rice, Saffron Rice, Curd Rice) etc. Karhi, various kinds of breads (Anga Roti, Meethi Boora Bhee Roti, Missi Roti, Phulka), Lentils (Dal), Sweet Moong, vegetables of various kinds, Dahi Pakori, Kheer etc. and "Nikhri" consisting of various kinds of Pooris, Kachawris, pickles, jams and jellies, Dahi-Bara, Papad, vegetables etc. is offered to Deity followed by offerings of "Biree" (Betel leaves enriched with cardamom, saffron and dry fruits), traditionally offered after each and every "Bhog" daily at temple. The variety of delicacies change according to season and festivals like during summers and rainy season sharbats or sqaush, fruits, kulfi are served to Lord but in winters rabri, gulab jamun, mal pua is preffered and so on. All the bhog is prepared in Mandir premises no outside preparations are accepted or served to Lord.
The importance of Ashtyam Seva:
Sri Hith Harivansh blessed us with a beautiful way of serving Sri Radhavallabh Lal (‘Eka Prana Do Deha’- One Soul Two Bodies). This day to day seva not only joins the soul to Lord through mentally but physically also.
It is simple to say that remember or meditate Lord the whole day but our chores and daily routine ties us so we get away and meditation becomes difficult. But in Vrindavan life continously gets involved in meditation of Lord the devotees bound themselves to watch these aarti's time to time then eating parsaad , thus eyes, ears and mouth all our five senses are constanly thinking of God by this process one reaches to God and the soul continously soaks itself in Bhakti.