Vrindavan, 2017.07.22 (VT): With Mathura’s connection to Lord Krishna’s lilas, and the current BJP government’s regard for Hindu holy places, one would think government officers would be clamboring to work here. After all, we have a film star for an MP and a local legislator as the State’s power minister.
But while devotees have flocked from all over the world to Vrindavan for centuries, during some periods even making the long trek by foot through dangerous terrain over the course of months, government officials are reportedly refusing to work here.
Shri Ujjwal Kumar (IAS) was transferred here ten days ago as the new Municipal Commissioner, but he has yet to take charge. Likewise the important posts of Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority remain vacant. It seems officials are absconding from these positions. Once they are nominated for being transferred to the district, they use their connections within the government to block the transfer.
Meanwhile, the new Senior Superintendent of Police went on leave immediately after assuming his duty. The previous SSP Vinod Mishra only served the district for 53 days.
The reason, they say, is the heavy handed approach of the relatives and friends of the legislators of the district and the two ministers, who are elected as legislators from Mathura.
They are reportedly easy on appointees who are friends or family members, and the rest are forced to take up the slack. Relatives of these legislators behave as if they are ministers themselves, and give instructions to the officials. Some of them have even started to write “Minister’s Representative” on their vehicles or outside their offices.
Radha Baba (1913-1992) was a devotee of Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna who lived in Gorakhpur. Born in a Vaishnav Brahmin family in Gaya, he became an Advaitin sannyasi, but later took the path of Braj devotion. Shri Hanuman Prasad Poddar, the founder of Gita Press, was his inseparable spiritual companion. It is said that Radha Baba spent fourteen years performing a very strict maun vrat, during which he kept complete silence, without even using gestures to communicate. During this period he was completely absorbed in Braj Lila. Several beautiful books were written by him, including Keli Kunj, Satsang Sudha and Mahabhaga Brajdeviyan. The following excerpt is taken from his book Easy Steps to Eternal Vrindavan, translated into English by Lakhpat Rai, M.A. It appears to be out of print, but the original Hindi edition, Prem Satsang Sudha Mala, is still available from Gita Press.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.21 (Shri Radha Baba): One cannot recognize real saints by their outward behaviour alone.
There was one Gwariya Baba in Vrindavan. Only a few years ago he passed away, leaving his physical body. He had a unique personality. He used to consider himself as a playmate of Shyamsundar (Lord Krishna) and he was really so.
Very curious things are related about him. Where he used to roam throughout the day, nobody knows. One day he was lying on the roadside. It was nighttime and some thieves were passing that way. The thieves inquired, ‘Who are you?’
‘Who are you ?’ he asked the thieves.
‘We are thieves!’ They said.
“I too am a thief!” said Baba.
The thieves said, “Come along then, let us go and steal.”
Baba responded, ‘Let’s go.’
All of them entered the house of a Brajwasi (resident of Vrindavan) for stealing. The others were indeed thieves and they began stealing and tying up the items into bundles, whereas Baba remained just standing there for a while. Later he saw a drum (dholak) lying there and began to beat it loudly.
The men in the house were awakened. All the others ran away, but Baba continued to beat the drum. The men of the house came on the scene and hit the Baba four or five times with a stick. It was dark, but when a lamp was lighted they noticed that it was Gwariya Baba. All of them felt very sorry for having beaten the high-souled one with a stick.
They asked, “Baba! Why did you come here in the middle of the night?”
Baba replied, “For stealing.”
They asked, ‘Who were those other men?’
He replied, “All of them were playmates of Shyamsundar.”
Now see, how such people behave.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Shri Radha Baba
Some days before his death, Gwariya Baba said, “A notice has been served. I shall not live any more.” Two days after his death he went and drank milk at the house of a devotee who lived not far from his place. Another devotee of Baba had fallen seriously ill. He started crying and said, “Baba! Either cure me or call me to your side.” Baba came to him in a dream—this happened two days after his death—and told him, “Why are you crying? Come along and see the festivities going on in my honour.” Still in the dream, Baba took the devotee to to where the festivities were being held, showed him whatever was going on, and told him, I shall take you away on such-and-such a day.” On waking up the matter was inquired into, and it was found that the celebrations had been performed exactly as he had seen in the dream. The devotee passed away on the date stated by Baba.
Baba’s moods were so very peculiar that it becomes difficult to understand all of them. But he was in reality a playmate of Shyamsundar. He was a real saint. Some of his actions could not be interpreted at all. Two months prior to his death he used to roam about with handcuffs round his wrists, saying that Shyamsundar had imprisoned him.
The sum and substance of all this is that outward behaviour alone cannot be a proof of God Realization. There can be a defect even in a person whose behaviour is of a very high degree, whereas even a seemingly worthless individual looking like a madman can be a very great saint.
On listening to the biographies of saints on fire with the love of Vrindavan, it will be noticed that some weep, others laugh and yet others are mad. Some show no outward signs at all of love, but inside them a limitless ocean of Sri Krsna’s love continues to surge. Saints aflame with such love cannot be recognized by outward signs at all.
Vrindavan (VT) 2017.07.22: Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Unnao, Shri Sachidananda Hari Sakshi Maharaj, was in Vrindavan on Friday, He gave a press conference in his ashram on the Parikrama Marg in Sant Colony.
Since the matter of the Ram Janma Bhoomi is once again before the Supreme Court, which announced on Friday that it will take a decision on the early hearing of petitions in the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid land dispute case, Sakshi Maharaj was asked to comment.
He said, “The construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya is ongoing and has never really been stopped. It is progressing step by step and we expect that the cornerstone will be laid prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Work on carving stones for building has been going on at the Karsevakpuram (“Volunteer village”) in Ayodhya as the Supreme Court decision is still being awaited. But, he said, with the BJP in power both at the center and in UP, the time is ripe. If the courts won’t decide, new legislation can be passed.”
