Category: Holy dham

Jagannath Puri Dham & its 13 glories

Post author By gaudiya
Post date October 17, 2021

jagannath puri dham

Jagannath Puri dham is addressed by various names. Some of these names are Sri Kshetra, Purushottama kshetra, Nilachala dham, Jagannath dham, Samanik tirtha, Uddiyan pith, Marta-Vaikuntha, Nilgiri, Niladri, Sankha kshetra, Bhu-svarga, and Nrsimha kshetra. Jagannath Puri is one of the most prominent spiritual sites of India (Bharat). It is said that the Supreme Lord bathes at Badrinath (situated in North India), changes His clothes at Dwarka (situated in West India), accepts His food at Jagannath Puri (situated in East India) and then proceeds to take rest at Rameshwaram (situated in South India). Here at Jagannath Puri, the Supreme Lord resides in His deity form. Anyone who takes His darsana attains liberation from this material world. By visiting Jagannath Puri, one attains the pious credit of visiting all the other holy places of pilgrimage. Below are listed some of the unending glories of Jagannath Puri dham.

Pastimes of Chaitanya SantipurnPhulia spiritual stories

Advaita Acharya causes the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in this world

Post author By gaudiya
Post date October 5, 2021

advaita acharya chaitanya mahaprabhu panchatattva

Sri Advaita Acharya is also known as Gaura-ana Thakura, or who has caused Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Lord, to descend in this world. Seeing the degraded consciousness of the people in general, Advaita acharya began to consider how they could be delivered from the clutches of Maya (material illusion). He finally concluded that only the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Himself can deliver these souls from their suffering. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada mentions in his purport that just as a condemned person is delivered by the special favor of the chief executive head, similarly, the condemned people in this age of kali can only be delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead or someone who is empowered by Him. Sri Advaita Prabhu thought that His name ‘Advaita’ would befit Him, only if He could cause the Supreme Lord to descend and inaugurate the sankirtana movement. He knew very well that Lord Krishna becomes indebted to a devotee and sells Himself to one who merely offers Him a Tulasi leaf and a palmful of water. Considering this, Sri Advaita Prabhu began regularly worshipping the Supreme Lord with Tulasi leaves and Ganges water. With His loud voice, He called upon Him to descend into this material world. The place where Sri Advaita Acharya used to worship His saligrama sila with Tulasi and Ganges water, is presently known as ‘Babla’ and is located not very far from the Santipur railway station in West Bengal. Being pleased with His earnest prayers, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Lord, descended upon this world, in the year 1486 AD on the day of Phalguni Purnima.

Tulasi manjari sahita ganga-jale
Niravadhi seve Krishne maha kutuhale
Hunkara karoye Krishna-abeshera tyeje
Ye dhvani Brahmanda bhedi Vaikuntha te baje
(Chaitanya Bhagavata, Adi, 2.81-82)
–
He (Advaita Acharya) incessantly served Lord Krishna with the help of Tulasi Manjari and Ganges water. Being empowered by the strength of Lord Krishna, He roared loudly. The sound of His loud roars penetrated the coverings of this material universe and resounded in Vaikuntha (spiritual world).

santipur gtb

In Chaitanya Bhagavata , the Lord reveals to His associates that it was Advaita Acharya, who had called upon Him and caused Him to descend from vaikuntha (‘mohare anila nada vaikuntha thakiya…’). Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja mentions in Chaitanya Charitamrta, that the merciful Lord Chaitanya had spread the sankirtana movement through Advaita Acharya and had delivered the world through Him.

yanra dvara kaila prabhu kirtana prachara
yanra dvara kaila prabhu jagata nishtara
(Chaitanya Caritamrta, Adi – 6.35)

Medinipur and surroundings What is Spirituality

Gopiballavpur – Sripat of Rasikananda Murari (Video)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 31, 2021

Read more about the life and pastimes about Rasikananda Murari and his Sripat at Gopiballavpur – https://thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2019/02/10/gopiballavpur-preaching-headquarters-sri-rasikananda-murari/

Chittagong

Pundarika vidyanidhi, Mukunda Datta and Vasudeva datta Sripat, Chittagong, Bangladesh

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 17, 2021

pundarika mukunda vasudeva

Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and the two brothers – Mukunda Datta and Vasudeva Datta, had originally hailed from Chittagong, Bangladesh. They were intimate associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and had appeared to assist Him in his magnanimous pastimes. Kavi Karnapura reveals in Gaura Ganoddesha Dipika that Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi was the incarnation of Vrishabhanu Maharaj, the father of Srimati Radharani. While Mukunda Datta and Vasudeva Datta were the incarnations of the singers Madhukantha and Madhuvrata respectively. Lord Gauranga and Nityananda loved dancing to the tunes of Vasudeva and Mukunda Datta’s melodious songs.

rajshahi What is Spirituality

Kheturi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh (Video) – Sripat of Narottam das Thakur

Post author By gaudiya
Post date May 9, 2021

Read more about Srila Narottam das Thakur and Sripat Kheturi – https://thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/09/03/kheturi-rajshahi-bangladesh-sripat-sri-narottama-das-thakura/

Bankura What is Spirituality

Bishnupur – Temple town of Bengal (Video)

Post author By gaudiya
Post date April 18, 2021

To know more about Bishnupur and its rich Gaudiya Vaishnava history, refer to the below articles –

