Taste of Kheer draws lakhs to shrine
The Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri, around 30 km from here, is a famous religious place for all Krishna devotees.
It is explained that in Satyayuga, lord Brahma came and worshipped lord Vishnu here on top of a hill. One day lord Vishnu appeared and said, “I am very pleased with your worship. Make a four-armed Deity of Me holding shankha, chakra, gada, and padma (conch shell, disk, club, and lotus). The Deity should be made from a piece of black stone. Also install a Deity of Garuda”. lord Vishnu also said, “This place will be called Brahmagiri (Brahma’s hill) because you have worshipped me here”.
According to mythology, the rulers of Alwar in Rajasthan had established the temple here. The temple was later known as Alwarnath or Alarnath. lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Alarnath during anavasara period of lord Jagannath. Anavasara is the two weeks period when lord Jagannatha takes rest in isolation from the rest of the world after suffering from fever due to the annual bathing festival
(Snana Yatra). lord Chaitanya claimed that he visualised the appearance of lord Jagannath in Alarnath and spent a long period in worshipping the deity here.
It is believed that those who cannot worship lord Jagannath during his stay in the sick chamber can get the blessings of the deity if they visit the Alarnath temple. During this period, the temple servitors offer holy rice porridge, locally called Kheer, to the lord.
During anavasara period of every year, thousands of devotees visit Alarnath temple to get the blessings of lord Alarnath and taste a pot of the famous holy Kheer.