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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Ekachakra
| other_name =
| nickname =
| settlement_type = village
| image_skyline = Ekachakra Pandava.jpg
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Ekachakra dharm, the location where the Pandavas are said to have stayed.
| pushpin_map = India West Bengal#India
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in West Bengal, India
| coordinates = {{coord|24.061434|N|87.847789|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[West Bengal]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Birbhum District|Birbhum]]
| established_title = 
| established_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_total =
| population_as_of = 2001
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[English language|English]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code =
| registration_plate =
| website = {{URL|birbhum.nic.in}}
| footnotes =
}}
'''Ekachakra''' is a small village, located 20 km away from the town of [[Rampurhat]] in the [[Birbhum District]] of [[West Bengal]].<ref name="vedabase.net">{{Cite web |url=http://vedabase.net/cc/adi/13/61/en1 |title=Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-lila,13.61, purport |access-date=4 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503151557/http://vedabase.net/cc/adi/13/61/en1 |archive-date=3 May 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Within [[Hinduism|Hindu]] tradition, the five [[Pandavas]] from the epic, [[Mahabharata]] are described as staying in Ekachakra during their years in exile.<ref name= omalley>O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, ''Birbhum'', Bengal District Gazetteers, p. 128, first published 1910, 1996 reprint, Government of West Bengal</ref> It is also famous as the birthplace of [[Nityananda|Nityananda Rama]]<ref name="vedabase.net"/> (b 1474 CE), a principal religious figure in the [[Gaudiya Vaishnava]] tradition.

The village extends north and south for an area of about eight miles. Other villages, namely Viracandra-pura and Virabhadra-pura, are situated within the area of the village of Ekacakra. In honor of [[Virachandra Goswami]] (the son of Nityananda), these places are renowned as Viracandra-pura and Virabhadra-pura.

==Toponym==
The origin of the name Ekachakra is associated with the legend of the [[Pandavas]]. In the battle of Kurukshetra [[Krishna]] broke his vow of not actively participating in the war as a warrior and rushed with his sudarshan [[chakram]] to help his devotee [[Arjuna]], and slay [[Bhishma]] who had been fighting with Arjuna but not losing. When Bhishma satisfied him with many beautiful prayers, Krishna lost his anger and tossed aside the chakram. The chakram fell on this tract of land and therefore got the name ''Ekachakra''. ''Eka'' means one, and ''chakra'' means chakram.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

In the [[Mahabharata]], it is also believed to be the place where Demon [[Bakasura]] lived who was later slain by [[Bhima]]. However, there are several places all over India which contest as ancient Ekachakra.

