Tag: Lord Jagannath

Worshipping Lord Jagannath with love makes us pure & sinless

After installing the deity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, king Indradyumna wanted to know what is the best way of worshipping Lord Jagannath. Purushottama Kshetra Mahatmya describes that Lord Brahma had come for the installation of the deity of Lord Jagannath in Puri upon the invitation of king Indradyumna. The pious king requested Lord Brahma for guidance.  

Lord Jagannath explains king Indradyumna about his worship

Lord Brahma turned towards the deity and prayed, “O Lord Jagannath, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories unto you. Please be merciful unto this devoted king, Indradyumna.  Please instruct him how to perform various upacaras, yatras, and vratas for your pleasure.”

Lord Jagannath was pleased by the prayer of Brahma. He smiled and spoke to king Indradyumna. He gave elaborate instructions to king as how to worship him and please him. The Lord shared his likes and dislikes. The king was so happy to hear the transcendental words of the Supreme Lord. He made sure that Lord Jagannath is worshipped as per his desire in Puri.

Lord Jagannath is none other than Lord Krishna.  Along with his elder brother Baladeva and little sister Subhadra, he is worshipped in a grand way in Jagannath Puri.

Lord Jagannath’s deity and Lord Jagannath are non-different

The conversation between the king and the deity of Lord Jagannath proves that the deity of Lord Jagannath is non different from the Lord.

If we worship the deity with love, if we serve the deity with sincerity, if we offer him prayers with our hearts, then the deity will also reciprocate with us.  The pure devotees of the Lord are able to realize this. For them there is no difference between the deity and the Lord.

But people like you and me fail to experience the presence of the Lord when we see his deity because our consciousness is still not pure. Our heart is still afflicted with the disease of lust, greed and anger. But if we continue worshipping the deity of the Lord then our consciousness will gradually become pure.

With purified consciousness, we will be able to experience the presence of the Lord. We will be able to see him, talk to him and love him the way we see, talk and reciprocate love with our loved ones.

Srila Prabhupada installed deities of Lord Jagananth in Iskcon temples

Lord Jagannath appears in the deity form to give us an opportunity to serve him and purify ourselves. So, Srila Prabhupada installed the deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi all over the world and taught the devotees how to take care of the deities and how to worship the deities.  He also explained that if we worship the Lord with love and devotion then you and I can perfect our life.  

Srila Prabhupada installed the first deity of Lord Jagannath outside India in San Fransisco, USA. He then renamed the city as New Jagannātha Purī. Prabhupada had a desire that all the residents of San Fransisco become devotees of Lord Jagannath. He wanted that when anyone thinks of San Fransisco, they should remember Lord Jagannath.

Lord Jagannath Mantra

After installing the deity of Lord Jagannath, Prabhupada chanted Lord Jagannath Mantra – jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me. He said, “This is a mantra for Lord Jagannātha. Jagannātha means ‘Lord of the universe.’ ‘O Lord of the universe, kindly be visible unto me.’ It is very auspicious that He has chosen to appear here.”

This mantra is part of Shri Jagannath Ashtakam. Adi Sankracharya composed Shri Jagannath Ashtakam. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would recite this prayer in Jagannath Puri for the pleasure of the Lord.

Devotees also chant following mantra while offering prayers to Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi

Nilachala Nivasaya

Nityaya Paramatmane

Balabhadra Subhadrabhyam

Jagannathaya Te Namah.

“I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Jagannath who is the Supreme Lord of the entire universe and who is residing in Nilachala (Puri) with his elder brother Lord Baladeva and younger sister Subhadra Devi.”

First Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath outside India

Prabhupada also explained how to organize different festivals of the Lord especially the Rath Yatra or the chariot festival. First Rath Yatra of Iskcon was celebrated in San Fransisco under the guidance of Prabhupada. In fact, it would be correct to say that the first Rath Yatra outside India was celebrated in San Fransisco in 1967.

In India the first Rath Yatra of Iskcon was organized in Kolkata. Thousands of people participated in this great festival. Prabhupada personally supervised it.

Today Iskcon temples celebrate Rath Yatra in all the major cities of the world including India in which millions of devotees of Lord participate.

How to celebrate Jagannath Rath Yatra at home?

Last year, 2020, because of Covid pandemic people were not able to participate in Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra. Only the temple priests participated in the festival.  Similarly, Iskcon temples too did not take out Rath Yatra procession last year.

This year (2021) too the situation is grim. Covid Second wave is killing hundreds of people daily especially in India. So, this year (2021) also people won’t be able to participate in Rath Yatra festival.

But even if Lord Jagannath chariots does not come on the road but still we can celebrate this great festival at our homes.  Srila Prabhupada has shown us the way. He celebrated Rath Yatra festival at his home when he was just a small child with his friends and family members.

If possible, you can make a small cart at your home.  Today most of the devotees might be having small deity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi. If the deities are not there, then you can also make the deity at home using chart paper or with other household items. If not, then you can use the pictures of the deities. Now pictures are readily available these days and you might be having it for sure.

You can beautifully decorate the cart and put the deities (or pictures) on the cart. Prepare nice food and offer it to the Lord. In your home only along with your family members you can pull the cart.

While pulling the cart you can sing Hare Krishna kirtan and chant Lord Jagannath mantra – jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu.

Worshipping Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the universe is easy and simple. The Supreme Lord wants nothing from us but love.  If we serve the Lord with love, devotion and proper attention then Lord becomes pleased. He frees us from all the sins and makes us pure. When Lord is happy with our service, our life becomes perfect.

