Vrindavan, 2017.09.25 (VT): There are a number of things going on in the news today which deserve mentioning, though it is not possible to cover all of them in depth. Here is today’s news digest:

– Monkey Control Trials. An Aligarh company seeks to acquire the contract for controlling Vrindavan’s monkeys, and has been told to demonstrate its monkey-capturing ability. In the trial, 40 monkeys from near the Rang Ji temple were captured and relocated to an undisclosed location. Read more (Hindi)

– The central Government is displeased with the slowness of Vrindavan authorities in implementing cleaning and development work.  Despite the Rs.40 crore sanctioned under the HRIDAY scheme, work is slow in getting underway.  Read more (Hindi)

– New council to stamp out false Gurus. At a meeting on Sunday at Amarnath Dham, Gandhi Marg, it was decided that, due to a recent surge in unauthorised gurus, the Kashi Vidwat Parishad will form a new chapter in Braj. Leaders agree that anyone from outside the four Peeths (Jyotish Peeth, Sringeri Math, Puri, and Dwarka) who claims to be in the lineage of Shankaracharya or a Mahamandaleshwar is unauthorised.  Read more (Hindi)

–1500 houses to be constructed in Vrindavan. The Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority is finalizing its decision about where to begin the construction of houses for the poor under the Prime Minister’s housing scheme. The decision is not yet finalized, however the ground near Hazarimal Girls Intercollege in Gaura Nagar colony is shortlisted. Read more (Hindi)

–Hema Malini upset after visit to her adopted village. As a service to Radha Rani’s birthplace, Hema Malini adopted the village of Rawal. Malini adopted the village in 2016 under PM Modi’s ‘Sansad Adarsh Gram’ Program but is now feeling disappointed at the slow pace of work. Much-needed roads and drains have not yet been constructed.   Read more (Hindi)

Upcoming Events:

–October 3rd – 5th, The Braj Foundation will hold a maha abhishek ceremony of the deity installed at Sankarshan Kund at Anyor village, Goverdhan. The Braj Foundation claims that, at 34 feet, the Sankarshan Dauji diety is the tallest in Braj. Bathing at this kund is said to have the power to cleanse the bad Karma caused from sins like cow killing, but people had forgotten its importance and it was being used as a rubbish dump. In 2012, The Braj Foundation started work to restore it as a place of worship. Read more (English)

–Navaratri celebrations underway in Braj until 29th September, including the popular fair and darshan at Nari Semari temple in Chatta, Delhi-Mathura Highway. Maa Nari Semari temple is said to be situated at the place where Krishna and Balaram received the invitation from Kamsa to the wrestling match in Mathura. Maa Nari Semari is worshipped as the protector of Braj and the Brijwasis.  There is usually quite a long line to get into the temple, especially during this most auspicious time of Navaratri. Read more (Hindi)

The post Vrindavan News Digest for September 25, 2017 appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.26 (Vishakha Dasi): There is a gigantic, mysterious gate just across from Jai Singh Ghera. Many times I wondered what was inside, but the gate is angled in such a way that you can’t see in easily. Its faded appearance and muddy entryway were somehow intimidating for me, and I never got up the courage to go in.

Later I learned that this building is the home of my former coworker, the principal of the Sandipani Muni School, Shri Seemant Sharma. And so yesterday evening I went over for a visit.

The building is huge, almost like a palace. You have to pass through two large courtyards before reaching the actual temple. Seemant Sir, wearing a crisp white dhoti, performed the Sandhya aarti himself, as his young son Harsh Vardhan banged on the gong. When aarti was over, I asked him to tell me about this amazing place.

Seemant Sir and his family are disciples of Shri Radha Sarveshwar Sharan Devacharya Maharaj (Shriji Maharaj) and thus part of the Nimbark Sampradaya. Their family deity has been with them since time immemorial.

