Vrindavan, 2017.08.02 (VT referencing DJ): The whole of Braj is getting ready to celebrate the birthday of everyone’s beloved Shri Krishna. A major part of the Janmastami preparation in Braj is the designing and embroidery of poshak – Shri Radha and Krishna’s outfits – as orders come in from around the world.

It is a little-known fact that many Muslim Brajwasis work as embroidery artists to prepare Shri Radha and Krishna’s poshak and accessories. Many families have been doing this seva for generations.

Zakir, an embroidery artist from Mathura says, “Even though I’m a Muslim, when I make clothes for the Hindu Deity I feel something special in my heart.”

Another poshak artist, Shahrukh said, “Allah and Bhagavan are both forms of God. Making shringar is another way of worshipping and offering obeisance to God.” Mr. Khan from Agra added, “Our making poshak, crowns, jewellery and so on for darling Kanhaiya in this holy city of Mathura is a sign of Hindu-Muslim unity here.”

Jabaruddin added, “When Thakurji does not differentiate between poshak made by us and poshak made by a Hindu artist, why should we then differentiate amongst each other on the basis of religion?

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Agra, 2017.08.02 (Anuja Jaiswall, TNN): After Rajasthan, Haryana and outer Delhi, four incidents of hair being mysteriously chopped off were reported from villages in Mathura in the past three days, leaving residents scared and seeking superstitious remedies.

Four women have complained that their braids were cut by unknown persons, including a fresh incident that took place on Tuesday. The victims said that chopping of their braids happened soon after they experienced an unbearable headache and fell unconscious. The braids were left behind at the spot by the miscreants. No police complaint has been registered till the filing of this report.

A 50-year-old woman from Sisram Nagla village under the Magora police station in Mathura was sleeping in her house on Tuesday afternoon when her hair was chopped off. Villagers said the woman had to be admitted to a private hospital as the incident had left her in deep shock.

Read More: A “mystery man” on Delhi streets is chopping off women’s hair

A similar incident took place on Monday at Bharokar village in Barsana when a woman, Guddi, said she fainted when a woman with “big teeth” approached her while she was doing the dishes in her house. When she regained consciousness, the braid was lying nearby. Her family members were informed but no one claimed to have seen anyone or heard anything. Residents of the village who paid her a visit later said some “supernatural force” was to be blamed for the incident.

Similar happenings were reported from Shahpur village in Kosikala and Oal in Farah.

Read More: Mysterious Incidents Of Women’s Braids Being Chopped Off Spreads Panic In Haryana Villages

Police, on the other hand, claimed that some anti-social elements were trying to create panic in the district. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Mathura, Swapnil Mangain said no formal complaint has been lodged by any of the victims.

According to reports, at least 15 women from Rajasthan and Haryana have reported that their braids were being chopped off by unknown persons in the past two weeks. The latest case was reported from an outer Delhi village where the braids of three women were cut by unidentified persons.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.03 (VT): Maan Devi, aged 60, didn’t have a bathroom at home. So at four o’clock in the morning she headed out towards the fields, as she did every day, to ease the call of nature. Little did she know just down the road, the braid of one of the household’s ladies had been mysteriously cut off during the night.

Maan Devi (P.C. Hindustan Samwad)

The villagers suspected witchcraft, and unluckily for Maan Devi, she was the first person they saw when they looked outside.

“It’s a witch! A witch!” they screamed, and the people of the neighborhood, already tense from what they felt to be an onslaught from supernatural forces, came with sticks and beat the elderly woman to death.

The incident happened near Agra, about 60 kilometers from Mathura. But the recent incidents of “mysterious” braid cutting stretch from Delhi through Haryana and Rajasthan, to Western U.P., including Braj Mandal. Ladies in Nandgaon, Barsana, Kosi, Mathura and other small villages have reported their hair being cut off under mysterious conditions.

First come the headaches. Then the woman falls unconscious. When she wakes up, her braid is lying next to her, cut off. This is one common scenario described by the victims. Some say their braids were cut off in a closed house with nobody else around, while others had their braids fall off while walking in broad daylight.

The mysterious circumstances allgedly surrounding these incidents have led villagers to believe witches or black-magic makers are behind the mischief. But history offers other explanations.

Prakash Devi, a victim of the braid cutting mystery (P.C. Hindustan Samwad)

Sociology and psychology have documented a concept called “mass hysteria”, also known as collective obsessional behavior. It is a phenomenon wherein the collective illusion of a threat – which may or may not be true – is transmitted through the population through rumors and fear.

Indians may recall the 2001 incident of the “Monkey Man of Delhi”. An older example of mass hysteria is the case of the Halifax Slasher of 1938. In Halifax, England, people reported being attacked by a mysterious man holding a gigantic hammer, with “bright buckles on his shoes”. Some reported being slashed by the man with a knife or a razor blade.

The panic continued for about two weeks, until one of the alleged victims admitted having inflicted the injuries upon himself to get attention. Others then admitted having done the same. At last, five people were charged with public mischief offenses, four of whom went to prison for their crimes.

The Dancing Plague – Engraving based on a drawing by Pieter Brueghel (Public Domain)

Another strange example is the Dancing Plague of 1518 in the then-Holy Roman Empire. In this incident, about four hundred people began dancing for days on end without rest, some of whom eventually died from heart attacks, exhaustion or stroke. It is believed this incident of mass hysteria may have been caused by a type of fungus which has psychoactive qualities. Historian John Waller has speculated that the dancing plague was the product of “stress-induced psychosis” , since the area was very poor and the residents, who were already superstitious, faced starvation and disease.

Whether or not supernatural forces exist, there are certainly a number of more down-to-earth explanations for the braid-cutting phenomenon. Some have suggested that antisocial elements are purposely creating a panic by drugging women and cutting their hair, while many of the incidents are almost certainly faked or mere rumors.

Whatever the case may be, the matter is becoming grave as allegations of “mysterious braid cutting” continue to increase in the area, with some 20-odd incidents reported in Mathura alone.

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A readymade pavitra (P.C. Radhika Goswami)

Vrindavan, 2017.08.03 (VT): Today is Pavitra Ekadshi.

Pavitra Ekadashi is also known as Pavitropan Ekadashi or Shravani Putrada Ekadashi. Some perform a vrat on this day for the attainment of progeny, but in Braj this festival is purely dedicated to Shri Radha and Krishna.

