It took about sixteen to eighteen days for the pilgrims from Bengal to reach Neelacal by road on foot though some could make it within fourteen days. Raghunath Das, one of the Goswamis of Brindavan reached Neelacal in twelve days. In 1510, Sri Caitanya started for Neelacal during the second week of Phalgoon and reached there before the 'Dolayatra'. It has been said -
Jagannath dolete dekhilo mane kari
sarvare calila prabhu bali Hari Hari.
(Chanting the name of Hari, Caitanya went to Neelacal to visit Jagannath during the Dolayatra. It was held on the 28th of Phalgoon that year and naturally he and his associates did not take more than sixteen days to reach Neelacal).
In 1512 A.D. Caitanya came back from the South, visited the' 'Snana Jatra' of lord Jagannath and then again went to stay with Raya Ramananda. This has been stated only by Kavi Karnapur in his Mahakavya (13/57-60) and tacitly agreed to by Krishnadas. But I could not accept this contention. I am ready to concede this much that during 'Anasar' Caitanya was aggrieved and went to Alarnath. But it is difficult to believe that he did not take the chance to see the Car Festival in 1512 and stayed back with Ramananda. I believe strongly that Caitanya met Ramananda on his way to the South, stayed with him for ten days in 1510 and even met him on his way back in 1512 to request him to come to Neelacal. Ramananda was brought back to Puri by Prataprudradeva as the former was found more interested in his religious life than the administrative one. This has been corroborated by Madhab Patnaik in his 'Vaisnav Leelamrita'. I put forward this point quite strongly that Caitanya attended the Car Festival in 1512 for the first time again and, in 1532 A.D. Within these twentyone years probably he missed the festival for once and that too in 1515 A.D. In Caitanya Caritamrita' we find that while in Bengal in 1514 A.D. he asked his friends and devotees not to come to Nilacal that year most possibly due to political activities which were hotting up between Prataprudradeva and Krishnadeva Roy The latter was then serioulsy active to recover his territories captured by the former. If we agree to this agreement, it stands that Sri Caitanya visited the Car Festival twenty times and this is corroborated in (Caitanya Cariamrita'. It has been said there-
prathama vatsare Advaitadi bhaktagan
prabhure dekhite kaila Neeladri gaman.
Rathajatra dekhi tamhi rahila carimas
Prabhu sange nritya geeta parama ullas.
Bidaya samaye prabhu kahlia sabhare
pratyabde asiba sabe Gundica dekhibare.
Prabhu agyanya bhaktagan pratyabda asiya
Gundica dekhiya jan prabhure miliya.
Vimsati vatsara aiche kare gatagati
Any onye domhara domha bina nahi sthiti.
(During the first year (1512 AD. when Caitanya came back from the South after almost two years) Advaita and others went to see Caitanya. They attended the Car Festival and stayed there for four months. Days passed on with pleasure as they had the opportunity of singing and dancing with Caitanya. When it was time for their departure. Caitanya told them that they should come to Neelacal every year to visit Gundica. This practice continued for twenty long years and the devotees used to come to visit Gundica and Caitanya as well, as Caitanya could also meet them. There was no alternative to it.)
This emphasis on Gundica by Caitanya needs probably a little • elucidation. For the Vaisnavites Neelacal stands for Mathura but Sun-daracal or Gundica stands for Brindaban. And for them Krisna's leela in Brindavan is of much more interest than that in Mathura which basically shows his aisvarya or magnificence as the godhead. They cherish the only design that they might be allowed to witness that Brindaban leela which is full of love or Madhurya for eternity. Tagore in one of his poems, "Ekala 0 Sekala', has said -
Ekhand se vamsi baje Jamunara teere
Ekhand premer khela
sara dina sara bela
Ekhand kandiche Radha hridaya kutire.
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