The irresistible Shri Chain Bihariji

“Our Thakur’s name is Chain Bihari.” Seemant Sir explained, “Bihari means Krishna, and Chain means “rest”, aaraam. After killing the demon Keshi at Keshi Ghat, Krishna took rest at this place. That’s why this deity was given the name Chain Bihari.

“This deity was worshipped by my ancestors. I have a record of eleven generations of our family, and Thakurji was already with us before that. Throughout the generations we lived right here, in this very place, because we are real Brajwasis.”

The temple, he says, was built by the famous Maharashtran queen, Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar. After her husband died in battle, Ahilyabai’s father-in-law forbade her to commit Sati and instead crowned her the queen of the kingdom.

Ahilyabai was a fierce warrior, but she was also very spiritual. She gave generously of her private wealth in charity. She also built and renovated many temples all over India, from the North to the South. She was greatly loved by her people, as this nineteenth-century English poem by Joanna Baillie indicates:

Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar

According to Seemant Sir, once Ahilyabai was travelling up the Yamuna River on a ship. When she reached Vrindavan, she and her entire army took rest on the riverbank. Seemant Sir’s ancestor, whose name was Mayaa Ram Pauranik, was performing some rituals nearby.

Ahilyabai had some cancerous tumors on her back, and was on her way to Delhi seeking treatment. She told Mayaa Ram ji about her ailment. He gave her some ashes from the sacred fire and told her to apply them on the tumors. Within two days the tumors disappeared, and the Rani was so thankful that she built this palace for Mayaa Ramji’s deity, Shri Chain Bihariji.

Seemant Sir’s altar also includes smaller deities, whose names are Shri Tulsi-Shyam and Shurpura Bihari. These deities were given to the family by different saints over the years. There are also a number of shaligram shilas, several swaroops of Gopalji, a triangular copper plate with mantras inscribed on it, and a number of tiny deities of devtas, including Shivji, Ganeshji and Gau Mata. A murti of Queen Ahilyabai herself is there as well, just to the right side of Chain Bihari’s singhasan. 

Maharani Ahilyabai’s murti at Chain Bihari Mandir

The temple also houses the samadhi of a Gaudiya Vaishnav mahatma named Narahari Das Babaji, who used to live in the temple around 100 or 150 years ago. The rooftop offers a beautiful view of Cheer Ghat and Yamuna Maharani.

A number of Bengali widows live in the palace for free in exchange for a little seva. “It’s a huge building, and hard to maintain on a local Principal’s salary. Unfortunately, people only visit a few famous temples in Vrindavan; they don’t even know temples like this exist,” Seemant Sir says, “But perhaps one day I will be able to rennovate this place.”

As we did some catching up, our conversation turned to the economy. There are not very many jobs in Vrindavan, and the jobs that do exist do not pay very well.

Seemant Sir admitted that if he had gone to Delhi or Mumbai, his salary might have been exponentially greater but, “I don’t want to leave Vrindavan. Whatever we have by the grace of Krishna is enough for us. Yes, life is expensive nowadays, but just think of our ancestors – they had even less facilities than we do, yet they didn’t leave Vrindavan. We are also here to stay.”

The post Chain Bihari, Queen Ahilyabai Holkar and the magic ashes appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

–Bulldozer drivers refuse to demolish temples. As the demolition campaign clearing the illegal properties on the Yamuna floodplain continues, temples are being demolished along with houses. In the latest round of demolitions, Kesh Katyani temple at Jugal Ghat and Bal Hanuman temple at Vihar Ghat disappeared. Three bulldozer drivers were enlisted for the demolition duty, which is being performed in compliance with the order of the Allahabad high Court. However, two of the drivers refused to be involved. Yesterday, a total of 15 houses and two temples were demolished from 12-4pm.  Read more (Hindi)

–Elephant Shelter gets Rs10 lakh funding. A West Bengal MP, Dr. Swapnadas Gupta, arranged the funding so that the elephant shelter in Churmura village, 28km from the center of Mathura, can build proper shelters to protect the elephants from the weather. Read more (Hindi)