The the next day, on Dwadashi morning, a pavitra (a garland made of thread) is offered to Shri Krishna to ask for his forgiveness for any offences in his worship committed over the past year. Colourful readymade pavitras are available in shops, though some devotees prefer to make pavitras at home.

Shrinathji wearing His pavitras

This festival is especially important in Pushti Marg, because Pavitra Ekadashi is the day when Shrinathji instructed Shri Vallabhacharya to initiate divine souls with the brahma sambandha mantra. It is thus known as the Appearance Day of Pushti Marg.

In Pushti Marg, Shrinathji is adorned with a garland made of 360 threads, representing the 360 days of the Indian lunar calendar, and tied with 24 knots representing the 24 ekadashis. The pavitra is dyed and scented with precious substances like saffron, gorochana and camphor. Readymade pavitras are also offered at some temples and homes.

All over Vrindavan this celebration is an important element of the Hindol Utsav or swing festival, also known as Jhulan Yatra.

Note: An earlier version of this article stated the pavitras are offered on ekadashi itself, but in fact they are offered the next day on dwadashi morning, though this is still part of the Pavitra Ekadashi observance.

The post Seva Aparadhs Forgiven on Pavitra Ekadashi appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

[Hindol Utsav or Jhulan Yatra starts on Hariyali Teej in Braj and lasts until Raksha Bandhan/Jhulan Purnima. In ISKCON and some Gaudiya Maths, the festival begins today on Pavitra Ekadashi.]

Vrindavan, 2017.08.03 (B.V. Narayan Maharaj): In the month of Shravan, the clouds in the sky begin to make a thundering sound and extremely fine mist-like rain drizzles everywhere. The atmosphere is very beautiful and pleasant after the heat of the summer months, for at that time all the forests of Vrindavan begin to blossom. Many types of flowers on both sides of the Yamuna, such as beli, chameli, juhi, and madhavi begin to bloom. The bumblebees look here and there and chant, “Radhe Radhe” and the cuckoos also call out, “Radhe Radhe.”

The peacocks and peahens all call out “Keka keka.” Ke means: “Which male person has the ability to do a very wonderful thing? Srimati Radhika’s maan (Her mood of loving jealous anger), as well as Her shyness and patience, are like a very tall and immovable mountain. Which male person, ‘Ke,’ can crush that mountain into powder so that there is nothing left? This person is Shri Krishna.” Ka means: “Which female person can do a very wonderful thing? There is a powerful mad elephant named Shri Krishna whom no one can control. One person, however, by the goad of Her maan, can catch that elephant, bring Him under Her control, and then bind Him in the shackles of Her prem (love). Who is that? It is Shrimati Radhika.” In this way the peacocks and peahens glorify Srimati Radharani and Lord Krsna.

At the time of Shravan everything becomes green. The summer was dry, but now the rain has come and everything has come to life again. All the young brides are taken at this time from their mother-in-laws’ homes by their brothers, and they return to their fathers’ homes.

Shrimati Radhika was still at Her in-laws’ home in Yavat, however, because Her brother, Shridama, had not come. Much time passed and finally he arrived there on the full moon day, with some new clothing and ornaments to pacify Srimati Radhika’s mother-in-law, Jatila.

Seeing Her brother Shrimati Radhika wept, “O My dear brother, why have you come so late? Only a few days remain of this Shravan month. Why did you come late? Did you forget Me?”

Srimati Radhika then very happily left Yavat and went to Barsana, with Her brother; and there She met together with all of Her sakhis, Her intimate friends, as they had also returned to their maternal homes at that time. It was a very beautiful meeting and reunion in the place of their childhood play.

The sakhis made a jhulan (swing) for Her. They always make the swingon a kadamba tree and not on a tamal tree. The significance of a kadamba tree is that it carries the complexion of Shrimati Radhika and the tamal tree has a complexion of Shri Krsna. The tamal tree is not very strong, but the kadamba tree is very strong and beautiful. This signifies the superiority of Shrimati Radhika – She can control Lord Krishna by Her love.

jhula jhule radha damodar vrndavana me
kaisi cchaayi hariyali ali kunjan me

“Radha-Damodar are swinging on the swing in Vrindavan. O friend, how very green the kunj is!”

We sing this kirtan at the time of swinging Shri Shri Radha and Krsna. It describes how Lord Krishna has come and is waiting at the swing with folded palms for His beloved to come. Shrimati Radhika is in maan, and Her sakhis try to persuade Her to come by saying, “Please give up your sulky mood and come at once to your beloved Krishna. He is waiting for You.”

In this way we are observing Jhulan Yatra and remembering the sweet pastimes of Shri Shri Radha and Krsna.

The post Jhulan Yatra – The Swing Festival appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

2017.08.05 (VT): In Kosi Kalan on Friday Morning, a woman fell into a large open sewer while defecating in public and died.

Reports say the woman had an epileptic seizure, which caused the woman to lose her balance and fall into the sewage where she drowned.

The majority of villagers in Braj do not have a bathroom at home. While some cannot afford one, others choose not to have one, following ancient beliefs that say defecating in the house is “dirty.” Indeed, in rural areas where there is no sewage system in place, home bathrooms can give off a foul smell, reinforcing the belief that defecation should be done outside the home.

Villagers often go to the fields in the wee hours of the morning to defecate, but sometimes people, including children, squat on the edge of open sewers so that fecal matter falls directly in the collected sewage. That is likely what this woman was doing when she fell to her death.

The deceased woman and her husband, who were from a small village in Madhya Pradesh, had come to Braj to survive by begging.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.05 (VT): On Raksha Bandhan, four widows from Vrindavan will go to Delhi, where they will tie rakhis on the wrists of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind. During their visit, they will  propose a new law that would prevent children from abandoning their elderly parents.

Thousands of widows live in shelters and on the streets in the holy city of Vrindavan. Some have started calling Vrindavan “The City of Widows” as a result, but most of the widows in Vrindavan are not from Vrindavan, nor even from the same state. Large numbers of women have been abandoned by their families in West Bengal and other states, where being a widow is often considered “bad luck” and a drain on family finances. They come to Vrindavan for shelter, and Vrindavan accepts them with open arms.

The widows of Vrindavan hope that Prime Minister Modi will make abandoning one’s parents in this way a punishable offense.

At a government shelter in Bhoot Gali, widows are busy making rakhis with images of the Prime Minister on them. They have made about two thousand rakhis so far, while another 1,500 are being prepared under the auspices of Sulabh International. These rakhis will be tied on the hands of local people by the widows during a function at Gopinath Mandir on August 6th.

