Kshirachora Gopinatha Temple
Encyclopedia
Khirachora Gopinatha Temple is in Remuna
. It is a little town 9 km east of Balasore
, about halfway between Howrah and Bhubaneswar
in Orissa
. The name "Remuna" is from the word "Ramaniya" which means very good-looking.
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.
was going to Puri
to get some sandalwood for his Sri Gopal deity in Vrindavana. When he stopped at Remuna and saw Sri Gopinath, his heart was filled with devotion and joy. When he saw the delicious khira offered to the deity, he desired to taste some so he could offer the same preparation to Sri Gopala
. Madhavendra Puri
would only accept food that was spontaneously offered to him, and he seldom asked anything. Because he was not offered any of the khira he left the temple without tasting it.
After finishing the worship to Gopinath the Pujari 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 Gopinath.
, sugar, and cream
, with a sprinkling of raisins. It comes in pots, which are personally tasted by Lord Gopinatha. Sri Gopinatha is known as "Khira Chora Gopinatha" because He stole and hid a pot of khira out of love for Madhavendra Puri. 'Chora' means thief.
Remuna
Remuna is a town and a notified area committee in Baleswar district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Remuna is located at . It has an average elevation of 20 metres .-Demographics:...
. It is a little town 9 km east of Balasore
Balasore
Balasore is a strategically located city in the state of Orissa, about north of the state capital Bhubaneswar, in eastern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Balasore district. It is best known for Chandipur beach. It is also the site of the Indian Ballistic Missile Defense...
, about halfway between Howrah and Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. The name "Remuna" is from the word "Ramaniya" which means very good-looking.
Vigrahas
Lord Gopinatha, flanked by Sri GovindaGovinda
' and ' are names of Krishna, referring to his youthful occupation as a cowherd. He is regarded as the Supreme Godhead in the Vaishnava tradition and also by much of the pan-Hindu tradition...
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
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
carved Gopinath with His arrow and that Sita worshiped this deity in Chitrakuta
Chitrakuta
Chitrakuta is a town and a nagar panchayat in Satna district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India....
. During vanvas to show the next avatar vigraha to Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
. 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 PuriMadhavendra Puri
Madhavendra Puri also known as Madhavendra Puri Goswami is a Vaishnava saint who appeared in the 14th century.-Biography:...
was going to Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
to get some sandalwood for his Sri Gopal deity in Vrindavana. When he stopped at Remuna and saw Sri Gopinath, his heart was filled with devotion and joy. When he saw the delicious khira offered to the deity, he desired to taste some so he could offer the same preparation to Sri Gopala
Gopal (Krishna)
Gopala is the infant/child form of Lord Krishna, the Cowherd Boy who enchanted the Cowherd Maidens with the divine sound of his flute, attracting even Madana . Historically one of the earliest forms of worship in Krishnaism or Vaishnava dharma...
. Madhavendra Puri
Madhavendra Puri
Madhavendra Puri also known as Madhavendra Puri Goswami is a Vaishnava saint who appeared in the 14th century.-Biography:...
would only accept food that was spontaneously offered to him, and he seldom asked anything. Because he was not offered any of the khira he left the temple without tasting it.
After finishing the worship to Gopinath the Pujari rested. In a dream Gopinath
Gopinath
Gopinath is a form of the Hindu god Krishna. He is also known as Gopinathji or Gopinathji Maharaj. Gopinath is associated with gopis who Krishna grew up with....
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 Gopinath.
Specialty
One can get delicious khira here called as Amruta Keli. The Gopinatha khira is a preparation of homemade condensed milkCondensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
, sugar, and cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
, with a sprinkling of raisins. It comes in pots, which are personally tasted by Lord Gopinatha. Sri Gopinatha is known as "Khira Chora Gopinatha" because He stole and hid a pot of khira out of love for Madhavendra Puri. 'Chora' means thief.