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Manasi Ganga & Govardhan Town

Mana means “mind” and Ganga is another name for the Ganges River. Manasi Ganga Kunda is traditionally the starting and ending point of the circumambulation of Govardhana Hill. In the Mathura-mahatmya it is recommended that you bathe in Manasi Ganga and then take darshan of Harideva before beginning Govardhana parikrama. One starts by bathing and ends by bathing here.
This kunda is considered a million times more potent than the Ganges River, because by bathing in the Ganges River one gets liberation and by bathing here one gets “Krishna prema,” love of Krishna. Manasi Ganga is considered to be the neck of Govardhana. It is said that Radharani and Krishna would go boating on this lake.

It is a good-size lake located in the town of Govardhana. It is in the center of Govardhana Hill. Manasi Ganga used to be a very large lake, but as Govardhana Hill is getting smaller, Manasi Ganga is also getting smaller in the same proportion.
How To Get Here Manasa Ganga is on your right, just as you enter the town of Govardhana. Even though it is a large kunda, there are buildings blocking it, so you can barely see it from the road. Everyone knows where this place is located.

Story of Manasi-ganga
After Krishna killed Vatsasura, who was a demon who took the form of a calf, His friends told Him He had to go bathe in the Ganges for purification. Not wanting to travel all the way to the Ganges, Krishna by His meditation brought the Ganges to this place. Manasi-ganga was given its name because it was created by the mind of Krishna.
Once Nanda and Yasoda, hearing of the glories of the Ganges River, had a desire to bathe in it. The residents of Braja did not want to leave Vrindavana, though Krishna was willing to take them there despite the great distance. They wishfully said, “I wish mother Ganga would come here.” To fulfill the desires of His devotees,

Krishna entered into meditation and from His mind sprung the kunda known as Manasi Ganga. Krishna told His father that it was not necessary to go to the Ganges, as it was already present in Braja. Krishna then brought His father to Manasi Ganga and they took bath there. It is said that at this time everyone could see the Goddess Ganga riding on her crocodile carrier.

Boat Pastime at Manasi Ganga
Srimati Radharani and the gopis came to the bank of Manasi Ganga and wanted to take a boat across. Manasi Ganga used to be a large lake, but has gotten much smaller over the years. They were carrying their yogurt pots and other milk preparations. Krishna who was disguised as a boatman told them He would take them across. They then bargained for a while over the price. They then settled that the price would be some sweets and butter.

He rowed for a while and then just stopped. Srimati Radharani and the gopis asked Him why he had stopped. He told then that He was tired and hungry and He could not go any further, if they did not feed Him. They then offered Him their milk products. He ate everything. He then told them that he would take a nap and that they should massage His arms and legs. They told Him if He did not keep rowing they would throw Him overboard. He then started rowing again.

He then stopped again and the gopis asked Him why He had stopped. He told them that the boat was old and that water was coming in, because the weight they were carrying was too heavy. The gopis then threw overboard their yogurt pots and their jewelry. Then a storm came. The wind began to blow and the waves became upset. Krishna started rocking the boat. Radharani became frightened and put Her arms around the boatman. At this time She realized that the boatman was Krishna. The wind and waves then became calm. Radharani then pulled Krishna’s flute from under His clothing, and the gopis could understand that the boatman was Krishna in disguise.

This pastime is called Noka-vihar (boating pastime) and is described in Gopala Campu by Jiva Gosvami. The descriptions of other boat pastimes are also in Vraja Vilasa Stava.

Manasi Ganga Area
There are several important places on the banks of Manasi Ganga or near by. Close together are the Harideva Temple, Manasi Devi Temple, and Brahma Kunda. The Harideva Temple is a minute walk from Manasi Ganga. The Manasi Devi temple and Brahma Kunda are right next to Manasi Ganga. On the other side of Manasi Ganga, all in the same area are Chakra Tirtha, Chakaleswara Mahadeva Temple and Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana kutir. The Mukharavinda Temple is close to the Govardhana parikrama road, on the bank of Manasi Ganga. Across the road from the Mukharavinda Temple is Pancha Tirtha Kunda.

