Category: Leela – Spiritual pastimes

Millions of years ago during Satya-yuga, King Indradyumna had performed ashvamedha-yajna (horse sacrifice) here at Indradyumna Sarovar. At that time he honored the assembled Brahmins by donating thousands of cows. While all those cows were standing here, their hooves made a deep depression upon the earth; creating a large lake. This Lake subsequently became filled with water and cow urine. Since then it has become a tirtha, a purifying place of pilgrimage. Skanda Purana says that this is the best of all tirthas. Chandana Yatra and Sitala-sthali festival are pompously celebrated here. There are 3 main temples here: Indradyumna Maharaja’s temple on the left side near the tank, a large Saksi Gopala temple on right side and Nilakantesvara Mahadeva Shiva temple mid-way down the stairs leading to Indradyumna sarovar.

Narendra Sarovar is a large water body (873 feet long and 743 feet wide) located to the northeast of Jagannath temple in Puri, next to the Jagannath Vallabha garden. This pond is also known as ‘Chandan Pukur’ because the Chandan-yatra of Lord Jagannath takes place here. Narendra Sarovar is said to have been founded by King Bhanu Narasingha deva of Ganga dynasty. It was named after his mentor Nakhaposi Narendra Mahapatra. The representative deities of Lord Jagannath come here every evening for 21 consecutive days during His Chandan-yatra, starting from Akshaya-Tritiya (in the month of Vaisakha or April/May) up to Suklastami-tithi in May/June (Jaistha) to enjoy His boating pastimes (Nauka Leela). The boat ride on this serene lake helps relieve the intense summer heat and provide the Lordships with some comfort.

Gangamata Math is situated to the south of the Jagannath temple on the bank of the Sweta Ganga tank in Jagannath Puri. This was previously the residence of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. The initial encounter between Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has been described by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in the sixth chapter of ‘Amrita Pravaha bhasya’.

The deliverance of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya

On entering the temple of Jagannatha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu immediately fainted. Seeing this, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya took Him to his residence. Meanwhile, Gopinath Acarya, brother-in-law of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, met Mukunda Datta and spoke to him about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa and His journey from Bengal to Jagannatha Puri. After listening about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s fainting and Him being carried to the house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, people swarmed to catch a glimpse of the Lord. Nityananda Prabhu and other devotees visited the Jagannatha temple, and when they returned to the house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had regained His external consciousness. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya welcomed everyone and distributed Jagannath Maha-prasadam with great care. The Bhattacharya then became acquainted with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and arranged for His accommodations at his aunt’s house. His brother-in-law, Gopinath Acarya, proved that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was Krishna Himself, but Sarvabhauma and his many disciples could not accept this. However, Gopinath Acarya convinced Sarvabhauma that no one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead without being favored by Him. Gopinath established through scriptural references that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was none other than Krishna. Yet, Sarvabhauma did not take these words very seriously.