Jagannatha Mandir in Navadvipa Dhama
This area was the capital of the Sura dynasty a very long time ago. Sri Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya describes how the Lord left Puri and came here after killing the Raktabahu demon. It is also states that this area is non-different from Jagannatha Puri as Lord Jagannatha is eternally resident here. Thus the same benefits of going to Jagannatha Puri are gained by visiting this place. Lord Jagannatha stays here with His sabara servants (tribal people below the Varnasrama system.)
The appearance of Deities in this place
Jagadish Ganguli (dasa) lived in a small village near Mayapur. He was a devotee of Lord Caitanya and would go to Puri every year with all the Mayapur devotees to see Lord Caitanya and Lord Jagannatha. He became completely heartbroken when one year the devotees went to Puri without him. He was getting too old to make the trip and had also become blind after an illness. To console Jagadish, Lord Jagannatha appeared to him in a dream and instructed him that the next morning when he took bath in the Ganga, a log would touch him and restore his vision. He was to take that log to a certain devotee-carpenter and have a deity of Jagannatha carved. Lord Jagannatha also told Jagadish that this carpenter would refuse to do the work because his hands were deformed due to leprosy, but that Jagadish was to insist because by doing the carving his leprosy would be cured. As predicted, the carpenter was very reluctant. His fingers had all but withered away and he was in great pain. Jagadish dasa finally persuaded him by revealing how Jagannatha had promised his leprosy would be cured as he made the Deity. At first the carpenter could barely hold his tools as the stumps that were once his fingers kept bleeding and it caused him a lot of suffering. But Jagadisha encouraged him and enabled him to forget his agony long enough to finish the deity of Lord Jagannatha. The very moment he finished, his leprosy disappeared. Jagadisha took the deity to a site near the present Jagannatha temple and established His worship there.
Some day later Jagannatha again comes in Jagadisha dream and instructed him to make Deities of Subhadra and Baladeva from same carpenter.
Jagannatha mercy on ISKCON
After Jagadish dasa left this world, the worship of these Deities was gradually neglected and Their temple fell into ruin. Then, around sixty years ago, a villager noticed a blue flower growing out of a huge termite hill. Coming closer to the hill, he became astonished upon hearing a voice saying, "Please help Me. Please get Me some water. I am very thirsty." The villager quickly dug into the termite hill and discovered the beautiful deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. Even though Their forms were made of wood and They had been under a termite hill for so many years, Their divine wooden forms were unharmed. After this, Their temple and worship were again established. Unfortunately the worship was not maintained, diminishing year by year, until 1978 when Lord Jaganatha's aged Brahmana Pujari requested ISKCON to take over the temple and worship of the Deities. He donated the temple and property to ISKCON on Gaura Purnima Day. These Historical Deity form of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra have been here at least 500 Year.
Practical Guide to Sri Jagannatha Temple
Darsan Times:7.30am to 1 pm and 4pm to 8pm.
Directions: Continue up Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Marga from Chand Kazi's samadhi. Around the first corner and up a short distance, you will see a signboard for the Jagannatha temple on the left side of the road. Take the road opposite this signboard and proceed until you see a beautiful lion gate on your right side (around 15 minutes walking). From ISKCON it is approximately four kilometers and takes about 40 minutes by rickshaw.
Presiding Deities:The beautiful Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama and Lady Subhadra and Sudarshana Chakra.
Points of Interest:
1. Diorama display:This is on the left side between the main gate and the temple. It depicts the pastime of Lord Jagannatha's appearance in this Deity form. This pastime is described below.
2. Old temple:The far right end of the property is where the original temple used to be. Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra stay here for two week 'convalescence' after Their snana-yatra pastime.
3. Kalpavriksa tree:Next to the old temple is a kalpavrksa (wish-fulfilling) tree. The local people have worshiped Lord Siva and Parvati here for as long as can be remembered. It is said that Lord Siva and Parvati came here to perform austerities and' are still present. Many people have had their desires fulfilled by praying here and leaving a stone hanging on the tree. Vaisnavas can pray to Shiva and Parvati for Krishna Prema.
4. Shiva Linga:Lord Shiva is under this tree in the form of a large Linga known as Ksetrapala. One day, when ISKCON first took over the temple, the pujari was making an offering to Lord Jagannatha. He pushed aside this stone with his leg thinking it was an ordinary stone. Immediately after doing that he developed a heavy headache and began vomiting. He cycled back to ISKCON but was so sick and weak he collapsed and fell off the bike a number of times. At ISKCON he was advised to return, worship the lingaraja, and beg forgiveness for his offense. He did that and was immediately cured.
It is quite cool in this area and one day in the summer of 1994, a pujari came here to get relief from the midday heat. While resting he had a dream in which he saw a male figure with a lot of hair, just like Lord Siva. This person asked the pujari for something to drink saying, "I am very dry and thirsty. You should at least give me some milk to drink." The pujari woke up and saw that the sila was indeed very parched and dry. Since then the devotees offer this Shiva Linga milk, tilaka, and bael leaves every day.
