Confluence at Pandharpur

This article appeared in the November 2011 issue of the Back to Godhead (India) magazine.

Confluence at Pandharpur

The holy site of Pandharpur unites two powerful Bhakti movements that will spread the holy names of the Lord all over the world.

“Oh, most ISKCON followers are well-off, intelligent city dwellers, the elite, quite different from the simple rural devotees of Lord Viööhala of Pandharpur.” Time and again people have pointed this out to me, often with an accusatory undertone. It’s as if having a predominantly urban following poses a threat to ISKCON’s spiritual credibility. But during my recent trip to Pandharpur, as I reflected on this disturbing perception, I found it gradually replaced by an exhilarating prospect.

From the balcony in my room at the ISKCON Pandharpur guesthouse, I got a panoramic view of Çré Pandharpur Dhäma. Everything one comes to Pandharpur for lay before my eyes to behold and savor.

Kshetreshu teertheshvatha daivasteshu

bhakteshu sarveshva iha vai garishtham

sri pundarikam kila chandrabhaga

sri vitthalaste muni pundarikah

(-- Padma Purāna 32.44)

The best holy place, holy waters, deity, and devotee are Pandharpur, the Chandrabhaga, Lord Viööhala, and Puëòaléka respectively.

The river Bhémä, known here as the Chandrabhaga (“moon’s crescent”) because of its path, flowed from right to left, cutting across a wide expanse of the holy land. Almost directly in front of me and across the river, only two hundred meters from where I stood, rose Pandharpur’s most precious possession: the famous Çré Viööhala Rukmiëé Temple, which houses the ancient Deity of Lord Viööhala. Densely dotting the opposite river bank I saw a multitude of devotees eagerly bathing in the Chandrabhaga’s holy waters.

Pandharpur, situated in the Solapur district of Maharashtra, is Maharashtra’s spiritual capital. The image of Lord Viööhala, with His hands on His waist, standing on a brick, waiting for His devotee, is ingrained in the consciousness of most Maharashtrians. Every year for centuries now, thousands upon thousands of pilgrims from villages all over Maharashtra and from Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, walk to Pandharpur with unflinching faith in Lord Viööhala’s protection as an offering of devotion. During their love-walk (väré), these värkarés immerse themselves in remembering the Lord and chanting His holy names, playing musical instruments like karatalas (hand cymbals) and mådaìgas or other drums to accompany their singing. Leading up to the Äñäòha Çukla and Kärtika Çukla Ekädaçés, devotees walk 15–20 days to take darçana of their Lord Viööhala, who is always eagerly waiting for them. No one seems to mind that approximately a hundred thousand others are vying for their Lord’s darçana too.

What Makes Pandharpur a Dhäma?

The Lord’s place of residence is called a dhäma. A dhäma is also a place where remembrance of the Lord comes naturally. Therefore, places where the Lord or His pure devotees have visited or performed pastimes are dhämas. The Lord also declares in the Padma Puräëa that He resides wherever His devotees are glorifying Him.

nähaà tiñöhämi vaikuëöhe

yoginäà hådayeñu vä

tatra tiñöhämi närada

yatra gäyanti mad-bhaktäù

“I am not in Vaikuëöha nor in the hearts of the yogés. I remain where My devotees engage in glorifying My activities.”

Pandharpur fits all the above definitions of a dhäma. Lord Kåñëa, the emperor of Dvärakä, once came here in search of His beloved wife Rukmiëé, who was upset. While here, He remembered His great devotee Puëòaléka. On reaching Puëòaléka’s house, He saw Puëòaléka serving His Vaisnava parents. Puëòaléka, although overjoyed to see the Lord personally at his door, asked Him to wait on a brick while he finished serving his parents. The Lord, His heart overflowing with love for His devotee, patiently stood on the brick, His hands on His waist, waiting for His devotee to attend to Him. Puëòaléka later requested the Lord to stay in Pandharpur forever and bestow spiritual perfection on anyone who merely took His darçana. Of course, the Lord agreed. In recent times, another great devotee, Tukäräma, visited Pandharpur regularly. He also broadcast the congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names (saìkértana) throughout Maharashtra, so much so that Pandharpur and saìkértana are now inseparable.

Pandharpur and ISKCON

Saìkértana and ISKCON are also inseparable. ISKCON is the modern-day home of the worldwide saìkértana movement and is popularly known all over the world as the Hare Kåñëa movement after the Hare Kåñëa mantra saìkértana that is its essential activity. While millions know about Pandharpur and many know about ISKCON, few seem to know about ISKCON’s connections with Pandharpur, both historical and contemporary.

To my left, as I looked down from the first floor balcony of the ISKCON Pandharpur guesthouse, I saw a small structure of columns supporting a dome. Beneath the dome, on a raised platform, three pairs of footprints are installed. The soles of Lord Visnu’s lotus feet in each form are marked with distinctive symbols, and these three pairs of footprints depict the symbols on the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityänanda, and Lord Viçvarüpa. Viçvarüpa, the elder brother of Lord Caitanya, is an incarnation of Lord Balaräma. He took sannyäsa in Pandharpur after he had traveled all over India. Lord Nityänanda received spiritual initiation from Çré Lakñmépati Tértha in Pandharpur, and Lord Caitanya Himself visited and stayed at Pandharpur during His travels around India. The great Gauòéya Vaiñëava spiritual master Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura sings, gaur ämära, je saba sthäne, karalo bhramaëa raìge, se-saba sthäna heribo ämi, praëayi-bhakata-saìge: “I aspire to see, in the company of loving devotees, all the places visited by Lord Caitanya.” Çréla Prabhupäda writes, “A devotee should make a point of visiting all the places where Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu performed His pastimes. Indeed, pure devotees of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu even want to see the places He simply visited for only hours or minutes.” This is the 500-year-old historical connection between Pandharpur and ISKCON.

