Harikatha Delivered on the Day of Snana Yatra

In this harikatha, Srila Gurudev elaborately narrates the Holy appearance of Lord ‘Jagannath’, ‘Baladeva’ and ‘Subhadra’ in Nilachal Dham. While mother Rohini was narrating the glories of the love vraja-gopis have for Krishna, Krishna and Balaram came there and listening to those glories, a great change of feeling came over Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra, so great that Their arms and legs entered Their bodies. Out of boundless compassion for His devotees, the Lord agreed to give His darshan in that form, manifested out of the love of the gopis. Guru Maharaj also narrates how Lord Jagannath came to Chakdaha, bound by the love of His dear most devotee Jagadish Pandit.

The Holy Arrival of Jagannathdev in Chakdaha

Lord Jagannath saw Jagadish Pandit crying and so mercifully appeared to him in a dream and told him to take His vigraha and serve. Simultaneously, He appeared to the king of Orissa and ordered him that at the time of the nava-kalevara, when the wooden deity of Lord Jagannath is renewed, the outgoing form should be given to Jagadish Pandit. As a result of this dream, the king felt greatly honored to meet Jagadish Pandit and gave him Lord Jagannath’s outgoing form, which is known as the samādhi-stha-vigraha.

Wonderful Pastime of Voluntarily Offering His Service

The Lord Jagannath and Gaura-Gopal deities, at Jashora dham, who were worshiped by Nityananda Prabhu’s dear associate, Jagadish Pandit, have displayed the wonderful pastime of voluntarily offering Themselves to the great devotee, Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaj, in order to accept his service.

Snana Yatra and the Illness Pastimes of Lord Jagannath Dev

This article narrates about the Snana yatra and the sequence of various sweet pastimes of Lord Jagannath that take place after the Snana yatra. Fourteen days after Snana Yatra temple remains closed for darshana on the plea that jagannath swami has caught a cold. The illness pastime of the Lord is known as Anavasara. During those days Lord Jagannatha lives in seclusion enjoying svakiya rasa in the company of His wife, Lakshmi. This resting and renovation period is also called Nibhrita. Netrotsava (Reappearance) is when after two weeks of absence, Lord Jagannath reappears. After that, He asks permission from Lakshmi to leave and come out for His Rathayatra chariot festival.

Srila Gurudev at Snana Yatra Festival, Chakdaha, 2010

Lord Jagannath and Gaura-Gopal deities who were worshiped by Nityananda Prabhu’s dear associate, Jagadish Pandit, have displayed wonderful pastime of voluntarily offering Themselves to Srila Param gurudev to accept his service at Chakadah. No Rathayatra festival is held here, though His Snana-yatra is celebrated with great pomp. On that occasion, the deity is carried from the temple to an altar built in a large field not far from the temple for the purpose of the bathing ritual. This video features, the transcendental bathing of Lord Jagannath dev by Srila Gurudev at Snana-yatra festival, 2010. How fortune we are to witness these precious moments of the Lord accepting direct service from His dear most associate?

Glories of Jagannathdev’s Maha-prasada

In Puri, there is no distinction between low and high casts for taking Jagannath maha-prasad. Jagannath maha-prasad is the source where the shastras say that even if a brahmana takes maha-prasad from the mouth of a dog. It can never be contaminated.

Sri Jagannathastakam

The Lord of the Universe—Sri Jagannath Deva is also known as Purushottam. Puri is known as Purushottam Dhama. Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to sing Sri Jagannath-ashtakam, eight verses of the glory of Jagannatha in Puri. It is written by Sri Adi Sankaracharya, and is still being sung daily before the Deity of Lord Jagannatha for His pleasure. It is respected everywhere in India.