INTRODUCTION
The journey to Vrindavan is long. First one must gain control of his senses, such as the eyes, ears and tongue, and then the mind and the subtle attraction for name and fame. At this point, one may begin his journey to Vrindavan. One will first pass through the heavenly world, where the residents live for thousands of years, with full strength of their body and senses until their death. If one is not attracted to stay in the heavenly sphere, then he will next pass through Tapaloka, Janaloka and Brahmaloka, where the residents are endowed with mystic powers, experience no misery and live for millions of years.
If one still wishes to continue his journey to Vrindavan, then at this point one crosses over the Viraja river and enters into the Brahman effulgence, where there is complete freedom from birth and death and one can remain in a state of simply being, with neither happiness or distress. But if one still wishes to continue his journey, he will next arrive at Vaikuntha, where all the inhabitants enjoy eternal life full of bliss and knowledge, with the Supreme Lord Narayan, in a serving mood of awe and reverence.
If one is still not completely satisfied, then he can continue his journey and enter into Goloka, where Vrindavan and Navadvipa are situated. At this place on can have a loving relationship with the Lord. The following description of this place is given in the Brahma-Samhita:
"I worship that transcendental seat, known as Svetadvipa where as loving consorts the Laksmis in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the Supreme Lord Krsna as their only lover; where every tree is a transcendental purpose tree; where the soil is the purpose gem, all water is nectar, every word is a song, every gait is a dance, the flute is the favorite attendant, effulgence is full of transcendental bliss and the supreme spiritual entities are all enjoyable and tasty, where numberless milk cows always emit transcendental oceans of milk; where there is eternal existence of transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a moment. That realm is known as Goloka only to a very few self-realized souls in this world."
(Brahma-Samhita 5:56)
Of course, to obtain Vrindavan is very difficult, for just to gain control over the tongue, belly and genital is an almost impossible task. But the following alternative has been given by Lord Nityananda to get out of this place of repeated birth and death.
"Navadvipa and Vrndavana are one principle, neither one less or greater than the other. Vrndavana is the receptacle of rasa, the goal of the living entities, but one who is not qualified cannot receive the nectar. Therefore, by its mercy, that same Dhama has become Navadvipa, where the living entities can attain qualification for that nectar. In other words, to enter into is transcendental pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, the highest goal for the living entities, but immediately one has no right. Only after many lifetimes of austerity does one reach the stage of knowledge. When knowledge matures one inquires after this rasa. But as there are many obstacles at all times, to obtain the great treasure of that nectar is very rare indeed. Therefore, everyone who goes to Vrindavan does not get that rasa. Rather, because of offenses, that sweet nectar turns sour.
Furthermore, because during terrible Kali yuga offenses are continuous, the body is shortlived, and because the troubles are many, even if one wants the Vrindavan rasa, it is not attainable. The only method of getting that rasa is to get the mercy of Krsna.
Sri Sri Radha and Krsna have given that mercy by appearing along with Vrindavan in the single form of Gaura Hari in Navadvipa. In that form He has given the process for qualifying for the rasa) even the initial presence of many offences does not bar one from attaining quickly the goal of prema, if one takes to the worship of Gauranga.
Therefore, if one takes residence in Navadvipa and takes shelter of the name, the offences will cease and the qualification for the fasa will come. Quickly love of Krsna will shine and topics of Radha and Krsna will prevail. In this way the living entity, by earning the mercy of Gauranga, obtains entrance into the holy land of Vrindavan, the land of the nectarean pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.
Listen, O Jiva. Both Vrindavan and Navadvipa are the shelter of countless blissful devotees. Purified living entities, having crossed over material nature, live there as associates of Krsna. That Dhama is eternal, non-material, and fully conscious, completely opposite to the material world. You should know that the houses, doors, rivers and the streams, the forests and courtyards, are all completely spiritual and intensely attractive. That it is a blissful place, transcendental to material nature, resting of Krsna's inconceivable and supremely magnanimous sandhini energy.
By that energy that Dhama has descended here in Nadiya, for the greatest desire of Krsna is the deliverance of the living entities. But since no material thing or person is ever situated in the Dhama, a film of dull matter has spread over this Dhama to keep it covered from the materialist. The people who have no relationship with Sri Krsna Caitanya simply live on top of that covering, blind to the real truth. Though one is thinking, "I am in Navadvipa", Prauddha Maya happily keeps the Dhama far away from that person. "But if by some great fortune one receives the association of a devotee, that relationship (sambandha) with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will come to him."
