Pastimes of Lord Jagannath

[Guest guest]

THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE OF JAIMINI GHOSH

 

For reasons mysterious to most, the Lord appears & disappears according to

His own sweet will. Indeed he himself states that, one who understand the

mystery of His appearance and activities does

not take birth again in the material world. Legend has it that after the

demise of Jagadish Ganguly the Lord being dissatisfied with the standards of

his worship, which was almost totally neglected - decided to close His

manifest pastimes. Appearing through a dream He said a typhoid epidemic was

imminent and that everyone should leave the village, which they did, save

for the temple priest and his family, who all became infected and died. For

long time the temple was forgotten until about 60 years ago, when the Lord

who once again desired to be worshiped called for Jaimini Ghosh.

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Jaimini Ghosh was only 15 years old at that time and he recalls:

"One evening I was passing along the nearby road on my way to Navadwip, when

a bamboo tree crashed across the path. Feeling an uncanny presence, I

suspected it the work of some ghosts and

I knew that if I stepped over the tree, something would happen to me.

Gripped by fear I crouched to the ground and in that terrified condition I

lost consciousness." He awoke to an assuring voice saying -

"it's alright now you may proceed, there is no more danger." Opening his

eyes he found himself to be just outside the Temple, and he spoke saying

"why did you did that to me?" - "I didn't" - replied the unembodied voice,

"I saved you , I am your friend." Suspiciously Jaimini replied- "If you

saved me, if you really are my friend and want to help me, then help me get

to my uncles house in Navadwip."

 

As if he were being carried, young Jaimini effortlessly sped down the jungle

path, along the main road, across the Ganges (without a boat) and arrived

safely at his uncle house.

 

Shortly after that the same voice spoke to him, revealing Himself to be Lord

Jagannath and told Jaimini to begin his worship by offering milk and Ganges

water, fruit and batasa. So with the permission of the owner of the temple,

Phatik Chandra Chatterjee, Jaimini began to worship Them.

 

"The Deitys" he said were almost half buried by an ant hill, but "day by day

as I worhshipped Them, They gradually rose up and became more and more

visible."

 

"You will have to maintain yourself"

 

Jaimini begged money from the local villagers and repaired the temple and

built a boundary fence but after that no one was willing to give any more.

So he appealed to Lord Jagannath and explained his plight. That night two

huge branches fell from the tree beside the Temple, he sold that wood and

the money provided for the seva for a few months.

 

When it was all finished, he again approached Lord Jagannath and said

"Prabhu I cannot maintain You anymore, You will have to maintain Yourself."

>From that day on, inside the temple, on the side of the alter he would find

just enough money to pay for the days puja.

 

"Free trip to Puri"

 

One day Jaimini fell asleep out side the Temple and when he awoke to his

surprise he found himself in Puri. It was during the Rathyatra festival. So

he enjoyed the festival for some days, but thinking of how his parents, not

knowing his whereabouts would be terribly worried about him, he decided to

return but he didn't have any money for his fare. Approaching some pandas he

explained his situation and they advised him "if Lord Jagannath brought you

here then go before Him and ask Him to take you back". So he did and the

next morning he woke up he found himself back in Rajapur.

 

Jaimini Ghosh left this world about 2 years ago.

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