(2/7) Coming to Ganga Sagar

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Ganga Sagar, anniversary festival, noon class
12 January 2020, part 2

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

Today is a very auspicious day for us. By the desire of Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, when Gurupadpadma was still in this world, we came to Ganga Sagar for the first time with some foreign devotees. There was one master masai (a gentleman) who gave us a place to stay and helped to secure the land. He has invited us to come to his place again since then, but we do not get time—we come for the festival and after that leave. At first, we would come by car by car, walk four-five kilometres to the ferry slip, stand in a queue for four-five hours to cross the Ganges, and after crossing the river, it would take another four-five hours of queuing for exit and then we would finally be able to come. We came in this way many times. At first, we would make a pandal at the Sagar Mela, and thousands of people would take prasad there. This is how this branch of Chaitanya Saraswat Math was eventually established here in Ganga Sagar. Later (in 2015), the Deities were installed, and many devotees came at that time. Now, we have again come specially to observe this festival in honour of the installation anniversary of the Deities.

Many people want to come to Ganga Sagar. There is a common thought that you should visit all the holy places many times but come to Ganga Sagar only once. Why only once? Because it is very hard to come here, so when people came here once, they did not want to come back. But now the government has made many facilities. There are bathrooms and other amenities. When we were making the temple here, there was no electric current. Now, the place has developed much, and I hear that through the central government, there will be a port in Ganga Sagar, and then the roads will be made wider also. I do not know if we will live to see it though. Many big cities have ports in India, and there will be a port here also. The government is making this plan. Anyhow, this is all another matter. We have gathered here to speak about the manifestation of the Deities.

There used to be a very small temple here before. It was a bamboo hut, and an elderly pujari served here. He has left his body already. Now, our temple's devotees are serving here, and the man at whose house we stayed at first also came here, he stayed one night. His house is nearby. To construct the temple and the nat mandir here, I sent workers from Nabadwip. There was an old, unplastered building with a spoilt roof. I got the building in that state. When we came here, the nat mandir and the temple were built. There were small Deities of Gaura Nitai before. After that, Radha Krishna also came here from Nabadwip. The Lord comes in the form of Deities come through His devotees.

ভক্তের জিনিষ প্রভু লুটিপুটি খায়
অভক্তের জিনিষ প্রভু উলটি নাহি খায়

bhakter jinish prabhu lutiputi khay
abhakter jinish prabhu ulti nahi khay

"The Lord eats anything and everything when a devotee offers it, but the Lord does not want to take anything from a non-devotee."

(Based on Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, 2.9.185)

This is how this temple of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math was established here. This is the first branch of Gaudiya line in Ganga Sagar.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Increase Glory of Temple
2) Coming to Ganga Sagar
3) Service Eyes
4) Know Your Place
5) Cannot Have Your Feet in Two Boats
6) Our Exclusive Duty
7) Gift of Pilgrimage