Though Navadvipa Dham is generally covered from the view of the materialist, still the pure devotees of the Lord are so kind upon the living entities, trapped in this world of birth and death, that they come into this world and distribute their causeless mercy to everyone. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedananda Svami Prabhupada appeared in this world for some time and revealed the glories of Navadvipa Dham and the Lords of Navadvipa, Sri Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu and thus made it possible for everyone to enter into Navadvipa simply by chanting the names of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates
sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda sri advaita
gadadhara srivasadi gaur bhakta vrnda,
And the sweet names of Radha-Krsna.
Hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.
one's heart will become purified and one will be able to see Navadvipa Dham as it is.
Ten Offenses to be Avoided when Visiting the Holy Dham
To have contempt or disrespect towards the guru who is the revealer of the Holy Dham.
To think that the Holy Dham is temporary.
To commit violence towards any of the residents of the Holy Dham, or to any of the pilgrims who come there, or to think that they are ordinary mundane people.
To perform mundane activities while living in the Holy Dham.
Earning money by, and making a business of, deity worship and chanting the Holy Name.
To think that the Holy Dham belongs to some mundane country or provinces such as Bengal or to think that the Dham of the Lord is equal to a Holy place connected with some demigod, or to attempt to measure the area of the Dham.
To commit sinful activities while in the Dham.
To consider Vrindavan and Navadvipa different.
To blaspheme the Sastras which glorify the Holy Dham.
To be faithless and to think that the glories of the Dham are imaginary.
THE DHAMA UNFOLDS
It has been explained by Nityananda Prabhu in his instructions to Jiva Gosvami that when performing parikrama of Navadvipa one should take nikne days (one for each island), starting from Lord Caitanya's birthplace in Antardvipa (Mayapura) after having taken darshana of Jaganatha Misra and Saci-devi, taking the dust of that topmost place on his head and constantly singing the holy names.
sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda sri advaita
gadadhara srivasadi gaur bhakta vrnda,
And the sweet names of Radha-Krsna.
Hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.
One can offer obeisances to Navadvipa with the following Mantra:
navina-sri-bhaktim nava-kanaka-gaurakriti-patim
navaranya-sreni-nava-surasuridyata-valitam
navina-sri radha-hari-rasamayotkirtana-vidhim
navadvipam vande nava-karuna madyannava-rucim
One should visit all of the pastime places of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Antardvipa after which one should proceed to Simantadvipa, Godrumadvipa and Madhyadvipa after having taken darshana of these four islands on the eastern bank of the Ganga (river). One can offer obeisances to Mother Ganga with the following mantra:
navadviparama-prakara-kusumamoda-valitam-sfuradratna-sreni-cita-tata sutirthavali-yutam harega-rangasyatula-carana-renuksita-tanum samudyat-premormini tumula hari-sankirtana-rasaih
prabhu-kirday-patrimamrita-rasagatrimrisighata siva-brahmendradidita-mahita-mahatmya-mukharama lasat-kinjalkambhojani-madhupa-garbhoru-karuna maham-vande-ganga-magha-nikara-bhanga-jalakanam
sadyah-pataka-sanhantri-sadhyo-dukha-vinasini
sukhada-moksada ganga-gangaira parama gatih
After one has taken bath in her purifying waters, one can proceed to take darshan of the five islands on the western bank; first Koladvipa and then Ritudvipa, Jahnudvipa, Modharumadvipa and Rudravipa after again taking bath in Mother Ganga's transcendental waters and begging her to purify one from all of the millions of offences, one must have committed while performing parikrama of Lord Caitanya's abode. Again one can cross over to the eastern bank and finish the parikrama by offering obeisances to Lord Caitanya at the yoga-pitha (birth place).
namo aha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te
krsnay krsna-caitanya-name gaura-tvise namah
"O most munificent incarnation! You are Krsna Himself appearing as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden colour of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You."
Although one can perform parikrama of Navadvipa at any time and receive unlimited transcendental benefit, for maya's influence will cease and the goddess bhukti (material enjoyment) and the goddess mukti (liberation) will beg to be able to perform a little service to that fortunate devotee.
