Shukratal Yatra and the Glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam – Dandavats.com
By Chandan Yatra Das
Shukratal is a tiny holy town about 2-3 hours (72 km) from Haridwar on the banks of Ganges River in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Srila Sukadeva Goswami spoke sacred Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) to Maharaja Pariksit (the grandson of Arjuna and son of Abhimanyu), under a banyan tree 5000 years ago.
Here at a place called Sri Sukadeva Temple, there is a gigantic 5100 year old Banyan tree, also known as Akshaya Vat Vriksha, underneath where Sukadeva Goswami, Maharaja Pariksit and 80,000 sages sat for 7 days continuously hearing Bhagavatam narration. The branches of this Akshaya Vat tree spread far and wide, sprouting through the nearby surroundings. The Sukadeva ashrama is built around the tree.
Under Akshaya tree is a small temple which has the deities of Sukadeva Goswami and Pariksit sitting alongside and their footprints. In the courtyard there is a temple with the exquisitely beautiful deity of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna giving darshan to everyone assembled there after the conclusion of Bhagavatam katha. Uniqueness of this 150 feet towering Akshaya Vat is that it doesn’t shed any of its leaves.
Sukadeva ashrama has a number of small shrines and deities, Yajna shala, Sanskrit Vidyalaya and a reading room. Ashrama also has lecture halls called Srimad Bhagavata Bhavan, for holding continuous discourses on the Bhagavata Purana. Many pilgrims come from across India to attend Bhagavata-katha. There are overnight facilities available to stay at the ashrama that have to be pre-booked. At 12 noon, Prasadam with locally prepared delicacies is served in a hall on the ground-floor of the ashrama near the Akshaya tree.
To read the complete article and/or watch the video please click here: https://bit.ly/3rkN374