Premanjana das
In Pandharpur, the spiritual capital of Maharashtra, Lord Krishna is worshiped as Sri Vitthala, Vithobha or Panduranga. Some call this holy place Bhu-vaikuntha, “the spiritual world on earth” located at the Chandrabhaga river. The black stone temple hosts the five thousand year old self-manifested Deity of Lord Vitthala. Saint Tukarama was a great devotee of the Lord and always chanted the names Rama, Krishna, Hari. During Ekadasi festivals many pilgrims (varkaris) organize Dindi Yatras and while chanting harinama they travel from their places to have darsana of the Lord in Pandharpur. Last Ekadasi about 3 lakhs devotees/pilgrims had visited this holy place.
Srila Prabhupada: “The sankirtana party belonging to Tukarama is still very popular in Bombay. [It] exactly resembles the Gaudiya Vaisnava sankirtana parties, for they chant the holy name with mridanga and karatalas.”
Lord Chaitanya visited Pandharpur while on a journey through South India, apparently to search for His sannyasi brother, Sankararanya Swami, formerly known as Visvarupa and stayed for about eleven days. Visvarupa attained samadhi here. Lord Chaitanya met with Sri Ranga Puri, a disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Nityananda Prabhu visited Pandharpur and resided at a house of a brahmana who was a disciple of Laksmipati Tirtha and thus a Godbrother of Madhavendra Puri. Srila Laksmipati Tirtha initiated Lord Nityananda here.
ISKCON started a small center called Hare Krishna Dhama in Pandharpur in the early 1980’s, situated on the bank of the river Chandrabhaga. In due course of time, under the supervision of H.H. Lokanath Swami, it has grown to a nice temple accommodating the beautiful Deities of Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath. We have a guesthouse, Govinda’s restaurant, Goshala, Gurukula, Kalyan Mandap hall for cultural programs, agriculture land and a Prabhupada Ghat at the Chandrabhaga river where we have prasadam distribution for hundreds and thousands of pilgrims.
On the 10th of July, on Sayana / Asadhi Ekadasi, there was a Bhumi puja for our new temple project. The newly appointed Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ekanath Sambhajirau Shinde, was our chief guest and he arrived early in the morning. As we understand this was his first major (religious) function after becoming the CM.
The CM was welcomed by the Gurukula students by reciting svasti vachan. When he entered the temple room he garlanded Srila Prabhupada, took darshan of Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath and performed arati of Their Lordships.
After this he went to visit the Chandrabhaga river from the Srila Prabhupada ghat. He returned to the Bhumi puja place of the new temple project Bhu-vaikuntha – Vaikuntha on earth. The Gurukula students chanted auspicious mantras while the Chief Minister was doing the groundbreaking ceremony, followed by the CM’s son Srikant Shinde who is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. The Chief Minister inaugurated the memorial plaque of the Bhumi puja.
There was a stage program with the Chief Minister joined by many senior guests and sannyasis, like H.G. Samika Rsi Prabhu, H.G. Basughosa Prabhu, H.H. Bhakti Prema Maharaja, H.H. Sundara Caitanya Maharaja, H.H. Sri Krishna Caitanya Maharaja, and many others. The Chief Minister praised all the activities ISKCON is conducting, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada’s ghat and H.H. Lokanath Swami. He said a normal person could not perform all these activities in India and worldwide. He promised to always provide support to ISKCON in performing activities. He had previously helped out in providing a place for our centre in Thane (near Mumbai).
Watch this video where the CM is speaking in Marathi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk9i6wgEp9M&authuser=0
The Chief Minister was supposed to leave after the stage program and his cars were ready to leave, but he chose to take some anukalpa prasadam. While enjoying the delicious prasadam he spent time talking with senior devotees, much more time than we had anticipated. All were very happy that the CM gave so much attention to our projects. He was very cooperative, enthusiastic and again reiterated that he is always ready to support us and further develop Sri Pandharpur Dhama to become more attractive to all those interested in visiting this holy place. Many newspapers and TV channels in Maharashtra had covered this news of the CM.
Here are some photo’s and video’s of the visit of the CM:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzZY72
There was a presentation of the Bhu-vaikuntha new temple project which we would like to complete within 4 years and offer this to Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath. It will be developed like a mini Mayapur. Although we are awaiting the final figures we estimate that the cost of the project will be somewhere between 120 and 150 crores Rupees. Besides the features already mentioned above there will be a guesthouse with 250 rooms of which 50 rooms will have 5 star facilities. To realise this project we will need the support of all the devotees, friends and well-wishers. Many devotees who were present in the festival very happily came forward to make a pledge for this grand and wonderful Bhu-vaikuntha project. So we humbly request all the devotees to come forward and help us in realising this project for the pleasure of Guru, Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath.
Here are some photo’s of the new temple design:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzZUKv
For more information about Pandharpur Dhama devotees can read the following articles by H.H. Lokanath Swami:
BTG # 26-02, 1992, Pandharpur Land of Lord Vitthala.
BTG # 43-01, 2009, Tukarama – Saint of Pandharpur.
Thank you very much.
Your servant,
Premanjana das