Four widows from Vrindavan will go to Delhi to tie rakhis to the PM and the President on August 7th.

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Yesterday was the disappearance day of Srila Roop Goswami.

Vrindavan, 2017.08.04 (From a lecture by B.V. Narayan Maharaj): Even though there are so many great acharyas, Srila Roop Goswami has been attributed with the honor of being that person who has established the mano-‘bhistam, the innermost heart’s desire, of Sri Krishna in the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

When Sriman Mahaprabhu came to the village of Ramakeli, He met with Srila Roop Goswami and Srila Sanatan Goswami and told them, “Leave your homes and be with Me.” After a short time they left their homes. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu then came from Vrindavan and met with Srila Roop Goswami at Prayag, the confluence of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told him:

parapara-sunya gabhira bhakti-rasa-sindhu
tomaya cakhaite tara kahi eka bindu

“The ocean of bhakti–ras is so vast that no one can estimate its length and breadth. However, just to help you taste it, I am describing one drop. (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 19.137)”

Sri Chaitanya gave one drop of the ocean of ras to Srila Roop Goswami, and that one drop was sufficient to inundate millions upon millions of universes. Later, He met with Srila Sanatan Goswami in Varanasi.

After some time, Srila Roop Goswami and Srila Sanatan Goswami came here to Vrindavan and began to perform their bhajan – their hearing, chanting, and remembering about Krishna.

Roop Goswami thought, “In order to fulfill the innermost heart’s desire of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, I will write a drama. In this drama I will explain the beauty of the union of Srimati Radhika and Sri Krishna in Vrindavan, and also Their separation pastimes, when Lord Krishna leaves Vrindavan and goes to Mathura and Dwarka. I will explain how, by their expansions, Srimati Radhika and all the sakhis somehow or other (by the medium of their expansions) went to Dwarka and became Lord Krishna’s 16,108 queens.”

He intended to write about this, but while he was traveling towards Jagannath Puri he came to the village of Satyabhama-pur. There, Srimati Satyabhama-devi, Lord Krishna’s chief queen, appeared to him in a dream and told him, “Please don’t make only one drama. Please divide it into two parts.”

Then, when Srila Roop Goswami finally arrived at Jagannatha Puri and met with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord confirmed what he had heard from Srimati Satyabhama in his dream. Sriman Mahaprabhu told him, “Don’t take Sri Krishna out of Vrindavan.”

krsno ‘nyo yadu-sambhuto yah purnah so ‘sty atah parah
vrndavanam parityajya sa kvacin naiva gacchati

“The Krishna known as Yadu-kumara is Vasudeva Krishna. He is different from the Krishna who is the son of Nand Maharaj. Yadu-kumara Krishna manifests His pastimes in the cities of Mathura and Dwarka, but Krishna the son of Nand Maharaj never at any time leaves Vrindavan.” (Chaitanya-charitamrita Antya 1.67)

“Krishna never leaves Vrindavan. He never even sets one foot outside of Vrindavan.”

Srila Roop Goswami then divided his drama into two parts. The first part is called Vidagdha-madhav, which tells about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan; and in the second part, called Lalit-madhav, He goes to Dwarka and all the gopis of Vrindavan are reunited with Him in the form of the queens of Dwarka.

Why did Srila Roop Goswami do this? This is a very deep siddhanta, conclusive philosophical truth. Srila Kavi Karnapur, a very great devotee, has composed Sri Anand Vrindavan Champu. In this book he described the pastimes of Lord Krishna from His birth up to raas-lila and the Divine Couple’s swing pastimes, and he stopped there. He didn’t go any further than this. He didn’t describe about Krishna going to Mathura or Dwarka, because this separation mood is very difficult to tolerate for the pure devotees. He was thinking, “My Mistress Radhika cannot tolerate this separation, so I will not write about it.”

Srila Roop Goswami, however, has written about the moods of both meeting and separation – because this separation mood is a very deep transcendental ecstatic feeling. At the time of meeting, though Radharani and Krishna are together, something may be forgotten or lost in the heart. On the other hand, at the time of separation, there is complete meeting in new and fresh ways in the heart; and not only inside, but sometimes externally there are sphurtis, temporary visions in which the loved one is actually present.

Knowing all these very deep transcendental established truths, and wanting to establish the desire of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu within the world, Srila Roop Goswami also glorified the mood of separation. Although this mood is very high and has many transcendental features that will not come at the time of meeting, still, it is not our goal of life.

Gaudiya Vaisnavas do not want Sri Sri Radha and Krishna to be eternally separated. What kind of person would want this? No Brajwasi would want it. However, there is a place for this separation mood, and Srila Roop Goswami has explained this in his book, Ujjvala Nilamani: Na vina vipralambha sambhoga pusti masnute. “Without the mood of separation, the mood of meeting will not be nourished” and come to increasingly higher stages. The pastimes of separation are very important because they play the role of nourishing the sweetness of meeting.”

When Srila Roop Goswami was in Puri with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Lord was dancing at the Ratha Yatra festival and uttering a verse from a book of mundane poetry called Sahitya Darpana:

yah kaumara-harah sa eva hi varas ta eva caitra-ksapas
te conmilita-malati-surabhayah praudhah kadambanilah
sa caivasmi tathapi tatra surata-vyapara-lila-vidhau
reva-rodhasi vetasi-taru-tale cetah samutkanthat

“That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Chaitra. The same fragrance of malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Reva under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire.”

No one could understand why Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was uttering this verse and in what mood He was absorbed. There was one young boy there, however, named Roop, who later on became that very same Roop Goswami. There and then, upon hearing this verse from Mahaprabhu, another verse appeared in his own heart, and he wrote down that verse:

priyah so ‘yam krsnah saha-cari kuru-ksetra-militas
tathaham sa radha tad idam ubhayoh sangama-sukham
tathapy antah-khelan-madhura-murali-pancama-juse
mano me kalindi-pulina-vipinaya sprhayati

This is a verse spoken by Srimati Radharani: “My dear friend, now I have met My beloved Krishna on this field of Kurukshetra. I am the same Radha, and now we are meeting together. But still I would like to go to the bank of the Yamuna beneath the trees of the forest there. I wish to hear the vibration of His sweet flute playing the fifth note within that forest of Vrindavan.” (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrta Madhya 1.76)

