Hansa-vahana: Lord Siva rode on Lord Brahma’s swan in order to reach the place where Suta Gosvami was describing the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
At Hamsa-vahana there is a small temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The deity used to be kept in the Gomati River for most of the year and only came to the temple three days a year, around the purnima(full moon) day in the month of Caitra (March-April). The rest of the time Lord Siva was kept underwater in the Gomati River to keep him from getting too hot. Last year the deity of Hamsa-vahana was stolen from the Gomati by a group of local Muslim people who wanted to make money by selling him. This deity was rescued in a very miraculous way and since then has been worshiped in the Hamsa-vahana temple throughout the year as it is too dangerous to leave him in the river. The name Hamsa-vahana refers to Lord Siva who traveled with Lord Brahma’s swan carrier. Hamsameans “swan” and vahanameans “one who is carried by”. Approximately 50,000 people come every year for this festival. Previously, before the theft of the deity, while the Siva-linga was in the temple for the three days of the festival, water was constantly poured on him to keep him from becoming too hot. The linga becomes hot because of Lord Siva’s intense desire to see SriCaitanyaMahaprabhu. This festival takes place about three weeks after the Gaura-purnima festival. For the last few years the pujarisof Hamsa-vahana have brought the deity to ISKCON Mayapur so that devotees from different parts of the world can take darsanaand offer an elaborate abhishekato the deity.Darsana times: Previously three days each year at the time of full moon in the month of Caitra (March-April), usually two to three weeks after Gaura-purnima. At present one can take darsana at any time of the day.
