Acharya Pundrik Goswami Explains About The Special Rath Yatra Festival Of Vrindavan

As the world celebrates the famous Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra of Puri (Orissa), there is one more Rath Yatra festival celebrated in Vrindavan for the past 500 years, that very few people know about. Today, let us find out about this festival celebrated in the North in the love of Lord Jagannath.

Vrindavan is often described as the heart of Lord Krishna and the people of Vrindavan celebrate the festival of Rath Yatra with great pomp and show. But as we get to know more about the sacred place, Acharaya Pundrik Goswami explained to us about a festival that is famous amongst the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Before telling us about the festival, he first explained to us the 'Sapt-devalayas' of Vrindavan, that is, the SEVEN main temples of Vrindavan that hold the supreme position for the Vaishnavas.

1. Sri Radha Madana Mohana Temple opened in 1580 and was built by Shri Ram Das Kapur at the request of Shri Sanatan Goswami(Who discovered the deity), on a 50-foot hill called Dvadasaditya Tila, next to the Yamuna.

2. Sri Sri Radha Damodar Temple is located in Seva Kunj, established in 1542 by Jiva Goswami. This temple has a small shila, depicting Giriraj (Govardhan hill) with the etching of Lord Krishna's footprint, flute, stick, and cow's footprint on it. It is said that by doing four Parikramas of this Govardhan Sila with the four signs you will get the complete benefit of Govardhan Parikrama.

3. Sri Sri Radha Syamasundara Temple is one of the most important temples for Gaudiya Vaishnavas that was established by Sri Syamananda Pandit to whom the deity itself was gifted to him by Srimati Radharani, the consort of Lord Krishna, who had manifested it from her heart.

4. Sri Sri Radha Ramana Temple was constructed at the request of Gopala Bhatta Goswami in the 16th century. Radha Raman ji is one of the few original deities still left in Vrindavan. The story starts when Gopala Bhatta took a bath in the famous Kali-Gandaki River (Nepal). Upon dipping his waterpot in the river, he was surprised to see several Shaligrama shilas enter his pot. He dropped the shilas back into the river, but the shilas re-entered his pot when he refilled it.

Gopala Bhatta Gosvami found twelve Shaligrama shilas. It is believed that once a wealthy man came to Vrindavana and offered Gopala Bhatta a variety of clothes and ornaments for his Shaligramas in charity. However, Shri Gopala Bhatta couldn’t use these for his round-shaped Shaligramas. Shri Gopala Bhatta kept the clothes and ornaments with his shilas.

On the Purnima (full moon) day, in the evening after offering naivedhya to his Shaligrama shilas, Gopala Bhatta put them to rest covering them with a wicker basket. In the early morning, while returning from his bath at Yamuna River, he uncovered the Shaligramas and saw amongst them a Deity of Krishna playing the flute.

There were now only eleven shilas and a Deity. The “Damodara shila” had manifested as the beautiful three-fold bending form of tri-bhang ananda-Krishna. In this way, Radha Raman Ji emerged as a perfectly shaped deity from a sacred shaligram shila. Devotees consider this image to be alive. The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously since the Deity was installed over 460 years ago and the cooking still follows cookbooks from that time.

5. Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple is situated near Vrinda Kund, built by Maharaja Man Singh (disciple of Raghunath Bhatta Goswami) and a general from the army of King Akbar. The temple was a grand seven-story structure, with an altar of marble, silver, and gold.

In 1670, during the rule of a later Mughal king, Aurangzeb, it was plundered and destroyed leaving only three stories of the original temple. A replica of Govindaji is worshiped in the new Govindaji Mandir (located behind the original temple). The original Govindaji is worshiped in Jaipur.

6. Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Temple was established by Visvanath Cakravarti, a Vaishnava scholar and poet ha the deity worshiped by Lokanath Goswami (one of the contemporaries of the Six Goswamis), a Govardhana shila gifted by Lord Chaitanya to Raghunath Dasa Gosvami, the deity of Sri Vijaya Govinda worshiped by Baladeva Vidyabhushan and a stone with the thumbprint of Lord Chaitanya.

7. Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha Temple situated near the Govindaji’s temple, was founded by Madhu Pandit Goswami. Gopinatha, the presiding deity was first installed 5,000 years ago by Vajranabha, Lord Krishna’s grandson, and rediscovered at Vamsi-vata by Paramananda Goswami.

During the oppression of Aurangzeb, the original deities of Gopinathji, Radhika, and Jahnava also proceeded to Jaipur together with other deities. \The Pratibhu Vigrahas now preside in the temple built by Nand Kumar Vasu. Jahnava Thakurani is seated on the left side of Gopinath, and Lalita Sakhi and a small deity of Radhika are seated on His right.

These were the Sapt-devalayas of Vrindavan and every year during the Rath Yatra, special rath are prepared for these temples and the procession is held in the sacred place of Gyan Gudri, Vrindavan. Every year, on the day of the Rath Yatra, one of the biggest Mela of Vrindavan is decorated at Gyan Gudri, near Acharya Pundrik Goswami's Ashram- Vaijayanti Ashram. People of Vrindavan and nearby locals come especially to celebrate the presence of Lord Shri Krishna and enjoy the Mela with great pomp and show as organized by the Goswami families of the temples. To know more about Acharaya Pundrik Goswami, kindly visit www.sripundrik.com.

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