Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
AGTSP, AGTGM and Gauranga
Dandvat Pranam,
Please share with all devotees the atrocities made by Aurangzeb on Puri Dham and Lord Jaggannath mercy on him.
Courtesy: ISKCON Desire Tree
Jagannath’s Mercy On Aurangzeb
In Orissa there is a little known history that undeniable demonstrates that Lord ![]()
Jagannath is the most mercifull and compassionate. It describes how he bestowed his causeless mercy on one of the most hated and feared despots to ever walk on this planet. If in the course of giving mercy the Lord is not kind to even those who consider him an enemy, then how can he truly be the most merciful ?
Aurangzeb (born 4th Nov 1618) ruled over most of India for 48 years, he killed his elder brother and imprisoned his father to obtain the Moghul throne.
Destroyer of Hindu Templs (list of the hindu temples those are destroyed by Aurangzeb)
1669 - 250ft high temple on the site of Krishna’s birth place in Mathura, n built a mosque on the site.
1670 - Keshava Rai Temple in Mathura
1670 - RadhaGovindji Temple, Vrindavan
* it is estimated that aurangzeb’s army destroyed around 1,000 temples in Mathura.
Attacking Lord Jagannath temple, Puri
In 1686, Aurangazeb appointed Nasar Khan as the Subadar of Cuttack, Nasar Khan was strongly anti-Hindu. He destroyed many temples and replaced them with mosques. Eventually Nasar khan took soldiers and started off for puri, intending to destroy the temple and build a large mosque in its stead. The group stopped half-way to puri at the village of Danda mukundapur where the prepared to take rest and continue their journey the next day. That night, lightning struck the army of Nasar Khan and killed a number of elephants and horses, etc. frightened and considering the storm to be the work of the Hindu’s God, Jagannath, they made a peace treaty with the orissan king and departed. Lord jagannath’s Temple remained safe for the time being. ![]()
In 1691 Aurangazeb again ordered an attack on Jagannath’s temple and a halt to the Rath-yatra festival. The king of Orissa sent a spy to appraise the size of aurangazeb’s army, D report came back – 25,000 Horses, 1,200 elephants, 2,000 camels, and 100,000 foot-soldiers. The muslims stormed the temple of Jagannath, broke and blockaded both the eastern Lion-gate and southern horse-gate, removed the cakra from the top of the Bhoga-mandapa temple, and carried away. They destroyed two of the chief gates of the temple… the king of Orissa gave muslim commander duplicate and uninstalled deities of Jagannath to be presented to Aurangazeb.
Still, aurangazeb was not satisfied. He wanted to see the Rath yatra festival halted once and for all. He accordingly instructed his general not to allow any pilgrims to go to puri for the RathYatra. For twelve years (1691 to 1703) Jagannath worship in Puri was conducted secretly. After twelve years of spiritual and economical depression in puri, a devotee of Lord Nrisimhadev named Sri Rama Dayita goswami, left to seek the emperor’s permission for having the RathYatra again, Meanwhile, Aurangazeb had a dream in which he saw khoda, his Mulslim God, manifest as the merciful Jagannath, ordering him to allow the RathYatra festival to go on. The next morng, just as Aurangazeb was contemplating the dream, Rama Dayita Goswami arrived and requested him to allow the chariot festival to resume. Astonished by the series of
events, and touched by the mercy of Jagannath, Aurangazeb had a change of heart. To purify himself of his offenses, the emperor donated to the temple of Jagannath some property - an amazing change of policy of the person who was at one time determined to break the Jagannath temple. The documents certifying Aurangazeb’s property donation to the jagannath Temple are still available in the orissan govt.
Aurangzeb died in 1707 at the age of 88 of unknown causes. Considering the activities of his life, some of his final words are very striking.
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I came alone and I go as a stranger. I do not know who I am nor what I have been doing. I have sinned teriible, and I do not know what punishment awaits me.
It is not unthinkable that the Lord of kindness may show causeless mercy to the greatest sinner or even to one who had considered the lord his enemy. Kamsa, Sishupala and other inimical kings obtained Lord’s Mercy.
Patita Pavana Jagannath ki Jay …
