tatogatvapushkarakhyam
tirthamvipra-nishevitam
brahmavartamkurukshetram
plavayamasakirtanaih

“The Lord went to Pushkara-tirtha which is worshiped by many brahmanas and flooded Brahmavarta Kurukshetra with kirtana.” (Navadvipa-dhama-mahatmya, Pramana-khanda 4.41)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes this holy place in Navadvipa-bhavataranga: “South of Naimisharanya lies Brahmana Pushkara. This area is the same as the holy place named Sri Pushkaratirtha, and it was visited by the best of the brahmanas named Divadasa. Worshiping the lotus feet of Lord Gauranga at that place, vipra Divadasa was consoled upon beholding a vision of the Lord’s beautiful golden form.”

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.