T oday Pushkar Tirtha invited the Parikrama at its banks. There 3 small boys from the Bhaktivedanta Gurukul, played the pastime which took place there few thousand years before Mahaprabhu’s appearance. As Pancharatna Prabhu narrated in dramatic ways the boys gestured and moved in pure sincere ways. Even though they were a little more than 1,20 cm tall they caught the attention of everyone. With a short practice about 10 minutes before the performance they brought us closer to this Holy Tirtha named Pushkar. In short there was a Brahmana who had a strong longing to visit Pushkar. So one day the personified Tirtha appeared to him in disguise and told him that he should reside here in Navadvipa. So he did. However in his old age that desire was remembered and he lamented not being able to see that holy site. Soon enough the Tirtha appeared to him in his actual form to his great astonishment. Puskara said: “ You don’t need to go anywhere .I eternally reside here in Sri Navadvipa Dham. At Rajasthan you see my expansion. Actually you have been residing on me all this time”
This Tirtha is the only place in the universe where Lord Brahma is worshiped and that is due to being cursed by his wife Parvati.
Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra was the next along the path. You may be thinking how all these holy places are in Navadvipa. Well Puskara Tirtha told us the main point which is that Navadvipa being the Supreme Holy place shelters all other holy places within Itself.
At Kurukshetra the katha was so light and even casual. The devotees were very close to the speakers and to themselves. Even when prasadam arrived the devotees shouted : “ More katha! More katha!”
HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Maharaja narrated a not so well known pastime, which took place in Kuruksetra. First he mentioned all the interesting lilas and exchanges which took place there. For example, Ratha yatra started there. The Vrajavasis met Krishna and brought Him to Vrindavan from Kuruksetra. Another great event was the Bhagavad Gita being spoken to Arjuna and to the whole world. And finally the pastime where the Lord Krishna’s Queens who were no less than expansions of the Gopis of Vraja, approached Draupadi. The Queens said: “ My dear Draupadi, we have come here to ask you to kindly share with us your secret. We have one husband Lord Krishna, and we sometimes find it difficult to please Him. You, however have 5 husbands. Please show us, teach us how to please our Husband.” What a fascinating event. The Queens were truly humble and thus they praised Draupadi who in turn, did not feel any pride , but understood that to be an opportunity of service.
There seems to be a new temple at Kuruksetra which lies at the bank of the Panca Veni. Two sweet Lords named Gaurasundar and Nityananda, stood there with one hand facing up and the other down. Everyone lined up with great enthusiasm and curiosity. They gave donations, took prasadam and filled their eyes and hearts with that sublime Darshan of Gaura Nitai in Navadvipa.
Dhameswara is one of the dearest deities of many devotees in the entire Navadvipa Mandala. This deity was worshipped by Sri Visnu Priya Herself. The temple, despite being under construction, received the devotees, after their ecstatic Harinam in the town.
What a day ! Koladvipa is non different from Giriraj Govardhan in Vrindavan. And it was at Koladvipa that the International Parikrama party along with Nitai Padakamalam went singing and dancing in the nectar of Sankirtan. Koladvipa is related to the process of pada sevanam- serving the lotus feet. Interestingly apart from serving the Lord’s lotus feet , serving the Lord by engaging one’s own feet in visiting the sacred dham is the most celebrated form of Padasevanam.
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