Today, under the leadership of His Holiness Lokanätha Swami, ISKCON has a temple in Pandharpur—the Çré Çré Rädhä Paëòharénätha Temple. Çréla Prabhupäda once commented, “Our Lokanätha Swami is just like Saint Tukäräma. The whole of India and specifically Maharashtra is enthused with Kåñëa. Now you have to revive their Kåñëa consciousness. This is Tukäräma’s country, but now they are becoming bad politicians. So revive them by the process of the saìkértana movement. I am very glad that you are preaching village to village and will cover all of Maharashtra.” Today, Lokanätha Swami is the head of ISKCON’s international Padayäträ Ministry. Under his guidance many padayäträs have been organized all over the world. But Lokanātha Swami, with his childhood rooted in varés to Pandharpur, and because his spiritual master likened him to the Tukäräma of ISKCON, has a special place in his heart for Pandharpur.

ISKCON’s Contribution to Pandharpur

Serving the Lord, the devotees, and the dhäma is central to the bhägavata culture the saìkértana movements of both Tukäräma and ISKCON espouse. Lord Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä (18.68–69) that no one is dearer to Him than those who spread the message of the Gétä among devotees. Pandharpur is full of devotees, and ISKCON’s expertise in presenting the Bhagavad-gétä’s message is well-known. In his talks in India and abroad, Lokanätha Swami often speaks about Lord Viööhala. Consequently, many devotees from around the world have started to visit Pandharpur. ISKCON Pandharpur also reaches out to the nearby rural communities, where their programs are attended by the local folk. Lokanätha Swami’s Marathi book Bhü-Vaikuëöha, compiled after a lot of scriptural research, reveals the unique spiritual stature of Pandharpur and weeds out non-scriptural and anti-scriptural misconceptions about the path of pure bhakti that is this dhäma’s very essence.

During the annual värés to Pandharpur, ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Hospital conducts free medical camps for residents of Pandharpur, and ISKCON’s Food for Life organization distributes free wholesome prasäda to the värkarés. This year ISKCON served around three hundred thousand devotees in these ways. Over the years, the authorities of the Çré Viööhala-Rukmiëé Temple and ISKCON Pandharpur have worked together on many occasions. ISKCON also conducts regular programs inside the Viööhala-Rukmiëé Temple. ISKCON’s regular and significant contributions over the years have not gone unnoticed by the government, either. The Government of Maharashtra wishes to transform Pandharpur into an international destination so that Lord Viööhala’s glories may spread throughout the world. Looking at the amazing transformations ISKCON’s presence has brought in holy places like Mäyäpur and Våëdävana, the government has asked ISKCON to help lead this task. And ISKCON Pandharpur has enthusiastically accepted the government’s request that they arrange for the construction of a bathing ghäta. This ghäta—which will be known as Prabhupäda Ghäta—will be on the ISKCON temple’s side of the river. With lawns, fountains, and other relaxation areas, it promises to make the pilgrims’ visit to Pandharpur convenient, thus making Pandharpur an even more attractive destination.

Confluence at Pandharpur

At first look, the rural devotees of Lord Viööhala, with their modest means and simple ways, seem to have nothing in common with ISKCON’s predominantly urban followers. Those who have given their hearts to the värkarés sometimes find it hard to appreciate ISKCON’s methods. Time and again I have come across people, some genteel, some vehement, who say that ISKCON caters only to the well-educated urban elite. “Why doesn’t ISKCON do something for the rural poor?”

I was stumped when someone first asked me this question. It struck me as odd; as if there is no meeting place between värkarés and urbanite devotees. The apparent conflict is easily resolved in light of how and where these two glorious saìkértana movements started. Tukäräma lived and started preaching the message of love of God in the nondescript Indian village of Dehu, whereas Çréla Prabhupäda was a Calcutta boy and later traveled to the United States to begin his preaching mission in New York City. How can we expect the two movements to have the same kind of followers—at least initially?

But the bhägavata culture makes no distinction between rich and poor among its followers. To judge a spiritual movement based on the bank balance of its adherents instead of on its teachings is material vision. But putting that aside, as ISKCON’s various activities in rural Pandharpur prove, ISKCON doesn’t intend to restrict itself to any particular strata of society. ISKCON’s mission is to spread Krishna’s holy name to every town and village on earth. Since most of India lives in villages, it’s only a matter of time before ISKCON will have more rural followers than urban in India. To realize that day - when the whole world, villager or city-bred, chants the holy name - is the mission of all the sincere followers of Lord Caitanya, Çréla Prabhupäda, and ISKCON.

ISKCON in Pandharpur symbolizes the confluence of two great bhakti traditions, one rural and one urban. The proposed Prabhupäda Ghäöa promises to be the site where the two bhakti currents will mingle and embrace each other. Then the combined force of these two great currents will wash away materialistic standpoints that allow us to think one current is holier than the other. Both are holy.

Looking down from my vantage point, a balcony in the ISKCON Pandharpur guesthouse, I saw in my mind’s eye thousands of devotees carpeting the near bank of the Chandrabhaga at the place where Prabhupäda Ghäöa will soon appear, and many others eagerly dipping into the sacred and refreshing waters.

After a confluence, there is no clear distinction between the constituent currents. Similarly, in the current of bhakti that will now flow from Pandharpur, it will be hard to distinguish between the rural and the urban currents; they will unite and flow together with great force and reverberate the holy names of Lord Viööhala in roaring saìkértana.