Spiritual Hubs

Places like Dwaraka are not merely historical sites, but living spiritual hubs. In the broad Vedic tradition, followers of sanatana-dharma visit four main places in India, known as the char-dhama. Badrinath in North India, Ramesvaram in South India, Jagannatha Puri in East India, and Dwaraka in West India. For Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Vrindavana, Mayapur and Jagannatha Puri are considered the primary holy places.

Vrindavana is the place where Krishna performed His sweet, youthful pastimes, and revealed the most intimate aspects of His personality while relating to His confidential devotees. Though He externally left Vrindavana, the deeper understanding is that Krishna is ever-present in that land. Mayapur is the landmark of Sri Chaitanya’s appearance and early pastimes. Most notably, it’s the place where the sankirtana movement began, as the Lord gathered thousands of locals in chanting and dancing in pure love of God. Jagannatha Puri is home to the form of the Lord whose dilated eyes reveal His ecstatic remembrance of the gopis of Vrindavana. This is where Sri Chaitanya spent the second half of His life, surrounded by His confidential associates, internally relishing the esoteric emotions of Srimati Radharani. Srila Prabhupada, by his transcendental vision and desire, was able to replicate these places in the western world. He established ‘New Vrindavana,’ ‘New Mayapur,’ ‘New Jagannatha Puri,’ and many other spiritual communities, which remain great sources of spiritual inspiration even today.

Every holy place carries unlimited potential to connect the sincere pilgrim with God. They are extraordinary places brimming with spiritual energy and blessings for all. Elaborate worship takes place in temples that bustle with pilgrims; constant devotional chanting fills the atmosphere at all hours. These are cities that never sleep! The daily sights and sounds remind us of God. Pilgrimages afford us the opportunity to associate with saintly people, help us develop a personal connection with God, and inspire us to go deeper into our spiritual practices. Srila Prabhupada explains that anyone who circumambulates these holy places becomes free from the cycle of repeated birth and death in this material world. In fact, all benefits derived from spiritual activities multiply manifold in these holy places.

Though externally they may not seem to be the same places they were thousands of years ago, spiritually they remain untouched and ever-powerful. The holy dhama is permeated with two energies (sakti):

• Taraka-sakti – that energy which liberates us from material attachments

• Paraka-sakti – that energy which impels and draws us towards Krishna

The dhama also has a covering potency which prevents materialistic persons from perceiving its beauty and sweetness. Only with a humble spirit and sincere desire can one penetrate that covering and access the other two energies.