That unlimitedly fortunate devotee who performs parikrama in the month of phalguna (March) starting on the sukla saptami (the seventh day of the bright half of the month) and finishing on the purnima (full moon) will attain eternal service at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and thus be able to enter into the transcendental pastimes of Radha-Krsna in Vrndabana which is the very reason for the manifestation of Navadvipa.
Radha-Krsna appeared in the Form of Lord Caitanya to distribute the sweetness of Their Vraja Vrndavana pastimes, and Radha-Krsna's eternal Madhurya-Dhama (Vraja), the reservoir of unlimited sweetness, has appeared as Audarya-Dhama (Navadvipa), the distributor of that Rasa (sweetness).
Now after having offered obeisances to Nityananda Prabhu, Who is non-different to Lord Balarama, the original spiritual master, and eternal guide of all living beings--
nityanandam aham naumi sarvananda-kjaram param
hari-nama-pradam devam avadhuta-siromanim
"I bow down to the Supreme Lord Nityananda Prabhu, who is the awarder of the highest joy to all, the bestower of the holy name and the crest jewel of all paramahamsa mendicants."
We will now attempt to describe a few of the major pastime places in Navadvipa.
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JAGANNATHA PURI DHAMA IN SRI NAVADVIPA DHAMA
This area is the capital of the Sura dynasty a very long time ago. In Sri Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes how Lord Jagannatha left Puri and came here. This area is non-different from Jagannatha Puri as Lord Jagannatha is eternally resident here. Thus the same benefits of going to Jagannatha Puri are gained by visiting this place.
LORD JAGANNATHA'S APPEARANCE IN SRI NAVADVIPA DHAMA
Lord Jagannatha of Sri Simantadvipa is not different from the master of Sri Nilacala Dhama, Jagannatha Puri Himself. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has re-established this truth with historical facts in his book Sri Navadvipa-dhama-Mahatmya, 'The Glories of Navadvipa Dhama'. The following story is mentioned in that book:
Around 7th century, one Yavana king named Raktabahu appeared in the region of Orissa. He was very sinful and irreligious and caused great devastation, destroying temples and terrorizing the hearts of the pious people in Orissa. When the devtees of Lord Jagannatha in Puri came to know about the mischievousness of Raktabahu, they became very much afraid. They immediately approached Lord Jagannatha: "O worshipful Lord," the devotees prayed, "we are in great anxiety knowing that a miscreant named Raktabahu is breaking down all temples and destroying the Deities inside. He is now proceeding in this direction. He may come at any moment and attack Your temple. If that happens, then we will have to give u our lives, because we'll never be able to tolerate any action against You. Please, save us from this danger by making proper arrangements for the protection of Your divine form and the temple, O Almighty Lord!"
Being thus approached by His devotees, Lord Jagannatha appeared in the dream of the head priest that night and spoke to him as follows: "My dear pujari, I am completely overwhelmed by perceiving the ardent love and devotion that you devotees have for Me. You all love Me more than your own self. This is the symptom of a pure devotee. Actually nobody can harm My divine form or My temple. I certainly need not worry about that. Just by My powerful will I can keep all miscreants away from the place where I stay with My beloved devotees. But in order to bless My devotees and to reciprocate with them, many times I accept this kind of ‘hardship' willingly. In this way My devotees' love and attachment for Me increases manifold. And since this is their desire, I establish their love for Me in a more prominent way. Tomorrow, therefore, please, remove the Deities of Myself, Lord Balarama, and Subhadra Devi and set out for Bengal. You should take the path through the jungle so that you can easily escape Rathabahu, who is coming by the main road. Have no fear, I will always protect you!"
The Lord then disappeared from the dream and the pujari woke up. He immediately broadcast the message, which stirred the devotees, and they all started to make the proper arrangements for the Lord's journey.
The traditional system of service to the Lord in Jagannatha Puri is that devotees from different sections of society are assigned to various services. For instance, Brahmans are responsible for worship of the Deities. Other devotees cook for the Lord's pleasure. Those devotees known as the Sabaras perform the service of carrying Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi when Their Lordships attend certain festivals like snana-yatra, etc.
When the message reached the Sabaras that the Lord wanted to leave for Bengal, they immediately made all necessary arrangements for departure the next morning. They walked all day and just before dusk set in, they settled in a suitable place. There they collected fruits, flowers and leaves from the jungle and worshipped Their Lordships. Finally they put Them to rest, and after honouring the Lord's maha-prasadam they themselves took rest. The next morning, after the Deities had been worshipped, the Sabaras again started for their destination. In this way they spent eleven days, and on the 12th day they arrived in Simantadvipa, one of the nine islands of Navadvipa Dhama.
