ShreeNathji shifts to Nathdwara for His dear bhakt and friend Ajab Kunvari Bai, a Rajput princess from Mewar.
ShreeNathji’s stay at Nathdwara will complete 345 years in 2017
(Details given below are from the original Vraj bhasha, ‘ShreeNathji Pragatya Varta’; translated in English)
..Once when Shri Gusainji was on his way to Dwarka, he saw a lovely spot in Mevar, Rajasthan called Sinhad. Shri Gusainji stayed there for two days.
He mentioned this to Baba Harivamshaji, “In future ShreeNathji will come reside here. As long as I am alive Shreeji will not leave Giriraj Govardhan”.
(This varta explains how all was planned by Shreeji Himself; when He would leave Vraj and move to Mewar. The outer circumstances that we can see are only as an excuse for His leela to be complete).
Raja Uday Singh came for his darshans with gifts of gold and land. In return as blessings, Shri Gusainji gave him some pure vastra and samadhan, which had been worn by Shreeji Himself.
Later his queen came who was Mira Bai’s daughter. This Rani’s daughter-in-law was Ajaba Kunwari. She also came and took diksha in the form of Brahm sambandh from Shri Gusainji himself. She had darshans of his real swarup.
When he had to move on to Dwarka Ajaba was very upset. Shri Gusainji then explained to her, “Though I cannot stay here, Shreeji Himself would come here and give you Darshans daily.”
|| Shreeji ko nitya Mevad padhravo aur Ajab Kunvari sau chopad khelvo tatha Mevad padharve ko niyam karvo ||
After this promise by Shri Gusainji, Shreeji came daily from Shri Govardhan to Mewar to meet His dear bhakt and friend, Ajaba. After playing Chopad (ludo like board game) with her He would return to Giriraj Govardhan.
Realizing how troublesome it must be for Thakurjee to travel back and forth, Ajaba rani made a request to Shreeji, “It is tiring for You to come and go daily. Please come and live in Mewar, so that I can always have Your darshans”.
But at that time Shreeji refused. He told her, “As long as Shri Gusainji is here on earth I will not leave Shri Giriraj, but after he leaves for Golok, I will come here and stay for many years.
Then only when Shri Gusainji is reborn, I will return back to Giriraj Govardhan in Vraj and play there for many years”.
So saying, Shreeji leaves for Giriraj Govardhan.
Shri Vitthalnathji, is also known as Shri Gusainji.
|| Shreenathji Mevar padharve ke sudhi kar ek asur ko Shri Giriraj te uthay deve ki prerna kini ||
Several years later Shreeji remembered the promise made to Ajaba in the time period of Shri Gusainji. He will have to move to Mewar for many years as per Shri Gusainji commitment to Ajaba. At the same time Shreeji knew, the lineage holders of Shri Vallabhacharya would not agree to let Him shift unless they were forced by some evil to move from here.
So according to His divine plan, He ordered a Mughal king to make Him leave Giriraj Govardhan and also made the leela so that His own mandir will become secret. Then Shri Vallabhji Maharajji had a dream that Shreeji is moving from Shri Girirajji to some other place.
During the Journey from Giriraj Govardhan to Sinhad, Nathdwara, Shreeji travelled in His Rath for a total of 2 years, 4 months, 7 days.
The journey to Mewar, as desired by Thakurjee, began in 1669 AD, on Asadh Sud Punam on Friday, during the last 3 hours of the night. ShreeNathji with all His sevaks arrived in Sinhad (Nathdwara) in 1672 AD, on Falgun Vad Satam on Saturday.
Then, later in the vartas it comes that Shreeji’s Rath stopped exactly at the spot where Shri Gusainji had predicted several years back. It was the area where Princess Ajaba Kunwari’s Haveli stood earlier; that became his final destination from Vraj, Girirajji.
Here ShreeNathji’s Rath was stuck in a point under a Pipar tree. When asked why, Shreeji replied,
“My bhakt Ajaba Kunwari Bai lived here; so My mandir should be built here, Ranaji desires Me to stay at Udaipur, but that manorath I will fulfill later. At present construct My mandir at AjabKunwari Bai’s sthal. I will live here for a long time; this place reminds Me of Vraj, I like the mountains here”. “There is also the Banas River which represents Yamunaji”.
“This is Ajaba Kunwari’s land”, Shreeji said; “I will stay here. Tell all the Gusain Balak to build their baithak here also”.
Shri Govindaji began preparations to get the mandir ready. He ordered Gopaldas Usta, to hire maximum people and make sure that ShreeNathji mandir is ready in the earliest possible time. Work began day and night with hundreds of workers, and in a few months Shreeji’s mandir was ready.
In 1672 AD in Falgun Vad Satam, Saturday, Swati Nakshatra Shri Damodar Maharajji (ShriDauji) did sthapan of ShreeNathji’s Paat in the mandir Haveli. It was all perfectly done with Vastu pratishta and pujan, according to Vedic rites. Slowly all the various rituals and festivals were started again here similar to Shri Girirajji. Since then Shreeji happily began living here at Mewad.
A Gaushala was also built close by for all of Shreeji’s cows.
Shri Dauji Maharaj with a lot of loving care took care of Shreeji, and celebrated all utsav and the Mahautsav; all Shringar was also done by him.
Shreeji travelled in His Rath for a total of 2 years, 4 months, 7 days.
During this entire journey Shreeji insisted to keep His bhakt, an old lady by the name of Gangabai in the Rath behind Him. She became His voice; whenever Shreeji’s Rath stopped they asked Gangabai what is it that Shreeji required. When that wish was fulfilled the Rath would move again. The large procession consisted of all His Vrajvasi friends and several sewaks. These Vrajvasi till today stay in Nathdwara and serve ShreeNathji, though generations have passed.
Jai ho Shreeji!
You always fulfill commitments made to bhakts,
Rani Ajab Kunwari Bai by now must be fully satisfied and joyful with Your Presence and completely merged in Your Being.
We now await Your return to Giriraj Govardhan; as per Your commitment to Vraj vasis
-Abha Shahra Shyama
