Saksi Gopala Temple is a very important temple located almost midway between Jagannatha Puri Dhama and Bhubaneswar, in a town called Saksi-gopala, about 20 km west of Jagannatha Puri Dhama. The Saksi-gopala Deity here, being 5000 years old, is an exceptionally special one. It is said that Vajranabha, Lord Sri Krishna’s great-grandson, installed two Gopala Deities in Vraja Mandala namelySaksi-gopala and Madana Gopala (Madana Mohana). The Saksi-gopala Deity is the life-size Gopala Deity who walked from Vrindavana to Vidyanagara, a town located 20 to 25 miles from Rajahmundry on the banks of Godavari River in South India. A great fair is annually held here on the Anla Nabami day in the month of Kartika. Saksi-gopala temple is easily reachable by taxi, bus or Puri-Bhubaneswar train.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gives the following summary of the fifth chapter in hisAmrta-pravaha-bhasya. After passing through Yajapura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu reached the town of Kataka (Cuttack) and there went to see the temple of Saksi-gopala. While there, He heard the story of Saksi-gopala from the mouth of SriNityananda Prabhu.
Once there were two brahmanas, one elderly and the other young, who were inhabitants of a place known as Vidyanagara in South India. After touring many places of pilgrimage, the two brahmanas finally reached Vrindavana. The elderlybrahmana was very satisfied with the service of the young brahmana, and he wanted to offer him his youngest daughter in marriage. The young brahmanareceived the promise of his elder before the Gopala Deity of Vrindavana. Thus the Gopala Deity acted as a witness. When the two brahmanas returned toVidyanagara, the younger brahmana raised the question of this marriage, but the elderly brahmana, due to obligations to his friends and wife, answered that he could not remember his promise. Because of this, the younger brahmana returned to Vrindavana and narrated the whole story to Gopalaji. Thus Gopalaji, being obliged by the young man’s devotional service, accompanied him to southern India.Gopalaji followed the younger brahmana, who could hear the tinkling sound ofGopalaji’s ankle bells. When all the respectable gentlemen of Vidyanagara were assembled, Gopalaji testified to the promise of the elderly brahmana. Thus the marriage was performed. Later, the king of that country constructed a fine temple for Gopala.
Afterwards, King Purusottama-deva of Orissa was insulted by the King ofVidyanagara, who refused to give him his daughter in marriage and called him a sweeper of Lord Jagannatha. With the help of Lord Jagannatha, King Purusottama-deva fought the King of Vidyanagara and defeated him. Thus he took charge of both the King’s daughter and his kingdom as well. At that time, Gopalaji, being very much obligated by the devotional service of King Purusottama-deva, was brought to the town of Kataka.
After hearing this narration, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Gopala in great ecstasy of love of God. From Kataka He went to Bhuvanesvara and saw the temple of Lord Siva. In this way, He gradually arrived at Kamalapura, and on the banks of the Bhargi River He came to the temple of Lord Siva, where He entrusted His sannyasa staff to Nityananda Prabhu. However, Nityananda Prabhu broke the staff into three pieces and threw it into the Bhargi River at a place known asAtharanala. Being angry at not getting His staff back, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left the company of Nityananda Prabhu and went alone to see the Jagannatha temple.
Source...www.dandavats.com
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