That night, Lord Jagannatha appeared in the dream of the head Sabara and expressed His desire to settle in this very place, which was transcendental in all respects. At once, the Sabara devotees made all efforts for the proper arrangements to fulfil the Lord's desire to stay there permanently.
The Sabara Vaishnavas went on serving Lord Jagannatha here for generations to come. Due to their pure devotion and love, they went back to Godhead, to Lord Jagannatha's eternal abode in the spiritual sky. Till today the Sabara village, Sabara Danga, is located nearby. Lord Jagannatha however never left Navadvipa-Mayapur Dham, but instead re-appeared around five hundred years ago through another special pastime, as described below.
JAGANNATHA SVAMI RE-APPEARS
At the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a devotee named Jagadisha Ganguli lived in a small village near the present-day Mayapur. Jagadisha was a highly elevated Vaishnava and even though he was very old, still every year he would make the 900km journey on foot to Jagannatha Puri on the Bay of Bengal. He would travel with other devotees from Bengal to meet their most dear Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, have darshana of Their Lordships Sri Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi, and participate in the ecstatic Rathayatra. After four months they would return to their homes in Bengal.
One day Jagadisha's happiness was ruined. He was stricken with a serious disease that left him totally blind. When he realized that he could no longer see the divine forms of Lord Caitanya and the Jagannatha Deities, he became very depressed. Worse yet, his friends considered the annual pilgrimage to Puri too long and too dangerous for a blind man and they refused to take him along with them. Jagadisha remained in Navadvipa in constant lamentation and despondency. Out of hopelessness he even considered committing suicide.
Then one night Lord Jagannatha appeared to Jagadisha in a dream. The next morning, the Lord told him, when Jagadisha went for his daily bath in the Ganga a log would touch his head and restore his vision. The Lord told Jagadisha that he should take that log and go to a nearby village where a devotee-carpenter lives. The Lord explained also that the carpenter would refuse the work because he was a leper and had deformed hands. Jagadisha would have to insist, and convince the carpenter to do this work. On completion of this job, the Lord assured, the carpenter's leprosy would immediately vanish.
Upon awakening, Jagadisha was amazed at his dream. He immediately left for his morning bath in the Ganga and became ecstatic when a log touched his head and restored his vision. He took the wood and went to a nearby village, where he searched and searched until he found a leper-carpenter. Jagadisha implored the leper to carve a deity of Lord Jagannatha from the wood, but the carpenter flatly refused. He showed Jagadisha his deformed fingers and asked him, "How is it possible for me to carve the divine form of the Lord with these hands?" But Jagadisha insisted. He explained to the leper that his leprosy would be cured once he finished the carving. Finally the leper agreed.
Jagadisha stayed with the leper as he was working and saw him suffering terribly. Blood and pus oozed from the stumps that were once his fingers and he wanted to quit the work. But Jagadisha encouraged him and enabled him to forget his agony long enough to finish the deity of Lord Jagannatha. The very moment he finished, his leprosy disappeared.
Jagadisha took the deity to a site near the present Jagannatha temple and established His worship there.
A few nights later, Jagadisha had another dream. This time Lord Jagannatha instructed him to take some nearby neem wood to the same carpenter and have him make deities of Subhadra and Balarama. Jagadisha did so and installed Them in the temple next to Lord Jagannatha.
Legend has it that after the demise of Jagadisha Ganguli, the Lord, being dissatisfied with the neglectful state of His worship, decided to end His manifest pastimes. Suddenly there was an outbreak of cholera. The inhabitants of the surrounding area assembled at the temple and prayed to Prabhu Jagannatha to have pity on them and save their lives. That night, Jagannatha came to the head priest in a dream and said, "One of the housewives of the Ganguli family, who is characterless, dared to dishonour me. For this offense everyone in the Ganguli family and the village will die if they do not leave the place." The next morning the villagers found the members of the Ganguli family dead and immediately deserted the entire area.
Since there was no more worship at the temple, Lord Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balarama were forgotten, and save for the flat roof over Their heads, the temple fell down around Them and was soon covered by the surrounding jungle.
