This temple was founded by Bhaktivinoda Thakur. Subsequently, his secretaries and members of his family looked after him. For a long time, this temple was run by Giri Maharaj, a great friend and well-wisher of ISKCON, who entered Samadhi in 2002.
The Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are established here. In the courtyard, on the left side, the tulasi tree grows, marking the place where banyan trees grew in the past, under which the cow of Surabhi meditated on the Lord. Now this banyan tree is not there, but the devotees, whose hearts are absolutely pure, still see here this tree and the Surabhi cow itself. Bamboo sticks and bricks indicate the place where Bhaktivinoda Thakur chanted the mantra. Not far from here, on the banks of the Ganges, is the personal bathing site of Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
In the future, it is planned to build a temple with the deities of Surabhi, Gaura-Nitai and Pancha-tattva.
History of Markandei Rishi
Markandeya, the son of Mrikanda, lived on this island during the devastating flood. Muni was blessed to live seven kalpas. Seeing the great danger of pralaya, when the whole universe is flooded with water, he began to look for a place to hide. Waves carried him in one direction, then in the other. “Oh, why did I accept such a blessing ?!” he lamented.
Giving himself to the will of the waves, Muni lost consciousness and drowned. But the merciful Surabhi happened to see him, and she carefully pulled him out of the water. Surabhi is not an ordinary cow. Outwardly, she looks like a cow, but by reason she surpasses any sage.
When Markandeya came to his senses, he saw the island of Godrum - an amazingly beautiful place with an area of one billion crochets. He saw beautiful streams and rivers, flowering trees and loaches, he heard birds that sang the glory of Gauranga. He saw a banyan tree that grew nearly eight miles, and underneath it was a Surabha cow. Mooney was so hungry that he begged:
- Oh goddess, I pray, save my life! Give me some of your milk.
Surabhi fed him, and strength returned to Muni.
- Oh goddess, my mother, unaware of the consequences, I accepted the blessing of living seven kalpas. But during the flood I suffered brutally from various misfortunes. There is nothing good in a long life. What should I do? Tell me how to get rid of this misfortune?
- "Worship the lotus feet of Gauranga," Muni Surabhi began to instruct. - Navadvipa-dhama is beyond material nature and therefore cannot be destroyed. Space and time are powerless here, and the material illusion cannot take control of anyone here. Each part of Navadvipa is a billion krosh, and in its center is Mayapur, a huge city. The eight islands are like lotus petals, the central stamen of which is Antardvipa. All tirthas, virgins, and rishis live here and worship Gauranga. By worshiping Him, you will find the sweet fruit of love for God. You will receive shelter of the lotus feet of Radha in Vraja, and your mind will find peace in the service of the divine couple.
After listening to Surabhi, Muni folded his hands reverently and asked:
- And what should I do to worship Gauranga?
- "There is nothing difficult in worshiping Gauranga," Surabhi said. - when you pronounce the name of Gaura, your sins disappear, and you are freed from all sorrow. Therefore, stay on this island and immerse yourself in the Gauranga-rasa, worshiping the Lord.
Markandeya listened to Surabhi in bliss. Repeating the name of Gaura, he laughed, then cried.
Blessings
Surabhi may bless us for devotion to Gauranga. She needs to pray for pure devotion to the Lord and develop congregation communities around the world and preach the kirtana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here you can get the authority to develop a sermon in the community, as this is the place where all the nama hattas began.
Market of the Holy Name
In 1512, at the direction of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda came to Bengal and began a large-scale sermon here, making Godrumadvipu and, in particular, Surabhi-kunju his headquarters. Bhaktivinoda Thakur wrote: “In the city of Nadia, on the island of Godrum, Lord Nityananda opened the market for the Holy Name for the liberation of all fallen souls. "O people, believe me! O people, believe me! By the will of Lord Gauranga, I have come to ask you, brothers: sing the name of Krsna, worship Krsna, and give Krsna to others! Freed from all insults, sing the Holy Name of the Lord! Krishna is our mother, our father, and He who provides us with everything necessary and supports our lives. Krsna liberates from samsara and sheds mercy on all souls. Krishna's name is the essence of all religions. ”
Lord Nityananda in Navadvipa
So Lord Nityananda spread the sankirtana movement. One of the centers of His preaching was the village of Panihati, where He gathered thousands of people from both banks of the Bhagirathi Ganga. Another huge center of the movement was Varahanagara. Everywhere, Lord Nityananda was generously distributing Krishna consciousness, making no distinction between people and involving more and more devotees in the movement of Lord Caitanya. After Santipur and Navadvipa, He visited Thanajor and other villages along the banks of the Ganges, and in Khardaha he converted 1,200 men and 1,300 Buddhist women to Krishna consciousness.