Manasi Ganga, the Harideva Temple and the Manasi Devi Temple are usually the first places to be visited when doing Govardhana parikrama. Chakaleswara Mahadeva Temple and Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana kutir are usually visited after going half way around the hill. The Mukharavinda Temple is usually visited after finishing Govardhana parikrama.

The samadhi of Siddha Krishna Dasa Baba, the bhajana guru of Madhusudana Dasa Babaji is next to Manasa Ganga. He wrote many books about practicing devotional service. This place is down a side road, not far from Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana kutir.

Harideva Temple
The Harideva Temple, near Manasi Ganga, was established by Krishna’s great-grandson 4,900 years ago. Harideva is one of the four presiding Deities of Vrindavana. Lord Harideva is the presiding Deity for the western petal of the lotus of Braja Mandala. He is the lifter of Govardhana Hill. This is an architecturally interesting temple.
After bathing in Manasi Ganga, one is supposed to come and have darshan of Lord Harideva before beginning Govardhana parikrama. Govardhana parikrama without the darshan of Harideva is not considered complete.

This temple was built by King Bhagandas of Jaipur, whose son, Raja Man Singh, built the Govindaji Temple in the sixteenth century during the reign of Emperor Akbar. The original Deity of Harideva was moved to the town of Rajdhani near Kanpur, when Aurangzeb sent his soldiers to destroy the Deities and temples of Braja. This original Deity is said to have been stolen and no one knows where it is located. The replacement Deity is said to be in the same form as the original Harideva. This Deity is taken out in procession around Manasi Ganga during the Holi festivities.

The pastime in reference to this temple is that Radharani and the gopis were waiting for Krishna to meet them near Manasi Ganga. Feeling separation from Krishna the gopis started to chant “Harideva, Harideva, Harideva.” They were feeling such great separation that they felt like they were going to leave their bodies. Then Krishna arrived in his beautiful form of Harideva, as a seven years old boy holding up Govardhana Hill with His left hand and a flute in His right hand. Radharani and the gopis felt great happiness and worshipped Harideva with great opulence. They would come here daily to worship Harideva.

Lord Caitanya danced before this Deity. “Mad with ecstatic love, the Lord came to the village known as Govardhana. It was there that He saw the Deity of Harideva and offered His obeisances unto Him. Harideva is an incarnation of Narayana and His residence is on the western petal of the lotus of Mathura. Mad with ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to dance before the Harideva Deity. Hearing of the Lord’s wonderful activities, all the people came to see Him. The people were astonished when they saw Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 18.17-20). Lord Caitanya had darshana of Harideva before the present temple was built.

How To Get Here This temple is about a minute walk from the south bank of Manasi Ganga. If you just came from the parikrama path you walk 50m (30 seconds) and make a left onto a small path. This temple is 50m away, at the end of the path. Until you are right next to this temple you cannot see it, even though it is a fairly large temple.

Brahma Kunda
After Indra bathed Lord Krishna, all the demigods, holy rivers and sages offered prayers to Lord Krishna and then bathed Him. At this time Brahma also bathed Lord Krishna. Brahma Kunda is the water that collected after Lord Brahma bathed Krishna.

Brahma Kunda is located on the southern bank of Manasi Ganga. Both Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda visited here. At one time there were also kundas created by Indra (east), Yamaraja (south), Varuna (west), and Kuvera (north) around this kunda. These kundas are now gone.

How To Get Here This kunda is directly next to the Manasi Devi Temple, close to Manasi Ganga and the Harideva Temple.

Manasi Devi Temple
The Manasi Devi Temple is on the bank of Manasa Ganga and Brahma Kunda. The deity in this temple, Manasi Devi, is the presiding deity of Manasi Ganga and is one of the four main Devi temples in Braja Mandala. The other three important Devi temples are: Yoga Maya in Vrindavana, Patalesvari Devi in Mathura, and Vrinda Devi in Kamyavana.

She is represented by both an image of her on a tiger with a male attendant, and by a stone. It is said that Manasi Devi grants all of the mind’s (manasa) desires. It is said that just as Vrinda is related to Govinda Deva in Vrindavana that Manasi Devi is related to Harideva. There is also a deity of Sitala, which faces Harideva.

