Sri Radha Raman Temple was established by Gopal Bhatta Goswami. Radha Ramana's lotus face is like Sri Govindaji's, His chest is like Sri Gopinath's and His lotus feet are like Sri Madanmohanji's. By taking darsan of Radha Raman one receives the simultaneous darsan of These three Deities.
The Deity of Sri Radha Ramana (Svayambhu Vigraha) manifested Himself from one of Gopal Bhatta Goswami's shalagram-silas (damodara shila) on the full moon day of Vaisakha (April/May) in 1542. This event is celebrated every year (May) by bathing the Deity with 100 liters of milk and other auspicious items. Gopal Bhatta Goswami's other salagram-silas are also worshiped on the altar. There is no Deity of Radharani with Radha Ramana, but gomati-cakra is worshipped on the altar to His left. According to an injunction of Sri Hari-bhakti-vilas, a gomati-cakra is to be worshipped along with a salagram-sila. Radha Ramana is one of the few original Deities of the Goswamis still in Vrindavana. Other Deities went to Jaipur, but Radha Ramana never left Vrindavana. The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously for over 465 years, since the Deity was installed in the temple currently. There are no foreign elements, such as matches used for igniting fire. The standard of worship at samadhi of Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami and temple is exemplary and Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to have Deity worship on such standards. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's kaupina (cloth) and asana (seat), which Gopal Bhatta Goswami brought from Jagannath Puri, are also in this temple. They are brought out to be seen by the public three or four times a year. The asana is black wood and is about 30 cm (12") by 25 cm (10"). Before large temples were built, the Goswamis worshiped their Deities simply by keeping Them under a tree under which they slept. Sri Radha Ramana Deity was adored under a tree for centuries. In the area of the present Radha Ramana temple, there used to be a large lake, connected to the Yamuna river. For a couple of hundred years they worshiped Radha Ramana under a tree, and at night put Him in a boat anchored in the middle of a lake. They stood guard with bows and arrows, if anyone came to hassle the Deity. Even today, they have the bows and arrows in the temple. Besides daily worship there are other festivals held at the samadhis. Upon taking initiation into Gaudiya-vaisnava Sampradaya, a new disciple may sponsor a special utsava (festival) consisting of Hari-nama Sankirtana (chanting of the name of the Lord), Bhagavatha-katha (discourses about the Lord) and offer an opulent feast of prasadam to present Vaisnavas and Braja-vasis (residents of Vrindavan).
When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He spent the four months during the rainy season called Caturmasya in Shri Rangam at the house of Vyenkata Bhatta, the chief priest of the Ranganatha Temple. His son, Shri Gopala Bhatta, was then able to serve the Lord to his heart's content. It is said that young Gopala used to everyday drink the water which washed the lotus feet of the Lord. Being pleased by his devotion, Shri Chaitanya gave him diksha and ordered him to go to Vrindavana after the disappearance of his parents. There he should remain with Rupa and Sanatana doing bhajana and writing books. - At the age of thirty, after the death of his parents, Gopala Bhatta, left for Vrindavana. When Lord Chaitanya heard that Gopala Bhatta Goswami had arrived in Vrindavana and had met Shri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, He was very pleased. At that time Mahaprabhu had already visited Vrindavana. Although Rupa and Sanatana had gone to visit him in Puri, Gopala Bhatta never received any invitation to go. Understanding his disappointment, Sri Chaitanya sent His personal asana and cloth to him through Rupa and Sanatana. Later when Gopala Bhatta heard of the disappearance of Mahaprabhu, he felt intense separation from the Lord, having associated with him only in his childhood. One night Lord Chaitanya appeared in a dream and told him, "If you want my darshana, make a pilgrimage to Nepal." In Nepal, Gopala Bhatta visited the river Gandaki. After taking his bath he filled his water pot and was surprised to see that some shalagrama-shilas had entered it. Emptying his pot, he filled it again, only to find the shilas had re-entered his water pot. Again he emptied his pot, and when he filled it for a third time he found that now twelve shalagrama-shilas were there. Thinking this must be the mercy of the Lord, he decided to bring those shilas with him to Vrindavana. - One day after returning to Vrindavana, a wealthy devotee approached Gopala Bhatta Goswami with dresses and ornaments for His Deity. Gopala Bhatta told him that as he was only worshiping a shalagrama-shila, it would be better to give to someone else who was worshiping a Deity and could use them.
It happened to be Narasimha-caturdashi and thinking deeply on this incident Gopala Bhatta remembered how Lord Narasimha deva had manifested from a stone pillar. He then began to prey to the Lord, "O Lord, you are very merciful and fulfil the desires of your devotees. I wish to serve you in your full form." In esctasy he read the chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam about Lord Narasimha deva's pastimes, and then took rest. In the morning when he awoke, he found that one of the twelve shalagramas, the Damodara-shila, had manifested as Sri Radha Ramana.
He immediately called Rupa and Sanatana and all the other devotees. They were all astounded by the beauty of Sri Radha Ramana Ji. They remarked that from the feet to the waist He had the form of the Deity of Sri Madana-Mohana, His chest was like that of the Deity of Sri Gopinatha and He had the moonlike face of the Deity of Sri Govinda deva. Then with the blessing of all the Vaishnavas, he began the worship of Sri Radha Ramanaji.
