Lord Siva Receive Abhiseka From The Head Priests

9 April 2006: For the first time, Lord Siva appeared in the form of Hamsa Vahan (Lord Siva riding on Brahma's swan carrier) in Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir, the world headquarters of ISKCON.

The devotees in Mayapur celebrated Lord Siva's arrival by giving him a wonderful abhiseka. After the abhiseka, devotees carried the HaritsaVahan on a palanquin and performed a parikrama of the Deities. Lord Siva took darsana of each altar, stayed through the Gauraarati and then left for his abode in a temple in Madhya Dvipa. The deity was originally kept submerged under water throughout the year, and would be taken out for darsana only for 12 days, once in a year. However, after it was stolen some time back, the pujaris have decided to worship him in the temple throughout the year.

At Hamsa-vahana there is a small temple dedicated to Lord Siva. The deity used to be kept in the Gomati River for most of the year and only came to the temple three days a year, around the purnima(full moon) day in the month of Caitra (March-April). The rest of the time Lord Siva was kept underwater in the Gomati River to keep him from getting too hot. Last year the deity of Hamsa-vahana was stolen from the Gomati by a group of local Muslim people who wanted to make money by selling him. This deity was rescued in a very miraculous way and since then has been worshiped in the Hamsa-vahana temple throughout the year as it is too dangerous to leave him in the river. The name Hamsa-vahana refers to Lord Siva who traveled with Lord Brahma’s swan carrier. Hamsameans “swan” and vahanameans “one who is carried by”. Approximately 50,000 people come every year for this festival. Previously, before the theft of the deity, while the Siva-linga was in the temple for the three days of the festival, water was constantly poured on him to keep him from becoming too hot. The linga becomes hot because of Lord Siva’s intense desire to see SriCaitanyaMahaprabhu. This festival takes place about three weeks after the Gaura-purnima festival. For the last few years the pujarisof Hamsa-vahana have brought the deity to ISKCON Mayapur so that devotees from different parts of the world can take darsanaand offer an elaborate abhishekato the deity.Darsana times: Previously three days each year at the time of full moon in the month of Caitra (March-April), usually two to three weeks after Gaura-purnima. At present one can take darsana at any time of the day.

Directions from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house: Continue down the main road a short distance and take the first road on the right. You will pass a Gaudiya Matha temple on the right side of this road. (This temple has a very nice diorama display of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya that is worth a visit.) Take the first left and then the first right. Continue down this road for about one and a half kilometers. On the left you will see a small hut painted yellow with a straw roof. This is the temple. It is in an open courtyard and there is a large tree on the right of the road.

Presiding deity: Lord Siva riding on Lord Brahma’s swan carrier.

Lord Nityananda narrated this story to Sri Jiva in the Navadvipa-dhama mahatmya, Parikrama-khanda: Towards the south of Madhyadvipa there is a river called the Gomati. Naimisharanya is situated on the bank of this river. During ancient times when Kali became powerful, all the rishisheaded by SaunakaRishi gathered here to hear the Gaura-bhagavata from the lotus mouth of SutaGosvami. Whoever recites the Puranas, sitting at this place during the month of Kartika, will become free from all suffering and easily achieve Vraja-dhama by engaging in the service of Gauranga. Once, while the glories of Gauranga were being spoken here in Naimisharanya, Lord Siva desired to come and listen. He was traveling from Kailasa to this place, riding on his bull carrier. But he understood that he was not travelling fast enough to arrive on time to hear the gaura-katha. He therefore requested the use of Lord Brahma’s swan carrier so that he could travel faster. Riding on the swan very swiftly, he managed to reach Naimisharanya in time to hear the most wonderful gaura-katha. Lord Siva heard the glories of Lord Gauranga and His associates from the Puranas. All the followers of Lord Siva, the inhabitants of Kasi, were chanting the holy name of Gauranga and dancing, surrounding Lord Pancanana (the five-faced Lord Siva), throwing flowers in great ecstasy. When SriJiva heard this description from NityanandaPrabhu he was in such ecstasy relishing the glories of the dhamathat he could not control himself and started rolling on the ground. That day all the devotees along with Lord Nityananda stayed at Naimisharanya. The following morning all of them set off to take darsanaof Sri Pushkara.

Directions: Take the first road on the left just past the Hamsa-vahana temple. From that road, take the first road on the left. This is a dirt road that will keep getting smaller. Continue for approximately a kilometer going through mud-hut villages and mango groves. After the mango groves, you will need to walk as a car or rickshaw will not be able to continue.

… saptarshi-mandapeharih
nanartanaimishetirthe
savadhutahsa-parshadah

“Lord Gaurahari then went to Naimisha-tirtha. In Saptarshi-mandapa He danced with His associates and with NityanandaAvadhuta.” Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, Pramana-khanda 4.40)

In Navadvipa-bhava-tarangaSrila BhaktivinodaThakura describes Naimisharanya as follows: “There on the bank of the river Gomati is the Naimisha forest, where the assembled rishisare listening to recitations of the Gaura-bhagavata. In order to hear these narratives about Lord Gaura, Siva and the other demigods quickly mount Brahma’s swan-carrier and make haste to come. When will I wander and wander throughout that forest and behold the wonderful vision of this assembly of sages hearing the GauraPuranaby the bank of the Gomati river? On the day of Ekadasi during the most auspicious month of Kartika, I will listen to those stories of caitanya-katha. When will the audience of rishisheaded by Saunaka show me their mercy by grasping both my hands and putting the dust of their feet upon my head? I will exclaim, ‘O residents of Navadvipa, let us attentively drink the nectar of sri-gauranga-kathain this forest!’” (Navadvipa-bhava-taranga)