How To Get Here If you just turned off the road from the parikrama road to go to Manasi Ganga, the Manasi Devi temple is on the left, up some stairs, after about 100m. To get here after leaving the Hari Deva temple, you make a left after 10m (30 ft), onto a path. You follow the path around for 20 seconds and this temple is up a flight of stairs on the right. It is a fairly small temple.

Mukharavinda Temple
On the bank of Manasi Ganga is the Mukharavinda Temple. There are two shilas in this temple. One shila, located on the left side, is marked with the outline of Krishna’s crown (Mukut-shila). According to Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja the other shila, which is on the right embedded in the ground, is the mouth of Govardhana (Mukharavinda-shila). Mukharavinda means his “lotus mouth.” In the evening it is beautifully dressed with a headdress (mukut), clothing, eyes and garlands.

Govardhana has the shape of a peacock with his head tucked into its chest. It is customary to visit this temple after finishing Govardhana parikrama.

How To Get Here This good-sized temple is right next to Manasi Ganga, almost directly next to the parikrama path. From the parikrama path you cannot see it because the view is blocked by some buildings. From the parikrama path you make a right hand turn next to the structure that looks like the one at Kusuma Sarovara, (Pancha Tirtha Kunda), just as you enter town. You walk 50m and make a left turn under an arch. From the road you can see this temple and Manasi Ganga through the arch. If you are on the same side of Manasa Ganga as the Harideva temple, this temple is at the right hand corner of the kunda.

Chakra Tirtha
Chakra Tirtha, which was created by the Sudarsana Chakra, is embedded in the northern bank of Manasi Ganga. As Krishna was holding up Govardhana Hill torrents of rain were coming down. Krishna could see that the water would come under the hill and drown everyone.

Therefore He had His Sudarsana Chakra stay above the hill for the entire seven days. The Sudarsana Chakra produced heat equal to many suns, which consumed large amounts of rain and kept the residents of Braja from drowning. Also Sesa Naga came and drank up the rain water. After Krishna replaced Govardhana Hill, the Sudarsana Chakra remained on the northern bank of Manasi Ganga. That place is called Chakra Tirtha.

The Chakra (disc) of Lord Vishnu is called Sudarshana which means “auspicious vision.” The illuminating principles in this world such as the sun, the moon and fire emanate from the effulgence of Sudarsana. Similarly, illumination by knowledge also comes from Sudarsana because with the illumination of Sudarsana one can distinguish one thing from another, the superior from the inferior.
At Chakra Tirtha, Radha and Krishna are said to have had their first swing pastime.

How To Get Here This place is the area where the Chakaleswara Mahadeva Temple is located, on the north bank of Manasi Ganga.

Chakaleswara Mahadeva Temple and Sanatana Gosvami’s Bhajana Kutir
Next to the bhajana kutir of Sanatana Gosvami is the Chakaleswara Siva-linga Temple. This Siva-linga is one of the five presiding Siva-lingas worshiped in Braja Mandala. It contains a group of five lingas. It protects this part of the holy dhama. The other four are Gopisvara at Vrindavana, Kamesvara at Kamyavana, Nandesvara at Nandagram, and Bhutesvara at Mathura.

The Bhajana Kutir of Sanatana Gosvami is right next to Manasi Ganga. While living here, Sanatana Gosvami would do Govardhana parikrama daily and he would often do 1008 dandavats (full obeisances like a stick). Krishna came to him one day and requested that in his old age he should not continue to keep doing daily parikrama. He then gave Sanatana a Govardhana-shila, which had Krishna’s and a cow’s footprint imprinted in it. Krishna then told him that if he walked around the shila seven time that would be equal to circumambulating Govardhana Hill. Sanatana Gosvami then did parikrama of the Govardhana-shila daily until he left his body. This shila is now in the Radha Damodara Temple in Vrindavana. Another Govardhana-shila belonging to Sanatana Gosvami is now located in the New Madana-Mohan Temple in Vrindavana.

