Loading…
Transcript

Virtual Tour- Puri

Tour Guide: Modhurima

What to expect:

  • General Information

Information on the Places we will be visting:

  • Jagannath Mandir
  • Sakhi Gopal
  • Tota Gopinath
  • Gambhira
  • Haridas Thakur Bhajan Sathli
  • Gundicha
  • Kirchor Gopinath

  • Quiz ( on information presented )

General Information:

  • Puri is the place of Lord Jagannath.
  • Puri has many well-known scared pilgrims to Vaishnavas.
  • Puri is also known by several other names, it was known as Sri Kshetra.
  • It is located in India, situated on the Bay of Bengal.
  • Most famous for the Jagannath temple.

Jagannath Mandir:

  • Original temple was built by king Indradyumna in Satya Yuga.
  • Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhaba
  • Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity.
  • Deity had disappeared. Deity was hidden in sand.
  • The King did not see the sculptor, but instead he saw the three forms of Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Lord Balarama. Their fingers and toes were unfinished.

Sakhi Gopal :

  • Two brahmins, elderly one promised he would offer his daughter to the younger in marriage.
  • Elderly went back on his word.
  • Krishna agreed to help but he told the brahmin to walk ahead & the brahmin should not look back, otherwise Krishna would stop walking & remain there.
  • Brahmin looked back.
  • Lord stood & did not move.
  • Elderly brahmin then gave the promise.
  • Local king developed great devotion & constructed a temple at the sopt and designated as Sakhi Gopal

Sakhi Gopal:

  • King of Orissa Sri Purusottam Dev brought the statue from Vidyanagar & installed the statue at his fort at Cuttack which was worshipped by Lord Chaitanya.
  • After invasion the statue was shifted by the Khurda chiefs. Last stationed at Alasa, other name of Sakhigopal is Alasa.
  • Due to influence of Gita Govinda people accepted the dual sculpture of Radha Krishna which is otherwise known as Jugal Murti.
  • The height of Lord Krishna is 5 feet and Devi Radha is slightly more than 4 feet.

Tota Gopinath:

  • Sri Caitanya felt an immense separation from Krishna.
  • Gauranga started digging the earth to search of His Lord. He felt the carved stone mukuta of a murti below the ground. Noticing the head of a murti emerging from the sand, Gadadhara helped Gauranga uncover a most beautiful Deity of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.
  • Mahaprabhu named the Deity, Gopinatha, & because He appeared in this garden called tota it was called, Tota Gopinatha.
  • Sri Caitanya gave the responsibility of the deity to Gadadhara Pandita.

Tota Gopinath:

Sri Vrindavana Dasa Thakura describes Sri Tota Gopinatha’s beauty in his Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat as follows:

(Sri Caitanya-Bhagavat Antya 7.114)

“In the house of Gadadhara there is most attractive Gopinatha. This Deity looks exactly like son of Nanda Himself is sitting there. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself had held Him in His lap. Even most atheistic person will be changed to see this Deity. By seeing the posture of the body and face with flute Lord Nityananda sheds tears of bliss limitlessly.”

Tota Gopinath:

  • Most unique Deity because He is the only Krishna Deity in the world sitting down and playing His flute.
  • Deity was previously in standing form. After the departure of Lord Sri Caitanya Gadadhara felt devastated.
  • Gadadhara thought it best to have another pujari in worshiping the Lord.
  • In a dream that night, Tota Gopinatha appeared & said, “Why do you want to engage another pujari in My seva? I only want you to serve Me.”
  • Lord had sat down in order to receive service from his hands.

Gambhira:

  • A small temple with Deities of Radha-Kanta and Lalita and Vishaka.
  • This house was once the residence of Kashi Mishra.
  • King Prataparudra's father, Sri Purushottama Deva, conquered the king of kanchipura in battle and returned with three deities: Radha Kanta, Sakshi Gopala, and Bhada Ganesha.
  • It is said Radha Kanta was also worshipped inside the Jagannatha Mandir for some time. But in dream Lord Jagannatha informed the King Prataparudra to remove Radha Kanta deity

Gambhira:

  • Sri Chaitanya stayed in Radha Kanta Mata in a very small room called Gambhira.
  • There is a lamp here that is never extinguished. Lord Chaitanya's wooden sandals, his quilt, water pot, and bed are also inside the Gambhira.
  • Sri Chaitanya lived in this room for 12 years. He would be absorbed in deep ecstasy while He stayed here.

Haridas Thakur Bhajan Sathli

  • Haridas Thakur began doing his bhajan in accordance with the instruction of Mahaprabhu
  • He began his devotional service by building a small hut & placing a Tulasi plant. Haridasa chanted 192 rounds of japa every day.

Gundicha:

  • The abode to which Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
  • The temple built in typical Kalingan style
  • The temple is under the care and maintenance of Jagannath Temple Administration, Puri.

Gundicha:

  • Queen of Indradyumna; after whom the Gundicha Temple is named, had the divine image of Jagannath being created by Vishwakarma. She insisted on her husband building the temple for the deity & starting the Ratha Yatra.
  • Jagannath was pleased with her temple and promised to visit her house, now the Gundicha Temple
  • The temple's name Gundicha to a local goddess Gundicha, worshipped to cure smallpox.
  • Once Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, unnoticed by his attendants, walked towards the Gundicha Temple and was last seen entering the Manikotha, thereafter he was never seen again. This disappearance has remained an unexplained mystery. It is believed that he merged with Jagannath at the temple.

Kirchor Gopinath:

  • Srila Madhvendra Puripad, a devotee .
  • Srila Puri thought that if he could just get a taste of this preparation, he would be able to one day make it himself and offer it to his own Lord Gopal.
  • This thought shamed him
  • Pujari was taking rest when he had a vision of the deity in a dream telling him" I have put a bowl of amrit-keli khira aside for the sannyasi. It is hidden behind the pleats of My dress. The sannyasi, whose name is Madhava Puri, is sitting in the marketplace. Quickly take this khira to him.”

Quiz Time !

1. How many stops did we visit?

7

2. Puri is known to be the place of Lord __________

Jagannath

3. What temple did King Indradyumna build in Satya Yuga?

Jagannath Mandir

Rules:

In the chatbox, type out your answer to the question that has been asked. Everyone is encouraged to particapate ! If you do not know the answer, it is ok, just make sure to look out for the answer. You are given a few seconds to answer each question. The top 3 people with the most correct answer will win a prize once we return back to the Temple

Goodluck !

4. Why did Krishna freeze all of a sudden and not move while following the younger brahmin?

The Brahimin looked back at Krishna

5. Why did Tota Gopinath Deity change its form by sitting down when it was orginally standing?

Lord had sat down in order to receive service from Gadadhara's hands.

6. How many years did Sri Chaitanya live in Gambira for?

12 years

7. How many rounds of japa did Haridas Thakur do everyday?

192 rounds.