Why Lord Jagannath gets sick?

Do you know Lord Jagannath also gets sick? He needs medication, proper rest and lots of care when he is not well. And when he is sick, he is quarantined for fourteen days. Sounds familiar. During this corona pandemic we often hear the word quarantine. Any patient suffering from the virus is asked to remain in quarantine for 14 days. Similarly, Lord is also put in isolation for 14 days during his illness. Similarly, Lord is also put in isolation for 14 days during his illness. Except his personal servants no one else is allowed inside the room of the Lord. He is given special food mixed with herbs and medicines. But the moot question is why Lord Jagannath gets sick?

Lord Jagannath’s Snana Yatra

Month of May – June is too hot, especially in India. The heat is unbearable. So, during this period Lord Jagannath wants to take bath with cold water. He also does not want to remain in the inner sanctum of the Jagannath Puri temple. He wants fresh air and wants to relax under the sky.

Devotees are always eager to fulfill the desire of the Lord. So, they decide to bring the Lord in the temple courtyard and make arrangement to bathe him with cold water. Now anything done to please the Lord becomes a festival. Thousands of devotees congregate to participate in the bathing festival. The festival is celebrated as snana yatra. Shower festival is celebrated on the Purnima or full moon day of Vedic month of Jyeshtha.  This year, 2021, Snana Yatra is being celebrated on 24^th June 2021, Thursday.

With the beating of the drums, chanting of the mantras and blowing of the conch Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi travels in a procession from inside the temple to the Snana Mandap (bathing platform). The procession is called Pahandi. The bathing platform is high enough so that devotees can see the festival even from outside the temple.

Lord Jagannath is bathed from the water of suna kua(golden well)

Within the temple premise is golden well from where water is fetched to bathe the Lord. Devotees go in a procession to collect water from the ‘suna kua’ (golden well). They make sure their mouths are covered with clothes so that the water is not contaminated. Water is collected in 108 pots. Priests sanctify the water with turmeric(haldi), whole rice (java), sandal(chandan), flowers and perfumes.

After then the Lord is bathed with the purified water. Devotees sing, blow conc shells and recite sacred Vedic mantras.

In the sky under the sun, the Lord enjoys the holy bath. 

With pots of pots of water, fetched from the golden well, the Lord enjoys the royal bath.

It is said that one’s sins are washed away when one sees the Lord taking the sacred bath.

Lord Jagannath’s ‘Hati Besha’ or Gajavesha

In the evening Lord adorns a special elephant form called ‘Hati Besha” or Gajavesha.  He looks like Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva. This form of the Lord reminds that the Supreme Lord is the source of origin of all the demigods like Ganesha. All the demigods derive their power and positions as per the will of the Supreme Lord. If we worship Lord Jagannath who is none other than Lord Krishna with love, then the demigods become happy. In fact, the best way to please the demigods is to worship the Supreme Lord.

Lord Jagannath’s worship spreads all over the world

Thousands of devotees of Lord Jagannath spread all over the world come to Puri for the festival. But there are scores of devotees who are not able to come to Puri for the festival.  Srila Prabhupada wanted to break this physical barrier. He wanted everyone to participate in Lord Jagannath’s festival. Jagannath is the Lord (nath) of the whole world (jagat). Everyone should get his mercy.

So, Prabhupada installed the deities of Jagannath as mentioned in the Vedic scriptures in almost all the temples of Iskcon all over the world. So today millions of devotees joyfully celebrate Lord Jagannath’s festival in different parts of the world.  Many Iskcon devotees even have deities of Lord Jagannath at homes.  Wherever the Lord resides that place becomes a dham. San Fransisco was the first city outside India where Srila Prabhupada installed the deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi and called the city as New Jagannath Puri. Prabhupada wanted to drive down the point that wherever Lord Jagannath is worshipped with love and devotion that place is non different than Puri, the abode of the Lord Jagannath.  

Lord Jagannath gets sick after bathing festival

During the snana yatra day, Lord Jagannath stands in the sun throughout the day and also takes bath with cold water.  So, he gets sick. He catches fever. So, he is shifted to a sick room for treatment.

As he is sick, he is not given regular meals. Instead, he gets only fruits and water mixed with cheese and Dasamula (herbal) medicines. Other than his personal servants and Raj Vaidya (royal physician) no one can enter the sick room. He remains in quarantine for 14 days. This is called Anasara period.

Lord is now not on the altar. For 14 days devotees do not see the Lord. This is unbearable for them.   Chaitanya Charitamrita explains that Lord Chaitanya would daily visit the temple to see Lord Jagannath. But during Anasara period, he would feel great separation from the Lord. Not able to see the Lord, he would cry again and again and would leave Jagannath Puri and go to Alalanatha.

Netrotsava festival of Lord Jagannath

As Lord Jagannath is bathed with 108 pitchers of water, his colors fade out. So, he gets a fresh coating of colour.  Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi is also repainted. Proper medicines, healthy food and sufficient rest helps the Lord to regain his health.

 On 15^th day he completely recovers.  He is ready to appear in front of his devotees. It is celebrated as Netrotsava festival.

Devotees throng to the temple for the festival.  Two weeks of separation from the Lord makes them desperate to see the Lord.  New paint gives the Lord a youthful look, he has a broad smile on his face. His lotus like eyes captivates the heart of the devotees.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu along with his followers would spend hours seeing Lord Jagannath on Netrotsava day.  

Netrotsava festival is followed by the Rath Yatra festival which is famous all over the world.

Rath Yatra Festival

Three huge chariots stand in front of the gate of Jagannath Puri temple. The Lord is brought from inside the temple and placed on the chariot. Millions come to the temple town to participate in the chariot festival.

And those devotees who are not able to come to Puri today are also able to participate in this wonderful festival. Iskcon temples today organize Rath Yatra in different cities of the world.

Because of the visionary leadership of Srila Prabhupada today millions of people across the world get to celebrate the chariot festivals.

Lord Jagannath gets sick to increase our longing for him

Lord Jagannath is the Supreme Lord. He is none other than Lord Krishna. His transcendental sickness is to enhance the love of his devotees. He gets sick to increase our longing for him. Lord has feelings and emotions, and he loves to reciprocate his feelings and emotions with us.

For example, in Vrindavan Lord Krishna gets hungry and if mother Yashoda fails to address his needs quickly then Krishna becomes angry. Lord does not need food, but he needs attention and love of his mother.

Similarly, Lord Jagannath does not fall sick. He cannot get sick. But he gets sick because he loves to enjoy personal care like you and me. He does not want to be only on the altar and bless us. But he wants us to love and reciprocate with him like we do with our family members.

When we start giving personal care and attention to the Lord, we develop love for him.  He becomes the most important part of our life. In serving him, we experience lots of joy and eventually attain complete perfection.

Who installed the first deity of Lord Jagannath in Puri?

In Skanada Purana it is mentioned that the first deity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi was installed by King Indradumya. Indradumya was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Once in a dream he saw the deity of Nila Madhava and he immediately fell in love with the beautiful form of sapphire colour deity: Nila means blue and Madhava is one of Krishna’s names.

Messengers sent to search the deity of Nila Madhava

Next morning, he sent his messengers in different direction to search the deity. All returned unsuccessful except Vidyapti, a brahmana.

Vidyapati had wandered to several places and had finally come to a place inhabited by Sabaras, pig farmers. There he found shelter in the house of Visvasu, a sabara. He later married his daughter, Lalita.

Vidyapati sees Nila Madhav at Nilachal

While staying, Vidyapati observed a peculiar behavior of Visvasu. Every night he would leave the house and return next day noon. His arrival would inundate the house with the fragrance of camphor and sandalwood. Vidyapati would ask Lalita about it but her father had warned her not to disclose it to anyone. Her husband’s repeated plea melted her heart and she revealed the secret.

Her father was furious but subsequently relented to take Vidyapati to Nilachal where he worshiped, Nila Madhava.  However, he put a condition that Vidyapati will have to travel blindfold.

Their journey began and, on the way, Vidyapati carefully dropped mustard seeds, which he had carried with him, to mark the way. When they reached the destination, Visvasu opened the blindfold and Vidyapati seeing the beautiful form of Nila Madhava started dancing in joy.

Nila Madhava wants to be served by King Indradumya

Visvasu happily began worshipping the Lord but his joy turned into sorrow when the Lord said, “You have served me with great love but now I want to accept the service of my dear devotee King Indradumya.”

Visvasu was heartbroken. How could he live without his Lord? He considered Vidypati the culprit, so he locked him in his house but Vidyapti with the help of his wife escaped.

Indradumya comes to meet the Lord

When King Indradumya heard about the Lord from Vidyapti, he immediately left with his entourage to Nilachal to meet the Lord. The mustard seeds was now small mustard plants and they followed that path to reach the destination.

But the deity of Nila Madhava was not there. The king was brokenhearted, he thought Visvasu has stolen the deity. His soldiers surrounded the village and arrested Visvasu. Then a voice came from the sky, “O King! Release Visvasu! He is innocent. I would now not be present as Nila Madhava but will appear in a wooden form as Daru – brahman. Construct a temple for me and install the wooden form of mine.” 

Giant wood with divine marks appears in the ocean

The Lord also informed that he would come floating on the ocean in his wooden form. On the shore, the king saw a giant wood piece having mark of conch, disc, club and lotus (sankh, chakra, gada, padma).

Many men tried to lift the wood but failed, even the elephants were not able to move the wood even by an inch. The king was disappointed but in the night in a dream the Lord expressed his desire that Visvasu be engaged in his service.

Next day the king brought Visvasu and put him on one side of the Daru brahman and on the other side was Vidyapati, the brahmana.

A golden chariot was placed in front of the wood. Now the Daru brahman was easily lifted and placed on the golden chariot.

Carving the first deity of Lord Jagannath

Now to carve the deity from the wood, Indradyumna invited many sculptors but their chisels would break as soon as they tried to touch the wood. Finally, it is said that the Supreme Lord himself came disguised as a sculptor. 

He put a condition that he would work all alone in a room for 21 days and no one should disturb him. But after 14 days as sound stopped coming from the room, the king became anxious and opened the door. The artist was not there but there was the beautiful form of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi. But the deities did not have hands and feet and they looked incomplete.

The king thought he made a great mistake by opening the door. The Lord again appeared in his dream and said, “I reside in Nilachal in this form as Lord Jagannath along with my brother and sister. Although I have no material hands and feet, but I accept all the offering from my devotees through my transcendental senses.”

In Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.19), it is mentioned, “Without legs and hands, He moves and accepts. Without eyes He sees, and without ears He hears. He knows all that is knowable, but no one knows Him. They call Him the original Supreme Person.”

