Jantaribol 1986

Jantaribol 1986

The Village in the Middle of Nowhere

Dedication

This publication is humbly offered at the lotus feet of our beloved Gurudeva, Çréla Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja, and all Vaiñëava äcäryas – past, present, and future – on the auspicious occasion of Çré Guru Pürëimä, the appearance day of Çréla Vyäsadeva.

JA NTARI BOL 1986 This publication is compiled by Nimäi Paëòita däsa, with the assistance of H.H. Murlé Kåñëa Swami (USA), Janeshwar däsa (https://www.gourgovindaswami.org), Gunarnarva däsa (Orissa) and Pradosha Sahoo prabhu (Orissa).

Tattva Vicära Publications is inspired by the remarkable words and glories of Äcärya Öhäkura – Çréla Gour Govinda Swami Mahäräja First Edition 1000 copies.

ISBN: 978-0-645-92846-4 © 2026 TATTVA VICÄRA PUBLICATIONS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED, CONTENT ON THIS BOOK IS LICENSED UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NO DERIVATIVES 4.0 INTERNATIONAL LICENSE.

To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ Website: www.tvpbooks.com For digital publications visit: https://issuu.com/tvpbooks.com Image front cover Yamunä devé däsé receiving initiation from Çréla Gour Govinda Swami in the village of Jantaribol, 1986.

Jantaribol 1986

The Village in the Middle of Nowhere

Compiled by

Nimāi Paṇḍita dāsa

TAT T VA V I C A R A P U B L I C AT I O N S

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nitya-lélä praviñöa-paramahaàsa-añöottara-çata

Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Svämé Mahäräja

Jantaribol 1986

The Village in the Middle of Nowhere

Pradosha Sahoo prabhu: Çré Çré Gaura Nityänanda Paramärthika-sevä-äçrama is a spiritual oasis founded by Çréla Gour Govinda Swami around 1984. It is situated in a rural area near the village of Jantaribol, close to Kämäkhyä Nagar, in the Dhenkanal district, which is located in the central region of Orissa. The äçrama is surrounded by picturesque forests of sal trees and gently rising, tree-covered hills, creating a serene and spiritually uplifting atmosphere.

One Hundred Saṅkīrtana Parties In 1983, one hundred saìkértana parties from various villages gathered in Kämäkhyä-nagar, Orissa. Their aim was to find a genuine Vaiñëava guru and establish a temple dedicated to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who is revered as saìkértana eka janaka pitära, the Father of hari-saìkértana. After deliberation, they narrowed their choice to five prospective temple sites.

The Village of Jantaribol By divine providence, they came to know that a true Vaiñëava guru was residing in Bhubaneswar. Representing the larger group, a small delegation travelled to Bhubaneswar to meet Çréla Gour Govinda Swami. They explained how they had come together to perform kértana, seek a Vaiñëava guru, and build a temple for

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Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. They presented Çréla Gour Govinda Swami with the details of the five proposed locations. After reviewing them, Çréla Gurudeva selected the village of Jantaribol and instructed them to build the temple there – even though he had never heard of or visited the place before.

Jantaribol was an extremely obscure and remote village, lacking roads and residents who could support a temple. Nevertheless, placing complete faith in the words of the Vaiñëava, the devotees began construction. The villagers of Jantaribol were astonished by the sudden activity, not knowing what was happening. Soon, a small house was built, and pictures of Çréla Gour Govinda Swami, Çréla AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, and Çré Çré GauraNitäi were being worshipped there.

An Extraordinary Story One day, a group of villagers visited the äçrama. Among them was an 85-year-old man who shared an extraordinary story.

He recounted how, seventy years earlier, a naked sädhu named Kåpä-sindhu, from the Älekh Mahimä sect1 (worshippers of the impersonal Brahman) had arrived in their village and requested to stay for one night. The villagers had welcomed him and arranged both lodging and prasädam. That evening, the sädhu gave a pravacana (spiritual discourse), and arrangements were made for him to sleep in one of the homes. Later that night, a villager went to offer some service to the sädhu, only to find him missing. Alarmed, the villagers began searching for him, fearing they had offended him and might be cursed. Despite a thorough search, he was nowhere to be found.

1.At that time in the state of Orissa, these Älekh Mahimä sädhus could predict the future by the power of their sädhana.

2

Jantaribol was an extremely obscure and remote village, lacking roads.

Puñkaräkña däsa and Yamunä devé däsé receiving initiation from Çréla Gour Govinda Swami in the village of Jantaribol, 1986.

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The next morning, before sunrise, the sädhu returned. The villagers asked, “Why did you leave? Where did you go?” The sädhu replied, “I went to a place where, in the future, thousands of sädhus will gather and a true Vaiñëava will establish a temple.”

He then led them to a location near a cremation ground – a place considered so inauspicious and eerie that people avoided it even during the daytime. When he pointed to the exact spot, the villagers hesitated. However, the sädhu insisted: “One day, a great Vaiñëava will come here. He will establish a temple, initiate disciples, and be accompanied by followers from around the world. Last night, while resting in your village, I had this vision in a dream. That is why I went there.”

The old man concluded, “This is the history of this place.

