The Legend of Sapta Debaloy - Part II - Radha Gopinath Jew

Radha Gopinath Temple is a few minutes’ walk from Govindaji’s temple, was founded by Madhu Pandit Goswami, and its marvelous construction reveals a glorious past. Gopinatha, the presiding deity was first installed 5,000 years ago by Vajranabha, Lord Krishna’s grandson, and rediscovered at Vamsi-vata by Paramananda Goswami. Thousands of years later the same deity of Gopinath was rediscovered at Vamsi Vat in Vrindavan by Gadadhar Pandit´s disciple Paramananda Bhattacharya.

But then the deity was lost for many years. Once there was flood in Yamuna and the flow of waters cut down the land near the bank at Vamshi vat and thus the beautiful deity of Gopinath ji was exposed out of the sand under the old Banyan Tree (Vamshi Vat)

Later the Seva was taken over by Sri Madhu Pandit, whose samadhi is located in back of the temple premises. Madhu Pandit was a disciple of Gadadhar Pandit. He established the temple of Gopinath in Vrindavan and lived here until his sacred body was entombed here.
Initially the idol was worshipped at Vamshi Vat but later on a magnificent temple complementing the glory of Lord Gopinath was built by Raesil Ji King of Khandela, the descendent of the Shekhawati Branch of Rajput in 1632 A.D. & a Courtier in the Court of Mughal Emperor Akbar The temple built up of Red sandstone matches closely in style and dimensions to that of the old Madan Mohan Temple. Lord Gopinathji is ever since regarded as KUL DEVTA at Khandela.

Just Like Govind Dev Ji Temple this was destroyed by the Mughal Soldiers under the instruction of Alamgir Badshah Aurangazeb on the same day of 1669. But The Shekhawati Rajpus like all other original deities also moved the Deity in the middle of the night before the Mughal Soldiers arrived. The central dome of the temple was entirely destroyed and the main entrance gateway of the temple courtyard is shaking to its fall. The Choir dome of the temple is richly decorated with the sculptures in Arab style (Islamic art). Samadhi of Madhu Pandit lies to the east side of the new temple.

Whole of the history can be summarised as under:

Manifestation of of Radha-Gopinath to Shri Madhu Pandit from under the Vanshi Vat, Vrindavan Around or after the year 1503.

Construction of Red Stone Temple near Nidhi-Van by Raja Raayasal Darbari of Shekhavt clan Around or after the year 1573

Stay of Lord Radha-Gopinath in Vrindavan till year 1669.
Stay of Thakur at Radha Kund and Kama (Kamvan) From 1669 till 1775
Arrival in Jaipur Savan Budi 13, Saturday, year 1775
Stay at Madho Vilas, Jaipur till 1792
Arrival at the Present Temple Premises and stay thereafter Kartik Shukla 6, Thursday, year 1792.

Currently this Original Deity a part of Sapta Debaloy is kept at Poorani Haveli in Jaipur.