==Geography==
{{OSM Location map
| width=300| height=350| zoom=9
| coord={{coord|24|15|0|N|87|50|0|E}}| float=left|caption='''Cities and towns in Rampurhat subdivision of Birbhum district'''<br/>M: municipal city/ town, CT: census town, R: rural/ urban centre.<br/>Owing to space constraints in the small map, the actual locations in a larger map may vary slightly
|mark-coord1={{coord|24|25|20|N|87|51|27|E}} | label-pos1=left|label1=Murarai | numbered1=CT| mark-title1= [[Murarai]] (CT)|label-color1=#800000 |label-size1=13| mark-size1=13|shape1=l-circle|shape-color1=#A40000|shape-outline1=white|label-offset-x1=2
|mark-coord2={{coord|24|33|25|N|87|51|54|E}} | label-pos2=right|label2=Ambhua | numbered2=CT| mark-title2= [[Ambhua]] (CT)|
|mark-coord3={{coord|24|33|43|N|87|48|44|E}} | label-pos3=left|label3=Barua Gopalpur| numbered3=CT| mark-title3= [[Barua Gopalpur]] (CT)|
|mark-coord4={{coord|24|27|45|N|87|55|30|E}} | label-pos4=left|label4=Kashimnagar| numbered4=CT| mark-title4= [[Kashimnagar]] (CT)|
|mark-coord5={{coord|24|7|20|N|87|53|25|E}} | label-pos5=right|label5=Bishnupur| numbered5=CT| mark-title5= [[Bishnupur, Birbhum]] (CT)|
|mark-coord6={{coord|24|4|45|N|87|44|50|E}} | label-pos6=right|label6=Fatehpur| numbered6=CT| mark-title6= [[Fatehpur, Birbhum]] (CT)|
|mark-coord7={{coord|24|17|38|N|87|50|20|E}} | label-pos7=left|label7=Nalhati | numbered7=M| mark-title7= [[Nalhati]] (M)|label-color7=#800000
|mark-coord8={{coord|24|11|10|N|87|46|38|E}} | label-pos8=top|label8=Rampurhat | numbered8=M| mark-title8= [[Rampurhat]] (M)|label-color8=#800000
|mark-coord9={{coord|23|59|37|N|87|45|53|E}} | label-pos9=right|label9= Mayureswar| numbered9=R| mark-title9= [[Mayureswar]] (R)|shape-color9=#A40000
|mark-coord10={{coord|24|8|45|N|87|50|32|E}} | label-pos10=left|label10= Margram| numbered10=R| mark-title10= [[Margram]] (R)|shape-color10=#A40000
|mark-coord11={{coord|24|6|30|N|87|47|50|E}} | label-pos11=left|label11= Tarapith| numbered11=R| mark-title11= [[Tarapith]] (R)|shape-color11=#A40000
|mark-coord12={{coord|24|4|42|N|87|42|46|E}} | label-pos12=left|label12= Mallarpur| numbered12=R| mark-title12= [[Mallarpur]] (R)|shape-color12=#A40000
|mark-coord13={{coord|24|25|35|N|87|54|40|E}} | label-pos13=right|label13= Paikar| numbered13=R| mark-title13= [[Paikar]] (R)|shape-color13=#A40000
|mark-coord14={{coord|24|18|44|N|87|57|44|E}} | label-pos14=right|label14= Lohapur| numbered14=R| mark-title14= [[Lohapur]] (R)|shape-color14=#A40000
|mark-coord15={{coord|23|57|49|N|87|44|45|E}} | label-pos15=left|label15= Kotasur| numbered15=R| mark-title15= [[Kotasur]] (R)|shape-color15=#A40000
|mark-coord16={{coord|24|12|5|N|87|52|56|E}} | label-pos16=right|label16= Hansan| numbered16=R| mark-title16= [[Hansan, Birbhum]] (R)|shape-color16=#A40000
|mark-coord17={{coord|24|3|0|N|87|50|52|E}} | label-pos17=right|label17= Ekachakra| numbered17=R| mark-title17= Ekachakra (R)|shape-color17=black| label-size17=13|label-color17=black 
|mark-coord18={{coord|23|56|18|N|87|50|6|E}} | label-pos18=right|label18= Lokpara| numbered18=R| mark-title18= [[Lokpara]] (R)|shape-color18=#A40000
|mark-coord19={{coord|24|3|15|N|87|41|43|E}} | label-pos19=left|label19= Madian| numbered19=R| mark-title19= [[Madian, Birbhum]] (R)|shape-color19=#A40000
|mark-coord20={{coord|24|8|50|N|87|52|49|E}} | label-pos20=right|label20= Basoa| numbered20=R| mark-title20= [[Basoa]] (R)|shape-color20=#A40000
|mark-coord21={{coord|24|11|50|N|87|43|30|E}} | label-pos21=left|label21= Chakmandala| numbered21=R| mark-title21= [[Chakmandala]] (R)|shape-color21=#A40000
|mark-coord22={{coord|23|55|0|N|87|47|45|E}} | label-pos22=left|label22= Satpalsa| numbered22=R| mark-title22= [[Satpalsa]] (R)|shape-color22=#A40000
|mark-coord23={{coord|23.8982|87.8249}}| label23=Mayurakshi River| label-color23 = #77A1CB| label-angle23= 0| label-pos23=right| label-size23=10| mark-size23=0| mark-title23 =none
|mark-coord24={{coord|24.2475|87.7596}}| label24=Brahmani River| label-color24 = #77A1CB| label-angle24=-10| label-pos24=right| label-size24=10| mark-size24=0| mark-title24 =none
|mark-coord25={{coord|24.5118|87.6521}}| label25=Bansloi River| label-color25 = #77A1CB| label-angle25= 10| label-pos25=right| label-size25=10| mark-size25=0| mark-title25 =none
|mark-coord26={{coord|24.0046|87.4722}}| label26=Dwaraka River| label-color26 = #77A1CB| label-angle26= 0| label-pos26=right| label-size26=10| mark-size26=0| mark-title26 =none
|mark-coord27={{coord|24|32|5|N|87|49|20|E}} | label-pos27=left|label27= Rajgram| numbered27=R| mark-title27= [[Rajgram]] (R)|shape-color27=#A40000
|arc-coordA={{coord|24|16|0|N|87|31|0|E}}|arc-textA= JHARKHAND| arc-text-colorA=hard grey| arc-angleA=-120| arc-gapA=5.5| arc-radiusA=0.35}}