Sakhi Maharaj said, in a reference to Ramnath Kovind’s victory in the presidential election that now that Ram has reached Rashtrapati Bhavan, the BJP’s resolve to building the temple to Ram in Ayodhya will certainly not be weakened.
Congratulating President Ramnath Kovind on his victory, he said that his dignified personality makes him a perfect fit for the President’s position. By becoming his President, the country’s politics will take a beneficial new direction. He said that it was a matter for celebration that for the first time in the country, the President, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister have all come from Uttar Pradesh.
He said furthermore that as there is now no national opposition to speak of in the country, nothing will be able to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi reelection. He will be PM until at least 2024, Maharaj said. The people of the country are with him.
1528: The Babri Masjid, a mosque in Ayodhya, was constructed by Mir Baki on the orders of Mughal emperor Babar. According to the Hindu community, it was built on the foundations of a temple which marked the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. This contention lingered on for several years.
1949: Towards the end of December 1949, images of Lord Ram appeared inside the mosque, allegedly put there by Hindus. It led to widespread protests and both communities filed cases, Hashim Ansari for Muslims and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das for Hindus. The government declared the site disputed and locked its gates.
1950: Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das, the chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, and Gopal Singh Visharad filed suits in Faizabad, seeking permission to pray before the installed idols. The puja was allowed though the inner courtyard gates remain locked.
1959: Nirmohi Akhara, one of the main parties to the dispute, and others filed a case and sought permission again to conduct prayers.
1961: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs in Uttar Pradesh filed a case claiming the mosque, and argued that the surrounding area was a graveyard.
1984: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad constituted a group to continue the movement as BJP leader L K Advani was made the leader of the campaign.
February 1, 1986: Faizabad district judge ordered the gates of the structure be opened for Hindus to offer prayers. The Babri Masjid Action Committee was formed soon after this.
1989: The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi allowed shilanyas or a ground-breaking ceremony in an undisputed site close to the structure. The hearing of the case was subsequently shifted to the High Court.
September 25,1990: Advani launched a rath (pilgrimage procession) from Somnath to Ayodhya to galvanise support for the issue countrywide.
November 1990: Advani’s rath was stopped and he was arrested in Samastipur, Bihar. Dissatisfied with the development, the BJP withdrew its support to the VP Singh government, triggering fresh elections. The saffron party made giant strides in the assembly elections by winning a majority.
December 6,1992: The disputed mosque structure was brought down by kar sevaks and a makeshift temple was placed in its place. The PV Narasimha Rao-led Congress government then moved court for status quo.
March 5, 2003: The Allahabad High Court ordered the Archeological Survey of India to excavate the disputed site in order to determine whether a temple existed where the mosque stood.
August 22, 2003: The ASI submitted its report to the Allahabad High Court, saying it had found features of a 10th century temple beneath the site of the masjid
August 31, 2003: All India Muslim Personal Law Board said it would challenge the ASI report.
July 26, 2010: The bench reserved its judgement and advised all parties to solve the issue amicably. But no one was keen.
September 8, 2010: The High Court announced that the verdict would be pronounced on September 24.
September 14, 2010: A writ was filed to defer the judgement but was subsequently rejected by the High Court.
September 23: The plea for an out-of-court settlement reached Supreme Court and the apex body said it would hear it again on September 28.
September 28: The apex court rejected petition for deferment and gave the nod to the Allahabad High court to deliver the judgement. The High Court chose September 30 as verdict day.
September 30: The Allahabad High Court pronounced its verdict on the long-standing Ayodhya Ramjanmabhumi-Babri Masjid issue and ruled for a three-way division of the disputed area, between the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the party for ‘Ram Lalla’. The Supreme Court later cancelled this decision.
February 26, 2016: The Supreme Court permitted BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to intervene in the pending matters relating to the Ayodhya dispute with his plea seeking construction of Ram temple at the site of the demolished disputed structure.
July 26, 2017: SC says it will take a decision soon.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.22 (VT): Fateh Krishna Swami’s annual Raas Lila festival at Jai Singh Ghera is one of the definitve elements of the monsoon in Vrindavan.
The Raas Lila festival corresponds with the famous Hindol Utsav or Jhulan Yatra (swing festival), during which Shri Radha and Krishna enjoy the cool and playful atmosphere of a green and thriving, rain-filled Vrindavan while playing on a swing.
Raas Lila troupes will be performing throughout Vrindavan, but the sheer expertise of Fateh Krishna Swami’s troupe gives it a unique attraction.
The Raas Lila begins on Hariyali Amavasya (Sunday, July 23rd) and ends on Jhulan Purnima (Monday, August 7th). Gaur Lila will be featured in the mornings at 9am, while Braj Lila starts every evening around 6pm.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.22 (VT): Tensions are rising on the Yamuna riverfront as the government moves to demolish the illegal colonies on the floodplain.
The government is under pressure from the Allahabad High Court to remove more than four thousand structures in twenty-five illegal colonies from Varah Ghat to Panighat and beyond.
On Tuesday, the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) issued orders to the people living on the Yamuna floodplain to remove their belongings from their homes and vacate the premeses. A police team and thirty bulldozers were deployed to begin the demolition work, but local residents protested in large numbers. The people expressed their anger by burning effigies of various government officials.
The people of the Yamuna floodplain accused district authorities of foul play, saying they had turned a blind eye to the illegal construction for the last twenty years. They even provided water, electricity, roads and a sewage system. The government should have acted right away when people first began to build on the floodplain. They further requested the government provide public housing to them instead of leaving them homeless on the street.
Some say that the protests have been further energized by certain politically-affiliated people who have built large ashrams illegally on the floodplain but, not wishing to show their faces, are sending poor people to protest on their behalf.
