Heaven’s Gate Opens Once a Year Here, devotees believe darshan leads to Vaikuntha

Mathura (The Uttam Hindu): The Vaikuntha Gate was ceremonially opened on Tuesday at North India’s largest South Indian–style Ranganath Temple in Vrindavan on the occasion of Vaikuntha Ekadashi. The gate, which opens only once a year, allowed devotees to have special darshan of Lord Ranganath seated at the sacred entrance. According to belief, devotees who pass through the Vaikuntha Gate attain Vaikuntha Dham.

The Vaikuntha festival began late at night with the Mangala Aarti of Lord Ranganath. During the Brahma Muhurat in the early morning, Lord Ranganath, accompanied by Goddess Goda Devi, was carried in a palanquin from the main shrine to the Vaikuntha Gate amid traditional musical instruments. The palanquin remained at the gate for nearly half an hour.

Under the leadership of temple Mahant Govardhan Rangacharya, priests performed special recitations and rituals at the Vaikuntha Gate. After prayers and archana, a grand Kumbh Aarti was performed for Lord Ranganath along with Shathakopa Swami, Nath Muni Swami and the Alvar saints. Following the rituals, the palanquin toured the temple परिसर and finally rested at Poundanath Temple, believed to be Lord’s Vaikuntha abode, where devotees sang bhajans.

Lakhs of devotees gathered at the temple premises from late night with the desire to pass through the Vaikuntha Gate. Temple priest Swami Raju said that during the 21-day Vaikuntha festival, the gate is opened on the 11th day, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, which is considered one of the most sacred Ekadashis of the year. It is believed that devotees passing through the gate on this day attain Vaikuntha Dham.

Chief Executive Officer of the temple, Anagha Shri Nivasan, said that during the festival, Alvar acharyas recite their devotional hymns before the Lord. As per South Indian Vaishnav tradition, Vaikuntha Gate opens during Brahma Muhurat in all major Vaishnav temples, a tradition followed at the Ranganath Temple in Vrindavan as well.

The Vaikuntha Gate was decorated with more than one thousand kilograms of flowers sourced from Vrindavan, Delhi and Bengaluru. Special lighting created the impression of a divine Vaikuntha realm, delighting devotees who thronged the temple for darshan.

According to legend, the tradition began when Alvar saints asked Lord Narayan about the path to Vaikuntha. The Lord is believed to have revealed the Vaikuntha Gate on Vaikuntha Ekadashi, a ritual that continues to be observed at the Ranganath Temple.

Heavy crowds were managed with tight security arrangements under CO Sadar Sandeep Singh, Kotwali In-charge Sanjay Pandey and Inspector Crime Dharmendra Kumar. The temple administration arranged mats, bonfires, and distributed tea, milk and halwa prasad to provide relief from the cold. Several priests and volunteers were present to assist devotees throughout the festival.