===Location===
Ekachakra is located at {{coord|24.061434|N|87.847789|E|display=inline}}.

==Garbhavasa==
This is said to be the actual birthplace of [[Nityananda]].{{citation needed|date=January 2011}} In the Janmasthan [[Mandir]] there is a deity of Nitai (Nityananda) worshipped by a local [[brahmin]] family. Hadai Pandita Bhavan is the site of the original house of Nityananda's father. The small white temple next to Nitai Kund marks the exact spot where Nityananda was born. There are two [[banyan]] trees by this temple that are said to have existed since the time of Nityananda.

In the center of the main altar of the temple is a [[deity]] of Lord Nityananda. To his left, with his hands raised, is [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu]]. On Nityananda's right is [[Advaita Acharya]]. The side altar has deities of [[Radha]]-Radhakanta and Radha-Srikanta, a large dancing [[Gouranga]] in the center, and ten brass sakhis at the bottom. The temple was constructed by Prasannakumara Karapharma.

==Mala Tala==
There is an old [[Sacred fig|Pippala]] tree here called 'Mala Tala'. Just before Nityananda departed the village in his youth, Hadai Pandita came here and chanted [[japa]] under this tree. Mala means "[[japa mala|japa beads]]" and tala means "tree." When Nitai was about to depart Hadai Pandita left his japa beads here due to anxiety.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Ekacakra many years after Nityananda left. It is said that at that time Chaitanya left his flower [[garland]] on a branch of this tree. Mala also means "garland." Therefore, also for this reason this tree was called Mala Tala.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

==Hantugada Tirtha==
(Also known as Jahnu Kund) It is said that Nitai brought all the sacred waters from all the holy places to this [[temple tank|kunda]] to save the local residents from having to journey to the [[Ganges]] to take a sacred bath. It is named Hantugada because Nityananda Prabhu used to perform the Dadhi-cida festival of distributing chipped rice with yogurt [[prasadam]] here and He would take the prasada while kneeling down.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

==Pandava Tala==
This place is a five-minute walk (400m) into the fields, southeast of Nityananda's birthplace. It is surrounded by a group of Keli-[[kadamba tree]]s. The [[Pandavas]] are said to have lived here with their mother, [[Kunti]], when they were exiled to the forest.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

==Bankima Raya Mandira==
The current [[deity]] within the Bankima Raya temple was found by Nityananda himself, within the Yamuna river of Ekachakra.
The deity was then installed in a temple that is now submerged within Jahnu kunda.
Nityananda is believed to have merged within this deity at the time of his disappearance.
The present temple of Bankima Raya is also an old one.
The deity of Jahnava Mata (Nityananda's wife) was placed beside him.
In this temple there is also a small samadhi of [[Virachandra Goswami]].

==See also==
*[[Vrindavan]]
*[[Mayapur]]
*[[Nityananda]]
*[[Sankirtan]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.nityanandajanmasthan.com Ekchakradham, Birth place of Nityananda Prabhu]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070711105345/http://www.iskcon.net/nityananda/three_days.htm A Three Day Pilgrimage to Ekachakra]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070629083859/http://www.nityanandajanmasthan.org/BIOGRAPHY.HTM Nityananda Janmasthan]
* [https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/ekachakradhama/info.html&date=2009-10-25+21:42:04 A young girl's account of Ekachakra]

{{Hindu holy cities}}
{{Birbhum District}}

[[Category:Hindu temples in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Vaishnavism]]
[[Category:Sacred groves of India]]
[[Category:Villages in Birbhum district]]

Ekachakra - Revision history

UpdateBot at 03:29, 6 September 2021