In 2010, a PIL was filed by Mahant Madhumangal Sharan Das Shukla to stop various violations of the Yamuna’s sanctity, including the half-moon bridge and the rampant dumping of construction debris on the riverbank. After hearing the case, the court ordered the illegal constructions to be removed as well. But the court’s order was never executed, and illegal construction has greatly increased over the last seven years.
In a hearing on July 13th, 2017, before the double-bench of Allahabad High Court Justice Arun Tandon and Justice Rituraj Awasthi, the Mathura district authorites were put under pressure when it was questioned what actions the MVDA had taken to remove the illegal constructions after 2010, when it had served notices to the illegal occupants in 2009 and 2010. The court ordered that the Vice Chairman of the MVDA file an affidavit about the action taken so far in this regard.
The court also ordered that the Municipal Commissioner of the newly-formed Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation shall also file an affidavit indicating what steps have been taken for treatment of sewage and waste material before they are permitted to enter the river Yamuna, including that from sewage drains and so forth.
In the subsequent hearing on July 21st, it was stipulated that the MVDA and Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation would file an affidavit regarding the same. However, the case could not be heard on Friday as the lawyers went on strike.
I diligently praise Vraja’s bees, which wander around the mango, kadamba and bakula trees and around vines like the madhavi, humming sweetly and indistinctly everywhere to the great pleasure of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.
VERSE 72:
cūteṣv eṣu kadambakeṣu bakuleṣv anyeṣu vṛkṣeṣv alaṁ
prītyā mādhavikādi-valliṣu tathā bhāṅkara-nadair dvayoḥ
ye bhṛṇgāḥ paritas tayoḥ sukha-bharaṁ vistārayanti sphuṭaṁ
guñjanto bata vibhrameṇa nitarāṁ tān eva vandāmahe
I diligently praise the bees of Vraja, which wander around the mango, kadamba and bakula trees and around vines like the madhavi, humming sweetly and indistinctly everywhere to the great pleasure of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.
Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā: In this verse Śrīpāda Dāsa Goswamicaraṇa praises the bees of Vraja, which are humming around the blooming flowers of the trees and vines of Vraja’s forests. Who knows which great souls have assumed the forms of bees to become intoxicated by the taste of the honey that trickles from the flowers of Vraja’s trees and vines, humming rasika songs about Sri Sri Radha and Krishna?
These bees become blessed by landing on the marks of Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s feet, which are rarely attained even by the greatest mystics and sages. They kess the footprints so that they can drink the honey that has trickled onto the ground from their lotus feet. Can there be any doubt that these bees, who have become intoxicated by relishing the extraordinary nectarean bodily fragrance of Sri Radha and Krishna, are fully blessed?
Raghunath Das Goswami praises these bees by saying: “The bees of Vraja, which wander around the mango, kadamba and bakula trees and around vines like the madhavi, are humming sweetly and indistinctly everywhere to the great pleasure of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.”
The humming of these bees is a special erotic incitement for Sri Sri Radha Madhava, and sounds like the victory-drum of Cupid. The sweet humming of the bees incites the Yugala’s eagerness to make love, just like the sharp flower-arrows of Cupid.
These bees are always intoxicated by songs about the pastimes of the young Cupid of Vrindavan, Sri Shyamasundar, and the embodiment of mahābhāva, Sri Vrishabhanu-nandini, whose lotus feet are worshipped by millions of Ratis.
Because they drink the honey from the transcendental flowers of the transcendental trees and vines of Vrindavan the minds and life-airs of the bees are saturated by the same ingredients. That is why they give so much happiness to the Divine Pair when they hear them humming.
With their humming the bees remind Sri Sri Radha Madhava of different sweet pastimes, and in this way they make Them very happy. Sri Sri Radha Madhava are seated on a jeweled throne in a Mādhavī-kunja, immersed in laughing and joking with the sakhīs. Attracted to the bodily fragrance of the Divine Pair, the bees leave the flowergarden and surround Them in the nikunja, humming.
“Swarms of ecstatic bees leave the flower garden and fly towards the trees, attracted to the fragrance of Srimati Rai, who sits exhausted in a madhavi kunj. They land on Rai’s lotus face, but Krishna stops them with his play lotus. Then someone exclaims: “Madhusūdana (the bee, or Krishna) has gone!” Hearing this, Rai becomes filled with feelings of separation. This was lovingly narrated by Radha Mohana Das.”
When Krishna flapped his playlotus the bees left Sri Krishna and the sakhīs said: “Madhusūdana has gone!” As soon as Sri Radha heard this, waves of prema-vaicittya-rasa arose in the mahābhāva-ocean of her heart.
priyasya sannikarṣe’pi premotkarṣa-svabhāvataḥ
yā viśleṣādhiyāttis tat prema vaicittyam ucyate
“When the lover is so overwhelmed by feelings of love that he/she is afraid of separation from the beloved even if the beloved is close by, and suffers from that feeling of fear, it is called prema-vaicittya.” (Ujjvala Nīlamaṇi 15.147)
This means that the intelligence becomes so subtle out of great feelings of love that the ladylove can not perceive both Krishna and his pastimes, just as one can stick a needle once through a tiny hole in the cloth, but not twice or thrice. In other words, when the intelligence enters into Sri Krishna’s pastimes the passionate ladylove cannot perceive Krishna himself anymore . Then she will lament out of the anguish of separation:
“Rasavatī Rai sits next to Rasikavara Krishna, loudly wailing and weeping and burning in the fire of separation. “When will I again meet my rasamaya Śyāma? When will I cross this ocean of separation?” Although her hero is close by, Rai does not see him, no matter how often her girlfriends try to make her attentive of this. Krishna then takes Rai on his lap in great astonishment. Govinda dāsa is absorbed in witnessing this.”
Sri Vrindavan’s swarm of bees is the cause of the manifestation of all this extraordinary sweet rasa of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, and they also make the Divine Pair relish great happiness by causing incitements of various other pastimes. Raghunath Das Goswami says: “I praise these bees with care, that is: with body, mind and words.”