–Hema Malini tells girls, “youth is like a storm”.  The actress-turned-politician gave an address to the girls of R.C.A College, Mathura, on Monday. Malini said that, at this age, it is important for youth to be protected by family and society. Malini watched dances by the girls and held a question-answer session with in which several girls raised their concerns about the garbage disposal problems in Mathura-Vrindavan. Malini assured them that action is being taken and more will be done in the future. Read more (Hindi)

–Funding for museum stalled. Mathura Museum was promised 4.25 crore to link exhibits to an audio system which tells their history, however the project has been stalled because funding has not been released. Read more (Hindi)

Upcoming Events

–Tuesday 26^th September 7pm. A dandiya dance program will be held at Tulip resort, Mathura. Read more (Hindi)

The post Vrindavan News Digest for September 26, 2017 appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.26 (VT): A young man from California named Devin Lawrence has made it his mission to bring Hollywood-quality sound recording to Vrindavan. His new studio – “Vrindawood” – promises to provide excellent service at affordable prices.

Devin and his business partner Nandu Joshi

The idea came to Devin and his business partner Nandu Joshi, after an experience with a local sound studio left them frustrated. After paying for a recording with live instruments, the studio gave them a track with synthesized flute, tabla and sarangi, apparently hoping they wouldn’t notice.

“In the United States we are all about customer service and giving people what they deserve; quality, and at the same time an affordable price. Having studied audio engineering and videography for the past 12 years, I wanted to offer my expertise to the people of Vrindavan.”

The new studio, which opens on October 1^st, is called “Vrindawood” – both a synonym for Vrindavan and a hearkening back to Devin’s California roots. Vrindawood already has its first clients lined up, including the famous kirtan band “The Kirtaniyas” and a woman who wants to record a single as an offering to her Gurudev.

“We are here to promote Krishna,” Devin says. “To promote Krishna’s music… to promote Braj culture to the world. The Vaishnav culture is just filled with music; it’s beautiful. When I first came here I was shocked at the beauty of it all.”

Devin doesn’t look like your typical videshi devotee. Dressed in slacks and a button-down shirt, his arms are tattoed with symbols of his passion – music – and a large winged cross all but covers his throat. “Jesus is my Guru” he says with a smile.

His studio isn’t typical either. The ambiance is charming with low moody lighting, softened by the tapestries lining the walls. His demeanor is friendly and professional. You get the feeling that he will deliver what he promises.

I couldn’t help but wonder what brought Devin to Vrindavan in the first place. It turns out that Devin is the son of Gayle Lawrence, who works for The White Rainbow Project, an organization that provides vocational training and support for Vrindavan’s widows.

After the recession of 2008, the music scene in California took a dive and with the high cost of living, Devin found himself living in his car for six months despite being employed.

“I think the living in my car was a desperate time in my life, a real crossroads as to what do I really want in life? I was still making music in my car, sitting in the driver’s seat in parking lots studying and perfecting my craft. American life is so fake. Consumerism has eaten people alive, I feel I wanted to escape before I became too old. I love my country! I am a proud American, but there is so much tension between both political parties that it was just time for me to leave. I sold my car, sold all my possessions, traveled to Vrindavan and haven’t looked back since. Krishna has blessed me immensely since then.”

Devin serving Krishna’s cows at CfC

On the streets of Vrindavan, Devin fell in love with the cows he met, and empathised with their suffering. And so he joined Care for Cows (CfC) and began to serve them. It was on one of CfC’s “outreach programs”, distributing chara (green fodder) to street cows, that he met his friend and future business parter, Nandu Joshi.

Nandu soon realized he had a kindred spirit in Devin. A musician himself, Nandu already wanted to start a recording studio in Vrindavan, but lacked the technical expertise, while Devin had a similar dream but lacked the property and local connections. When the two joined forces, everything fell into place.