Since that day, we have been waiting for the arrival of that great Vaiñëava – who will perform saìkértana, give initiation, and deliver pravacanas.”

On Räma-Navamé day in April 1986, that prophecy was fulfilled. Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja visited the newly constructed temple in the village and initiated fifty devotees from Orissa and around the world. Among them were twenty members from the original assembly of one hundred saìkértana parties. Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja returned to that village many times to give pravacanas.

That older man from that village came to Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja and fell flat on the ground in front of Gurudeva. With tears in his eyes, he related this story to him, and in a loud voice he announced that, “now we can see how you have made the prediction of this place come true”.

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When I Become Very Old Çréla Gour Govinda Mahäräja would often say, “When I become very old, I will go and live in that lonely place.” Though difficult to understand, the words of a sad-guru never prove false.

This reveals that a sad-guru is not made by practicing sadhana – he is a sädhu from birth.2 Just as Kåñëa’s pastimes are divine from the beginning, so too are the activities of a genuine sad-guru, who appears in this world fully empowered, with extraordinary qualities from the very start.

Rāma-Navamī 1999 After some time, the local devotees constructed a small temple in which the Deities of Çré Çré Gaura Nityänanda, along with Patita-pävana Jagannätha, were installed in a grand ceremony on Räma-Navamé in 1999 by Çrépäda Bhakti Svarüpa Dämodara Swami (Ph.D.)3 and the Gajapati King of Puré, His 2. Author’s note: Once, in 1929 the renowned astrologer and mystic, Nityananda Khadiratna, from Dhenkanal, visited Gadäi-Giri and stayed for two days. While Nityananda Khadiratna was in Gadäi-Giri, he met the young Çréla Gour Govinda Swami [less than one year old] and his mother, and said: “This boy is full of devotion. He is very intelligent. He will marry, obtain government service, and in his middle age, he will renounce family life and become a sädhu. He will obtain higher knowledge and because of that he will occupy an important place in the line of sädhus. He will build temples. He will make Gopäla Jéu’s place bright.” The astrologer then said, “Kåñëa (God) Himself has sent this child from His eternal abode, to preach His message and to deliver the fallen conditioned souls.”

3. “...One of the great qualities of Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Mahäräja is his childlike simplicity. He was straightforward and he had a very friendly nature. Without any difficulty you could relate with him in all circumstances. And he was extremely compassionate. From the scriptures we know that these are the qualities of a saintly person. The disciples and followers of Çré Çrémad Gour Govinda Mahäräja are extremely fortunate to possess such a wonderful saintly spiritual master...” (Çrépäda Bhakti Svarüpa Dämodara Svämé Mahäräja PhD.)

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Royal Highness Mahäräja Dibyasingha Dev.4 Both of them highly praised the sanctity of this holy place.

The Development of the Āśrama Facilities Later, Murlé Kåñëa Swami visited Jantaribol and greatly developed the facilities there. As a service to Çréla Gour Govinda Swami, he established a magnificent temple hall, a two-storey guesthouse, a brahmacäré äçrama, a water supply system, a boundary wall, and many other essential facilities.

Gurudeva Was Especially Fond of this Place One of the senior devotees, Bhänu Prabhu, recalled how happy Çréla Gour Govinda Swami was whenever he stayed there.

He remembered that Gurudeva was especially fond of this place.

Many of the local people, both from nearby villages and from farther away, took shelter at the lotus feet of Çréla Gour Govinda Swami.

Please bear in mind what the sädhu said about Çréla Gour Govinda Swami in 1971: In his book, The World Famous Gour Govinda Swami and the Village Gadäi-Giri, Fakir Caran Kanungo writes: 4. The current King of Puré is Gajapati Mahäräja Dibyasingha Deva. He would visit Çréla Gour Govinda Swami regularly. When he saw Çréla Gour Govinda Swami he would pay obeisances to him. The residents of Puré lodged a complaint to the King, that the King of Puré must not pay his obeisances to any sädhu. The King’s reply was, “...I know this, but when I see this sädhu (Çréla Gour Govinda Swami), he reminds me of Lord Jagannätha and therefore I must pay my obeisances to him...”

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“...In 1971 we, Çréla Gour Govinda Swami [who was then a householder] and myself, both went in February to the Himalayas. We had a meeting with a sädhu who foretold the future of Çréla Gour Govinda Swami. That sädhu said, in 1974 you must leave your home, and your most cherished desire will be fulfilled. You will utilise all your power and ability for the use of God’s [Supreme Lord’s] service. Devotees will feel very much fortunate by reading your life story and they will come under your feet for help and advice. At the time of distress and danger your love and purification will be the only solace for hundreds of souls, and you will be famous among great saintly persons. You will be the best among the devotees, you will be an äcärya, a great åñi and you will show the path of perfection to many. In the end you will return to Goloka Våndävana, your eternal home...”

According to Murlé Kåñëa Swami, Jantaribol is the first project established by Çréla Gour Govinda Swami.

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Other Titles in this Series: Vrindavan 1975

The glorious meeting between two great sädhus in Çré Våndävanadhäma.

Bhubaneswar 1977

The seventeen-day stay of Çréla AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda in Orissa.

Mayapura 1979

The divine manifestation of the symptoms of bhakti.

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