I praise the bees that constantly drink the honey from the mango-, Kadamba-, and Bakula-trees and from vines like the Mādhavī, who fly around from tree to tree, sweetly and indistinctly humming, and who greatly increase the joy of Radha and Govinda with this sweet humming. I will sing their glories and see Radha and Govinda’s moon-like faces.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Commentary of Sri Radha Kund Mahant, Pandit Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj is named Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā (a drop of the nectar of Stavāvalī), and was published in Gaurābda 503 (1989 A.D.) from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Shastra Mandir, Vrajananda Ghera, PO Radhakunda (district Mathura), U.P., India.
Devotional songs in Bengali that follow each commentary were composed by Dr. Haripada Sheel.
Mathura, 2017.06.22 (IANS): An hour-long downpour on Saturday ended the dry spell in the Braj area of Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The day spell had sent alarm bells ringing, raising fears of a drought. “Half a dozen girls in Mathura and Agra had sat on fast to appease the rain gods. I hope their prayers are answered,” said Barauli Ahir farmer Ravi Singh.
“Hopefully, light showers on Friday and heavy showers this morning will change the scenario,” added Bichpuri farmer Ranjit. The district agriculture department had drawn up a contingency plan and prepared elaborate advisory for farmers to face the dry spell during the Kharif season. As feared, the low lying areas in Agra were flooded and potholes filled with water.
“The Agra Nagar Nigam has installed pumps at various locations to flush out the storm water,” an official said. “Even with continued heavy rains in the hills, the Yamuna river is dry.”
The upstream barrages have not yet discharged surplus water. The Agra Canal from the Okhla barrage runs dry in Agra district,”
Shashikant Upadhyaya of Ukharra village said.Though the sky is overcast since the past few days, Mathura and Vrindavan did not get good rains, said Pavan Gautam, a river activist in Mathura.
Mathura, 2017.07.23 (Inuth): The Uttar Pradesh transport department, which has started the process of sending notices to people at their homes for speeding on Yamuna Expressway, has decided to suspend driving licences of people who have been challaned more than four times. Surprisingly, 11,634 such people have been found.
According to a Times of India report, this data was presented at a meeting where transport officials from Agra and YEIDA (Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority) were present to discuss the growing number of accidents on the expressway.
Anil Kumar, Agra regional transport officer (RTO), enforcement, said, “We have started issuing notices. It takes time to locate the addresses where the vehicles are registered.”
“It was difficult to get hold of every speeding vehicle even when transport officials were on duty at the expressway. Many drivers were not aware of the gravity of the situation, how over-speeding has made the expressway prone to accidents. It has been decided that if any vehicle is found with more than four challans, the transport department will suspend the driving licence immediately,” said Ajay Mishra, ARTO, enforcement, according to the TOI report.
The RTO has also tied up with toll tax officials to provide them a complete list of speeders. Once the list will be made, the RTO officials will find addresses of the vehicle owners and send notices to their homes to pay their fines at the transport office within a stipulated time.
Officials said that the defaulter will be charged under Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) and fined between Rs 300 and Rs 500.
In the four and a half years since its opening, the expressway has seen the death of 548 people in 4,076 accidents, with 2016 reporting the highest number of accidents in a year.
Sub: Protecting the spiritual identity of Shri Dham Vrindavan by restoring the Vrindavan Municipality.
Your Excellency,
Radhe Radhe! We the undersigned officers of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance, on behalf of the devotees, residents and visiting pilgrims of Shri Dham Vrindavan, have the honor of submitting our humble request for your kind intervention.
As you know, Vrindavan is a globally-famed spiritual destination for the devotees of Shri Radha and Krishna. Your Excellency has visited Vrindavan in the past, and you are well aware of the traditions and culture of this holy city. It will not be an exaggeration if Vrindavan is called ‘the Vatican for Hindus and Vaishnavas’.
Recently, the Government of Uttar Pradesh led by Shri Yogi Adityanath ji has merged the civic bodies of Vrindavan and Mathura by issuing a notification to form a Municipal Corporation. The formation of the New Municipal Corporation by merging these two cities of vastly different culture has hurt the faith of hundreds of thousands of devotees of Vrindavan from around the world. The city of Vrindavan is facing a serious identity crisis since the two cities were amalgamated.
The temple town of Vrindavan was re-discovered by Lord Chaitanya in 1515 as the holy abode where the Divine Couple Shri Radha and Krishna performed the pastime ‘Maha Raas’. Lord Chaitanya’s followers Shri Roop Goswami, Shri Sanatan Goswami and others settled in Vrindavan and established the township of Vrindavan, maintaining its identity separate from Mathura. The grand temples of Govind, Gopinath, Madan Mohan, Radha Vallabh, Yugal Kishore, and so forth, were built with the financial assistance of the then-Mughal Empire, the nobles and zamindars.Emperor Akbar officially created the city of Vrindavan by merging the three villages of Dhaulera, Rajpura and Dusayaj, and gifted the city to the temples of Govind, Gopinath and Madan Mohan. The revenue of this town was collected by these three temples. Later the Vrindavan municipality was formed in 1866 by the British Government.
Vrindavan is the only city to be named after a van (forest), but the state government has “upgraded” it into a metropolis instead of recreating its forests. Vrindavan has become so famous that many cities and colonies in the country and abroad are named after Vrindavan. People around the world envision Vrindavan as a woodland paradise. It is only recently that a major portion of the town has been covered in concrete by cutting down the precious ancient trees. Visitors are filled with horror and anxiety to find Vrindavan being transformed into a concrete jungle.
Mathura has been influenced by Buddhism, Jainism and many other cultures, whereas Vrindavan has always belonged purely to the Vaishnava sect. Vrindavan should have been conserved as a World Heritage City for its unique identity, as it has become a subject of devotion for the international community. The small villages and forests of the Braj Chaurasi Kos Yatra are the beauty of Braj- Vrindavan, where some glimpses of wooded land can still be seen.