Descendants of Vidyapati and Visvasu still serve the Lord

The king was overjoyed, he made elaborate preparations to worship the three deities. He made sure that Visvasu and his descendants would continue serving the Lord and they would be called dayitas.

The descendants of Vidyapati born from his brahmana wife would perform the deity worship. The descendants of Vidyapati born from his Sabara wife, Lalita, would cook food for the Lord.

This tradition continues in the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri.

When was the first Rath Yatra festival celebrated?

Rath Yatra is one of the most important festivals of India. It is being celebrated since hundreds of years. But when was the first Rath Yatra festival celebrated?Where was it first celebrated? Who all participated in the first Rath Yatra festival?  

We all have experienced that when Lord Jagannath with his elder brother Balarama and little sister Subhadra enthrone the beautifully decorated majestic chariots on the Rath Yatra day then the hearts of lakhs of people dance in joy.  

Lord Jagannath takes Lakshmi Devi’s permission to ride the chariot

After snana yatra, Lord Jagannath remains confined in a secluded place for 15 days. During this period, he performs his pastimes with Lakshmi Devi, the goddess of fortune. He then takes permission from her and come to ride on the chariot to give pleasure to the devotees.  And the devotees without any delay enthusiastically start pulling the ropes of the mammoth chariots to invite the Lord to reside in their hearts.

The chariots sometimes move very fast, sometimes very slow and sometimes just stand still even though it is pulled vigorously. It is said that the chariots move by the desire of the Lord and not by the efforts of an ordinary person.

The forms of the three deities are quite unique. They have big round eyes, have a huge smile on their faces but have no hands and feet.

What happened when Lord Krishna left Vrindavan?

Krishna was the darling of braja but when he left them then all the brajvasis were devastated. Every moment they would remember Krishna, would always talk about Krishna and would hope that one day their Krishna will return back to Vrindavan. 

Krishna although had left Vrindavan but he too always remembered his cowherd friends, his mother, Yashoda, his father, Nanada Maharaja, and of course the love of his life, Srimati Radharani.

Brajvasis come to Kurushetra during solar eclipse

Once there was a solar eclipse and Krishna along with his brother Balarama and sister Subhdra travelled on a chariot to Kurushetra to observe the Vedic custom of taking bath in a sacred place during solar eclipse. The residents of Vrindavan too had come to the holy city.

Brajvasis meet Krishna after several years of separation

And here after several years Krishna and brajvasis saw each other. Their hearts danced in joy; eyes were filled with tears.

Overwhelmed with love and with broken words they complained as why did he betray them?

Why he did not keep his promise of returning to Vrindavan? Krishna was speechless, how could he make them understand that although physically he may not be with them, but his heart was always in Vrindavan.

Brajvasis pull the chariot of Krishna to Vrindavan  

Krishna was now the king of Dwarka, he was dressed gorgeously and was on a beautiful chariot. He was accompanied by beautiful queens and hundreds of soldiers. 

The residents of Vrindavan did not like the opulence of Krishna. For the gopis Krishna was their paramour, for gopas he was their friend with whom they joked and played and for Nanda and Yasoda he was their naughty little child. Such simple, selfless and pure love can be experienced only in Vrindavan.

They wanted him to come to Vrindavan and so all the brajvasis started pulling Krishna’s chariot to Vrindavan.

To commemorate this beautiful pastime Rath Yatra is celebrated.  

So, the chariot festival began around 5000 years ago when Lord Krishna met brajvasis in Kurushetra after several decades of separation.

Lord Krishna as Lord Jagannath along with his brother Baladeva and sister Subhadra Devi rides on the chariot during the Rath Yatra festival. Jagannath Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath. The Lord permanently resides in Puri along with his brother and sister. In Puri, this pastime of the Lord is celebrated every year.

The Rath Yatra festival of Puri is immensely popular and draws millions of people every year from all over the world.  On the day of Rath Yatra millions of people come together to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi’s deities are taken out from the temple and put on three different chariots. 

The devotees enthusiastically chant the names of Lord Jagannath and pull towards the Gundicha temple.

Lord Jagannath’s temple is said to be Dwarka and Gundicha temple is said to be Vrindavan.

So, the devotees like the brajvasis pull the chariot of Lord Krishna or Lord Jagannath from Dwarka and plead him to come and reside in Vrindavan. 

The glorious Ratha Yatra festival spreads all over the world

Several hundred years have passed but this tradition is continuing in Jagannath Puri.  Hundreds of devotees daily come to the temple and thousands of devotees throng the temple city on the occasion of Rath Yatra.

Today Rath Yatra is not just confined to Puri but have spread all over the world.

In fact, it is now common to see Lord Jagannath’s chariots rolling through the streets of London, New York, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris and other cities of the world.

It is because of Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of Iskcon, that the chariot festival is being celebrated in almost all the parts of the world.

Conclusion

When was the first Rath Yatra festival celebrated?

Around 5000 years ago

Where was it first celebrated?

In Kurushetra

Who all participated in the first Rath Yatra festival?  

Brajvasis, the residents of Vrindavan participated

What is the reason behind Hathi Besha of Lord Jagannath?

We might have seen many pictures of Lord Jagannath having Hathi Besha or elephant head like Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva. It looks so different. What could be the reason behind Hathi Besha of Lord Jagannath? 