In this verse Srila Roop Goswami has clarified Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s inner meaning and thus he revealed to the world the importance of parakiya ras, the mood of paramour love between Lord Krishna and the gopis. Srila Roop Goswami is that very person who established within this world the innermost heart’s desire of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

After Sriman Mahaprabhu disappeared from the vision of the world, the discussion of parakiya ras was not prominent. According to scripture, mundane ras, this world’s love between those who are unmarried, is very immoral, illicit and sinful. However, in addition to manifesting the endless varieties and wonder of vipralamba and sambhoga, the meeting and separation pastimes of Radha and Krishna, Srila Roop Goswami also established the superiority of parakiya ras. By using evidence from many different shastras, he proved that Lord Sri Krishna is not an ordinary nayak (lover) and Radhika is not an ordinary nayika (beloved). In other words, when there is meeting between a mundane lover and beloved in the parakiya mood it is very sinful, but Sri Krishna is God Himself, and everything is possible for Him. Therefore, if He is the object of the parakiya-bhava, there is no fault or defect in this. Rather this is the topmost supremely pure manifestation of madhurya-prema, the romantic mood.

Srila Roop Goswami established the fact that Lord Krishna Himself came into this world to taste these mellows, and, as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Himself experienced the parakiya-bhakti-rasa that is within the heart of Srimati Radhika:

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam
harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah
sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandana

“May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Srimati Saci-devi be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.” (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita Adi 1.4)

sri-caitanya-mano’bhistam
sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam
dadati sva-padantikam

“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torchlight of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. When will Srila Roop Goswami, who has Sri Chaitanya’s heart’s desire within this world, give me shelter under his lotus feet? (prayer by Srila Narottam das Thakur)

These deliberations and philosophical conclusions are extremely deep, and very difficult to understand. It is therefore essential that one come under the guidance of a realized Guru and pure devotees, and give ones full time and energy and enthusiastic work in the service of that Guru and in chanting Harinam, the holy names of Krishna, and performing bhajan. One should also make a great effort to understand and realize the reason for which Srila Roop Goswami appeared in this world and why he wrote so many books like Sri Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, Sri Ujjwal-nilamani, Sri Vidagdha-madhav and Sri Lalit-madhav.

The post Srila Roop Goswami’s Disappearance Day appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.08.05 (Sakhicharan Das): Today is the disappearance day (tirobhav tithi) of Sri Sri 108 Siddha Manohar Das Babaji Maharaj of Govind Kund. His life was a remarkable celebration of intense vairagya coupled with jap and lila-smaran. The famous Siddha Mahatma Sri Sri 108 Kishori-Kishorananda Das Babaji (Tinkudi Baba) took shelter of him and was taught the process of bhajan by him. Both of them were great jewels in the Vaishnav Samaj of Vrindavan illuminating the path of pure raganuga bhajan by demonstrating it themselves in their thoughts, words, and deeds. I have put together a brief history of the life of Siddha Manohar Baba for the pleasure of the Vaisnavas while praying for his kripa so I can meet with success in my bhajan.

Siddha Manohar Das Babaji was born in Madhavpur in the district of Nadia in 1847 and was named Mahendra. His father was Sri Bholanath Adhikari and mother was Pyari Sundari. His mother died when he was six years old and his father died when he was thirteen.

When he was six years old he had a dream that a saint came and took him to a forest, then set the forest on fire on all sides. This dream awakened in him a distaste for material life. After the death of his father he took diksha from Sri Nandkishor Goswami, a decendent of Advaitacharya, and went to Nabadwip to study Sanskrit grammar, alankar, and nyay.

Siddha Manohar Das Babaji

He took bhek (Babaji vesh) from Sri Swaroop Das Babaji of Nabadwip and was given the name Manohar Das. While in Nabadwip he had the good fortune of enjoying the association of Siddha Chaitanya Das Babaji of Nabadwip and Siddha Bhagavan Das Babaji of Kalna.

In 1881, Manohar Das Babaji went to Vrindavan and for five years he studied bhakti scriptures under Prabhupad Sri Gopilal Goswami, the sevait of Sri Radharaman Temple. At that time he enjoyed the association of great siddha mahatmas like Balaram Das Babaji of Jharu Mandal, Jagdish Das Babaji of Kalidah, and Nityananda Das Babaji of Madanmohan Thaur.

Afterwards he practiced bhajan in solitude at Kusum Sarovar, Kamyavan, and Nandagaon. Once he went to do Braj Mandal parikrama with Siddha Ramakrishna Das Pandit Baba and some other mahatmas. Though he eventually selected a secluded spot for his place of bhajan, he was forced to leave the place out of fear of Muslim troublemakers. In 1893, after receiving an instruction in a dream, he went to Govind Kund to settle for good and live at the base of Giriraj. Siddha Ramakrishna Pandit lived in nearby Pucchari at the time, so often they would get together for Hari-katha. During this time, many Vaishnavs came to sit at his feet to learn Srimad Bhagavatam.

In 1915 Manohar Baba built a cave in Govind Kund in which he lived and performed his bhajan. He came out only in the evening for madhukari. He slept for only one or two hours per day. The rest of the time he spent doing jap and lila-smaran. It is said that he did no less than seven lakhs of jap daily (over 400 rounds of mahamantra jap per day). He avoided the company of people and spoke very little. He was very humble and bowed to all and never allowed anyone to touch his feet. He was so absorbed in his bhajan that he was mostly unaware of his body at all. Sadhus would sometimes suggest that he use a mosquito net at night, but he said, “mosquitoes don’t do any harm to us. They help us in bhajan by keeping away sleep.”

Once it became extremely cold at night in Braj with the temperatures nearing the freezing point. Baba used to wear only rags to cover his body. His body began to shiver and shake which created an obstacle to his bhajan. Getting angry with his body, he removed his clothing and jumped in the icy-cold waters of Govind Kund. A sadhu living nearby checked on Baba to find out what all the commotion was about. Baba replied, “The body was asking for more clothes. It’s always demanding something, it needed to be disciplined.” The sadhu told Baba that the cold is very severe and that he needed to use a blanket, but Baba said, “Vairagis who have renounced the world have no business using blankets.”

Manohar Das Babaji’s wholehearted and determined application to bhajan and his complete indifference to worldly affairs was profound and proverbial. Demonstrating intense vairagya and deep absorption in jap and lila-smaran he set an example, particularly for renounced sadhaks, of how bhajan is to be performed.

