Khirachora Gopinatha Temple

Khirachora Gopinatha Temple
Khirachora Gopinatha temple front view
Name
Other names	Gupta Brindabana
Devanagari	क्षीरचोरा गोपीनाथ मंदिर
Oriya	କ୍ଷୀରଚୋରା ଗୋପୀନାଥ ମନ୍ଦିର
Geography
Coordinates	21°32′15.8″N 86°52′46.03″E / 21.537722°N 86.8794528°E / 21.537722; 86.8794528Coordinates: 21°32′15.8″N 86°52′46.03″E / 21.537722°N 86.8794528°E / 21.537722; 86.8794528
Country	India
State/province	Odisha
District	Baleswar
Locale	Remuna
Culture
Primary deity	Gopinath
Important festivals	Krishna Janmashtami
History and governance
Date built	1300 AD

Khirachora Gopinatha Temple (Odia: କ୍ଷୀରଚୋରା ଗୋପୀନାଥ ମନ୍ଦିର୍} is in Remuna. It is a little town 9 km east of Balasore, about halfway between Howrah and Bhubaneswar in Odisha. The name "Remuna" is from the word "Ramaniya" which means very good-looking. "Khirachora" in Odia means Stealer of Milk and Gopinatha means the Divine Consort of Gopis. The reference is to child Krishna's love for milk and milk products.

Vigrahas

Lord Madanamohan Gopinath and Govinda

Lord Gopinatha, flanked by Sri Govinda and Sri Madana Mohana, is made of black stone. Sri Gopinatha stands in bas-relief. Govinda and Madan Mohan, who were brought from Vrindavana in about 1938 by a devotee named "Chaitanya Dasa Babaji", are standing freely. It is said that Sri Rama carved Gopinath with His arrow and that Sita worshiped this deity in Chitrakuta. During vanvas to show the next avatar vigraha to Sita. King Langula Narasingha Deba, the king of Utkal, brought this deity to Remuna in the 13th century from Chitrakuta. This king arranged to have dug the two big tanks, Brajapokhari and Kutapokhari.

History

Over 500 years ago Madhavendra Puri was going to Puri to get some sandalwood for his Sri Gopal deity in Vrindavana. After a few days in Navadvipa, Sri Puri started for Orissa. Within a few days he arrived at Remuna where Gopinatha is situated. Seeing the beauty of the Deity, Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed.

In the corridor of the temple, from which people generally viewed the Deity, Madhavendra Puri chanted and danced. Then he sat down there and asked a brahmana what kinds of foods they offered to the Deity. Madhavendra Puri thought: "I shall inquire from the priest what foods are offered to Gopinatha so that by making arrangements in our kitchen, we can also offer similar foods to Sri Gopala."

When the brahmana priest was questioned in this matter, he explained in detail the types of food that were offered to the Deity of Gopinatha. The brahmana priest said: "In the evening the Deity is offered sweet rice in twelve earthen pots. Because the taste is as good as nectar, it is named amrta keli. This sweet rice is celebrated throughout the world as gopinatha-kheer. It is not offered anywhere else in the world."

While Madhavendra Puri was talking with the brahmana priest, the sweet rice was placed before the Deity as an offering. Seeing this Madhavendra Puri thought "If, without my asking, a little sweet rice is given to me, I could then taste it and make a similar preparation to offer my Lord Gopala." Then immediately Madhavendra Puri realised his mistake in desiring to taste the sweet rice, and he immediately repented, "I have committed an offence. I have desired to taste the preparation before it was offered to the Lord." Thinking in this way Puri Gosvami left and went to a nearby vacant marketplace. Sitting there he began to chant.

After finishing the worship to Gopinath the Pujari (priest)^[1] rested. In a dream Gopinath told him to get up and take the pot of khira that he had hidden under his garments and to give it to Madhavendra Puri. The Pujari got up, found the sweet, and brought it to Madhavendra Puri. The Pujari told him For you Sri Gopinath has stolen khira. There is no other fortunate man like you. This is how the deity got the name "Khira Chora Gopinatha". 'Khira' means milk, and 'Chora' means thief.

Specialty

One can get delicious khira here called as Amruta Keli. The Gopinatha khira is a preparation of homemade condensed milk, sugar, and cream, with a sprinkling of raisins. It comes in pots, which are personally tasted by Lord Gopinatha.

Pilgrims

Pilgrims from all over India visit all around the year. Local residents visit on every occasion and festivals. Western ISKCON devotees often visit the temple. The Founder Acharya of ISKCON A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada established an ISKCON Center in Toronto, Canada, and named it "New Remuna Dham" - the presiding deity in temple is named Sri Radha Kshira Chora Gopinatha.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hindu temples of Orissa.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Krishna.

