Jai Shree Krishna
Shree Mahaprabhujis visit to Himgopal:
It is beleived that during is first Boomandal Parikaram Our beloved Shree Vallabh visited HimGopal, and spent close to a month at the venue. Mahaprabhuji himself did seva of the biraajman Swaroopa. With sparsh of Shree Vallabh on Shree Thakorjis shree ang, Shree Thakorji became extremely happay, and told Mahaprabhuji, that inspite of being surrounded by a forest full of Sandalwood trees, shrouded by the misty clouds, it was the sparsh of Shree Mahaprabhuji that gave him extreme sheetalta, and great satisfaction. It is beleived that during the one month stay of Shree Vallabh there, Aapshree used to visit the temple daily and had innumerable chats with Shree Thakorji.
The uniquness of Shree Vallabhacharyas visit:
It is believed that many acharyas, including Shree Ramanuja, Shree Nimabarka visited the Temple during their lifetime and have offered worship to the Deity, but none of them ever stayed their. It was only our Shree Mahaprabhuji who spent almost a month at the devine venue.
The Venue outline:
Dear Vaishnavs, only a visit to the very palce can give the actual impact of the palce, but I with all my limitiations, make my best effort.....
All around the venue is nothing but thick dense forest. A forest tht once upon a time boasted of a very thick population of Sandalwood trees. However, the Veerappan brigands slaughtering of the trees has left its mark on these hills. In fact it is beleived that the forest brigand use to even come and stay at the temple, many a times. Even today, the utsav swaroopa due to threats from dacoits is not kept in the temple, but brought to the temple only during the festival time.
It is a very densly populated area of various trees even today, and one of the most popular tree with in the surrounding areas of the venue were Shree Vallabh was biraajmaan is the Badraksh Tree, from which we get the Badraksh fal/seed, very similar looking to Rudraksh.
Visit to the Temple by PPG 108 Shree Ajay bawashree:
With the grace of Shree Thakorji, and his devine call, PPG 108 Shree Ajay bawashree, biraajmaan at Chennai, expressed his desire to visit the Temple and also the place were Shree Mahaprabhuji had been Biraajman. It was truely a devine call, and with Aapshree's krupa, blessed was I and PB Shree Vrajesh bhai, to accompany Bawashree to the devine venue.
We first visited the Temple. The poojari there was very gracious enough to offer a special pooja to Shree thakorji, Bawashree entered the main sanctum of the Temple, and after the pooja and offering of Uparna to Bawashree, we requested the poojari to show us the spot were Shree Vallabh has recided during his visit to Himgopal.
The Poojaris words....
He told us about the unique visit of Shree Vallabh and his unique stay at the venue for closer to a month.
He further proceeded to expalin that down below, almost close to 800 feet below the palce were the temple ws located was a spot, were under the Badraksh tree, was a stone, having a flat base. According to belief, it at this very location The Agasthya Muni performed his penance, more than 2000 years back, when he visited the venue, and it was he who installed the who installed the present swaroopa of Shree thakorji at the temple. The Super struncture of the temple came to existance only 600 years back, but before the visit of Shree Mahaprabhuji.
The poojari further clarifeid that it is believed that at the very same spot, even Shree Mahaprabhuji too presided, and spent close to a month.
Probabalities that prove this theory True:
1.Almost along the location, runs a jharna, a water stream. This was a pre-requsite for Shree Mahaprabhuji to do his sandhyavandan daily, three times a day.
2. We read that during the visit of Shree Mahaprabhuji to the Himalayas, Aapshree conversed with Shree Vyasji on Shreemad Bhagwatji, it is highly possible that here to Shree Mahaprabhuji conversed with Shree Agasthya muniji
3. The local tribes on the Ugadi day gather at the spot and offer a huge meal to the Shila, and on this day it is said that naked bathis when lit and placed in water, literally float, without being extinguished. Shree Mahaprabhuji is Agni swaroopa and without his krupa, such an act would be a rarity. Again Ugadi as a festival is alein to Karnataka, but is a very important festival to Shree Vallabh himself.