JAGANNATHA CHOOSES ISKCON
After Jagadish dasa left this world, the worship of these Deities was gradually neglected and Their temple fell into ruin. Then, around sixty years ago, a villager noticed a blue flower growing out of a huge termite hill. Coming closer to the hill, he became astonished upon hearing a voice saying, "Please help Me. Please get Me some water I am thirsty." The villager quickly dug into the termite hill and discovered the beautiful deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. Even though Their forms were made of wood and They had been under a termite hill for so many years, Their divine forms were unharmed. After this, Their temple and worship were not maintained, diminishing year by year, until 1978 when Lord Jagannatha's aged brahmana pujari requested ISKCON to take over the temple and worship of the Deities.
TRANSCENDENTALISTS WALKING TO RAJAPUR JAGANNATHA TEMPLE
ENTRANCE TO RAJAPUR JAGANNATHA TEMPLE
TEMPLE GARDENS
THEIR LORDSHIPS SRI SRI JAGANNATHA, BALADEVA, SUBDHARA
SRI SRI JAGANNATHA, BALADEVA, SUBDHARA (Chandana Yatra Flower Dress)
OLD TEMPLE, KALPAVRKSA TREE AND SIVA-LINGA
Old Temple: Far right end of the property is where original temple used to be. Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subdhara stay here for a two-week ‘convalescence' after Their snana-yatra pastime.
Kalpavrksa Tree: Next to the old temple is a kalpavrksa (wish-fulfilling) tree. Local people have worshiped Lord Siva and Parvati here for as lomg as can be remembered. It is said that Lord Siva and Parvati came here to perform austerities and are still present. Many people have had their desires fulfilled by praying here and leaving a stone hanging on the tree. Vaishnavas can pray to Lord Siva and Parvati for Krishna-prema.
Siva-linga: Lord Siva is under this tree in the form of a large linga known as Ksetrapala. One day, when ISKCON first took over the temple, the pujari was making an offering to Lord Jagannatha. He pushed aside this stone with his leg thinking it was an ordinary stone. Immediately after doing that he developed a heavy headache and began vomiting. He cycled back to ISKCON but was so sick and weak he collapsed and fell off the bike a number of times. At ISKCON he was advised to return, worship the linga, and beg forgiveness for his offense. He did that and was immediately cured.
DEVOTEES DISCUSSING JAGANNATHA-KATHA
DIORAMA DISPLAY
This is on left side between main gate and the temple. It depicts the pastime of Lord Jagannatha's appearance in this Deity form at Navadvipa Dham
Directions to reach Rajapur Jagannatha Temple:
Rajapur Jagannatha temple is about 8km from Sri Sri Radha-Madhava Mayapur Chandrodaya ISKCON temple. Continue up Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Marg from Chand Kazi's Samadhi. Around the first corner and up a short distance, there is a signboard for the Jagannatha temple. Take the road opposite this signboard and proceed until a beautiful lion gate on right side. One can also come here by attending Navadvipa-Mandala Parikrama which is organized every year about 10 days before Guara-Purnima Festival at Sridham Mayapur.
Nearby places to visit:
#1) Kolavecha Sridhara's place: Kolavecha Sridhar was eternal playmate of Lord Caitanya and very dear to Him. Several wonderful pastimes happened here including "Banana love-fights" between Nimai and Kolavecha Sridhar. This place is in the open fields behind Jagannatha temple. One can visit this place passing through vast & very beautiful mango tree groves behind the temple.
#2) Chand Kazi samadhi: This is about 1km from Jagannatha temple. This place witnessed the pastime of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Chand Kazi, when Chand Kazi, a Muslim the chief magistrate of Navadvipa banned Harinam-sankirtana in Mayapur.
#3) Murari Gupta's house: Murari Gupta was a very intimate associate whose pastimes with Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were steeped in the loving bond of their eternal relationships. As an incarnation of Hanuman, Murari Gupta is as dear to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Hanuman to Lord Rama.
Lord Caitanya's Rathayatra Pastimes [Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 13]:
http://vedabase.net/cc/madhya/13/
Jagannatha Temple Screen-saver:
Live Rathayatra Telecast from Sri Jagannatha Puri Dhama on 21 June12, Thursday @ 8:30am India-time (GMT+5:30hrs):
http://rathjatra.nic.in or Rathayatra 2010 achieve
MAYAPUR TV:
http://Mayapur.tv
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