It is of great interest to note that even the British Government and the Mughals paid respect to the dignity of Vrindavan; the British Government by forming the Vrindavan Municipality in 1866, and prior to that, the Mughal Emperor Akbar by formally recognizing Vrindavan as a city. Had they wanted, they could have avoided giving an official identity to Vrindavan by merging it with the Mathura Municipality.
Moreover, Vrindavan is a dry area, and non-vegetarian food and liquor are strictly banned here, whereas Mathura has a number of meat shops, and a large section of the population there are Muslims, who eat meat. Once the merger is instituted, equal law will be enforced upon Vrindavan and Mathura, leading to the immediate degradation of Vrindavan’s culture. Furthermore, there have been restrictions on high-rise buildings in Vrindavan, but now, it having become part of Mathura’s civic body, the law of both the cities will be the same. High-rise buildings will be constructed without any restriction, which will surpass the height of the temples.
We feel that small cities can be managed better than big cities. There are several examples where townships with their own unique identity have been kept separate from the neighboring Municipal Corporation. For example, the Swami Bag and Dayal Bag areas of Agra have been kept separate from the Agra Municipal Corporation, with great success. Similarly Pushkar has been kept separate from Ajmer. Even in Delhi, the New Delhi Municipal Council entertains a separate identity from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Your Excellency has also visited Vrindavan in past occasions. Only your intervention can restore Vrindavan in its original form.
We humbly request you to write to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh regarding this matter.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.23 (Krisztina Danka): Did you know that one of the holiest rivers in India has been “stolen,” to be replaced by industrial waste and sewage? Did you know that the pollution affects over eighty million people, including children, 23% of whom suffer and die from lead and arsenic poisoning? And did you know that most probably you too contribute to this ecological disaster?
When I set out on this journey to make a study of the Yamuna River, I had absolutely no idea.
Back in 2013, while working on a documentary in India, I was asked by some of my local friends to help them raise awareness about the condition of their beloved river Yamuna. I knew the Yamuna is not only a water resource in India, but considered a Mother and a Goddess, as glorified in ancient Indian scriptures, and even in the national anthem. I had been to the river many times before, but as I dug into the topic, visiting sites upstream and downstream, interviewing environmental and medical experts, as well as sick children, and a mother whose little child – the same age as my own daughter – had just died because of water poisoning, I was stunned.
But the biggest blow to me was when I realized that unknowingly I, too, contribute to the problem.
If you are one of us who try to be a good citizen of the world, a caretaker of the environment, and who care about everyone’s right to clean water; who read labels, look things up in the desire to be a “conscious consumer;” and aware of what and whom you support with your own consumer and lifestyle choices, you should know the story of ‘The Stolen River.’
Responding to the plea of our young Indian friends, plus local grassroots organizations, over the past four years, our team of international independent filmmakers, environmentalists and human rights advocates have been working selflessly to cut through the labyrinthine network of interests of big corporations and other agents, to collect unbiased information and present the full picture about the causes and the devastating effects of the pollution of the Yamuna River, which flows through densely populated Delhi and the Braj area sacred to Hindus, and right behind the UNESCO World Heritage site the Taj Mahal, visited by over ten million foreign tourists every year.
Based on the information we gathered we created a unique film with many different layers. Taking the sacred Yamuna river’s special cultural importance into consideration, our film not only explores the environmental and socio-economic implications of the pollution, but also addresses the issue from spiritual, emotional and cultural points of view. And while “The Stolen River” is the journey of six young people (one American and five Indian) trying to put the puzzle together, discover the sources of the pollution, cope with their feelings, then struggle to find a solution, this film is really about all of us, who strive to preserve culture, nature and humanity in a world where more than ever before, “No man is an island.”
In today’s world of “fake news” and an at-times distrusted mainstream media, independent filmmakers and their supporting team have a significant void to fill. We have the freedom as well as the responsibility to tell the truth. Our goal is to help people making conscious choices by showing them how things really are, by presenting hard data and bringing facts to light (yes, we still believe in them), or tell stories that no one wants us to tell but that cannot remain untold.
‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ the iconic documentary about global warming, shook up millions of viewers and inspired them to take action. After ‘Blackfish’ came out, exposing the suffering of whales in captivity, people chose to refuse such entertainment, and SeaWorld Orlando suffered a $15.9 million loss in a year.
Film is a powerful medium.
Similarly, our ‘The Stolen River’ film aims not just to inform people, but touch their hearts and inspire them to take life-healing action.
Understanding the importance and the urgency of this project, I as the producer-director of the film did not take any salary, and used a big chunk of our family’s savings to cover the travel and shooting expenses. The rest of our dedicated crew either donated their time and talent, or worked for half of their industry rate. In this way, we were able to bring the project to its final stages.
‘The Stolen River’ has been finally completed. By raising international awareness, our goal is to extend the Yamuna’s legal ‘human’ status (that was recently granted by the Northern Indian state of Uttarakhand) to the other, most polluting states as well, restore the river, and improve the lives of the 50 million victims of the pollution. Please be so kind to donate to our campaign, and help our team to enter the documentary to festivals, get it promoted, and give the film’s topic the attention it deserves.
We purposely launched our fundraising campaign on March 22nd, which is the official World Water Day. Initiated by the United Nations, March 22nd every year is about taking action to tackle the water crisis: today, there are over 663 million people in the world living without safe drinking water and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water from whatever source.
The Yamuna River’s pollution is simply one of the greatest natural disasters of our time.