Our Journey to the Gupt Baithak spot:
The poojari requested one the men their to take us to the spot. We waited for a few moments. and soon three men accompanied us. One of the Temple gaurds pointed at some distant spot on the next mountain, and told that it was somewere their.
let me be frank here, that none of us had the faintest idea of what we were getting into. So engrossed were we in visiting the devine spot, that none of even bothered to ask how far it was, how was the route etc. etc. nor were we carrying any kind of accessories, not even a stick for that matter.
The Man form the temple and the two forest gaurds moved ahead, Shree Vrajesh bhai followed them, then Shree Bawashree and last was me. Our journey began...
We started moving away from the temple, towards the west direction, on to mountain. Hardly had we crossed a few meters and what looked like small lawn grass initially had risen and know was almsot upto our hips, and so dense that we could not see our feet even . The ground below us started to slope and became very steep, 500m away form the temple, now moving towards the north, we were no more walking but slding ouselves with the help of the thick elephant grass all around us, The visibility was just 2 to 3 feet, and it was now that it dawned on us that we were into a very thick forest. The forest officer slowed down sensing some danger, then advised us to follow him only after getting a confirmation call from him. An enquiry revealed that the Elephants usually visited the spot for drinking water from the stream below and they sensed that they were somewere around. Amidst catcalls and route tactics, we covered 75% of the distance, to find that our feet were infested by leeches. We had to literally pull them of our skins, and at one point thought of stopping and going back.
However, Shree Bawashree simply said do not worry, lets keep going, and with his prernatmak words, we moved ahead, and soon reached the spot. we had cross the naroww stream, remove our foot weare and climb on to the shila. We sat at the devine spot and recited Shree Sarvottam stotra.
In the forest officers words:
It was not even more than five minutes, when the forest officer advised us to leave. He only then revealed that this place is never visited by anyone, not even by the tribals. He said that without devine intervention it was not possible to visit the spot, and said that you people have been able to do so only because of the grace of the god. Myself and Shree Vrajesh bhai exchanged meaningfull glances, knowing fully well that it was because of the devine presence of Shree Vallabhkul that we were able to make this journey, if not it would not have been possible.
We witnessed Shree Hariraiprabhucharan Vallabh sakhis live demonstration....
Vallabhkul sab ek hai, sab hi ek swaroop, Choto bado na jaanyo, sab hi agni swaroop.
Having paid our obseience to the devine baithakji of Shree Mahaprabhuji, we started our climb back towards the temple, following elephant footmarks, and literally placing our foot on their footprints. We finally reached the temple. The Poojari their acknowledged the fact that Shree Ajay Bawashree was the very first person to have visited the Gupt Baithakji down below. He said many acharyas and sadhus visit the temple, but none have made it to the devine place, including a sadhu from the himalayas, who came late in the evening and hence could not visit the place.
We washed ourselves, and we once again the real pratap of Agni swaroop....
Vaishnavs, myself, Vrajesh bhai, the temple representative, the two forestqaurds, all had been attacked by the leeches and plenty of their bite marks in both our legs, but the Charankamal of PPG 108 Shree Ajaybawashree were absolutely clean, not a bite mark, not scratch on aapshrees feet.That is truely the pratap of Shree Agni swaroop.
Shree Vallabha dheesh ki Jai .
It took us close to 6 hours to realise that we were back form the adventurous journey. And I truelybelieve if not for the devien grace of bawashree we would have never made it to the place. A journey that we planned for long, finally took place with the devine blessing of Shree Thakorji, and that too under the direct grace of Shree Vallabhkul.
My sashtaang dandvat pranams to Shree Ajay bawashree for his devien benovalence.
A offer Sashtang dandvat to the samast Vallakul for being so krupalu on us jeevs and offering margdarshan at everystage, everytime and always.
Let us join and say....
Shree Vallabha dheesh ki Jai.
Note of clarification: Dear Vaishnavs, at a few places, the above description may seem to be boastful of my personal self. If at all you feel so, I offer my humble apologies to you all for the same, and humbly clarify, most defintely it is not intentional and please be graceful enough in offering kshama for the same.
Photographs will be posted soon.
Edited by - shreekant22 on 14 May 2006 18:53:59
Shree Vallabha dheesh ki jai
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The Baithakji at HimGopal, near Mysore
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Posted - 08 October 2005 : 19:19:36