“Braj needs more people to record their music. If there is someone who is poor, like a Babaji, but who is really good and wants to record, I will not charge him a dime.” says Devin. “That’s my seva to him. I just want him to be able to have his voice heard. We also plan to give a portion of our earnings from the studio to Care for Cows and Food for Life.”

“We also offer accommodations to artists who are staying extended periods, and who may be coming from overseas, to record full length albums. We really want to make this not just a business, but a family of artists and like-minded people who just love music, coming together to channel positive energy to the world.”

The duo is open to recording everything from mantra rock to podcasts, and Nandu himself has written songs in Hindi about pollution and the environment, which he is eager to record. With a passion and a mission, the future of Vrindawood looks bright.

The post California man opens Vrindawood recording studio in Vrindavan appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.27 (VT): Shri Vineet Narain has spent years of his life as a journalist on a crusade against corruption. But now, he has turned his full attention to restoring the ancient sites of Shri Krishna’s lila in Braj.

Although as a journalist he was able to expose many cases of corruption, the legal backlash, politics and accusations that went along with it were a heavy burden to bear. After coming to Vrindavan fifteen years ago, by the grace of Shri Radharani, Narain met Shri Ramesh Baba in Barsana.

Shri Ramesh Baba inspired him to begin rennovating the lila sthalis of Shri Radha and Krishna, and so The Braj Foundation was founded in 2005. In the beginning there was no budget and little support, but soon he was joined by some enthusiastic IIT graduates and specialists who understood this type of work. The organization’s first project was the restoration of Vrishabhanu Kund.

Since then, the Braj Foundation has successfully rennovated 60 lila sthalis over the last fifteen years. But this work, too, has not been without its tribulations.

Some criticize that The Braj Foundation is changing the original form of the Kunds, while others accuse the organization of taking over the Kunds’ property for private use.

Narain denies all the allegations against him as baseless. His organization, he says, does substantial research about the historical and cultural importance of each kund, and rennovates them keeping in mind the purity of the water, the health of the kund’s organisms, and other concerns unique to each site. In the past, he says, the allegations of using the Kunds as private property were investigated and proved to be false.

Regardless of the naysayers, The Braj Foundation has been quite prolific, spending approximately 20 crores on renovation projects. There are still 1,650 locations remaining on the list, and so the work goes on. As to foreign donations, Rs. 18 lakhs were received online since April 1, 2002, of which he says 9.75 lakhs have been spent.

When asked about the recent controversy over the government’s HRIDAY project, of which The Braj Foundation was selected as the city anchor, Mr. Narain became emotional. He said, “I am here to decorate Vrindavan, not to exploit it. As the city anchor, it is The Braj Foundation’s duty to interpret and implement the scheme. If something in the DPO (Detailed Project Report) is in conflict with the culture and ethos of Braj, then it is within our rights to request a change. There is also a charge of misconduct amongst my associates. I would like to say that there are numerous IAS and senior diplomats in my family. It is not in our blood to raise our voices. We are just here to serve Vrindavan, that is all.”

Narain’s current project is Sankarshan Kund in Anyor, which was restored with the support of Shri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of the Shri Sampradaya. The Kund is scheduled to reopen next week. The opening celebration will be held from October 3^rd – 5^th, with an abhishek of Braj’s largest murti: the deity of Shri Sankarshan Balram. Devotees from all over India are expected to attend the festival.

