By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader
On April 18, 2021, the All-India Padayatra reached Bindu-sarovara at the historic town of Siddhpur on the banks of the Sarasvati River in northern Gujarat. Siddhpur, also known as Sri-sthal, or a pious place, is mentioned in the Rig Veda. And in the Mahabharata, it is told that the Pandavas visited Siddhpur while they were in exile.
Bindu-sarovara is a kunda. It is the only place where Matrushraddh, the shraddha ritual for mothers, is performed. Thus, thousands of people visit Bindu-sarovara annually in the month of Kartika to perform the rituals for their dead mothers. It is the best of all the tirthas, where Kardama and Devahuti lived and where Kardama Muni performed austerities to please Lord Vishnu. There is mention of this kunda in the Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.23.23.
nimajjyāsmin hrade bhīru
vimānam idam āruha
idaṁ śukla-kṛtaṁ tīrtham
āśiṣāṁ yāpakaṁ nṛṇām
My dear Devahuti, you look very much afraid. First bathe in Lake Bindu-sarovara, created by Lord Viṣhṇu Himself, which can grant all the desires of a human being, and then mount this airplane.
Kardama Muni advised his good wife to bathe in Lake Bindu-sarovara so that she could revive the beauty and lustre of her body. It is said that this kunda was created by the teardrops of Lord Vishnu when He was pleased by the austerities of Kardama Muni.
When Kardama Muni left for the forest Lord Kapila stayed on the strand of Bindu-sarovara to please His mother, Devahuti, to reside there with her and give her knowledge of the Absolute Truth.
Some of us had heard of Bindu-sarovara but did not know where it was situated, so the desire was always there to have darshan. It’s a very beautiful place surrounded by trees and many temples. We performed sankirtan in the village and it was an uplifting experience.
Because Lord Kapila had taught Devahuti about Sankhya philosophy here we thought we should read about it from the third canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam after prasadam. In this very peaceful place, we could feel the presence of the Lord. Some of us then took a dip in the holy sarovara and prayed to the Lord.
