Srivasa Angan
"I worship the golden-hued Sri Caitanya, whose beautiful hair is bound with a string of glistening pearls. His moonlike face bears a gentle sweet smile, and His powerful body, anointed with aguru and candana, is covered with beautiful cloth. Ornaments adorn His limbs, and a fragrant, transcendental garland hangs from His lion-like neck. Tasting the nectar of bhakti-rasa, Gauranga is absorbed in dancing ecstatically. He is more brilliant than Cupid, and is always being served by His devotees.”
The Birthplace of Sankirtana
Lord Caitanya danced in the bliss of kirtana with His eternal associates at Sri Vasa Angan, The Rasa Sthali of Navadvipa, in the same way that Krishna danced with the Gopis in the groves of Vraja, The Rasa Sthali of Vrindavana. Srivasa Angan is where Krishna and Radharani, in their combined form of Lord Caitanya, re-enact their Rasa Lila as the Sankirtana Lila, the congregational chanting of the holy name. Although these two Lilas are nondifferent, it is through His sankirtana-lila that Krishna freely and openly bestows upon everyone and anyone the same Krishna Prema He enjoys with the Gopis in His Rasa Lila.
This place is also known as Khola Bhanga Danga, the place where Chand Kazi's men broke a mridanga. At Srivasa Angana, Gauranga and His associates started the Sankirtana movement. Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu would dance in ecstasy here.
Every Night for one year Lord Caitanya and His associates would perform ecstatic Sankirtana behind closed door.
Identity of Srivasa Pandita
In the Panchtattva, Srivasa Pandita represents the pure devotees of the Lord. He is an incarnation of Narada Muni and Narada Muni is a Saktiavesa incarnation of Krishna as a pure devotee. Although appearing and growing up in Sri Hatta, West Bengal, Srivasa Pandita later moved to Navadvipa with his four elder brothers so they could associate with all the Vaisnavas here. They would regularly meet with Advaita Acarya to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, and also with the devotees to sing bhajanas glorifying the Lord. Srivasa Pandita and his wife, Malini, were contemporaries and very close friends of Jagannatha Mishra and Sachimata.
They were present at Lord Caitanya's birth and Malini helped Sachimata in bringing up Nimai. Nimai, on His part, saw Srivasa Pandita and Malini as His parents. Srivasa's house was the center of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan pastimes until He left Mayapura to take sannyasa.
Practical Guide to Srivasa Angan
Darsana times:8.30 am to 11 am and 3.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
Directions:It is 250 meters from Yoga Pitha, or is one and a half kilometers from ISKCON, going up Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Marga. It is on the right side of the road and has an ornate main gate.
Presiding Deities:The main temple is on the right as you enter the main gate. It stands where Srivasa Pandita's house was located.
1.On the left altar are Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Lord Caitanya.
2.The center altar depicts the Maha Prakasa pastime of Caitanya Mahaprabhu where He revealed Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Caitanya is sitting on the throne, Gadadhara Pandita is fanning Him with a chamara, and Lord Nityananda is holding an umbrella over His head. There is also a ten inch Lord Narshima deity on the central altars.
This place is also known as "Khol Banga Danga", the place where the Mirdanga was broken and you can sometimes see a broken Mridanga on the right altar. Srivasa Angan was the center of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana pastimes, just as Yoga Pitha was the center of Lord Caitanya's childhood and boyhood pastimes.
At Srivasa Angan, Lord Caitanya showed Nityananda Prabhu His six armed form holding a bow and arrow, a flute, a water pot, and a danda.