Source: Dainik Jagran

The post “I came to decorate Vrindavan, not to exploit it”: Vineet Narain appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Justice being served in Barsana rape case. A sadhvi who was gang raped inside the Radha Rani Temple at Barsana now has the satisfaction of knowing that both the culprits are in police custody. Initially, her case was ignored by police, but she made her voice heard. One of the culprits was on the loose for a week before finally being arrested.   Read more (Hindi) (English)

Braj’s karate gold medallist works in a tea stall. Even after winning gold in Thailand in the ‘World Karate Championship’, Hariom Shukla still helps out at his parent’s tea stall. Seeing a champion work at a tea stall makes people lament that such talent is going to waste. Shukla says that the U.P. and Central Government do not give enough support to athletes. Read more (Hindi)

Renewed attempts to reduce polythene use. After repeated attempts to stamp out polythene use in Braj have failed, the campaign is back full force. The Mathura Refinery held a rally in which jute bags were distributed and people took oaths not to use polythene bags. Shopkeepers have been warned of a Rs. 5000 fine for using polythene. Read more (Hindi)

Shots fired after guard refuses to open rail crossing. Three youths on a motorbike demanded that the guard at Raya station open the gates for them to pass through. The guard refused, saying that the train is approaching. One of the youths pulled a gun and opened fire. The commotion attracted a crowd and the youths fled, leaving the bike at the crossing. The assailants have not yet been apprehended, but police have the bike and cartridge. Read more (Hindi)

Mathura teacher gives free tuition to street kids. Shikha Bansal has been teaching 75 street children at the Transport Nagar sports ground since July. Bansal has been spending from her own pocket to keep the program going and has enlisted the help of her family and friends. She aims to teach the children basic reading and writing before getting them enrolled in local schools.  Read more (Hindi)

The post Vrindavan News Digest for September 27, 2017 appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Anger flares up after Buddhist statue vandalized. Azad Nagar, Mathura, vigilantes destroyed the  Buddhist statue Budh Nagar Park, breaking it into small pieces. When residents came out for their early morning walks, they were shocked. Word quickly spread about the broken statue. Crowds gathered and anger boiled. Police arrived on the scene to disperse the crowd and local authorities worked quickly to replace the statue. The culprits have not yet been apprehended. Read more (Hindi)

Braj named ‘center of spiritual tourism’. With record numbers of tourists entering Braj this season, the Braj Development Council, World Bank and Ministry of Tourism plan to work together to improve the cleanliness and infrastructure of Braj. Regional Tourism officer, DK Sharma, said that the entire two hundred kilometres of the Braj Chaurasi Kos constitute an important destination for tourists and pilgrims, so, more visitor services are needed throughout Braj. Read  more (Hindi)

Demolition campaign continues, despite protests. The demolition of houses and temples along the Yamuna floodplain continues, despite protests by residents including a hunger strike and accusations of discrimination as the smaller houses are being demolished first, while the larger buildings have, so far, been left untouched. The demolitions are causing tension among the people of Vrindavan; with the town divided into those for the demolition, and those against it. Read more (English)

Yamuna Expressway casualties on the rise. The high speeds of traffic on the Yamuna Expressway have led to a spate of fatal incidents, including 5 people killed after their car collided with a Neelgai antelope. On Tuesday, the family was travelling along the expressway when a neelguy wandered onto the expressway after grazing in the pastureland of Mathura. Other recent incidents include: a German woman killed when the motorbike that her husband was driving collided with a tractor; and 2 students killed, 3 injured, when a burst tyre caused their car to fly off the expressway. Read more (Hindi)

Gold Medalist student suicides. Students and teachers of Mathura Veterinary University are shocked and saddened at the suicide of Achintya, who was due to receive the university medal at yesterday’s award ceremony. Students and teachers are struggling to understand the incident and no one has been able to propose a motive for the suicide. Read more (Hindi)

UPCOMING  EVENTS

30^th September 2017, Preparations are underway for Braj’s biggest Ravan-burning program at Ram Lila Maidan for the festival of Dusshera. While many locals and tourists will visit the bigger programs, Vrindavan’s neighbourhood children and local temples will organize their own Ravan-burning programs. The burning of Ravan symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, the liberation of virtuous women and the need to destroy our inner demons. Dusshera is also a particularly exciting festival for children as it starts the countdown to Diwali. Read more (Hindi)

If you have an upcoming event, please contact us at vrindavantoday@gmail.com

The post News Digest 2017.09.28 Buddha Statue destroyed; Recognition for Braj; student suicide, and more. appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.28 (VT): “Reconnection”, an award-winning film about Vrindavan, is now available for free online viewing, thanks to a sucessful crowdfunding campaign by its producers.