Specially on the day of Snana Yatra, Lord Jagannath is decorated as Gajanana or Hati Besha. His face is decked up as having an elephant head.

Lord Jagannath is extremely merciful and fun loving. He is known for many sweet pastimes which delights all.  He goes extra mile to please anyone and everyone.  

The Lord took the Hathi Besha because he wanted to satisfy the desire of a person who visited his temple in Puri.

A devotee of Ganesha visits the temple

Ganapati Bhatta was a devotee of Lord Ganesha. Once he came to Jagannath Puri. He had heard a lot about the temple in Puri and the different festivals which are conducted in the temple. He had come during Snana Yatra time and went to the temple to participate in the bathing ceremony of the Lord. He was excited.

But when he saw Lord Jagannath was not having an elephant head like Ganesha, he became disappointed.

He left the place.  He had given his heart to Ganesha and wanted to worship only Ganesha.

Lord Jagannath resides as paramatma within everyone’s heart. He immediately understood the desire and the cause of dissatisfaction of Ganapati Bhatta.

Jagannath took the form of a brahmana

The Supreme Lord took the form of a brahmana. He went to Ganapati Bhatta. Meanwhile the devotee of Ganesha was planning to leave Puri.

As a brahmana, the Lord tried to convince Ganapati Bhatta to again visit the temple. He was reluctant. But the Lord persuaded him.  So, he agreed. He decided to visit the temple in the evening.

The Lord had planned something special for him that day.

As promised to the brahmana, Ganapati Bhatta went to the temple in the evening.

Ganapati Bhatta sees Hathi Besha of Lord Jagannath

As he saw the Lord he began dancing in joy. 

It was unbelievable. It was so surprising.

Lord Jagannath was having an elephant head, Hathi Besha, like Ganesha. He saw his beloved Lord Ganesha and he saw all merciful Lord Jagannath.

To please Ganapati Bhatta, Lord Jagannath appeared in this form. The Supreme Lord was having a big smile on his smile.

Ganapati Bhatta’s heart cried in joy. He bowed again and again to the Lord.

The Supreme Lord is the source of all the demigods

He now understood that Lord Jagannath is the Supreme Lord. Everything comes from him. He is the source of all the demigods. The demigods are not independent but are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. All the powers which they have come from the Supreme Lord only.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.14 says, “As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.”

When we worship Krishna, we satisfy all the demigods

This pastime of Lord Jagannath clearly tells us that if we worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna or Lord Jagannath then there is no need to worship any demigod because Krishna is the original source of everything. During the Govardhan pastime also Lord Krishna had demonstrated that demigod worship is not required.  

Śrī brahma-saṁhitā 5.1 says, “Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

In fact, the demigods too get pleased when he sees that we are worshipping the Supreme Lord Jagannath or Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna and Lord Jagannath are the same.

Lord Jagannath is supremely merciful and magnanimous. He fulfils everyone’s desire.  He has millions of devotees but to satisfy one devotee he took Hathi Besha form.

We should always approach the Lord with spiritual desire and not material desire. Material desire even if fulfilled will not bring happiness in our life.

But if our desires are devotional then it will bring us closer to the Lord and give us unlimited happiness.

The most important places to see inside Jagannath Puri temple

Jagannath Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the universe. It is one of the most important holy places. Whenever I get a chance, I always try to be in Puri. So, when devotees were planning to visit this sacred place then I was excited. I too wanted to go. 

You can visit the temple an unlimited number of times but still, you want to be there again and again.  

We decided to go by Howrah Puri express. We boarded the train from Kolkata on Friday night at 8:55 pm and reached Puri the next day, Saturday, at around 6 am. We had booked our accommodation in Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math.

The math is around 3 km from the railway station. We took a 10-seater vehicle to Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math. It cost us Rs 220. It was a prepaid auto.

We decided to stay there because of two reasons and both the reasons are equally important. This math is near to the Jagannath Temple and it is also the birthplace of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, spiritual master of Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of Iskcon. The Jagannath temple is just 5 minutes’ walking distance from the math. And from the terrace of the math, the famous Chakra of Lord Jagannath is clearly visible.

The temple has three altars. The middle altar has the deity of Lord Krishna and Srimati Radharani along with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The deity name is Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Nayanmani. The left altar has the deity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva, and Subhadra Devi. And in the right altar deity of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura is present.

Once we reached the math, we decided to get ready as soon as possible so that we can immediately go to the temple.

As we were going to the temple, we saw a huge security arrangement. It looked like some important dignitary is present there or is going to come. 

And soon we saw Amit Shah, the Home Minister of India, and other members of Narendra Modi Cabinet like Dharmendra Pradhan and few others.

Amit Shah was sitting in an SUV and we were standing very close to his vehicle. Some devotees greeted him, and he responded too.

Similarly, other cabinet ministers passed. It seems they all had come to take darshan of the Lord.

Entering the temple from Simha Dwara:

We entered the temple from Simha Dwara. It is also called Lion’s Gate or Eastern Gate.  It was around 9 am when we went inside the temple. Already hundreds of devotees were there inside the temple hall. But the darshan was closed. Some said it will open at 9:30 am. We had to wait. I somehow managed to get near the Garuda stambh.

