Story of Lord Coming Here to Meet Pundalik

The Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana briefly describe why the Lord journeyed to Pandharpur and why He stays there in this form.
Once Srimati Radharani, Lord Krishna’s consort in the village of Vrindavana, visited Dvaraka, where Lord Krishna lived as a king. At that time, Rukmini Devi, Lord Krishna’s queen, noticed that Krishna was dealing more intimately with Radharani than He had ever done with her. Upset, she departed for the forest of Dindirvana, near Pandharpur.
Lord Krishna followed Rukmini to apologize, but His apology left her unmoved. So the Lord moved on to Pandharpur to visit one of His devotees, Bhakta Pundarika, now popularly known in Maharashtra as Pundalika.
Lokanath Maharaj mentions in his book that Pundalik in his young age never looked after the needs of his father Janudev and his mother Satyavati. Both Janudev and Satyavati were great devotees of Lord Krishna. When Pundalik got married, he started ill treating them all the more. Tired of his tyranny, the parents decided to head for Kashi / Varanasi. It is said that those who die in Kashi attain salvation and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. This is still believed today and many people travel there when they feel their end is near. Hearing his parents’ plans, Pundalik and his wife decided to join them. His treachery continued so much that he made his old parents walk throughout the journey while he and his young wife rode on a horse.
 On the way, they came across the hermitage of the great sage, Kakkut muni. Tired of the long journey, the group decided to spend some days there. That night, Pundalik lay awake and witnessed something remarkable. Just before dawn, he saw a group of beautiful, young women dressed in dirty clothes, enter the Sage’s hermitage. They did chores like cleaning the floor, fetching water and washing the Sage’s clothes. After that, they went to the prayer room. When they came out, their clothes were spotlessly clean and they disappeared. Pundalik wasn’t alarmed seeing this but rather he felt at peace. He kept thinking about the incident the following day. He wanted to be sure that he was not dreaming but had truly witnessed such a glorious incident. So he remained awake again. But this time, he got closer and decided to speak to the women.
“Who are you all?” “We are Ganga, Yamuna and all the holy rivers of India. People take a dip and bathe in us to wipe away their sins. The impurity of their mind, body and souls make us dirty. That’s why you see our clothes in such filthy condition.” Pundalik was amazed with their answer.
“But you are the biggest sinner of all because of the way you treat your devotee parents.”
This was a rude awakening for Pundalik. He realized his mistake and changed his ways. He served his parents well and looked after all their needs and comforts.  Seeing Pundalik’s sincere devotion and service towards his parents, Lord Krishna  was extremely pleased.
When the Lord reached Pundarika’s asrama , Pundarika was serving his elderly parents. So Pundarika gave the Lord a seat of brick and asked the Lord to wait. The Lord did as told. He stood, lotus hands on His hips, waiting for Pundarika to return.
While He was waiting, Rukmini, having forgotten her distress, came from Dindirvana and rejoined Him. Both of Them stayed in Pandharpur in Deity form. To this day the Lord stands on the same brick, but now He’s waiting for all His devotees to come see Him.
While waiting, the Lord seems to tell the devotees, “Do not fear. For those who have surrendered unto Me, I have reduced the depth of the ocean of material suffering. See, it is only this deep.”
He indicates the shallowness of the ocean by placing His hands on His hips.
Elegantly dressed in yellow and other colors, Lord Vitthala wears around His neck a vaijayanti garland and tulasi, whose aroma permeates the darsana hall and the surrounding area. His right hand holds a lotus flower and His left a conchshell. On His chest He bears the mark of Bhrgu’s foot. His ears are decorated with shark-shaped earrings, and on His forehead beneath His crown is a broad mark of tilaka. The Lord’s smile irresistibly enchants His devotees. Each pilgrim who approaches Him gets a glimpse of His peaceful smiling face and considers this the perfection of life.

Lord Krishna comes in  search for Rukmini in Dindirvan

 

Pundalika offers Lord Krishna a brick to wait upon.

Pundalika offers Lord Krishna a brick

 

Pundalika Temple:
The Pundalika temple is about half a kilomtre from the Vitthala Temple. This temple marks the spot where Pundalika, the Lord’s devotee, spent the last years of his life and also is place of his Samadhi. It is on the riverbank of Chandrabhaga.

Pundalika Temple
Pundalika Temple

Who was Pundalika in his Last Life?

Lokanath Maharaj writes in his book that in his last life, Pundalika was the famous king Mucukunda who is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam to be blessed to sleep for long in a secluded cave. The story illustrates further how Lord Krishna very expertly arranged the killing of Kalayavana and also blessed Mucukunda. The same Mucukunda was reborn again as Pundalika. (Bhu-Vaikuntha Pandharpur, page 46).

For more details of Pundalika’s last life as King Mucukundas read here…
http://vedabase.com/en/kb/51

Pundalika
Above is deity of Pundalik at his temple

Holy Spots in Nashik

Sita Gumpha : 
The Gumpha (i.e. Cave) is near the five Banyan trees in Panchavati. One can enter the cave with the help of a very narrow staircase. The cave has the deity of Shree Ram, Laxman and Sita. To  the left, one can enter into the cave having the Shiva Linga. Lord Laxman hid Sita in this cave while Lord Ram fought with Khar, Dushan and their 14000 rakshas warriors. Ravan kidnapped Sita from the same place. Shurpanakas nose was cut around the same area.

