Miracle of Chaturbhuj Maharaj of Chhata

2023.03.19 (Vrindavan Today News): Shri Krishna or Narayana is called Bhaktavatsala as He is always caring and compassionate towards His devotees. Thakur Shri Chaturbhuj Maharaj of Chhata had once proved that He really cares His devotees.

The temple of Thakur Shri Chaturbhuj Maharaj is located in the town of Chhata (Mathura) on the National Highway. The deity of Thakur Shri Chaturbhuj is known for the Divine Pastime. Legend has it that Thakurji changed His color from white to black to protect the lives of His devotees and save them from imprisonment.

The story of the temple dates back 600 years ago during the Mughal era. The Maharaja of Jaipur had engaged an artisan from Chhata to make two identical deities. The artisan was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the deities that he decided to install one in his native village. He reached his village Chhata with the deity on foot, walking for 28 days. Reaching there he convinced the villagers to help him to build a temple for the deity. Despite their fear of the king, the artisan’s strong will for to build a temple and install the deity prevailed. The villagers helped him to build the temple for the deity, where it was installed.

When the king found out, he sent his commander with the entire army to retrieve the deity. However, Thakurji had gone to sleep by then, and the sculptor suggested that they wait until the morning to have darshan and determine the rightful owner of Thakurji. The commander threatened that the sculptor would be given life imprisonment if the deity was found to be theirs. The sculptor spent the night praying to Chaturbhuj Bhagwan to protect him from the danger. The next morning, during the Mangla Aarti darshan, the deity had turned black, indicating that it belonged to the village. The commander bowed down and returned to his state.

According to Mandir Sevayat Goswami Gaurav Aviral Shastri, the Chaturbhuj Maharaj temple is the only place in Braj 84 Kos where Gore Thakur (white complexioned Thakurji)  turned Kare (dark complexioned). Devotees from far and wide flock to the temple to catch a glimpse of Thakurji, carrying a flute in one hand and a silver stick in the other and are deeply moved by the spiritual experience. The visit leaves an indelible impression on their hearts and they carry the divine energy with them long after they leave. People’s wishes are said to be fulfilled by offering just one pair of clothes.

The present name of the village Chhata is derived from an incredible lila performed by Lord Krishna and His friends. The incident is recorded in Garga Samhita. In this event, Shridam and his friends made Lord Krishna sit on the throne and named him Chhatrapati Maharaj of Braj. Shri Balramji acted as a minister, and Shridam put a canopy over Lord Krishna’s head. The friends acted out various roles, such as showering flowers, acting as clowns etc. Lord Krishna playfully declared himself the only “Chhatrapati Maharaj” in the area, and that no one else had the right to claim the title. Since then, the village came to be known as Chhatravan or Chhata. The village is located about 20 miles north-west of Mathura and four miles south-west of Paigaon, with Suryakund in the north-east corner and Chandrakund in the south-west corner. Dauji’s temple is situated on the banks of Chandrakund, where the historical event took place.