In March 2015, half a million people – young and old, an international gathering of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and atheists, farmers, teachers, holy people, poor street beggars and rich businesspeople –literally joined hands and marched 200 kilometers, in peace and unity, from Vrindavan to Delhi, demanding change. They did get promises, and there are some indications of things moving in the right direction, such as banning the usage of plastic in Delhi, or a court giving the same legal rights to the Yamuna as a “living human entity” [this order was recently struck down by the Supreme Court – ED] , but unfortunately, there has been no real improvement in the condition of river over the past few years. To speed things up, to make the cleaning of Yamuna a priority and thus save countless lives, the grassroots organizations need and count on us us to tell their story and make their voices amplified, to be heard all over the world.
Would you please join our enthusiastic team to make that happen?
2017.07.24 (VT): The UP Department of Culture held a cultural program in honor of the 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. The “Barkha Bahar Cultural Program” was held at Ramkrishna Mission Sevashram’s auditorium.
State Culture Minister Lakshminarayan Chaudhry said the State Government wants to promote the culture of Braj. The decision was taken to institute the cultural program in order to spread awareness of Braj’s culture and to help preserve it.
Braj artists presented songs and dance on the subject of monsoon. The famous singer of Braj, Govind Ji, opened the program with Krishna Vandana. After that, Shri Murarilal Sharma presented the famous Charkula dance. Kajri geet (a type of folk song) was also featured during the program.
The Director of Vrindavan Research Institute Shri Satishchandra Dikshit, Shri Lakshminarayan Pathak, Shri Rajesh Pandit, Shri Sunil Chaturvedi, Dr. Vinod Bannerjee, Shri Kapil Upadhyay, Shri Vinay Goswami, Shri Mridulkant Shastri, and Shri Sudheer Shukla were present on the occasion.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.22 (VT): Bollywood film star Govinda visited Vrindavan this weekend. His main priority was to visit the Banke Bihari temple and offer pooja Braj’s Darling.
Govinda said that he prayed to Banke Bihari Ju for the happiness and wellbeing of his family. He also asked Banke Bihari Ji’s blessings for his new comedy film, Bhagwan ke liye mujhe chor do.
After completing his prayers and pooja, a crowd gathered to meet the actor. Many youths asked for his autograph but although he was not able to oblige, Govinda was a good sport and tried to honor the Brajwasis’ enthusiasm by shaking hands with as many as possible.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.23 (VT):The new Comissioner of the Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam, Shri Ujjwal Kumar, assumed his new role on Saturday, about two weeks after being appointed by the government.
“It is my good fortune to get the chance to serve Mathura and Vrindavan in this capacity,” he said. “I will do my best to uphold the sanctity of this post, and especially to improve the sanitation system in this holy city.”
Shri Ujjwal Kumar previously served as the CDO of Muradabad before being transferred to Mathura as the new Comissioner. He presented himself on Friday but due to the DM’s absence he was not able to take charge. Up till now the DM of Mathura was temporarily in charge of the Nagar Nigam.
The new comissioner officially took charge late Saturday afternoon under the DM’s supervision. Upon assuming his post, he met his new staff members, who welcomed him warmly.
Government appointments for several major posts in the Nagar Nigam are still pending.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.24 (VT): These days the history of Vrindavan is being forgotten and the center of attraction for visiting devotees has been limited to only one ancient ancient temple, along with a few modern temples. At such a pivotal moment in Vrindavan’s history, it is of the utmost importance to present the story of Vrindavan’s temples to the world.
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Shri Govind Dev (Jaipur)
From time to time we at Vrindavan Today endeavor to introduce you to some of the ancient temples of Vrindavan. Among all the temples, Thakur Shri Govind Dev Ji Maharaj is known as the King of Vrindavan. The original Govind Dev is now in Jaipur, but a pratibhu vigraha (second form) of him still resides in the new temple situated behind the ancient temple.
But before learning about Govind Dev, it is important to learn about his elder brother Bade Dauji (Baldev). Bade Dauji originally resided on the premesis of Govind Dev Ji’s temple. When the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb invaded Vrindavan, Govind Dev and many other deities were spirited away to safety in Jaipur. But Bade Dauji remained in Vrindavan. The devotees took Baldev out of Govind Dev’s temple and hid him near Vrindavan’s Govind Kunj.
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Shri Bade Dauji
Temple sevayat Shri Deepak Goswami says, “The story of Bade Dauji is similar to that of Vrinda Devi and Yogamaya. Before, he resided within Shri Govind Dev ji’s temple itself. When Aurangzeb invaded, the sevayats of Govind Dev entrusted Bade Dauji to my ancestors. For some time he was worshipped in a simple structure behind Govind Dev ji’s temple. Later, a temple was constructed for him in Anaj Mandi. In 1835 the Queen of Karauli rennovated the temple.
“There is a verse in this regard. Vrindavan katan lagau, bhaag gae sab dev, Vrindavan thaade rahe yamunaa aur baldev. ‘When grave danger fell upon Vrindavan, all the deities left. Only Shri Yamuna and Baldev Ji remained in Vrindavan.’
“It is said that Raja Jaisingh’s daughter wanted to take Baldev Ji to Jaipur, but she had to go back empty handed. The night before she was supposed to leave, she carefully placed him on a cart. But that night Bade Dauji came in her dream and said, ‘I will not leave Braj.’ In the morning, the princess bowed to Bade Dauji and left on her own for Jaipur.”
The temple of Bade Dauji is situated near the Syndicate Bank, just a short distance from the Nagar Palika.
Mathura, 2017.07.24 (PTI) Security has been beefed up in Vrindavan ahead of Hariyali Teej fair slated for July 26, authorities said today.
“The entire mela area has been divided into three zones and ten sectors and a strict vigil will be maintained,” District Magistrate Arvind Malappa Bangari said.
ADMs would be incharge of each zone and deputy collectors will look after these sectors, he said adding, zonal security would be looked after by police officer of additional SP rank and sectors would be looked after police circle officer rank.
Police in plain clothes will also be posted to avert any untoward incident in the Bankey Behari temple premises where maximum congregation is expected, he said.
Parking arrangements for vehicles coming to Vrindaban has also been made.