The Deity of Sri Radha Ramana (Svayambhu Vigraha) manifested Himself from one of Gopal Bhatta Goswami's shalagram-silas (damodara shila) on the full moon day of Vaisakha (April/May) in 1542. This event is celebrated every year (May) by bathing the Deity with 100 liters of milk and other auspicious items. Gopal Bhatta Goswami's other salagram-silas are also worshiped on the altar. There is no Deity of Radharani with Radha Ramana, but gomati-cakra is worshipped on the altar to His left. According to an injunction of Sri Hari-bhakti-vilas, a gomati-cakra is to be worshipped along with a salagram-sila. Radha Ramana is one of the few original Deities of the Goswamis still in Vrindavana. Other Deities went to Jaipur, but Radha Ramana never left Vrindavana. The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously for over 465 years, since the Deity was installed in the temple currently. There are no foreign elements, such as matches used for igniting fire. The standard of worship at samadhi of Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami and temple is exemplary and Srila Prabhupada wanted his disciples to have Deity worship on such standards. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's kaupina (cloth) and asana (seat), which Gopal Bhatta Goswami brought from Jagannath Puri, are also in this temple. They are brought out to be seen by the public three or four times a year. The asana is black wood and is about 30 cm (12") by 25 cm (10"). Before large temples were built, the Goswamis worshiped their Deities simply by keeping Them under a tree under which they slept. Sri Radha Ramana Deity was adored under a tree for centuries. In the area of the present Radha Ramana temple, there used to be a large lake, connected to the Yamuna river. For a couple of hundred years they worshiped Radha Ramana under a tree, and at night put Him in a boat anchored in the middle of a lake. They stood guard with bows and arrows, if anyone came to hassle the Deity. Even today, they have the bows and arrows in the temple. Besides daily worship there are other festivals held at the samadhis. Upon taking initiation into Gaudiya-vaisnava Sampradaya, a new disciple may sponsor a special utsava (festival) consisting of Hari-nama Sankirtana (chanting of the name of the Lord), Bhagavatha-katha (discourses about the Lord) and offer an opulent feast of prasadam to present Vaisnavas and Braja-vasis (residents of Vrindavan).
When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He spent the four months during the rainy season called Caturmasya in Shri Rangam at the house of Vyenkata Bhatta, the chief priest of the Ranganatha Temple. His son, Shri Gopala Bhatta, was then able to serve the Lord to his heart's content. It is said that young Gopala used to everyday drink the water which washed the lotus feet of the Lord. Being pleased by his devotion, Shri Chaitanya gave him diksha and ordered him to go to Vrindavana after the disappearance of his parents. There he should remain with Rupa and Sanatana doing bhajana and writing books. - At the age of thirty, after the death of his parents, Gopala Bhatta, left for Vrindavana. When Lord Chaitanya heard that Gopala Bhatta Goswami had arrived in Vrindavana and had met Shri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami, He was very pleased. At that time Mahaprabhu had already visited Vrindavana. Although Rupa and Sanatana had gone to visit him in Puri, Gopala Bhatta never received any invitation to go. Understanding his disappointment, Sri Chaitanya sent His personal asana and cloth to him through Rupa and Sanatana. Later when Gopala Bhatta heard of the disappearance of Mahaprabhu, he felt intense separation from the Lord, having associated with him only in his childhood. One night Lord Chaitanya appeared in a dream and told him, "If you want my darshana, make a pilgrimage to Nepal." In Nepal, Gopala Bhatta visited the river Gandaki. After taking his bath he filled his water pot and was surprised to see that some shalagrama-shilas had entered it. Emptying his pot, he filled it again, only to find the shilas had re-entered his water pot. Again he emptied his pot, and when he filled it for a third time he found that now twelve shalagrama-shilas were there. Thinking this must be the mercy of the Lord, he decided to bring those shilas with him to Vrindavana. - One day after returning to Vrindavana, a wealthy devotee approached Gopala Bhatta Goswami with dresses and ornaments for His Deity. Gopala Bhatta told him that as he was only worshiping a shalagrama-shila, it would be better to give to someone else who was worshiping a Deity and could use them.
It happened to be Narasimha-caturdashi and thinking deeply on this incident Gopala Bhatta remembered how Lord Narasimha deva had manifested from a stone pillar. He then began to prey to the Lord, "O Lord, you are very merciful and fulfil the desires of your devotees. I wish to serve you in your full form." In esctasy he read the chapters of Srimad-Bhagavatam about Lord Narasimha deva's pastimes, and then took rest. In the morning when he awoke, he found that one of the twelve shalagramas, the Damodara-shila, had manifested as Sri Radha Ramana.
Sri Radha Ramanji
Sri Radha Ramanji
Lotus feet of Sri Radha Ramanji
Sri Radha Ramanji
Mangala Arti at Sri Radha Raman Mandir
Sri Radha Ramanji
Sri Radha Ramanji
Sri Radha Ramanji
Sri Radha Ramanji
Sri Radha Ramanji
Lotus feet of Sri Radha Ramanji
hai prabhu shri krishna maharaj, apne bacho par sada daya rakhna....apni kripa banaye rakhna, bahut hi sundar or bhavuk tasveere hai...
ReplyDeleteHari bol
ReplyDeleteif possible, please illuminate our understanding on this matter...
is there an important reason about the number of Shaligram shilas involved in the self-manifestation of the awesome beautiful Radha Ramana Krishna deity?
is it important that there were originally twelve, and then remained eleven, plus one?
or is it the same if there had been ten, thirteen, or other number of Gandaki Shaligram shilas with Gopala Bhatta Gosvami?
Thank you!
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare