Bhuvaneshvar, Orissa, India

[Guest guest]

Namaste all. I've returned now to USA after my 15 monthslong

pilgrimage to India.

Recently I had the chance of reading 'Sri Chaitanya Charitavali' by

Sri Prabhudatta Brahmachari. I felt very happy when I learnt from that

book that Sri Mahaprabhu himself had narrated the same history and

spiritual significance of Bhuvaneshvar which was also known as 'Hari

Hara Kshetra' to his accompanying devotee-followers when Sri Prabhu

visited this great city for the first time.

 

This beautiful Sansktit prayer is included in the beginning of that

chapter glorifying the Lords Hari and Hara:

 

yau tau zankha kapAla bhUSita karau mAlAsthi mAla dhrau

devau dwarAvatI zmazAna nilayau nAgAri govAhanau/

dvim yakSau bali dakSayajna mathanau zrI zailajA vallabhau

pApaM vo haratAM sadA hari-harau zrI vatsa gangAdharau//

 

meaning:

 

Lord Hari's hand is adorned by the sacred conch,

while Lord Shiva's hand by the inauspicious skull.

Lord Hari is wearing 'vanamala', an attractive garland

of forest flowers around His neck,

while Lord Shankara wearing an ugly chain of human bones.

 

While the ruler of opulent Dwaraka city being Lord Hari,

the ruler of frightful burial ground is Lord Shiva.

 

Hari has the enemy of serpents, Garuda, the king of birds

as His chosen vehicle to ride upon,

but Lord Shiva has the mighty bull as His riding vehicle.

 

Both of Them are famous for Their destruction of the great sacrificial

Yajnas- Hari, of the king Maha Bali and Shiva, of the king Daksha

Prajapati.

 

Lord Hari is the eternal Beloved of Mother Lakshmi Devi

while Lord Shiva's Divine Consort is Mother Parvati Devi.

 

On the chest of Lord Hari the 'Srivatsa' mark is revealing His

great compassion for His souls.

On the head of Lord Shankara, the sacred celestial river Ganges is

promising liberation for His countless devotees.

 

 

May this Divine Couple, the two great Lords, Hari and Shiva

kindly destroy forever all sins as well as

transgressions committed against Them.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

Jaya Hari Hara Kshetra, Bhuvaneshvar!

> ----------

>

> On my recent pilgrimage to India I have visited Sri Jagannatha Puri

> and the famous Lingaraja temple of Lord Shiva in Bhuvaneshvar, Orissa,

> the city which is named after Him but orginally known as 'Ekaamra

> Vana' (Siddhaamra Shetra).

>

> The history of this place is interesting.

>

> One Puranic source stated that Lord Shiva after visiting His Beloved

> Krishna at Nilachala Jagannatha Puri, ecstatic in Divine Love, came

> to this 'Ekaamra Vana' (Garden of Wish-yielding Mango tree) and

> stayed meditating on Lord Krishna and could not leave the beautiful

> mango grove. Pleased and satisfied Lord of Nilachal, Sri Krishna

> appeared and asked Lord Shiva that how He could bless this sacred

> place. Lord Shiva multiplied into many forms of Shiva Lingas and

> requested that here after this 'Ekamra Vana' shall be known

> as 'Bhuvaneshvara' or 'Tri bhuvaneshvara', other epithets of Lord

> Shiva.

> Since Lord Krishna has blessed this place of Divine Love meditation

> of Lord Shiva, it is now known as Bhuvaneshvar.

>

> It is also known as 'Hari-Hara Kshetra' as the Shiva linga (Image of

> Lord Shiva) that is worshipped in the Lingaraja temple contains

> Shaligrama (Lord Vishnu's image) in the middle, broadcasting the

> eternal union of Lord Krishna and Shiva.

>

> The priests do worship the images with both 'Bilva' leaves (dear to

> Lord Shiva) and Tulasi leaves (dear to Lord Vishnu), 56 offerings of

> food preparations done everyday to the Lords. Sacred vedic hymns of

> Shiva and Kesava are chanted in aratis. Seems like the Vaishnavas and

> Shaivas are in peace here.

>

> Another source from Skanda Purana revealed that an ancient king of

> Varanasi (Benares) desired to fight with Lord Krishna and prayed Lord

> Shiva to be on his side. To fulfill the desire of His devotees Lord

> agreed. But in the fight the king was defeated and the City of

> Varanasi was totally burned to ashes by Lord Krishna's 'Sudarshan

> (Wheel) Chakra. So the homeless Lord Shiva came to Nilachal Jagannath

> at Puri and prayed to stay closer to Him. Lord Krishna was happy to

> let Lord Shiva to reside not only here but also at all 'Vishnu

> Tirthas' (sacred abodes of Lord Krishna) and thus Bhuvaneshvar

> happened to be another 'Varanasi' as the holy city of Lord Shiva, at

> the out skirts of Jagannath Puri.

>

> It appears to me that with the pretext of a fight and fire, Lord

> Shiva Himself renounced His own abode Varanasi to stay closer to His

> Beloved at Jagannath Puri.

>

> The auspicious lake at the Bhuvaneshvar temple is known as 'Bindu

> Sarovar' which had been formed by the sacred waters of all the holy

> rivers on the earth.

>

> When Lord Ramachandra wanted to perform the worship and bathing of

> Shiva Linga (Lord Shiva) at Rameshvar, He asked Sri Hanumanji to

> bring the sacred waters of all the holy places on earth. Following

> his Lord's order, when flying Hanumanji was bringing the water for

> the worship of Lord Shiva, one drop from the sky fell down at

> Bhuvaneshvar and became the holy lake 'Bindu Sarovar'!

> So the purifying effects of the water from this lake includes the

> auspiciousness of all sacred rivers on earth!

>

> Jaya Sri Radhey!

>

> , " Tatwamasi " <tatwamasi> wrote:

> > How interesting! This is the first time I have heard of this

> > contention. Wonder why?

> >

> > What is the difference between them anyway .. Kisna, Siva, whoever

> >

> > _/\_ Tat twam asi

> >

> > Uma

>

[Guest guest]

, pyari_h <no_reply wrote:

Welcome back Pyari ji...

 

so how was your pilgrimage. Would you like to share some special

incidents while in India ?

 

with love