The Garuda stambh

Anyone who comes to take darshan of the Lord should bow to Garuda stambh first. If one stands near Garuda stambh then one can see the three Lord’s directly from there. 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would always take darshan of the Lord from Garuda stambh. He thought himself to be too fallen to go near the Lord. By his own example, the Lord is teaching us that we should never have any superiority complex. But we should think that we are unworthy, and it is because of the Lord’s causeless mercy he is giving us his darshan and in fact even allowing us to come inside his temple. So, Garuda stambh is very dear to the followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

I bowed to Garuda Stambh and embraced it with both my hands. Other devotees were also reverentially touching it and embracing it.

The lamps at Garuda stambh is always lit. I saw Pujaris pouring ghee (or it could be oil) into the big lamp so that it continues to burn. Above the stamb are many metallic lamps. At that time, one lamp was lit. May be during the festival time all the lamps are lit.

Inside the temple hall of Lord Jagannath

I stood beside the Garuda stambh. The darshan was to open after 30 min. In between someone from the crowd would shout ‘Jay Jagannath’. And everyone would respond by chanting ‘Jay Jagannath.’ Sometime someone would say ‘Haribol’ and the entire crowd would say ‘Haribol.’ As soon as anyone heard ‘Jay Jagannath’ and ‘Haribol’ everyone would look expectedly thinking that the darshan has opened.

We waited for around 40 minutes and I liked it. Because this gave an opportunity to be in the temple hall of Lord Jagannath and chant the holy names of Krishna standing beside the Garuda stambh. Many people were standing, and many were sitting waiting for darshan to open.

Taking darshan of Lord Jagannath

And finally, the darshan opened. One young boy lifted one young girl (I am not sure about their relationship), so that she could see the Lord. And they both were asked not to do so. In fact, the Pujaris got angry too. It’s a traditional temple and the expectation is that everyone follows the traditional code of conduct and not the one which is shown in Bollywood movies.

Several hundred devotees were there.  The crowd was moving slowly but steadily.  Finally, I got near to the place where I could see the Lord. I was apprehensive that I may be pushed by the people and will not be able to properly see the Lord. So, I was praying to the Lord.

And finally, I saw a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, then Subhadra Devi and then Lord Baladeva.

I wanted to go near to the barricade so that I can closely see the Lord. Also, I wanted to offer some Lakshmi (money) to the three deities.

I came near the Pujari. Since he was in front of Lord Jagannath, so I believe he was the priest of Lord Jagannath. I offered Rs 100. And then I came to the Pujari who was in front of Subhadra Devi. I gave Rs 100.

And the Pujari started putting a yellow cloth of the Lord around my neck.

He asked me to give Rs 100 more which I happily gave. He gave me offered Tulasi of the Lord. I stood there for a few minutes. Then moved back in such a way that I continue taking darshan of the Lord. Fortunately, by Lord Jagannath’s grace even security was not asking me to move. I was able to take darshan for several minutes and then decided to come out. I thought I should not take undue advantage of the security personnel’s leniency. Then I came out of the Lord Jagannath temple hall.

Other devotees of our group had already taken darshan and were outside. 

Lord Narasimhadeva temple

From there we went to the temple of Lord Narasimhadeva. One has to climb flights of stairs to reach the temple of Lord Narasimhadeva. Already many devotees were in queue. I also stood in the queue. When I was allowed to go, I was able to properly take darshan of the Lord.

Earlier times the pujari of Lord Narasimhadeva would not allow to touch the lotus feet of the Lord. This time the Pujari had come out.  And I was the only person in front of the Lord.

I not just touched the lotus feet of the Lord but also put my head on the Lord’s lotus feet. I also touched the lotus feet of Prahlad Maharaj.

While standing in the queue and during taking the darshan of the Lord I sang Namaste Narasimhaya prayers.

Anand Bazar – the pleasure market

It was already 10 am. We had not taken breakfast. So, we decided to go to Anand Bazar to take breakfast and after breakfast we thought to return back to again take darshan of other deities within the temple premise.  

In Anand Bazar the Mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath is always available. In this market you get only prasad and nothing else. No outside food is allowed.

We got full plate prasadam for Rs 50. Rice, Dal and three different sabzis were there. It was mixture of sweet and sour taste. Some also enjoyed Malpua. But it was night prasadam.

The morning prasadam which is offered to the Lord comes in Anand Bazaar around 12 noon. So those who want hot rice, hot dal and everything hot should try to take prasad around 12 or 1 pm.

But the prasad of the Lord is transcendental so we relished it.

Snana Bedi – The place where Snana Yatra is celebrated

We then went to Snana Bedi. It is the place where Snana Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi is performed. This is just beside Anand Bazaar. After Snana Yatra i.e. the bathing ceremony, the Lord gets sick and remains confined in sick room for 15 days. During this period there is no darshan of the Lord. The Lord is given special food preparation to cure his sickness. After Lord recuperates, we have the world-famous Rath Yatra festival.  

Lord Chaitanya’s footprints

We came out of Anand Bazar. Little ahead from Anand Bazar is the temple where the footprints of Lord Chaitanya are present. We paid obeisances there. Lord Chaitanya during his stay in Puri would always visit Jagannath Puri temple.

Mahalakshmi Temple

From there we went to the temple of Goddess Lakshmi. Where the Supreme Lord Jagannath is there, there will be his eternal consort, Lakshmidevi. There is always a big queue in front of Lakshmidevi temple. Priests inside the temple generally ask for some donation to worship Goddess Lakshmi who provides wealth.

But if we serve the Supreme Lord Jagannath with love then it will automatically please Lakshmidevi and she will happily provide lots of wealth to the devotees of Lord Jagannath. We prayed to her and sought her blessings. 

