Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
This temple is situated at the junction of three roads at the end of Aṭhkhambā, coming from the famous Bāṅke-bihārī Temple.
During his stay in Vṛndāvana, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī resided in his bhajana-kuṭī near the old Śrī Madana-mohana Temple, and would daily go for darśana of Śrī Gopīśvara Mahādeva. When Sanātana Gosvāmī became old, Śrī Gopīśvara Mahādeva instructed him one day in a dream, “In your old age, please do not go to so much trouble to take my darśana. I myself will appear at Bankhaṇḍī nearer to your bhajana-kuṭī.” That very next day, Śrī Gopīśvara Mahādeva appeared in Bankhaṇḍī. Seeing this, Sanātana Gosvāmī became overwhelmed in ecstatic emotions. From that day on, he would take darśana of Bankhaṇḍī Mahādeva each day before returning to his bhajana-kuṭī. Because Śrī Gopīśvara Mahādeva appeared in Bankhaṇḍī, he became known by the name Bankhaṇḍī Mahādeva.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The name Ban-khandi Mahadeva refers to Lord Shiva, who eternally resides in the sacred forests or bana (vana) of Vrindavana Dhama. The word bankhandi means ‘forest-grove’. In the Vedas, Lord Shiva is referred to as Vaishnavanam-yata-shambu, the greatest of all Vaishnavas devoted to Lord Krishna. There are many pastimes where Lord Shiva came to have darshana of Lord Krishna during His childhood, both at Gokula and Nandagrama. Lord Shiva was appointed by Krishna as the protector of the holy Dhama and there are five important temples of Lord Shiva known as the dig-pals, or protectors of the directions. Their names are: Bhuteshwara in Mathura, Gopeshwara in Vrindavana, Chakreshwara in Goverdhana, Nandeshwara at Nandagrama, and Karmeshwara at Kamyavana. When Sanatana Goswami was staying at the Madana-Mohana Mandira in Vrindavana, he would daily walk all the way to Vamsi Vata for darshan of Gopeshwara Mahadeva. One night, Lord Shiva appeared to Sanatana in a dream and informed him that he need not walk so far for darshana, because the Deity of Lord Shiva had now manifested as Bankhandi Mahadeva near to the Madana-Mohana. After this dream, instead of going to Vamsi Vata, Sanatana began regularly taking darshana of Bankhandi Mahadeva.