Pilgrims have been advised against carrying bags and costly items to the temple.
A lost and found camp is also being set up, he said.
Agra, 2017,07.26 (Anuja Jaiswall, TNN): Two stones weighing 5 and 28.5 kg that were found “floating” in the Yamuna river in Mathura have become an attraction for local residents. The stones, which were reportedly taken out from the river by some people, have been placed at Saini Dharamshala temple and are attracting huge crowds.
Local residents believe that these stones could be a part of the legendary Hanuman Ram Setu, which was used by Lord Ram to attack Ravan’s Lanka to rescue Sita.
However, Professor in Geology department in Lucknow University Dhruv Sen Singh said there is no truth behind what people are claiming and it’s only a sign of their ignorance. He said there is scientific reason behind stones floating in water. He said floating of object depends on relative weight of the displaced water and rocks with low density would always float in water and this is based on Archimedes’ principle.
He said, people have their own belief and he didn’t want to comment on the religious connotations being given to the episode.
Notwithstanding, the professor’s scientific reasoning, Geeta devi, a resident in Saini Colony near Yamuna, said, “This is nothing, but a miracle as such heavy stones can never float in water”.
After the stones were taken out from Yamuna, local residents weighed then and now they are convinced of their “magical powers” and are praying before it.
Sixty-year-old Karan Singh Saini said that this stone was found on Monday (Shiv jee day) so it should be put in Shiv temple. They were also planning to make pond so that the stone could float in it for all to see.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Vrindavan, 2017.07.26 (VT): Shri Nimbarkacharya Peethadhishwar Shri Shyamsharan Devacharya “Shriji Maharaj” visited Vrindavan on Tuesday afternoon for the first time since his enthronement.
Shriji Maharaj honoured the ancient tradition of his lineage by leaving his car, as well as his sandals, at the border of Vrindavan. After bowing to the dust of Vrindavan he walked three to four kilometers barefoot to Shriji Mandir, just as his predecessors have always done.
A crowd of eager devotees followed Shriji Maharaj, sprinkling him with fragrant flower petals and offering him garlands of rose, jasmine and lotus. Priests from various ashrams and temples offered aarti to Shriji Maharaj as he made his way towards Shriji Mandir.
Shri Shyamsharan Devacharya Maharaj was enthroned as the head of the Nimbarkacharya Peeth after the previous “Shriji Maharaj”, Shri Radha-Sarveshwar Sharan Devacharya Maharaj, entered Nitya Lila earlier this year at the age of 88.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.26 (VT): A recent proposal to upgrade Barsana from a Town Council (Nagar Panchayat) to a Municipality (Nagar Palika) is making an impact. The State Government has ordered the District Magistrate to expedite the process.
Of the three Nagar Palikas in Mathura District, only one – Kosi Kalan – remains after Mathura and Vrindavan were merged to form the Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam For this reason Barsana will likely become a Nagar Palika soon.
The proposal to upgrade Barsana to a Nagar Palika was made by Dairy Development Minister Lakshminarayan Chaudhry in February of this year. He followed up with another letter this month, and this time the State Government and the City Development Department responded immediately.
To meet the population requirements of a Nagar Palika, the city limits of Barsana will likely be expanded to include a number of nearby villages.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.27 (VT): English-speaking scholars of Vaishnava literature in Sanskrit have cause for celebration, as a classical work on poetics by one of the most illustrious of the 17th century writers in the Chaitanya tradition has been made available by Ras Bihari Lal & Sons, publishers in Loi Bazaar.
Kavi Karṇapūra, who was blessed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when just a small child, wrote the Alaṅkāra-kaustubha in order to give a bhakti orientation to the millennial rasa and alaṅkāra (literary ornamentation or rhetoric) writings on Sanskrit poetics. This is the first time it has been translated into English as a combined effort of Matsya Avatāra Dāsa and Gaurapada Dāsa.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Gaurapada completed the work started by Matsya Avatāra Dāsa. Originally from Canada, he has been living for over a decade at Radha Kund and has already made many valuable contributions to the analysis of Sanskrit literature and rasa theory.
According to Gaurapada, “The Vedic literature is replete with poetic expression. Poetics is the key that unlocks the true meaning of a text. The science of poetics not only provides a methodology to arrive at the purport (tātparya) of a verse or an entire composition, but it also shows how to analyse aesthetic delight (rasa). Krishna bhakti is all about rasa, since the Upanishads say that the Supreme Truth is rasa, and this is one of the main differences between Vaishnavism and other Hindu schools of thought. Sanskrit poetics thus explains the mechanics of how the innate bliss of the soul filters into the mind.
“In his chapter on Rasa, Kavi Karṇapūra incorporated the concepts of prema and bhakti in his own way, and covered some of the topics covered by Rūpa Gosvāmī. But Alaṅkāra-kaustubha is not just a book of theory. It is also a treasure of jewel-like verses, like this one, which illustrates prema-rasa (true love):
preyāṁs te ’haṁ tvam api ca mama preyasīti pravāDāsa
tvaṁ me prāṇā aham api tavāsmīti hanta pralāpaḥ
tvaṁ me te syām aham iti ca yat tac ca no sādhu rādhe
vyavaharo nau na hi samucito yuṣmad-asmat-prayogaḥ
Rādhā, if I were to say “I am Your sweetheart and You are Mine,” that would only be chatter. And the words “You are My life and I am Yours” are simply prattle. Even saying “You belong to Me and I to You” is not right. The terms “You” and “I” are not proper usage between Us. (AK 5.27)
Says Gaurapada, “In this book, Kavi Karṇapūraa teaches that there are two main meanings of the term Rasa, each corresponding to one goal of poetics. The first goal is to experience aesthetic delight. The second goal, achieved when aesthetic delight is enhanced by an outstanding implied sense, is to realize that the nature of the soul is Rasa.