Sita Gumpha
Sita Gumpha

Sita Gumpha Temple
Sita Gumpha Temple

Ram Kunda: 
The most important place in Panchavati is Ramkund. It is so called because Lord Rama during his exile used to take bath here. Lord Ram performed the last rites of his father Dasharath here. Hence since then it is also known as place of immersing Mortal remains (Asthi)  and performance of last rites for ones deceased relative

A dip in this sacred kunda is considered very auspicious here . This is also place of Kumbha mela. Simhastha Godavari temple here opens only once in 12 yrs during  kumbha mela.


Ram Kunda


Ganga Godavari Temple

Ganga Godavari Temple
Ganga Godavari Temple

Ram Kandmul
Ram Kandmul

Laxmanji Temple
Laxmanji Temple

Laxman Temple
Laxman Temple

Kapaleshwar Mahadev at Ram Kunda
Puaranas mention that once Lord Shiva saw Lord Brahma engaging in mundane talks Prajalpa. He became angry with Lord Brahma and he cut off one of his heads which was speaking prajalpa.  but then he was thinking that I have committed an offense against a brahmana. So he was wondering how he could attain to his offense? So he travelled to many places and he could not find the solution to his dilemma. So one time he was sitting & he saw a young bull cow speaking to his mother, and the cow said that, “Our owner is very cruel and he always ties me up in a cruel way. So tomorrow I’m going to kill him.” So the mother cow said to her son, “that the owner is a Brahman and that it is a great offense to kill a Brahman.” But the little bull said, “But I know the place where you can become relived from the offense of killing Brahmans.” Shiva was listening; he was thinking this is the answer to my great dilemma. So the next day, as the young boy predicted, everything took place & after he killed his owner, he ran and Shiva began to follow. And he ran to this place “Ramathirtha.” The place where river Godavari forms this beautiful kund, where Lord Shri Ramachandra Himself would bathe and they both bathed here & get freed from their sin & then Lord Shiva also bathed here and was freed from His sin. So this deity of Lord Shiva “Kapileshwar Mahadev” is an honor for Lord Shiva’s taking bath here. It is one of the only famous Shiva temple here.

 

Nashik Kapaleshwar
Nashik Kapaleshwar

Kalaram mandir 
This is said to be the exact place where Sita , Ram and Laxman lived in their exile. This place was inhabited by Nagapanth sadhus. They performed devotional service to Lord Ram here. Once 3 of this sadhus while each bathing differently at Ramkunda, Sita kunda and Laxman Kunda—They got deities of Lord Ram , Sita and Laxman respectively.  Amazed by this appearance these wonderful black deities were brought here to be worshipped in a small hut.  Over the years people noticing the beauty of the deities started visiting this place.

Lord Ram laxman Sita at Kalaram Temple
Lord Ram Laxman Sita at Kalaram Temple

Kalaram Temple In Nashik
Kalaram Temple in Nashik

In 17th century  Gopikabai peshwa, mother of Madhavrao peshwa ordered the then Sardar rangarao odekar to build a temple  here. Rangarao simultaneously got a dream of the lord that he wanted him only to make it. The temple construction costed him 23 lakh rupees and made him penniless. The beauty of this temple is that whole structure is made from one single stone.  However at the end there was still a major work left—that of installing Gold Kalash on the gopuram temple top. As he had no money rangarao decided to sell his wife’s nose ring to make it. (In Indian custom whatever crisis may be one never sells the ladies marriage ornaments).  Finally the temple was ready and true to his devotion , rangarao did not inscribe any of his name claiming rights over the temple.

The only place where rangarao did write his name is at the feet of the deities declaring thus that it is the right place where he should be. Hanuman deity exactly in front of the temple is unique as the head of hanuman is in exact line of the lotus feet of the Lord in temple.

The Main Temple Of Dwarkadhish

Dwarkadhish

Regal Worship :

Because Lord Krishna lived in Dwarka as a prince, He is worshiped there in that mood. The Dwarkadhish Deity is opulently dressed, and the symbols in His four hands (conch, club, disc, and lotus) are covered in silver. The brahmanas are colourfully dressed with solid red or yellow dhotis and with shirts made from flags that have flown over the temple. During the worship, the brahmanas beat drums and blow conch shells.

Within the compound of the Dwarkadhish temple, built in the sixteenth century, are many small shrines, including those of Lakshmi, Siva, Radhika, Balarama, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Jambavati, Satyabhama, and Purusottama Visnu.

Directly facing Dwarkadhish is the shrine of Devaki, Krishna’s mother. She’s looking at Krishna, and He’s looking at her.

Morning Worship – Kakad Arati

The worship of Lord Vitthala begins with the mangala-arati ceremony at four o’clock in the morning. After arati the Lord is offered pancabhiseka, a bath with milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar water. At some point the bathing is interrupted so that the Lord may be fed butter mixed with sugar candy. A big lump of butter is literally put into His mouth. Then a short arati is offered, and the bathing resumes. After the bath, the Lord is meticulously dressed and profusely garlanded. Finally, He is offered a mirror in which to view His appearance.
 
As a token of His merciful nature, Lord Vitthala allows everyone to watch His bathing ceremony. After this the crowds, till then restrained along the walls of the darsana hall, are let into the sanctum sanctorum.
 
Daily, thousands of devoted pilgrims take darsana (seeing of the Lord). It is also the unique tradition in Pandharpur that everyone can go up to the altar and touch the lotus feet of the Deity. Some pilgrims even rest their heads upon His feet. But one has to move on quickly.
 
After taking darsana, pilgrims re-enter the darsana hall. Looking back, they get a last glimpse of the Lord’s attractive form. In the buzzing atmosphere of the darsana hall they fall flat on the floor, offering obeisances. Then, holding each ear with the hand across from it, they turn about, springing up and down on the same spot, begging the Lord to forgive any offenses they may have committed at His lotus feet.
 
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