One day about 500 years ago, Lord Shri Krishna appeared before Shri Haridasji Maharaj, a Vaishnav Mahatma of Vrindavan, and told him that in the month of Ashadh the existing images of Jagannath, Balram and Subhadra Devi would be replaced by new ones. Lord ordered him to bring the old vigrahas to Vrindavan.
The custom in Jagannath Puri is that every thirty-six years or so, the old wooden murtis are replaced by new ones during the anavasar period between Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra.
Mahatma Haridas ji went to Puri on foot with his disciples. They reached Puri four days before Rath Yatra. Haridas requested Puri temple priest to hand over the old vigrahas as had been requested by Lord Krishna himself. The priest asked him to see the King of Puri, Maharaja Pratap Rudra, to get authorization. The king also refused as he could not break the tradition of immersing the old vigrahas in ocean. Mahatma Haridas ji thought that if he was unable to carry out the orders of his Lord it was better to die. He went to the seashore and entered a deep meditation. At midnight Lord Jagannath ji ordered the King in a dream to hand over the old vigrahas to Mahatma Haridas ji as Lord Krishna wanted to live both in Puri and Vrindavan.
The King gave the old vigrahas to Mahatma Haridas ji. Then he and his disciples brought them in a cart to Vrindavan. He had a temple constructed on the banks of sacred river Yamuna, in the place where Lord Krishna gave his vision to Haridas ji, which is now called Jagannath Ghat. The deities were placed in the temple and have been worshipped there ever since.
Location:
Parikrama Marg, Goda Vihar, Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 281121
The custom in Jagannath Puri is that every thirty-six years or so, the old wooden murtis are replaced by new ones during the anavasar period between Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra.
Mahatma Haridas ji went to Puri on foot with his disciples. They reached Puri four days before Rath Yatra. Haridas requested Puri temple priest to hand over the old vigrahas as had been requested by Lord Krishna himself. The priest asked him to see the King of Puri, Maharaja Pratap Rudra, to get authorization. The king also refused as he could not break the tradition of immersing the old vigrahas in ocean. Mahatma Haridas ji thought that if he was unable to carry out the orders of his Lord it was better to die. He went to the seashore and entered a deep meditation. At midnight Lord Jagannath ji ordered the King in a dream to hand over the old vigrahas to Mahatma Haridas ji as Lord Krishna wanted to live both in Puri and Vrindavan.
The King gave the old vigrahas to Mahatma Haridas ji. Then he and his disciples brought them in a cart to Vrindavan. He had a temple constructed on the banks of sacred river Yamuna, in the place where Lord Krishna gave his vision to Haridas ji, which is now called Jagannath Ghat. The deities were placed in the temple and have been worshipped there ever since.
Location:
Parikrama Marg, Goda Vihar, Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 281121