Introduction:
Jagannatha Puri Guide Book is filled with 108 amazing stories and detailed descriptions of Jagnnatha Puri. It also has maps and location descriptions and 8 planned day-trips with proposed itinerary of places that can be covered.
Hardcover
Language: English
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Sample Chapter:
The following entry will help you derive the maximum benefit from your pilgrimage to Puri or to any holy place: “The real service to a holy place is to meditate upon the pastimes that took place there, meditate on the significance of the particular place, and to then allow the mood of that place to imbue our service with new life. A holy place must be approached with the proper spiritual attitude and humility if we are to gain anything by visiting it. No holy place can actually be “seen” without qualified vision. A tértha [sacred place] is revealed by the mercy of a pure devotee and is seen through the ears. Every holy place has an internal reality.
“We are not always qualified to see it, especially if we remain outsiders to the mood. If we wish to really take advantage of the spiritual and historical authenticity of a particular place, we must learn to see with eyes of devotion. Similarly, we must learn to see the heart of a place and not focus only on the externals, the apparent faults or shortcomings according to our estimations. We must see the saintly people living there and see a little of their purpose in serving their holy place. If we wish to find the spiritual essence of any holy place, we must learn to appreciate both the service and the mood with which it is offered there. Without that vision, we will always remain outsiders, even in the most spiritually authentic place.”
(BTG #35-05, 2001)
In summary, there are eight things to do when visiting a holy place.
The Jagannatha Puri Guide is your personal guidebook to help you discover the secret spiritual treasures of Sri Ksetra Dhama, Puri. Upon arriving at one of the holy places, you should offer respects, sit down nearby and read the particular section describing the mysteries there. After hearing attentively, you should pray to Sri Guru and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to allow you to experience even a drop of the unlimited ocean of ecstasy contained within Lord Gauranga’s pastimes in Sri Purusottama Ksetra, Jagannatha Puri. When Srila Prabhupada toured Vraja Mandala with his disciples, he held a kirtana upon arriving at a holy place, spoke some hari-katha, and then concluded with another kirtana before leaving.
You can comfortably see each group of sacred places in four or five hours by hiring an auto rickshaw, which will carry five adults and charge about 80 Rs. per hour. You should discuss your itinerary and fix the hourly rate before sitting in the rickshaw. The location descriptions accompanying each holy site and a street map listing the holy places in the Appendix will help you to find them. Unfortunately, there are a few places where Westerners (non-Indians) are not allowed entrance, and it will be mentioned here as non-Hindus are barred entrance.
Hiring an auto rickshaw, one should visit the places in the order as they are numbered below. Your first stop will be the bhajana kutira of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Then you should see place number two which is Cataka Parvata Sand Dunes; then place number three which is Tota Gopinatha Mandira, and so on to the last and final stop which is number eight, Paramananda Puri’s well. The sequence of sacred spots to visit today is as follows:
Location—The kutira is on the top of the hill behind the Purusottama Gaudiya Maöha, which stands on the hilly sand dune known as Cataka Parvata on the road (known as Gaura Bara Sahi) leading to the Tota Gopinatha temple.
The main temple houses Deities of Sri Sri Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha Vinoda Madhava Jiu. Inside the bhajana kutira are Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s bed and some other personal effects. There is a murti of Srila Vedavyasa here too.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did bhajana here near the end of his manifest presence (Kartika 14 October to Dec. 4 1936). Within the temple compound he celebrated Govardhana puja by worshiping the hill of sand known as Cataka Parvata. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada once stayed here for a few days.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jai!
Location: All the hilly sand dunes in this area are known as Cataka Parvata, where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu enjoyed ecstatic pastimes. Sitting beside Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s bhajana kutira, you can read the entry below while relishing the sublime atmosphere here.
1. Gaura Sees Govardhana
caöaka parvata dekhi’ ‘govardhana’ bhrame
dhäïä cale ärta-näda kariyä krandane
Seeing the sand dunes called Cataka Parvata, Mahaprabhu mistook them for Govardhana Hill and then ran there while wailing and crying loudly.
(Cc. 2.2.9 v&p)
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