The film is a coming-of-age story, in which a boy named Sean, depressed over lost love and somewhat addicted to the internet, decides to take a break from life in the Himalayas. He ends up in the sacred city of Vrindavan, where he embarks on another journey; an unexpected journey of the heart.

The film was created by ISKCON devotees Maxim Varfolomeyev (Shyam Gopal Das) and Olga Avramenko (Vijay Radhika Dasi) of Sibera in Russia. It has won 15 awards and has been screened at 25 International film festivals.

Click here to watch the film (Subtitles available in English, Spanish, Hind and Chinese):

The post Vrindavan film “Reconnection” free to view online, thanks to sucessful crowdfunding appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.29 (VT): Not so long ago, Vrindavan was filled with groves of tulsi – a sacred plant known as the favorite of Shri Krishna. In fact, the name of the town itself means the Tulsi Forest. But today, most of Vrindavan has transformed into a concrete jungle. Just a few gardens still exist in the town, and tulsi is generally confined to pots in people’s homes and temple courtyards.

However, in the rural areas, tulsi is making a comeback thanks to artisans from Bengal and Manipur. They have transformed the art of making tulsi beads from a simple craft into a real art form. Not only simple beaded malas are produced, but intricate bas-relief sculptures and Holy Name art are engraved on the beads.

Tulsi bead art draws customers from all over the globe. There is a high demand for handcrafted tulsi products from as far as Russia, Europe, Australia and the USA. Vaishnav devotees in India have been wearing tulsi necklaces as a symbol of faith since time immemorial, and now that the faith has spread abroad, so has the tulsi market.

With the demand for tulsi necklaces, tulsi cultivation is also on the rise. Tulsi leaves sell for 40-50 rupees a kilo, the seeds for 200-250 per kilo, and the wood at 40 rupees a kilo. The wood from the root as well as the stem is used in mala production.

Tulsi malas are made in Jaint, Chaumua and Kama, while the more artistic versions are made in Radhakund by families from Bengal and the Northeast. One can find breathtaking pieces at these small and unassuming shops while performing Radhakund parikrama.

P.C. Vinod Kumar KG

The post Tulsi making a comeback thanks to Bengali artisans appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Bihariji temple will open later for devotees. The goswamis at Banke Bihari temple have decided to do aarati one hour later on Sharad Purnima, so that the millions of pilgrims and guests coming to see Biharji on that day will all get darshan. On 5^th October, Rajbhog Aarti will be 12:55pm instead of 12 noon and the last aarati of they day will be at 10:25 p.m. instead of 9:30 pm. Read more (Hindi)

Five-ton feast for Giriraj. Apart from the much awaited 3 day program starting 1^st October, the preparations for the chappan bhog offering to Goverdhan Maharaj are themselves spectacular. Yesterday, five trucks, containing 5 tons of material arrived in Goverdhan. Giriraj’s decoration will include flowers collected from Kolkata and Bangalore and His poshak (cloth) will be in the Rajasthani Nathdwara style. Members of the Giriraj Seva Trust will form a human chain to carry the offering from the kitchen to Thakurji. Chappan Bhog darshan will be from 12-2pm on 2^nd October. Read more (Hindi)

Ravan P.C. The British Museum

Dussehra celebrations in Jeopardy. Omveer Saraswat, A Mathura-based lawyer, has written to the President and Prime Minister; petitioning them to ban Ravan burning programs on  Dussehra. The lawyer, who is claiming to represent the Saraswat Brahmin community, says that parties celebrating his death are an insult to Saraswat Brahmins because he is their ancestor. Ravin’s birthplace is Bisrakh village, Greater Noida, only a few hours from Vrindavan. In this village, there is a Ravan temple and Ravan is revered as the ‘Maha Brahmin’.  In some places, such as Bisrakh village, Dussehra festival is observed as day of mourning Ravan’s death and prayers are said for his safe passage in the afterlife.

