Tota Gopinatha Matha, Puri, Odisha

Tota Gopinatha Matha, Puri, Odisha

Tota Gopinatha Matha is a Hindu religious Matha, located in Puri, a famous pilgrimage town in the state of Odisha, India. It is also famous for its shrine dedicated to Tota Gopinatha. The Matha is located in Gaudabada Sahi, Puri. It is situated on the right side of the road leading from Yamesvara temple to the beach. The Matha is located at about 1.5 Kms from Puri Jagannatha Temple, 3 Kms from Puri Bus Stand and 4 Kms from Puri Railway Station.

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/05/tota-gopinatha-matha-puri-legends.html

History

The Current Matha was built by Marathas in 18^th Century C.E. But the Matha might have existed from Gajapathi period.

The Matha

The single storeyed matha is affiliated to the Gaudiya sect. It is a functioning Matha. The Matha has ten rooms. Out of 10 rooms of the monastery, five rooms are totally damaged. One room is used for ritualistic purpose and other four rooms have been empty. There is a shrine dedicated to Toda Gopinatha in the monastery complex. He is gracing the devotees along with Radharani & Lalita Sakhi.

Tota Gopinatha is a unique idol because he is the only Krishna Deity in the world in sitting posture and playing his flute. Every day, at 7.00 am during Darshana time, upon request, the priest can show a small golden streak on Gopinath’s right knee where Mahaprabhu entered the Lord. Idols of Madana Mohana, Chaitanya, bronze Aditya, and an image of Balaram are kept in the matha verandah.

Festivals

Dolapurnima, Nandotsav, Tandula Mahotsava, Damodara Utsava and Gamha Purnima are the festivals celebrated here.

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/01/puri-odisha-connectivity-puri.html

Location

Siddha Bakula Matha, Puri, Odisha

Siddha Bakula Matha, Puri, Odisha

Siddha Bakula Matha is a religious place connected to the lives of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Haridasa Thakura, located in Puri, a famous pilgrimage town in the state of Odisha, India. Siddha Bakula is located near Kasi Mishra house (Radha Kanta Matha). The Matha is located at about 800 meters from Puri Jagannatha Temple, 3 Kms from Puri Bus Stand and 3 Kms from Puri Railway Station.

Legends

Siddha Bakula is located near Kasi Mishra house (Radha Kanta Matha). Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally arranged for Srila Haridasa Thakura to reside at this place. Siddha Bakula is the Bhajana Kutir of Haridasa Thakura, the place where he chanted 300,000 names of Krishna daily. Haridasa Thakura being a Muslim, could not enter the Jagannatha Temple, who looked at the Nilachakra on top of Lord Jagannath’s Temple and offered his prayers from this place.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to would visit him daily at this place. In order to provide shade for Haridasa Thakura, Sri Chaitanya planted a used tooth stick of Lord Jagannath. All of a sudden, it grew up and appeared as a great tree. Rupa Goswami recited Lalitha Madhava and Vidagdha Madhava under this tree before Sri Gauranga and his followers. During his stay Sanatana Goswami lived with Haridasa Thakura here. Haridasa Thakur left his body here and Lord Chaitanya personally carried his body to the sea.

In course of time, the King of Orissa ordered his officers to cut down the tree here in order to construct Lord Jagannatha’s Ratha Yatra cart. Big amount of wood is needed, since the carts are about 13 m high and each year new ones are constructed. They come to cut this tree but Srila Jagannatha Goswami objected, informing them that the tree had been planted by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for giving shade to Haridasa Thakura. But they refused and decided to cut this tree in the next day. Overnight, the tree becomes hollow.

The trunk remained standing, but its insides were empty.  The next morning when the royal officers came, they found the tree hollow and returned without cutting it. The tree was not ordinary tree, having been used as a toothbrush for Lord Jagannatha, and then planted in the ground by Mahaprabhu own hand, and acting as shelter for Nama Acharya Srila Haridasa Thakura. The Tree had attained perfection, Siddha, and from that day on was known as the Siddha Bakula by all the local people.

The Matha

The site has a unique Bakula tree winding and climbing around the courtyard. People tie stones to this Kalpa Dharu (wish-fulfilling tree) and make their wishes. There is a small shrine housing an idol of Haridas Thakura in sitting posture chanting Japa. There is another shrine housing Shadabhuja Gauranga (six-armed Gauranga) in the middle flanked by Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Acharya. An idol of Lord Narasimha can also be found nearby.

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/01/puri-odisha-connectivity-puri.html

Location

Haridas Thakur Samadhi, Puri, Odisha

Haridas Thakur Samadhi, Puri, Odisha

Haridas Thakur Samadhi is a Hindu burial shrine, located in located in Puri, a famous pilgrimage town in the state of Odisha, India. It is situated on the oceanfront in the area of Svargadvara opposite to ISKCON Temple (Bhakti Kuti) and next to Purusottama Gaudiya Math. It is located at about 2 Kms from Jagannath Temple, 3 Kms from Puri Bus Stand and 3.5 Kms from Puri Railway Station.

History

Haridasa Thakur made Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sit down in front of him, and then he fixes his eyes, like two bumblebees, on the lotus face of the Lord. He held the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya on his head and then took the dust of the feet of all the devotees present and put it on his head. He began to chant the holy name of Sri Krishna Chaitanya again and again. As he drank the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes. While chanting the holy name of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, he gave up his air of life and left his body.