When Sanatana was thinking about moving from this place because of mosquitoes, Lord Siva (Chakaleswara) disguised as a brahmana came and told him that the mosquitoes would no longer disturb him. Even now this place is almost free from mosquitoes. This place is within Chakra Tirtha.

Sanatana Gosvami left his body here on the full moon day in the month of Asadha (June-July) in 1558. This day is also known as Guru Purnima. His samadhi is now located in a small garden at the bottom of the hill, near the Madana-Mohan Temple in Vrindavana. It is customary to worship the spiritual master on this day, because it is the appearance day of Vyasadeva. On this day many devotees gather at Manasi Ganga, and do parikrama of Govardhana Hill.

One story about Sanatana Gosvami is “It is said that once a poor brahmana worshiped Lord Siva for a benediction, and Lord Siva advised the devotee to go to see Sanatana Gosvami. The devotee went to Sanatana Gosvami and informed him that Lord Siva had advised him to seek out the best benediction from him (Sanatana). Sanatana had a touchstone with him, which he kept with the garbage. On the request of the poor brahmana, Sanatana Gosvami gave him the touchstone, and the brahmana was very happy to have it. He now could get as much gold as he desire simply by touching the touchstone to iron. But after he left Sanatana, he though, “If a touchstone is the best benediction, why has Sanatana Gosvami kept it with the garbage?” He therefore returned and asked Sanatana Gosvami, “Sir, if this is the best benediction, why did you keep it with the garbage?” Sanatana Gosvami then informed him, “Actually, this is not the best benediction. But are you prepared to take the bet benediction from me?” The brahmana said, “Yes, sir. Lord Siva has sent me to you for the best benediction.” Then Sanatana Gosvami asked him to throw the touchstone in the water nearby and then come back.

The poor brahmana did so, and when he returned, Sanatana Gosvami initiated him with the Hare Krishna mantra. Thus by the benediction of Lord Siva the brahmana got the association of the best devotee of Lord Krishna and was thus initiated in the maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

How To Get Here Both these places are right next to each other on the northeastern side of Manasa Ganga, about 10m (30 ft) from the water. From the parikrama path (coming from Radha Kunda) you make a right hand turn next to the structure that looks like Kusuma Sarovara (Pancha Tirtha Kunda), just as you enter town. You walk down this road about 200m and you will see a path leading to Manasa Ganga on the left, with a big tree in the middle. This path is just before the road bents to the right. There is an archway about 16m (50 ft) past the tree. You go under the archway and walk 50m taking the right path. When you enter the temple compound, the Chakaleswara Temple is on the left and Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana kutir is a little to your left, in front of you.

This place is often visited while doing Govardhana parikrama, after you have gone halfway around the hill. To get to this place from the other side of Govardhana Hill, you first walk through the town of Govardhana. Just before you leave the town, on the right side of the road you can see Manasi Ganga. At this place the kunda is about 20m (60 feet) wide. At this place you turn right and walk about 200m, following the road around to the right. After turning right you come to the path that leads to this place.

Krishna-Balarama and Nanda Maharaja Temple
In this temple are the Deities (from left to right) of Nanda Maharaja, Balarama, Krishna, Mother Yasoda and Radharani. It is said that Nanda Maharaja, Krishna, Balarama and the residences of Braja spent the night here after completing Govardhana Puja.

How To Get Here If you just came out of Chakra Tirtha and proceed to the left for about 40m (120 ft). When the road turns left, on your right hand side is this temple.

Laksmi Narayana Temple
This is one of the 108 Divya Desam Temples mentioned by the Alwars (Tamil Nadu Vaishnava devotees). It is considered to be one of the most important temples in India according to the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. The Deities in this temple are considered to be the utsava (festival) Deities of Govardhana Hill. The original Deities in this temple are gone and the present Deities have been worshiped for about 200 years.

How To Get Here From the outside, it is difficult to tell there is an ancient, good-sized temple here. This temple is on your left, just before reaching the turnoff for the parikrama path (about four buildings down) to leave the town of Govardhana, and just before going over Govardhana Hill. It is next to the police station (which has a yellow and blue sign). If you need to ask where this temple is located, ask for the police station. This temple is to the right of the police station.

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