“Manohar Das Baba used to say that bhajan is not possible without the complete surrender at the feet of the Lord and total dependence upon Him. It is only in the state of utter dependence on Him that one enjoys the calmness of mind which is necessary for bhajan: A mind that is disturbed by various kinds of worldly anxiety is not fit for bhajan.”

He defined bhajan as: “A state in which the mind is constantly absorbed in meditation of the Lord and revolts at the thought of everything else as poison”.

He also said: “One must be firm in bhajan. To a man who practises bhajan steadfastly and with all his heart and soul, staking for it his life and everything else, obstacles begin to appear as illusory as the ‘horns of a hare.’ The Lord Himself makes the path of bhajan smooth for him. But this does not happen in a day; both perseverence and patience are necessary.”

He wrote two books. One pertaining to Krishna-lila titled vaidagdhi-vilaas, and a book about Harinam titled, naam ratna-mala.

In 1947 , on the 13th day of the bright fortnight in the month of Shravan (July-August), Siddha Manohar Das Babaji entered nitya-lila.

 

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Sakhicharan Das (1960-2016) was a dedicated sadhak, writer, and resident of Sri Radhakund in the lineage of Shri Radharaman Charan Das Babaji Maharaj.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.06 (VT): Today after a long time I went to Bhagwat Niwas. Usually there is Harikatha at the time I went. But when I arrived, the ashram was silent. The sounds of kirtan did not waft from the temple building, and no devotees could be seen hovering like hungry bees around the katha hall.

Everything was empty. I poked around for a while trying to understand why. Just as I was about to leave, an elderly Babaji with a long white beard called me over and said to me in Bengali, “You know the stocky, dark Baba with glasses… he left his body this morning.”

“You mean Karunakar Baba? He’s my Gurubhai!”

It seemed strange. Last time I met Karunakar Baba, he was absolutely fine. I couldn’t understand how he could be here one day and gone the next. The elderly Babaji then explained that Karunakar Baba had been bitten by a snake on his finger. They took him to the hospital in the middle of the night, but it seemed the hospital didn’t have antivenom in stock. They took him to another hospital, and to some folk medicine specialist in Pani Gaon. At last they returned to the ashram, where he passed away amidst the sacred melody of Harinam sankirtan.

Karunakar Baba performing abhishek of his Guru – Baya Baba’s murti

Karunakar Baba was a homeopathic doctor in Orissa before he left household life to become a Babaji. He received diksha from the famous Orissan saint Sri Baya Baba (Sri Sachinandan Das Babaji Maharaj), and bhek (Babaji vesh) from Baya Baba’s younger godbrother Sri Kaliya Baba (Sri Hridayananda Das Babaji). His shiksha guru was Sri Sant Das Babaji, from whom he learned ashta-kaliya lila smaran according to the Gutika of Siddha Krishnadas Babaji of Govardhan.

Karunakar Baba was always very friendly and kind. He continued to serve the Vaishnav community as a homeopathic doctor for some time after coming to Braj, thus earning himself the nickname “Doctor Baba.” I still fondly remember going with him in a small group to Barsana and Govardhan and seeing the beautiful garden where he used to stay at Puchari, sitting in his room at Radharaman Bhajanashram in Radhakund on occasion, and talking about his memories of Gurudev and his experiences in Braj.

For the last years of his life he lived in Bhagwat Niwas in Vrindavan, passing his days in intense jap and lila smaran. 

Karunakar Baba always wanted to die in Vrindavan, and said so several times over the ten years that I knew him. His health was not very good – he suffered from diabetes and heart problems – and he said he was ready to go anytime. “That’s what I came here for,” he would say. This morning, Radharani fulfilled his desire.

The following is a story told by Karunakar Baba to our gurubhai, the late Sakhicharan Das.

Throw Yourself in the Fire

An Orissan bhakta named Kshetravasi had searched earnestly for a guru for over twelve years. In that time he sought out many sadhus, but he felt that none of them was his true guru. He was feeling completely hopeless and distraught and felt that he had no power to go on. But then he remembered something that Sri Aurobindo had said, “throw yourself in the fire and God will be there.”

Sri Baya Baba

He had heard that if one commits suicide at Puri by throwing oneself under the wheels of Jagannath’s cart, that the person’s desire is fulfilled in the next life. So, he resolved to end his life on Ratha Yatra day with Jagannath Dev as a witness.

On that day, he went to the temple road to wait for the cart. First Baldev’s cart sped by, and then Subhadra Devi’s. Last came Jagannath’s cart. As the cart approached, Kshetravasi ran towards the cart and flung himself on the ground.

At that moment, Jagannath’s cart stopped. Kshetravasi fainted senseless on the ground. When he regained consciousness that evening, he found that some sadhus had brought him to an ashram near Narendra Sarovar. They told him stories about their Guru, Sri Baya Baba. He was impressed by their mood and their way of speaking, and desired to have his darshan. He was told that Baya Baba was now in Cuttack and that perhaps he could meet him there.

Kshetravasi now felt some hope and prayed, “If you are really my Guru, I will be able to see you there in Cuttack.”

When Kshetravasi arrived, there was kirtan going on outside of Baya Baba’s room, and a crowd waiting to bid him farewell. A car was packed and waiting for over half an hour to take Baba to Kendrapara, but Baba just continued to wait in his room and no one knew why. Kshetravasi arrived and went in to make his obeisance to Baba, but before he could speak, Baba rose up and said, “So you’ve come! Then, Baya is going. You come along with me to Kendrapara.”

Sri Baya Baba with disciples

Kshetravasi had never met Baba before, but without anyone informing him, Baba waited over half an hour for his arrival. How did he know? Perhaps Jagannath Dev had informed him in meditation? Or, as Kshetravasi (now our dear gurubhai known as Karunakar Das Babaji) puts it, “Such a siddha baba is all-knowing. In both the prakat and aprakat (manifest and unmanifest) time, he performs such lilas with his disciples.”

Kshetravasi’s long time desire was now fulfilled. He received diksha a couple of days later and he recounts some of the details…” I was asked to sit cross-legged on the floor and face to face directly in front of Baya Baba who was seated in the same fashion. He held my hands and closed his eyes for a while, then he placed my hands on his thighs and tilted my head towards him and breathed the mantras in my ears. Baya Baba’s body trembled and I could feel his tears dripping on my thighs as he infused me with his bhav-shakti.”

