Gaurāṅga Ghāṭa
Information – The Simul tree is honored as the sacred site of Gauranga Ghat, a location identified by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur.
Six meters from Vrddha Siva Ghata, see Gauranga’s own Ghat. There Gaurahari in His childhood played in the water and pulled many pranks. Seeing the Yamuna’s good fortune of taking part in Krsna’s pastimes, the Ganges performed penance for the same purpose. Krsna bestowed His mercy by appearing before Gangadevi and saying, ‘In the form of Gauranga I will perform pastimes in your waters.’ Those pastimes were performed by the Supreme Lord of the three worlds, Gauranga, at this ghata. Fortunate people who see this place attain great happiness.
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapter 5)
Sometimes the Lord would go with other children to bathe in the Ganges, and the neighboring girls would also come there to worship various demigods.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic system, when small girls ten or twelve years old would go to the bank of the Ganges to take their bath, they would especially worship Lord Śiva with prayers to get good husbands in the future. They especially wanted to get a husband like Lord Śiva because Lord Śiva is very peaceful and at the same time most powerful. Formerly, therefore, small girls in Hindu families would worship Lord Śiva, especially in the month of Vaiśākha (April-May). To take a bath in the Ganges is a great pleasure for everyone, not only for adults but for children also.
(CC Adi 14.48)
The brāhmaṇas said, “Dear friend, Jagannātha Miśra. Please hear about your son’s misdeeds. “Due to His misdeeds we are unable to bathe properly.” Someone said, “He splashes water on me and disturbs my meditation.” Another complained, “Your son asked me, ‘Who are you meditating on? In Kali-yuga I am directly Lord Nārāyaṇa.’ Someone said, “He stole my Śiva-liṅga,” and someone else said, “He ran away with my cādara.” Someone said, “I kept the ingredients for worshiping Viṣṇu—flowers, dūrvā grass, bhoga, sandalwood pulp, and the Lord’s āsana—on the bank of the Ganges. When I went to take bath your son sat on the Lord’s āsana, ate the bhoga, smeared Himself with the sandalwood pulp, decorated Himself with the flowers, and ran off. “Then He said, ‘Why are you unhappy? He for whom you arranged those ingredients has Himself enjoyed them.’” Someone said, “I was standing in the water chanting my Gāyatrī, and He grabbed my feet and pulled me down.” Another said, “He always takes my flower basket and fresh cloth.” Someone else said, “He steals my Bhagavad-gītā.” Then someone complained, “My son is very young, and your son makes him cry by putting water in his ears.” Another person said, “He comes behind me, climbs on my shoulders, and then jumps in the water, exclaiming, ‘I am Lord Maheśa!’ Someone said, “Your son sits on my āsana and eats the offerings I have prepared for Lord Viṣṇu. Then He worships Lord Viṣṇu. When I come out from my bath, He throws sand on me. He is surrounded by all the other mischievous boys. He exchanges the men’s cloth with the women’s, and then everyone is embarrassed when they go to dress.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Ādi-khaṇḍa 6.56 – 6.69)
As the two drunkards wandered from place to place, they came to the bathing ghāṭa where the Lord would take His bath in the Ganges. By divine arrangement they made that place their base from which they would go out to raid various places. Whether influential, rich, or poor, all people’s hearts became filled with fear. No one went to take bath in the Ganges at night, and if they did, they went in groups of ten or twenty. They stayed near the Lord’s house and listened to the Lord’s kīrtana as they remained awake throughout the night. Being intoxicated with wine, they joyfully danced as they listened to the sound of the karatālas and mṛdaṅgas in the kīrtana. As they could hear everything from that distance, they would listen, dance, and then drink more wine. Whenever there was kīrtana, the two would stay there. When they heard the kīrtana, they would get up and dance. They were so overwhelmed by drinking wine that they did not remember where they had been or where they were. When they saw the Lord, they said, “O Nimāi Paṇḍita, You should sing the entire song of Maṅgalacaṇḍī. You have expert singers, who we wish to see. We will bring and give You whatever You need.” Seeing those miscreants, the Lord kept a distance. Others took another path and fled away.
(Sri Caitanya Bhagavata Madhya Khanda, 13.161 – 13.172)
