It was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s strong desire to reveal the sweet charming pastimes of pure love of Vrindavan to anyone who would accept it from Him or His descendents. Being bound by the request of his mother to stay in Puri he entrusted the responsibility of excavating and re-estabishing the lost places of pilgrimage of Lord Sri Krishna’s pastimes to Sri Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami.
Read on as Radhanath Swami describes the appearance of Sri Govindaji and how the temple was made:
“Srila Rupa Goswami re-established all of the important places where Krishna performed His holy Lila, still he was feeling anxiety because of one point. In the scriptures it is said that Sri Govinda dev was installed in the Deity form in the holy land of Vrindavan. Srila Rupa Goswami looked throughout all of Vrindavan very extensively, studied many books, desperately looking for the Govinda Deity, knowing that it was Lord Chaitanya’s desire to install Govindadev. But nowhere could he find the Deity of Govinda Dev. He even searched through the houses of the Vrajavasis but he could not find Sri Govinda. So in his heart he was feeling great sorrow. Such incredible quality! We do not even do thousand things, but we become proud. He did thousands of things and endeavored with all his life and soul. But he was unable to fulfill just a particular instruction, and that made him miserable.
One day he sat on the bank of the holy river Yamuna under a tree and a very charming Vrajvasi boy approached him. This boy was beautiful, calm and quiet, and he asked Rupa Goswami why he was looking so sad. Srila Rupa Goswami’s heart was extremely attracted to this Vrajavasi. He was very much enchanted by the boy’s demeanor, by his characteristics, and by his incredible beauty. He developed complete trust in this little child, and poured out his heart. Rupa Goswami explained, “I cannot fathom the whereabouts of Govind Dev.” The boy smiled and said, “Do not be sad. Let your anxiety go away, because I know where Govind Dev is residing. Across by, there is a hill called Gomati hill. In this holy place a Surabhi cow comes and every afternoon willingly lets her milk down. Sri Govinda Dev keeps Himself hiding under the ground of this holy spot. Come I will show you.”
Then the all-attractive Vrajavasi boy personally led Srila Rupa Goswami to that holy location and then he suddenly disappeared. When the child disappeared, Rupa Goswami could understand within his heart of hearts, “The boy was Govind Dev Himself. Krishna appeared to me, but I am so ignorant, so fallen that I did not recognize my Lord. When He came before me, I did not offer Him any respect, nor did I perform any worship.” Srila Rupa Goswami fell to the ground unconscious in ecstatic love.
After a long time he came to his external consciousness and his eyes were filled with tears as he cried with great feelings of ecstatic emotion. Then he recalled the desire of the Lord. He told the Vrajavasis that Sri Govinda Dev is under the ground in this place. Very soon, a whole crowd of these devotees gathered and then they began to dig. Suddenly a diving voice spoke from the sky; it was Lord Balaram. He explained the Vrajavasis exactly where to dig, and gave his profuse blessings upon them to reveal Govind Dev to the world.
With great care and attention they dug, and finally from the earth they discovered the transcendental form of Sri Govinda Dev, who was more beautiful than millions and millions of Gandharvas or Cupids. When Govinda Dev was discovered every one looked upon him with great love and they all began to chant Sri Govinda Dev Ki Jai!!!
The Vrajavasis made a small temple for Govind Dev and offered everything to Govindadev Ji and thus Rupa Goswami’s desire was fulfilled. When Rupa Goswami first began the puja of Govinda Dev, demigods like Brahma disguised themselves as human beings and came to the earth, to make their offerings to Sri Govinda. Rupa Goswami was so happy that he immediately wrote a letter to Lord Sri Chaitanya in Jagannath Puri to explain that he has found Govinda Ji.”
Incredible quality of Srila Rupa Goswami was that inspite of excavating almost all holy places in vrindavan, he was unable to fulfill just a particular instruction, and that made him miserable. We do not even do thousand things, but we become proud.