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.06 (VT): With the monsoon fully active in North India, the Yamuna is flowing near its favorite ghats in Vrindavan. The river is desperate to come back to its natural course, which is being obstructed by illegal road built on top of the debris thrown over several years by the municipality and the residents.
A panoramic semi lunar stretch of Yamuna riverside, used to have 48 ghats on its bank, which had spectacular views. The then British Collector Mr. F. S. Growse mentioned 32 ghats in his district memoir of the Mathura. Sixteen more ghats between Keshi Ghat and Pani Ghat were built later.
These ghats were built and inhabited by various dynasties and monasteries and zamindars, in due course of time span. Each ghat is associated with a building in its backyard, having unique architecture. The buildings are either temples or palaces, each have its own history and mythology related with it.
The ghats on the Yamuna bank in Vrindavan used to have a special meaning for the local people. Once their life line these ghats are not visited regularly by the locals any more. While every ritual from child birth, marriage and the last rites were performed on the banks of Yamuna. People seldom go there for any celebration. Some local traditional people go to the ‘Panda wala ghat’ and ‘Bihar Ghat’ for the last rites.
Till one decade back, the pilgrims took holy dip at Keshi Ghat, Cheer Ghat and other ghats of Yamuna, to absolve all their sins, but now they can’t take bath on these ghats as the river was forced to change its course by two dream projects of the consecutive governments in Uttar Pradesh. During monsoon when the water level is high in Yamuna, the pilgrims who have been traditionally visiting Vrindavan during shravan – bhadra perform the ritual of the holy dip, even today.
The tussle between environmental priorities and the development agenda has been a perennial feature of Indian Governance. Different governments in the state arbitrarily annihilated the natural course of Yamuna. The brazen developmental project on the Yamuna bed and its floodplain has caused possibly irrevocable damage to the ecosystem of the plain and the unmatched architecturally rich heritage ghats.
The Mayavati Government in UP brought the project of building the ‘half moon bridge’ at Keshi Ghat, in the year 2009. An illegal road was built in front of the ghats under the project which prevents the river to flow on its original course, even during the monsoon.
The project was challenged in the High court by the ‘Citizen group’ Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance, which appointed Mahant Madhumangal Sharan Das Shukla to become the petitioner. The court found severe irregularities in the project and disapproved it. Finally, the half built pillars were dismantled, but the illegal road still remains, which has become an obstruction between the Yamuna and its ghats.
The following government, led by Shri Akhilesh Yadav brought another disastrous project of the ‘Riverfront Development Project’, which has also been challenged in the different courts. The sewer pipeline laid in front of the ghats and the sheet piling activity undertaken in the project has posed serious threat to Vrindavan’s river system.  Had the government succeeded in executing these projects easily without legal challenges, one could only read about the Yamuna ghats of Vrindavan in the books only.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.01 (VT):  Vrindavan lovers breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday as the Allahabad High Court accepted the petition challenging the merger of the Vrindavan and Mathura civic bodies.

The merger of the two municipalities is unconstitutional, claimed Shri Anuruddha Chaturvedi, during the hearing in the Allahabad High court. Shri Chaturvedi claimed that under Article 243 P of the Constitution of India, two cities or districts can be merged to constitute a metropolitan city, whereas Article 243 Q states that a Municipal Corporation can be formed only in a larger urban area.

Old Madan Mohan Mandir

Shri Chaturvedi is the counsel for the petitioner Mahant Madhumangal Sharan Das Shukla, who has filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Allahabad High Court against the merger of the two cities, claiming that because of their different cultural backgrounds, they were incompatible.

After hearing Shri Chaturvedi on the first day of August, Allahabad High Court sought replies from the state government and Mathura district administration. The case was heard by the division bench of the Chief Justice D.B. Bhosle and Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta.

The petitioner challenged the Uttar Pradesh Governments decision of merging the Mathura and Vrindavan municipalities to constitute an integrated municipal corporation in its place.

The petitioner in the case had earlier challenged the government’s merger proposal by claiming that the two holy cities have very different characteristics and hence should not be merged. Subsequently, the Agra divisional commissioner, director of urban bodies, and the UP panchayati raj officer were made respondents in the case. Giving them four weeks to file their replies, the court fixed August 30 as the next date of hearing.

Govinda Dev Mandir

In his PIL, the petitioner Mahant Madhu Mangal Sharan Das Shukla had urged the high court to stay the government notification of merging the two civic bodies by arguing that both the cities were culturally different and had different economic conditions and that a merger will lead to an identity crisis for the residents of Vrindavan.

“Mathura has been influenced by Buddhists and Jains, whereas the residents of Vrindavan follow Vaishnavism. The merger will lead to the creation of an urban jungle in Vrindavan,” the petitioner had said.

The petitioner had further requested the court to order the government to declare Vrindavan as a heritage city and to upgrade it to grade ‘A’ to its Nagar Palika.

Keshi Ghat

Shukla further claimed that before issuing the said notification, the authorities had not heard the objections from residents and councilors. “Before issuing the notification, the government ought to have taken into consideration the number of people, population density and other important factors in the area which were necessary for turning a municipal council into a municipal corporation.”

In a meeting organized on 16th April at Rangji Mandir’s Bare Bagicha, Shri Shukla was authorized by the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance to legally challenge the decision of the Government in the Allahabad High Court.

Acharya Naresh Narayan, the National convener of the BVHA said, “The merger is not only against the spiritual interests of Vrindavan, it will compromise with its brand value too.”

“It will affect the economy of Vrindavan too, as Vrindavan has become its own brand, and doesn’t rely on Mathura for development and business,” said Acharya.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.07 (VT): Ascetics rejoiced as the Yamuna’s waves once again lapped against her favorite, Keshi Ghat. Thousands of devout Hindus led by the priests of Shri Dham Vrindavan plunged into the holy river on Monday in a ritual they believe can wash away their sins. The ceremony took place during the Shravani Purnima, which is also Jhulan Purnima.

A sea of humanity assembled on the river bank as people waited patiently for their turn to step into the water. Men in their underpants, women in saris and children – naked and clothed, chanted Hindu scriptures, while stepping into the water. The bathing process was initiated by the Dham’s priests or Teertha Purohits. Devotees also participated in Yamuna Aarati.

The Adi Varaha Purana confirms that a bath in Keshi Ghat is worth 1000 dips in the Ganga. The results of bathing in all holy places await those who bathe here.

Despite the conspiracy to destroy the iconic Keshi Ghat with all the so-called developmental projects inaugurated by the government which are forcing the river to flow far away from it, the Yamuna has once again touched its favorite abode and is flowing alongside Keshi Ghat.

