Janmashtami 2022: Shri Vrindavan Dham is such a holy land of Brij, where all sins are destroyed just by coming. By coming here, everyone wants to do themselves a favour by having the darshan of Shri Banke Bihari Ji.
It is believed that Shri Banke Bihariji Temple located in Vrindavan was built around 1921 by the collective efforts of the descendants of Swami Shri Haridas Ji.
Vaishnava Swami Haridas Ji was born in Samvat 1536 in a village called Rajpur near Vrindavan on the Ashtami day in the Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada. His deity was Shri Krishnaji.
Haridasji is considered to be the incarnation of Rasnidhi Sakhi. He had detachment from the world since childhood.
In adolescence, he took initiation from his guru Ashudhir Ji and started being engrossed in the pastimes of Bihariji and his meditation at a solitary place in Nikunj near the Yamuna.
Swami Haridasji had a dream order to remove the idol of Bihariji in the Nikunj forest itself. Then, according to his orders, the deity, having a beautiful black-brown image, was taken out of the ground. This beautiful idol became famous in the world by the name of Shri Banke Bihari Ji.
This Deity form of God was taken out on the Margashirsha Shukla Panchami date. Therefore, Prakatya Tithi is celebrated with great gaiety in Vrindavan.
Due to the combined image of the couple Kishore Radha Krishna, there is a feeling of divine supernatural light between the image of Banke Bihari, which is a sign of the Radha element in Banke Bihari Ji.
In Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple, only after performing Maha Abhishek of Thakur Ji on Krishna Janmashtami in the night with full rituals, Mangala Aarti is performed.
According to historical facts, Haridasji, one day, returned to his hut after taking a bath in the morning. So he saw that someone was sleeping on his bed, his eyesight had become weak, that's why he could not see properly and as soon as he came, the sleeping person got up from there and left.
Haridas Ji could not understand anything, but then a priest running away from the temple came there.
Swamiji said that someone was sleeping on my bed now, after my arrival, he left, and while leaving some of his belongings were left there.
When the priest went near and saw that it was Bihari Ji's bangles and Bansi, which proved that Bihari Ji regularly comes to rest here after Rasleela.
Then it came to be known that due to Mangala Aarti early in the morning, Thakur Ji is in a hurry to come from Nidhivan temple to Banke Bihari temple.
And in a hurry, his bangles and Bansi were left there. Since then it was decided that Thakurji is in the form of a child in Banke Bihari temple and Mangala Aarti disturbs his sleep, hence Mangala Aarti is not performed here everyday.
By: Suresh Sood
