From Mayapur main gate, devotees once again set out on parikrama for the 3rd day. The experience and mood one relish from going for parikrama is indescribable, every year it’s a different story, feelings, experience and altogether a different Bhava!
Rushing down for Mangal-arati, I could tell the atmosphere is always different at this time of the year, from the very little once to the very old, you can see the enthusiasm fully locked, like a tinted half rising sun, ready to spring forth an amazing day in their eyes. Excitement from the youth, still full of Life dashing in, to participate in Mangal-arati so as not to miss the parikrama party that set out 5:30am, will remind you or cause you to feel deeply fortunate to be in such an environment.
Today is a long day of Parikrama- After completing walking in the island of kirtanam and smaranam ( singing and remembering), today the Parikrama party will enter Ritudivpa and walk in 3 islands- Ritudvipa, Jahnudvipa and Modadruma dvipa At Champahati Devotees stopped to take breakfast, it has been a usual spot for Navadvipa Parikrama parties and every year there is always a stop here and some Leela and drama takes place by devotees, trying to be in the mood of worship.
Places to visit- Samudragarh, Champahatti, Vidyanagar, Jahnu muni ashram, Srila Vrindavan das Thakur sripat, vasudeva datta Sripat, Arka Tila- 500 yr old deities of Sri Gaur Gadadhar darshan in Champahatti.
Our speakers for the day- HH Vigna Vinasan Narasimha swami, HH Radharaman swami, HH Bhakti Purusottam swami, HH Bhakti Bijay Bhagavat swami, HG Amogalila Pr, HG Pancaratna pr- drama of Jayadeva goswami in champahatti.
Champahati:
This very special place lies in the south-western portion of Koladvipa and is non-different from Khadiravana forest in Vrindavana where Lord Sri Krishna and Balarama had many pastimes and used to rest. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has mentioned the following in his Navadvipa-bhava-taranga: “Towards the south ofKoladvipa there is a place called Champahatta. In all of Navadvipa-Dhama this place is the most beautiful. This Champahatta village is a great tirtha and the most attractive location of the poet Jayadeva’s worship of Gaura-sasadhara. There, at the house of Vaninatha, Sri Saci-nandana along with His associate performed Harinama-sankirtana. There was a great festival at house of Vaninatha, where Sri Gauranga showed His opulence of love. In Champahatta village there is a forest of campakaflowers, which the gopi Campakalata comes here to pick. This forest in Navadvipa is non-different from Khadiravana in Vraja where Balarama and Krishna take rest.”
Why Is This Place Known as Champahatti?
In Sri Navadvipa-Dhama Mahatmya, Lord Nityananda tells to Jiva Goswami, “Listen son of Vallabha, there was once a champaka forest at this beautiful place which is a portion of Khadiravana in Vrindavana. Champakalata sakhi takes champaka flowers, strings garlands, and offers them to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna as her eternal pastime. When Kali-yuga grew in influence, capitalists moved here and eagerly took the champaka flowers. They set up a hatta (market) and sold the champaka flowers to the villagers and townsfolk. Therefore, this enchanting place is called “Champahatta”, or more commonly, “Champahatti”. Dwarka Puri and Ganga-sagaraare present here.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established this temple. Prior to the establishment of this temple, there was an imposter Baba who was in-charge of this place. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was deeply saddened to see the condition of this very important place for Gaudiya Vaisnavas. He used to cry and pray to Supreme Lord Sri Krishna for His help to restore high-standard worship for Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara. By the mercy of Lord Sri Krishna, in 1922 was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was able to establish the temple here. Temple was managed by his disciple Nayanananda dasa Babaji. Babaji Maharaj came to this temple in 1922 when he was 20 years old and until recently at the age close to 100 years, he faithfully served Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara for nearly 80 years before passing was few years ago.
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