Tota Gopinatha Temple Puri
Tota Gopinatha Temple – Puri
Gopinatha temple is situated in Sri Ksetra Jagannatha Puri Dhama in an area named Yamesvara Tota.Sri Tota Gopinatha is exquisitely beautiful self-manifested Deity of Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Tota Gopinatha is also a most unique Deity because he is the only Krishna deity in the world “sitting down” and playing his flute.
The main entrance of the temple is elaborately carved with sculptures of two peacocks on either side at the top. The temple has a simple architecture with two lion statues guarding it. Inside the sanctum, on the middle altar, the idol of Tota Gopinatha is in the middle, accompanied by Goddess Radha and Goddess Lalita.
On the right altar, idols of Gaura Gadahara and Radha-Madana Mohan can be seen and on the far left altar are Lord Balarama and his two wives, Varuni and Revati.
History
As per a story, one day Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was sad, feeling separated from Krishna. In a state of despair, he started digging the garden to search his Lord and surprisingly found an idol of Lord Krishna.
Mahaprabhu named the deity, Gopinatha, and because he appeared in this garden called Tota in Oriya the devotees called him, Tota Gopinatha.Gadadhara Pandita, who was there when the idol was found, was assigned the service of the idol by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Lord Chaitanya chose to wrap up his manifested pastimes in this world. He disappeared by merging himself into the deity of Sri Tota Gopinatha. There is a slight crack to be found near the right knee of Sri Tota Gopinatha till this day where Mahaprabhu had merged into the deity.
After the death of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Gadadhara became devastated and soon lost his good health, becoming thin like an old man at the age of only 47. This made it difficult for him to dress Gopinatha and offer him garlands daily. As a result of that he thought of engaging another priest for the service.
On the same night, in his dreams, Lord Gopinatha came and asked him why he wanted another priest to replace him. Gadadhara told him about his condition, to which Gopinatha said that he will become shorter from tomorrow. Next morning, when Gadadhara went into the temple, he was amazed to see the idol was now in a sitting position.