Srinivasa Acharya and Bir Hambir : https://thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/09/glories-bishnupur-temple-town-bengal-part-1-srinivasa-acharya-bir-hambir/
Amazing pastimes of Madan Mohan : https://thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/12/glories-bishnupur-temple-town-bengal-part-2-amazing-pastimes-sri-madanamohana/
Bishnupur , Temple town of Bengal – Temples and their rich history : https://thegaudiyatreasuresofbengal.com/2018/01/13/glories-bishnupur-temple-town-bengal-part-3-ancient-sites/

Leela - Spiritual pastimes Mayapur Nabadwip dham What is Spirituality

Mayapur Nabadwip dham – Top Places to visit | History and tour guide

Post author By gaudiya
Post date July 3, 2020

mayapur nabadwip dham

The spiritual grandeur of Mayapur and Nabadwip dham is unlimited and unfathomable. It is said that even the likes of Brahma are powerless to effectively reach its ends (Nabadwip mandalera mahima apara brahma adi nahi jane varne sadhya kara). It is for this reason that Nabadwip Mandala, at whose center shines Sri Dham Mayapur, is gloried as the essence of all holy abodes (‘sarva Dhama sar’). One who understands the transcendental nature of this holy dham, achieves the highest spiritual perfection (‘Sri-Gauda-mandala-bhumi yeba jane chintamani ,tara haya vraja-bhume vasa’). We have covered the details and discussed at great lengths about the numerous ancient holy sites of Mayapur Nabadwip dham and their great significance in two of our books – Sri Nabadwip Bhava Taranga – Waves of ecstatic moods in Nabadwip & An ecstatic ride across ancient spiritual Bengal – Part 3: Nadia & Kalna Archives. In this article, we are going to try and summarize some of the more prominent and easily accessible spiritual sites of Mayapur Nabadwip dham. One who yearns to discover more details about these holy sites and relish their transcendental wealth, however, is herein advised to go through the above books.

“What one attains by travelling to all the holy places is attained just by remembering the transcendental abode of Nabadwip ” –
Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya

Mayapur Nabadwip dham

Vishrama sthala – Kolavecha Sridhara’s house, Rajapur, Mayapur Nabadwip dham

Post author By gaudiya
Post date June 5, 2020

sridhar angan According to Sri Gaura Gannodesha Deepika, Kolavecha Sridhar is none other than the incarnation of Kusumasavah, one of the twelve famous cowherd boys (Dvadasha Gopala) of Vrindavana. Sridhara was his name and he was nicknamed ‘Kolavecha’, as he traded banana and banana products for a living (‘kola’ translates to banana’ in Bengali). In Mahaprabhu’s nectarean pastimes, Kolavecha was a very poor man, who wore shredded clothes and lived in a broken hut with leaks in the roof. Kolavecha was so impoverished that he slept on the floor and drank from a broken water pot. Lord Chaitanya was very fond of Kolavecha and devised new means of teasing him daily. In this way, Nimai engaged in mischievous pastimes with His beloved servant.

Leela - Spiritual pastimes Sylhet

Panatirtha, Bangladesh – Where Advaita Acharya summoned the sacred rivers

Post author By gaudiya
Post date December 5, 2019

Panatirtha , situated in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh, is where Sri Advaita Acharya summoned all the sacred rivers, so that His mother would not have to travel elsewhere to take the holy dip. In his prayers unto the Spiritual masters, Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami has mentioned that Sri Advaita Acharya is the Lord’s partial incarnation (advaita acharya prabhura amsa-avatara.. – Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi 1.39). In Sri Gaura Gannodesha dipika, Kavi Karnapur has further clarified that Sada shiva, who had previously appeared as an avesa incarnation (one empowered by the Lord) ,has now descended as Sri Advaita Acharya. Sri Advaita was thus the combined incarnation of the potencies of Sada shiva and Lord Mahavishnu. Kavi Karnapura further writes that Kuvera pandita, the father of Advaita Acharya was an incarnation of the demigod Kuvera, the friend of Lord Shiva. The Supreme Lord’s Yogamaya potency appeared in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes as Sita Thakurani, the wife of Advaita Acharya.His second wife, Sri devi, was also an expansion of Yogamaya devi.Sri Acyutananda, the elder son of Advaita Gosai, was the combined form of the potencies of Kartikkeya and Achyuta Gopi. Sri Advaita Acharya was one of the primary trunks of Lord Caitanya’s desire tree of devotional service, from whom originated innumerable smaller branches and sub-branches of devotees. ‘The Gaudiya Treasures of Bengal’ considers itself exceedingly fortunate to have been able to visit and pray at Sri Advaita Acharya’s birthplace at Laura (situated in the Sunamganj district of Bangladesh) , wherein such great personalities have exhibited their exalted heart melting pastimes.

Sylhet

Srivasa Pandita’s birthplace – Srivasa Angan, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Post author By gaudiya
Post date November 23, 2019

sylhet srivasa pandita

According to Sri Gaura Gannoddesha Dipika, Srivasa Pandita is none other than the incarnation of Narada Muni, who had appeared to assist Sri Caitanya, his beloved Lord, enact the heart melting pastimes of Navadvipa. We have covered the details of Srivasa Pandita’s life and pastimes in two of our previous articles entitled – ‘Srivasa Angan ,Mayapur ,Navadvipa – Part 1: where Lord Gaurahari eternally performs His ecstatic pastimes’ & ‘Srivasa Angan & Samadhi of Chand Kazi, Mayapur, Navadvipa – Part 2’. In this article, however, we shall primarily deal with his appearance and early pastimes in Sylhet, before he shifted to Navadvipa.