There was a tumultuous noise as everyone chanted the holy names “Hari” and “Krishna.” Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became overwhelmed with ecstatic love. The Lord raised the body of Haridasa Thakur and placed it on his lap. Then, he began to dance in the courtyard in great ecstatic love. Haridasa Thakur's body was bought in procession from Siddha Bakula (where he left his body) to the beach. Sri Chaitanya personally bathed the body of Haridasa Thakur and declared, "From this day on, this sea has become a great pilgrimage site."

Haridasa's body was placed in a hole in the sand along with Lord Jagannath's remnants (silken rope, sandalwood pulp, food, and cloth). Lord Chaitanya covered the body with sand, chanting Hari Bol! Hari Bol!. A platform was constructed, and a fence erected to protect the site. Lord Chaitanya and the devotees filled the whole universe with tumultuous chanting and dancing all around the platform. After Sankirthana, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu bathed in the sea with his devotees, swimming and playing on the sea water with great jubilation.

After circumambulation the tomb of Haridasa Thakur, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to the Simha-dwara gate of the Jagannath temple. Lord Chaitanya then begged prasadam for a festival honoring the passing away of Haridasa Thakur. All the devotees then sat down and had a huge feast. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave this benediction: "Anyone who has chanted and danced here at Haridasa Thakura's samadhi will achieve the favor of Krishna very soon. There is such wonderful power in seeing Haridasa Thakura."

The Samadhi

The Samadhi temple of Haridasa Thakur, the Namacharya (the teacher of the chanting of the Holy Name) is located next to Purusottama Gaudiya Math, near by the beach in the Svarga Dwara area. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself placed his samadhi here. It is known as Hari das Math. It is one of the important landmark in Swargadwar Puri. The actual Samadhi is in the courtyard as a small tomb. Towards the west of the samadhi, there are three altars where the deities of Lord Gauranga, Lord Nityananda and Sri Advaita Acharya are worshipped. All the deities are in the sitting posture and doing Nama Bhajana.

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/01/puri-odisha-connectivity-puri.html

Location

Radha Kanta Matha, Puri, Odisha

Radha Kanta Matha, Puri, Odisha

Radha Kanta Matha is a religious mutt, located in located in Puri, a famous pilgrimage town in the state of Odisha, India. This place is also known as Kashi Mishra’s house. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in a room in Kashi Mishra’s house called Gambhira for the last twelve years of his life. The Mutt is situated south east of the Jagannatha temple in Bali Sahi, on the way to Svargadvara., also known as Radha Kanta Matha. The Mutt is located at about 1 Km from Jagannath Temple, 2.5 Kms from Puri Bus Stand and 3 Kms from Puri Railway Station.

History

Purusottama Deva, father of King Prataparudra, invaded Kanchipuram area and defeated the King of Kanchipuram in battle. He victoriously returned to Puri with three idols Radha Kanta, Sakshi Gopala and Bhada Ganesha as souvenir. It is said that he installed all the idols in Jagannath Temple. Bhada Ganesha is still worshipped in an inner courtyard just behind Jagannath temple.

It is said Radha Kanta was also worshipped inside the Jagannatha Temple for some time. Lord Jagannath appeared in the dreams of King Prataparudra and complained about Radha Kanta taking all nice items from his bhoga plate. Hence, the Lord requested him to remove the idol from the Temple. Shocked king requested his Gurudev Kashi Mishra to take the Radha Kanta to his house.

During the Kashi Mishra’s time, only Sri Radha Kanta was worshipped here. Later, when Gopala Guru became the Mahanta of the Matha, he installed a deity of Radharani on the left side of Radha Kanta and a deity of Lalita Devi on the right side. He also established the deities of dancing Gauranga and Nityananda on the left and right side of Radha Kanta.  

When Mahaprabhu came to Jagannatha Puri after taking Sannyasa, He stayed at Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s House. But after his return to Puri finishing his south Indian tour, he stayed at Kashi Mishra’s House. Kashi Mishra was Rajguru of King Prataparudra, and King had gifted him a house with a large garden near the temple. King Prataparudra was a great devotee of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He suggested to Sarvabhauma that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu can stay in Kashi Mishra’s house.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu decided to stay in Kashi Mishra’s house in a very small room called Gambhira. He stayed in Gambhira for the last twelve years of his life. Gopala Guru, the disciple of the Vakreshvara Pandita, served Mahaprabhu from early childhood at Gambhira. After the disappearance of Vakresvara Pandita, Gopala Guru received the charge of the Seva of Sri Radha Kanta and Gambhira.

The Mutt

The Mutt is renowned for having the Gambhira or the room where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived in Puri. His staff, water pot, bed and sandals are still preserved here. There is a lamp here that is never extinguished. It has nice exhibits of Sri Chaitanya’s Lila pastimes. This Mutt also houses the stone idol of Radhakanta is said to have been brought from Kanchi by King Purushottama Deva.

There are idol of Radharani on the left side and an idol of Lalita Devi on the right side of Radha Kanta can be seen. Idols of dancing Gauranga and Nityananda on the left and right side of Radha Kanta can also be seen. The deity of Gopala Guru can be found at the entrance of Sri Radha Kanta Temple, facing east.

Contact

Radha Kanta Matha,

Puri – 752 001, Odisha

Mobile: +91 67522 32403 / 94372 03862

Email: krushna_g@yahoo.com

Web: www.gaura-gambhira.com

Connectivity

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/01/puri-odisha-connectivity-puri.html

Location