The state government has made a proposal to reclaim the land beyond the last step of Keshi Ghat and lay giant sewer pipes in front of it. Then at some distance from Keshi Ghat, they would build new concrete ghats. The government has even completed the sheet piling in front of the ghat in order to make a foundation for the expanded ghats. This work has been halted thanks to Vrindavan activists who opposed the project and challenged it in different courts.

Keshi Ghat in Vrindavan is the most important Yamuna Ghat of Vrindavan and the center of various types of activities. It is surrounded by majestic palaces, the Yamuna River and the Yugal Kishor Mandir.

Sunrise at Keshi Ghat is a time when the beauty of Vrindavan’s skyline can be fully experienced. At the same time, one can see the holy town’s religious landscape as many of its residents assemble to perform ablutions and various other religious activities there. People who visit Vrindavan should never lose opportunity to bathe and perform rituals there.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.08 (VT): Shri Radha and Krishna’s annual swing festival ended yesterday on the full moon day (purnima). The swing festival, also known as Hindol Utsav or Jhulan Yatra, started on Hariyali Teej and is one of the most beloved celebrations on Vrindavan’s festival calendar. Dressed in seasonal green, devotees thronged Vrindavan to get a last glimpse of their Beloveds on the swing.

Shri Krishna was offered rakhis in many of the temples, as this day is also the Raksha Bandhan festival. Shri Banke Bihari Lal was offered rakhis made of gold, silver and cloth decorated with zari (fine Persian embroidery). At the Shri Radharaman Temple,

Shri Radharaman wearing Kuleh (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Radharaman Lal wore a special crown called Kuleh Chandrika which he only wears on Raksha Bandhan and Deepawali.

Due to a lunar eclipse (chandra grahan) most of the temples closed in the early afternoon and did not open again in the evening, thus cutting short the festivities of swing festival’s last day. A few temples remained open however, so the crowds of devotees satisfied their longing for darshan there.

Eclipses are considered both inauspicious and powerful time for spiritual practice. Many devotees took full advantage of the eclipse by fasting, singing kirtan, chanting jap and bathing in the holy Yamuna river.

The congregational singing for Janmashtami begins today in the Shri Radharaman Temple, and will continue every evening until ashtami.

This evening, special darshans will be presented in the ancient temples of Vrindavan. Deities will be dressed as follows: Shri Govind Dev (Subal Vesh), Gopinath (Vanvihar), Madanmohan (Rai Raja), Radha-Damodar (Shyamsakhi), Shyamsundar (Nauka Vilas), Gokulanand (Raval Raja), Amiya Nimai Mahaprabhu (Naagari Bhav) and Shadbhuj Mahaprabhu (Naagar Bhav).

Shri Radharamanji’s Swing Festival

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.08 (VT): Minister of Parliament and Bollywood film star Hema Malini celebrated Raksha Bandhan with street children in Mathura on Monday. This is the first time since becoming MP that Malini has celebrated Raksha Bandhan in her district.

Around 11am, a group of street children visited Malini at the Shri Radha Ashok hotel, and tied rakhis on her wrist. The children used to beg at the railway station, but with the help of Sri Satish Chandra Sharma and Shashi Saksena of the NGO Justice for Children, 41 children have stopped begging and have been admitted to government and private schools.

Unfortunately the rough tents (jhopris) where the children lived were destroyed last week by the railway authorities, leaving them homeless. Along with their gift of rakhis, the children gave a letter to the MP asking her for help with accomodations and studies.

Malini assured the children she would help in every way possible.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.09 (VT): Vrindavan is the land of festivities. It is a living heritage filled with the culture of temples. Every day this temple town has one celebration or the other. Some temples celebrate in a big way, and some in simple way, but there are celebrations throughout the year.

It is not just one temple that draws most of the crowd, but pilgrims and the devotees who understand Shri Dham Vrindavan keep a calendar of festivals and enjoy exploring the moods of many temples, both big and small.

While most of the temples have festivals in common, Shri Rangnath Mandir has a list of festivals which is unique in Braj. The dates of celebrating Shri Krishna Janmashtami, Holi and other common festivals differs in this temple. There are also several festivals which are celebrated only in Rangji Mandir.

“Gajendra Moksha Lila” was celebrated in this temple on Monday. Every year this festival is celebrated in the evening, but due to the lunar eclipse it was celebrated in the morning this year. Local devotees thronged the 19th-century South Indian-style temple to witness the great Puranic event.

This pastime of Bhagwan Rangnath is an enactment of a story from Shrimad Bhagvatam, when Lord Vishnu saved an elephant, who was his devotee, from a crocodile. In the course of the festival, Thakur Rangmannar came out of the temple on a golden chariot and arrived at the Pushkarini (temple pond), where the enactment of the pastime was performed.

The scene was well set; a three-foot-tall wooden elephant and a four-foot-long wooden crocodile were placed in the temple tank with the crocodile clutching the right leg of the elephant. One could almost hear Gajendra’s loud scream for help, and tears rolled down the eyes of the devotees. Seated at the four-pillar mandapa along side the lotus tank, Rangnath listened to the sweet 30-minute recital of the Gajendra Moksham Puranam by the priests. Following the recital of each verse, a priest explained the significance of this event and how Lord Narayana relieved Gajendra, who pleaded for the Lord’s support, and saved him from the clutches of the crocodile.

As the priests recited the stanzas relating to Lord Vishnu hurling his discus to kill the crocodile, a fire cracker was shot from near Thakur Shri Rangnath, which flew and struck the crocodile at a lightning pace, thus relieving the elephant from its clutches.

Gajendra Moksha Lila

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.09 (VT): Mathura is on high alert against terrorist activities in the days leading up to Janmastami. Security is being beefed up in preparation for the day of Shri Krishna’s birth, which draws massive crowds to Mathura and Vrindavan.

This week two men were found with over 30,000 counterfeit currency notes. The suspects have been arrested and are currently being interrogated by police. Area residents suspect Pakistan’s ISI as being the source these fake notes. The two suspects are believed to be involved in a terrorist sleeper cell.

Fake currency notes are often used by terrorist organizations to purchase weapons and conduct business in general. Terrorists can also wreak havoc by proliferating the fake notes into the local economy, or throwing them into the crowds to cause a stampede.

Local businesses and residents are asked to be extra careful in checking the validity of currency over the next couple of weeks.