“The soul inherently consists of bliss, which involves a certain degree of astonishment, but when the astonishment transcends its usual limits by the force of an especially potent implied sense, the combination of bliss and astonishment is called Rasa.”
Gaurapada further says that the poetic theory developed by Sanskrit rhetoricians can also apply to other languages since the Sanskrit rhetoricians’ method of analysis is universal. But Sanskrit is especially well-suited for this kind of rasa analysis: It is the best medium for poetry because it is favorable for double meanings and because of the rich Vedic culture which provides a vast source of mythological and poetic references.
Kavi Karṇapūra greatly raised the standards of poetry on all levels. His section on citra-kāvya or picture poetry is alson unique. His section on varṇa-citra (verses composed using only a few consonants) rivals that of Rūpa Gosvāmī in Stavamālā. For example, each line in the following verse has only one consonant:
The moon is not awake to my happiness. It has suddenly shifted to another direction. The wicked moon withers sinless girls like us and frustrates our desires. Krishna thirsts for gopīs. He wanted a girl who will embrace Him during play. He must be having union with such a girl by now, and surely that girl will not leave Him. (7.99)
At the time of writing Alaṅkāra-kaustubha, Kavi Karṇapūra probably knew Rūpa Gosvāmī’s works because he refers to him: kaiścit sakhibhiḥ saha yuddham udāhriyate, tat tu līlā-viśeṣa iti prakṛte na likhyate, “Some eminent scholar illustrates vīra-rasa by describing a fight between Kṛṣṇa and His friends [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 4.3.6-8]. But that is only a particular type of pastime, and so it is not emphasized in this discourse.” (5.16)
Not counting Rūpa Gosvāmī’s works, Alaṅkāra-kaustubha is one of four Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava treatises on poetic theory. The three others are: Bhakti-rasāmṛta-śeṣa, and Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s Sāhitya-kaumudī and Kāvya-kaustubha.
The authors
Matsya Avatāra Dāsa was the Sanskrit teacher in Gopī-parāṇa-dhana Prabhu’s Sanskrit school in Govardhana. He translated Jīva Gosvāmī’s grammatical treatise Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa and Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Citra-kavitvāni section found in Stavamālā.
Gaurapada Dāsa, M.A., edited Matsya Avatāra’s translation of Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa. Translations to his credit include:
◊ Puruṣa-sūkta (with the commentary of Śaunaka),
◊ Prayuktākhyāta-mañjarī (by Rūpa Gosvāmī),
◊ Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: A Symphony of Commentaries on the Tenth Canto (six volumes),
◊ Vishnu Purana, Fifth Canto: Krishna’s pastimes.
Othe titles by Gaurapada Dāsa include:
♦ Bhakti-rasāmṛta-śeṣa (the definitions of Sāhitya-darpaṇa with examples from Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava texts),
♦ Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s Sāhitya-kaumudī (the definitions of Kāvya-prakāśa with Vaiṣṇava examples)
♦ Versified History of Sanskrit Poetics: The Soul is Rasa.
Vrindavan, 2017.07.27 (VT): The swing festival in Vrindavan is one of the most joyful times of the year. The celebration began yesterday with Hariyali Teej and will continue for about two weeks until Jhulan Purnima, which is also known as Rakhi Purnima or “Saluno” in Braj.
Hariyali Teej is the third day (teej or tritiya) after the amavasya of Shravan month. The word Hariyali means greenery, which is abundant all over Vrindavan due to the abundant monsoon rains. Throughout North India, Hariyali Teej signifies the monsoon’s renewal of Mother Earth, fertility, and the union of goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva after worshipping him for 108 births. Women celebrate by wearing green dresses, putting on mehndi, swinging on swingsand worshipping the goddess, often in the form of Teej Mata. In Braj, the festival takes on a whole new meaning, celebrating the eternal romance of Shri Radha and Krishna as they play on a swing in the uproariously green forests of Vrindavan, nurtured by the monsoon rains.
On this day, in almost every temple, Shri Radha and Krishna wear a new green dress specially designed for the occasion, with beautifully sparkling anklets, necklaces, crowns, garlands of fragrant jasmine and other accessories. Devotees also wear green to match the dresses worn by their Beloveds and by Mother Nature herself.
In the early evening, Shri Radha and Krishna come out of the inner sanctum (garbha griha) to sit on a swing decorated with flowers and green leaves in their jagmohan (the outer part of the altar). A priest swings them gently while the devotees watch in utter bliss, singing monsoon songs by the acharyas of their own tradition. Shri Radha and Krishna are offered seasonal sweets to enjoy, such as ghewar and pheni.
Each year, devotees flock to Vrindavan from all over the country to celebrate Hariyali Teej. This year was no different. The crowd was so large that special security arrangements were made by the police, and all car traffic was completely stopped at the border of Vrindavan.
At the Shri Banke Bihari Temple, Banke Bihari Ji sat upon a swing made of sandalwood overlaid with real gold and silver. His green dress was studded with precious gems, and his gold crown was decorated with diamonds. To facilitate the wishes of Banke Bihari’s devotees who came from far and wide to see him, the temple remained open late into the night. Hariyali Teej is the only day when Banke Bihari gives uninterrupted darshan.
Shri Radharaman Ji, Radhavallabh Ji, Yugal Kishor Ji, Radha Damodar Ji, Radha Shyamsundar Ji and many other temples celebrated the festival in a similar format, but each with the special flavor of its own ancient tradition.
Temples in Mathura, Barsana, Nandagram, Govardhan, Radhakund and many small villages of Braj also celebrated with great fervor. In Mathura, Shri Keshav Dev’s temple was filled with greenery, while in Barsana, Shri Radharani and Shri Lalji came out of their altar to swing in a special mandap. In Raval, the birthplace of Shri Radha, the festival was enchanced by a special offering of chappan bhog. The whole of Vrindavan rejoiced in the beauty of the monsoon season with their beloved Radha and Krishna.