Pure devotees of the Lord teach us that we should not pray for wealth, but we should always pray to the Lord to always engage us in his service.

Bimala (Vimala) Devi Temple

Then we went to the temple of Bimala ‎(Vimala) Devi.

Bimala Devi is another name of Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva.

There is a famous pastime associate with her. Once Parvati had become extremely angry because she did not get Mahaprasad of Lord Vishnu. So, to pacify her Lord Vishnu declared that “In Jagannath Puri the bhoga which will be offered to me will first go to Bimala Devi and then only it will be distributed to others.”  

This instruction of the Lord is still followed. The bhoga which is offered to Lord Jagannath first goes to Bimala Devi and then after being offered to Bimala Devi it goes to Anand Bazaar for distribution to the devotees.

Rohini Kund

Then we took darshan of Rohini Kund. This kund is near Bimala Devi temple. It’s a very small kund but it has great spiritual significance.  

The Purushottama Kshetra Mahatmya of Skanda Purana tells the story of a crow who fell in the Rohini Kund and immediately got four-handed forms similar to Lord Vishnu and went to the spiritual world.

This kind of liberation is called sarupya mukti i.e. the devotees have form similar to Lord Narayana and live with the Lord in the Vaikuntha planets.

Kalpabata – The desire fulfilling tree

From there we went to take darshan of the famous Kalpabata – The desire fulfilling tree.

This banyan tree is existing since time immemorial.

It is a very sacred tree.  It is said that during the devastation of the material universe this tree remains unaffected.

It was on the leaf of this Kalpabata tree that sage Markandeya saw the beautiful child form of Krishna.

Little Krishna was licking his own toe and relishing it. The tree fulfills all the desires if asked with a pure heart.  But the devotees never ask for any material desire but they only desire to love and serve Krishna. We bowed to the tree and tried to embrace it. Many devotees were there praying to the tree for their desires.

Around this sacred tree are the deities of Bata Krishna, Bata Balamukunda, Bata Madhava, Bata Jagannath, Bateswar Mahadeva, Bata Ganesh, Bata Mangala, and Bata Markandeya.

There are many other small temples within the temple premise. We took darshan of Sakshi Gopal, Kshira Chor Gopinath, and Kanchi Ganesh.  Deities of many demigods are also inside the temple. If one wants to take darshan of each one of them then it will take several hours, almost the entire day.

If one wants, then one can see all the places inside the temple complex but the places we visited are the most important places inside the temple and one must always visit these places.

The most important activity in the Jagannath temple is to pray to the Lord again and again to remove all impurities from our hearts so that we develop unmotivated and unconditional love for him.

We spent around 4-5 hours inside the temple. In fact, one can spend an entire day inside the temple. The temple is always crowded with thousands of devotees who are very eager to see the Lord.

They continuously pray to the Lord, sing devotional songs, chant his beautiful names, meditate on his beautiful form and enjoy discussing various pastimes of the Lord.

And when they feel hungry, they go to Anand Bazar to relish delicious prasad of Lord Jagannath!

One should visit this temple again and again.

48th Kolkata Rath Yatra bridges religious divide

Little Abhay had tears in his eyes because his father could not afford the small Rath Yatra cart which Abhay was so eager to buy.  Abhay loved Rath Yatra festival and so he wanted to perform his own Rath Yatra.  But it seemed his plans won’t materialize. An old Bengali lady saw Abhay crying and when she came to know why he was crying she showed Abhay and his father an old  cart which was cheap and good enough to serve the purpose. Abhay was delighted. He along with his playmates, family members and neighbours nicely decorated the cart, put Lord Jagannath on it and celebrated the Rath Yatra festival at his home in Kolkata. 

No one would have imagined that the same little Abhay, who later came to be known as Srila Prabhupada all over the world, after several years will lay the foundation of a mammoth Rath Yatra festival in the city of Kolkata.  Iskcon Kolkata celebrated its first Rath Yatra festival in 1972 and this year it was the 48^th Rath Yatra festival.  Since beginning the festival has caught the imagination of thousands of people of Kolkata. In the year 1972 the residents of Kolkata were mesmerized to see white American and European devotees dressed in dhoti and kurta singing and dancing during the Rath Yatra procession. And since then every year the festival has grown in size and its reach. Today not just the local Bengali people participate but people from different cities of India and even outside India come for the festival.  

This year the festival caught the attention of entire nation and was widely covered in print and electronic media when Iskcon decided to invite Nusrat Jahan Ruhi Jain, a newly elected Member of Parliament to Lok Sabha, as one of the guests for Rath Yatra inauguration along with Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister, who was the chief Guest. 

Nusrat Jahan, Muslim by birth, had won appreciation when she wore a vermillion (sindoor), and mangalasutra ( sacred necklace which married Hindu women wears) while taking oath in Parliament.  While majority of people appreciated her for her inclusive approach but she also invited the wrath of few hardline Muslim clerics whom she ignored. 