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Shri Gopinath Lal Dev Goswami of the Shri Radha-Gopinath Temple says that previously, the Deities of Vrindavan used to stay in their respective bagichas (gardens) throughout Jhulan Yatra. Thus at the end of Jhulan, it was very difficult for them to transition back to their normal surroundings and schedule inside the temple. And so the sevayats of the temple found a new way of celebration in the form of these special darshans.

Some of the special darshans on this day include: Sri Radha-Govind Dev’s Subal Vesh Lila, Shri Radha-Gopinath’s Van Vihar, Shri Radha-Madanmohan’s Rai Raja Lila, Shri Radha-Shyamsundar’s Nauka Vilas, Shri Gokulananda’s Raval Raja Lila, Shri Radha-Damodar’s Shyama Sakhi Lila, Shri Amiya Nimai Mahaprabhu’s Nagari Bhav Darshan and Shri Shadbhuj Mahaprabhu’s Nagar Bhav Darshan. On this day, the congregational singing leading up to Janmastami begins at the Shri Radharaman Temple.

The Story Behind Each Darshan

Shri Radha-Govind, Vijay Vigrah, Old Temple (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Radha-Govind Dev Temple: Subal Vesh

Subal Sakha is one of Shri Krishna’s very close cowherd boy friends who looks very much like Shri Radharani. One day Shri Radha’s mother-in-law stopped Radharani from leaving the house to meet Krishna. So Krishna sent Subal to her house under the pretext of looking for a lost calf. Subal then exchanged clothes with Radharani, and Radharani left the house wearing Subal vesh (the clothes of Subal), holding a calf in her arms to conceal her figure. Thus she was able to meet Krishna. This lila is depicted at the Shri Radha-Govind Dev temple on this day every year. It is also the only day when devotees are able to have Radharani’s charan darshan – the holy sight of her lotus feet.

Shri Radha-Gopinath (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Radha-Gopinath Temple: Van Vihar

From Hariyali Teej to Shravan Purnima, Shri Radha-Gopinathju enjoyed their swing festival. Now the sakhis feel it is time for Shri Radha and Krishna to return to their normal schedule and bring the swing festival to a close. So they dress Radharani as Shri Krishna and ask him to play his flute. Shri Krishna in turn puts on Radharani’s clothes and they enjoy playing together in these reversed roles. Shri Radha’s younger sister Shri Anang Manjari and all her sakhis dress as cowherd boys. This lila is called Van Vihar or playing in the forest of Vrindavan. It is a celebration of nature, the explosion of greenery that fills the forest of Vrindavan during this monsoon season. Devotees can have the darshan of Shri Radharani’s lotus feet on this day.

Shri Radha-Madanmohan (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Radha-Madanmohan Temple: Rai Raja

In the Shri Radha-Madanmohan Temple, Shri Radharani dresses as a handsome young King, complete with a fine silver sword. As she takes her seat on the high throne, Shri Madanmohan Lal becomes her bodyguard or kotwal, holding a sword and shield in his hand. Devotees can have the darshan of Shri Radharani’s lotus feet on this day.

P.C. Shri Radha-Shyamsundar Temple

Shri Radha-Shyamsundar Temple: Nauka Vilas

The jagmohan of Shri-Radha Shyamsundar’s temple is filled with water, which is decorated with flowers and greenery and filled with real fish! Shri Radha-Shyamsundar’s altar is converted to a boat. Shri Ladli-Lalju invite hundreds of green parrots (symbolised by toy parrots) to sit on the boat with them as they enjoy their sweet and blissful lilas on the Yamuna River.

Shri Radha-Vijay Govinda, Gokulananda Temple (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Gokulananda Temple: Raval Raja Lila

At the Shri Gokulananda temple, Shri Radharani is dressed as the King of Raval village, her birthplace. Shri Vijay Govinda, the darling Lord of Shri Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur, becomes her guard. Devotees can have the darshan of Shri Radharani’s lotus feet on this day.

Shri Radha-Damodar (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Radha-Damodar Temple: Shyama Sakhi Lila

To meet secretly with Radharani, Shri Krishna often wears different disguises. On this day in the Shri Radha-Damodar Temple, Shri Krishna dresses as a female musician named “Shyama Sakhi” in order to get close to her without the knowledge of her family members and her sakhis.

Shri Amiya Nimai (P.C. Anjali Syal)

Shri Amiya Nimai Temple: Nagari Bhav

Once in a year, Shri Amiya Nimai Mahaprabhu dresses as Radharani. Shri Mahaprabhu is known as “Radha-Krishna milit tanu”, the combined form of Shri Radha and Krishna. The vesh on this day is an external expression of his inner Radha bhav.

Shri Radharaman Lal

Shri Radharaman Temple: Janmastami congregational singing begins

Shri Radharaman Lal’s darshan is always infinitely special; there is no other “special darshan” on this day. Congregational singing for Janmastami begins on this day and continues until ashtami, which is on August 15, 2017.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.10 (VT): Many visitors to Vrindavan are infected by the “selfie craze”. Obsessed with taking the perfect “selfie”, people can tend to lose consciousness of their surroundings. Some even stand with their backs to the altar trying to take selfies with Shri Radha and Krishna, blocking other people from taking darshan and violating temple rules in the process.

Selfies can also end in tragedy.

On Wednesday afternoon, two sisters visited Barsana’s Sriji Mandir with their family. After having darshan of Radharani, the girls were taking selfies on the balcony of the temple which is situated on top of an enormous, rocky hill called Brahmachal Parvat. While taking the selfies, both girls lost their balance and fell from one of the temple turrets, landing almost fifty feet below.

Both girls are in critical condition.

At least 54 selfie-related deaths have been reported in India alone since 2011, although the real number is believed to be much larger.

In 2014 a 14-year old boy in Kerala died from electrocution while trying to take a selfie on top of a train. The next year in Kosikalan, three students in their twenties were hit by a train and died while trying to take a selfie on the railroad tracks. Earlier this year, 48 people were injured while trying to take selfies in front of a burning building in Chennai.

An extensive list of selfie-related deaths can be viewed here.

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Vrindavan, 2017.08.10 (VT): Security forces in Mathura are on high alert against possible terrorist attacks as Janmashtami, the day of Lord Krishna’s birth, coincides with Independence Day this year.

Drones will be used to monitor the enormous crowds expected in Mathura on this day. Law enforcement officers will also patrol the crowd in plain clothes.

Drone technology is being used for crowd surveillance from Bangalore to Paris. The drones, equipped with cameras, act as a type of enhanced CCTV technology.

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