↑ http://www.srigaurangashram.in/Srila%20Madhavendra%20Puri.htm

Hindu temples in Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Shiva temples	Aisanyesvara Siva Temple Akhadachandi Temple Astasambhu Temples Bhima Kunda Bhringesvara Siva Temple Bhrukutesvar Siva Temple Brahmeswara Temple Byamokesvara Temple Chakreshvari Siva Temple Champakesvara Siva Temple Chandrasekhara Mahadeva Temple Chintamanisvara Siva Temple Devasabha Temple Dishisvara Siva Temple Gangesvara Siva Temple Gosagaresvar Siva Temple Jaleswar Siva Temple Precinct Kalika Siva Temple Kapilesvara Siva Temple Kedareswar Temple Labesvara Siva Temple Ladu Baba Temple Lakhesvara Siva Temple Lingaraj Temple Madneswar Siva Temple Mangalesvara Siva Temple Manibhadresvara Temple - II Mukteswar Temple Nagesvara Temple, Bhubaneswar Pabaneswara Temple Papanasini Siva Temple Parsurameswar Temple Purvesvara Siva Temple Rajarani Temple Rameshwar Deula Sarvatresvara Siva Temple Siddhesvara Siva Temple Subarnesvara Siva Temple Suka Temple Sukutesvara Temple Svapnesvara Siva Temple Talesvara Siva Temple Tirthesvara Siva Temple Uttaresvara Siva Temple Vaital Deula Yameshwar Temple
Vishnu temples	Ananta Vasudeva Temple Bharati Matha Gandhi Garabadu Precinct Vishnu Temple Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar Vishnu Temple, Bhubaneswar
Shakti temples	Chausathi Jogini Temple Parvati Temple, Odisha
Other temples	Brahma Temple, Bindusagar Hanuman Temple, Kedara-Gouri Sivatirtha Matha

Cuttack district

Shiva temples	Chateshwar Temple Dhabaleswar Simhanath Temple
Vishnu temples	Madhava Temple
Shakti temples	Bhattarika Temple Charchika Temple Cuttack Chandi Temple Durga Temple, Baideshwar Durga Temple, Motia
Other temples	Brahma Temple, Niali

Puri district

Shiva temples	Beleswar Temple Lokanatha Temple Markandeshwar Temple
Vishnu temples	Alarnatha Mandira Chakra Narasimha Temple Gundicha Temple Jagannath Temple, Puri Narasimha Temple, Puri Sakshigopal Temple
Shakti temples	Bata Mangala Temple Kakatpur Mangala Temple Mausi Maa Temple Ramachandi Temple Varahi Deula, Chaurasi Vimala Temple
Sun temples	Konark Sun Temple
Other temples	Govardhana matha Emar Matha

Western Odisha

Shiva temples	Kosaleswara temple Leaning Temple of Huma
Vishnu temples	Nrusinghanath Temple Patali Srikhetra
Shakti temples	Lankeswari Temple Samaleswari Temple Sureswari temple
Other temples	Harishankar Temple Sasisena Temple

Rayagada district

Shiva temples	Bhimashankar Chatikona Nilakantheswar Temple Pataleswar
Vishnu temples	Jagannath Temple, Gunupur Jagannath Temple, Rayagada Laxminarayan temple, Therubali
Shakti temples	Maa Markama Temple Majhighariani Temple

Other

Shiva temples	Ajaikapada Bhairava Temple Akhandalamani Temple Annakoteshvara Temple Bhuvaneshwar Temple, Boudh Chandaneswar Gupteswar Cave Godhaneswar temple Indralath Temple Kapilash Temple Murga Mahadeva Shrine Nilakantheswar Temple Panchalingeshwar Sekhareswar Temple
Vishnu temples	Anantasaayi Vishnu Temple Ananta Shayana Anantashayana Vishnu Baladevjew Temple Chhatia Bata Jagannath Temple, Baripada Jagannath Temple, Dharakote Jagannath Temple, Koraput Jagannath Temple, Nayagarh Khirachora Gopinatha Temple Lakhmi Varaha Temple Narayana Gosain Temple Nilamadhav Temple Odogaon Raghunath Temple Varahanatha Temple
Shakti temples	Bhadrakali Temple, Aharapada Bhagabati Temple, Banapur Biraja Temple Ghanteswari Temple Goddess Maheshwari Kalijai Kanaka Durga, Raulapalli Kichakeshwari Temple Maa Barunei Temple Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatgaon Maa Ugra Tara Maa Markama Temple Mahishamardini Temple Majhighariani Temple Manikeshwari Temple Marichi temple Mausimaa Temple Metakani Temple Narayani Temple Saptamatruka Temple Sarala Temple Siddha Bhairavi Taratarini Temple Upper Bagh Devi Temple
Sun temples	Biranchinarayan Temple, Buguda Biranchinarayan Temple, Palia
Ganesha temples	Budha Ganesha Temple Mahavinayak Temple Siddha Vinayaka
Other temples	Bhandara Ghara Shrine Hanuman Vatika Harihara Deula Joranda Gadhi

Shakti temples in Odisha
Shiva temples in Odisha
Temples in Bhubaneswar

Krishna
Forms	Radha Krishna Govinda Bala Krishna Jagannath Vithoba Shrinathji Other names
Worship	Krishnaism Vaishnavism Krishna Janmashtami Holi
Holy sites	Dvārakā Mathura Vrindavan Gokul Govardhan Hill Puri Udupi Guruvayur Nathdwara Gupta Vrindavan Dakor
Texts	Bhagavata Purana Bhagavad Gita Gita Govinda Mahabharata Brahma Samhita Uddhava Gita
See also	Hinduism Avatar Svayam Bhagavan Vishnu Radha Rukmini Satyabhama Krishna images at WikiCommons

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