The presiding deity of Shri Radha Damodar was manifested by Shrila Rupa Goswami who entrusted it to his dear disciple and nephew Shrila Jiva Goswami.
Vrindavan, 2021-10-23 (Vrindavan Today News): Established in 1542 by Shrila Jiva Goswami, the Radha Damodar Temple in Sevakunj is one of the saptadevalayas of Vrindavan. The presiding deity of Shri Radha Damodar was manifested by Shrila Rupa Goswami who came to Vrindavan to rediscover the lila shtalis of Shri Krishna on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions. Radharani and Lalita Sakhi are worshiped on the left and right of Damodar respectively.
The eight-inch tall Deity of Shri Radhadamodar was carved out of a piece of black stone from the Vindya Mountains in the sacred month of Damodar (Kartik) by Rupa Goswami. He handed it over to his dearest disciple and nephew Jiva Goswami who officially purchased land at Seva-kunj for thirty rupees in order to worship his beloved Lord.
Like most other deities of Vrindavan, Shri Radha Damodar was also moved to safe havens in Jaipur during the reign of the Muslim fanatic Aurangzeb. However, He is one of the exceptions who returned to Vrindavan later.
Other deities giving darshan in this temple include Shri Radha-Vrindavan Chandra of Shrila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami (author of Shri Chaitanya Caritamrita), Jayadev Goswami’s Shri Radha-Madhav (brought to Vrindavan a century ago), Shrila Bhugarbha Goswami’s Shri Shri Radha-Chailchikan jiu who came to Vrindavan before the six goswamis and never moved out since, not even during the reign of Aurangzeb, and Sanatan Goswami’s Giriraj Shila on which are impressed Shri Krishna’s footprints, His walking stick, flute, and the hoof-print of a calf.
The shila was given to Sanatan Goswami by Shri Krishna himself when he grew too old and weak to do the daily Govardhan Parikrama. The merciful Lord blessed it so, that by going around shila four times one would accrue the same merit as going around the sacred hill. During the auspicious month of Kartik or Damodar Maas, devotees throng to the temple to have darshan of Shri Radha Damodar, offer lamps, and go around the shila every day.
Before his disappearance in 1596, Shrila Jiva Goswami entrusted the Deities and the rich temple library to his successor Sri Krishna Dasa (the head pujari). His descendents have been in Their service since then. There are four main samadhis in the temple including those of Shri Rupa Goswami, Shri Jiva Goswami, Shri Bhugarbha Goswami and that of Shri Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami. Additionally, there are pushpa samadhis of many venerable Vaishnavas and Bhajan Kutirs of Shrila Rupa Goswami and Shrila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, founder acharya of ISKCON. The temple also has goshala
