Shiva Khora (Shiva Pushkarini)

Shiva Khora (Shiva Pushkarini)
There is a shrine on the banks of this kunda dedicated to Lord Shiva known as Rameshwara Mahadeva, who is the ksetra-pala who protects the northern part of Radhakunda. The word ‘khora’ means a holy place and ‘pushkarini’ means a lake. The word ‘shiva’ can also mean a ‘jackal’. According to the Padma Purana, some local children had trapped a female jackal in a hole near this kunda and out of fear the jackal started to wail piteously. Hearing the crying of the jackal, Radharani sent Her girlfriends to save the jackal saying that at Radha-kunda, no creature should suffer in any way. The sakhis returned with the frightened female jackal and Radharani gave blessings to the jackal that she would become one of Radha’s maidservants in her future life.

Radha Kunja-bihari Mandira
This temple was established in 1935, by the illustrious founder of the Gaudiya Math, Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami. Just next to the temple is the pushpa samadhi of the great Vaishnava saint Gaura-Kisore Dasa Babaji, who was the initiating spiritual master of Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami. Gaura-Kishore Dasa Babaji was a very close and intimate friend as well as shiksha disciple of Shrila Bhaktivinode Thakura, the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami, who was himself the spiritual master of the Iskcon founder-acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

– Adapted from Vraja Mandala Parikrama by Sri Rajasekhara Dasa Brahmachari.