Thanking Iskcon for giving the opportunity to participate in Rath Yatra, she said, “I will pray to Lord Jagannath for the well-being of all the people of West Bengal. I wish everyone comes together to pull the lord’s chariot,”  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/tmc-mp-nusrat-jahan-attends-iskcon-rath-yatra-calls-for-unity/articleshow/70071315.cms

Its an honour Sir.. #unity #secularIndia https://t.co/G1mrWBcnz4

— Nussrat Jahan (@nusratchirps) July 4, 2019

Krishna Consciousness movement never ever discriminates people on the basis of caste, creed, religion, nationality or gender.  So people in general all over the world appreciates the message of social harmony which Iskcon is working hard to spread.  Srila Prabhupada taught that we all are children of same God and so we should coexist with each other like brothers and sisters. Today when the world is witnessing rise in sectarianism teachings of Srila Prabhupada can help to unite the world.  And festivals like Rath Yatra where people from diverse socio economic background participate to make the event successful plays an important role in spreading the message of peace and unity.  During Kolkata Rath Yatra people from diverse religious background get involved to organize the event.  From construction and decoration of the three chariots to setting up of beautiful pandal at Gundicha temple to ensuring smooth supply of essential items all work together.

Just like in Jagannath Puri here also the mula vigraha of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi come out of the temple to enthrone the three huge chariots.   This year the festival was celebrated on 4^th July and thousands of devotees participated in this wonderful event.

Before the start of the procession cultural programs were performed in front of the chariots.  The three deities were carried by the devotees from the temple to the chariots amidst beating of drums and Hare Krishna kirtan. Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, along with important guests and senior Iskcon dignitaries  flagged off the Rath Yatra by pulling the ropes of the chariots amidst the loud chanting of Jay Jagannath.

Devotees who were patiently waiting to get an opportunity to pull the Rath  immediately got into action and enthusiastically started pulling the ropes. The Lord of the universe majestically sitting on the huge chariot thus began travelling through the streets of Kolkata showering his mercy upon thousands of people. 

The roads were bedecked with colourful rangolis. Hundreds of ladies carrying arati plates were sanctifying the pathway by blowing conch shells, sprinkling holy water and throwing flower petals on the road. To welcome the Lord devotees were singing Suswagatam Jagannath, Suswagatam Baladeva, Suswagatam Subhdra.  Throughout the procession devotees were singing, dancing, playing cymbals and mridangas. Many people who had congregated on the way to see the procession could not resist themselves and they too joined the devotees and began dancing and chanting the names of Lord Krishna and Lord Jagannath.  As it was a working day the working people took a short break from their offices and came down to pull the chariots. 

Srila Prabhupada wanted that his books which logically delineates the message of Krishna should be widely distributed.  So there were dozens of small sized carts carrying books accompanied the procession.  Devotees were reaching out to people and were inspiring them to buy the books which has the potential to transform their lives for good.   Hundreds of books were distributed during the journey.

The procession was colourful and lively. The loud but melodious chant of Hare Krishna touched the hearts of thousands of souls.  The three giant chariots travelled through the streets and lanes of Kolkata for around 5 hours and reached TAI Brigade Ground, which is one of the largest open parks in Kolkata, at around 6:30 p.m.

A makeshift Gundicha temple has been constructed at the Brigade Ground and various stalls have been set up around the temple.  The three deities are currently staying in Gundicha temple. Everyday Lord Jagannath is dressed differently to depict his different pastimes. Someday he is dressed as Lord Krishna lifting Govardhan on his left hand, someday he takes the form of Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda to save Gajendra, the elephant, and so on. Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the universe, he is none other than Krishna and is the protector of anyone and everyone who seeks his shelter. 

A beautiful smiling deity of Srila Prabhupada in front of Lord Jagannath wins everyone’s hearts.

A huge chandelier in the center of the temple brightens up the temple.

This year the theme of Rath Yatra is “Empowering the Elderly.” 

India’s great spiritual tradition teaches us to protect the elderly people. One of the most celebrated sons in Indian history is Sravan Kumar who carried his old and blind parents on his shoulders to different places of pilgrimage. But unfortunately as Kali Yuga entered and the society became too materialistic some people stopped taking care of their parents and other elder members of the family.  Elderly men and women who have given their best to the society during their prime needs to be taken care in a best possible way.   In this Rath Yatra Iskcon wanted to highlight the challenges which our elderly friends are facing and also wanted to spread the message that they should be protected and loved. 

An art exhibition was held wherein the artists used their creativity to show different shades of the life of elderly people – their life’s journey, their transition from being an active member of the society to leading a retired life, their struggles & challenges during old age, their vulnerabilities, how the society can come together to bring hope and happiness in their life and how we can enrich our lives through their knowledge and plethora of experience.

Various cultural programs are being held in which children are participating in large numbers. Well known classical dancers are performing different dance forms like bharatanatyam, kathak, kathakali, Manipuri, mohiniyattam and Odissi. Everyday talks are being given by senior Iskcon Sannyasis such as HH Jaypataka Swami Maharaj, HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj, HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaj and by other senior devotees.

The three chariots standing in the middle of the parade ground is attracting all. 108 bricks have been laid around the chariots and the people especially those who are visiting for the first time are requested to walk over the bricks and while walking they are requested to chant one Hare Krishna Mahamantra as they put their foot on a brick. Thus once they complete the journey they chant 108 mantras.

Thousands throng daily to worship the Lord and participate in various cultural programs.  Mahaprasadam stall,  Govindas counter,  Bhakti Vriksha stall, Iskcon Youth Forum stall, Kids zone, Perfect Question Perfect Answer booth, Book Distribution stall, Matchless Gift shop are also major attraction and large number of people visit there.

Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi are currently enjoying their stay at Gundicha temple and will return back to Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple on 12^th July which is the day of Ulta Rath Yatra. 

43rd Kolkata Rath Yatra draws lakhs of people