Guṇḍicā Mārjanam – Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple (2025)

Thursday, 26 June 2025 [Mayapur, West Bengal, India Time]

Guṇḍicā Mārjanam – Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple, (the day before Ratha-yātrā)

Srila Prabhupāda: […] Caitanya Mahāprabhu was already adored. He was…, Jagannātha Purī. Ratha-yātrā car festival, and Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Before the Ratha-yātrā festival, the system is Jagannātha goes from the temple to another place, about two miles away. There is a big temple there also, which is called Jagannātha Aunt’s[?] house, Mahiṣī badi.

So He stays there for eight days, just like we make program in San Francisco to reside on seaside. So that temple was to be washed. That, Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to do it by personal supervision. So all the devotees… And He will check how much dust you have recovered, and then you shall be rewarded. Otherwise, it should be understood that you have not labored nicely. [chuckles]

So He’ll sweep over the whole temple nicely and wash the ceilings and walls and everything so clearly. And He’ll see in this way if there is any sand. If there is, “Oh, it is not washed.” That means He would engage everyone. Then after washing, then call for prasādam and distribute Himself. This is called Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Actually, whatever He was doing, they were washing— “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,” chanting. That’s all.

{Excerpts From Lord Caitanya Play Told to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa, Aug. 4, 1969, Los Angeles}

Srila Prabhupāda: […] So just one day before Ratha-yātrā there is a festival in Jagannātha Purī which is called Guṇḍicā-mārjana. Guṇḍicā-mārjana. From the Jagannātha temple, about two miles away there is another temple house, not exactly temple, where the Deity Jagannātha goes during this Rathayātrā festival, from the temple to that Gundica house. And then the deities remain there for one week and then comes back. And during that one week there are many festivals. […]

Kṛṣṇa means Jagannātha. Jagat. Jagat mean this world, and nātha means master, or proprietor. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram: [Bg. 5.29] “I am the proprietor of all the planets.” Therefore He is Jagannātha. Jagannātha means the proprietor of all the world, all the planets. […]

So this Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā is a part of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement because Lord Caitanya preached this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement within five hundred years. Of course, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a new thing. From Bhagavad-gītā we understand it is five thousand years old, and from Bhagavad-gītā we also understand that it is five million years old. But in the modern age this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, was started by Lord Caitanya, and this Ratha-yātrā is part of this movement. Therefore we have introduced this Ratha-yātrā festival in our society. And the boys and the girls, they are taking it very nicely, and it will go on. So the Lord Caitanya was taking the part of Rādhārāṇī, when Rādhārāṇī requested Kṛṣṇa to come to Vṛndāvana. So when Lord Caitanya was before the Ratha-yātrā, He was thinking that “I am taking Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana.” That is His ecstasy. “I am taking Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana.” So that function is observed yearly, and Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha, goes to that Gundica.

So today is Guṇḍicā-mārjana day. So Lord Caitanya personally used to wash the whole temple along with His assistants. Hundreds of… At that time there was no hose pipe, but people used to bring water in big, big waterpots. So when Lord Caitanya wanted to wash the Guṇḍīca Mandir, the king of Jagannātha Purī, Mahārāja Pratāparudra… He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. So it was his open order to his officers that whenever Caitanya Mahāprabhu will ask for anything, it must be immediately supplied. […] So Mahārāja Pratāparudra was very powerful king, and at the same time he was a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So his open order was that whenever and whatever Caitanya Mahāprabhu will ask anything, it must be supplied.

So on this day Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to wash that Guṇḍīca Mandir with hundreds of His followers. And they were ordered to bring water from the nearest tank. There is one tank. If you go sometimes to Jagannātha Purī, you’ll see that place. So from that tank hundreds of waterpots were brought, and first of all it was… What is called? Sweeping. The sweeping process is first of all taken. And He wanted to see all the devotees, “How much dust you have gathered.” He’ll see personally. “Let Me see what is the amount of your dust you have gathered by sweep… [break] Then I will understand that you worked very hard.” So then after it is very finely, twice. First of all, once swept, then second time. Not even a small particle grain should remain. That was His order. [break]. […]

{Excerpts From Guṇḍicā Mārjanam – Cleansing of the Guṇḍicā Temple
Lecture (the day before Ratha-yātrā)
San Francisco, July 4, 1970}