Baba condemns slowness in cleanup campaign. Yesterday, Baba Madanbihari Das, leader of the Garib Ekta Dal, condemned the slow work of local and district officials, who, despite the High Court Order, have not taken any action to divert sewage away from the Yamuna. The Central and State Governments are spending millions of Rupees on awareness campaigns; however it will be of little benefit unless officials work quickly to control effluent. Read more (Hindi)

P.C Whats that Bug

Insects and drought damage Braj’s crops. Seeing their crops wilt and be destroyed by insects, Mathura farmers have appealed to the Department of Agriculture for assistance. There are 42 hectares of farmland in the Braj district, and thousands of farmers rely on crops for their livelihood. This season, the dry weather has weakened the crops which have been further damaged by insects. Read more (Hindi)

Fifth class student wins memory tournament. In a tournament organized by Samskar Bharti on September 24, several of Braj’s children have won medals and had their names entered into the Guinness Book of Records. Tijil Choudhary, 5^th class student at Grace Convent School, Mathura, replaced 25 objects in the same order in one minute. He was the division winner and will have his name entered in the Guinness Book. Several other Braj students have gained distinction in the memory tournaments, including college student Prerna Sharma who was able to replace 50 objects in the correct order. Read more (Hindi)

The post Friday digest: Bihariji to open longer; Girriraj’s 5-ton feast; Braj’s crop failure and more appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.29 (VT): Radha and Krishna are at the center of worship in Vrindavan, yet Devi, the Divine Mother, also plays a very important role in Braj lila.

Devi as Krishna’s Sister

The Durga Saptashati 11.42states:

nanda-gopa-gṛhe jātā yaśoda-garbha-sambhavā

I will be born in Nanda’s house from the womb of Yashoda.

Katyayani Devi, Cheer Ghat

After Shri Krishna was born at Kans’s prison in Mathura, his father Vasudev smuggled him out and took him to Gokul. The Bhagwatam says that by the power of the goddess Yogamaya, all the prison guards and all the residents of the palace were fast asleep when Krishna was smuggled away. The doors spontaneously opened to give them passage.

Just as Vasudev was leaving Mathura, Yogamaya was born to Yashoda in Gokul. The two children were switched, and when Vasudev came back to the prison, he left baby Yogamaya on his wife Devaki’s bed.

The demon king Kans tried to kill the baby by thowing her against the wall, thinking her to be Krishna. At that moment, the Goddess revealed her divine form and told Kans that the child he was looking for had been born elsewhere.

sā tad-dhastāt samutpatya sadyo devy ambaraṁ gatā
adṛśyatānujā viṣṇoḥ sāyudhāṣṭa-mahābhujā

The infant slipped from Kansa’s hands and hovered in the air, revealing herself as the divine Goddess with eight arms, each holding a weapon.

“O foolish Kans!” said the goddess. “The one who will be the death of you has already been born somewhere else!” Speaking thus, the Bhagwatam says that the Goddess took various forms with various names, in various places all over India. But having been born to Yashoda in Gokul, Braj remains the Divine Mother’s homeland.

Devi as Paurnamasi

Paurnamasi Devi, Seva Kunj

In Braj, Devi is worshipped as Yogamaya, the one who brings together the Lord and his devotees. In Braj lila she is embodied as an elderly Brahmin lady named Paurnamasi, the mother of Krishna’s Guru Sandipani Muni, and the grandmother of Krishna’s sakha Madhumangal.

As Paurnamasi, Yogamaya fills the role of the Guru of Shri Radha and the gopis, helping them in their efforts to attain Krishna. She knows many magical mantras and methods, which she uses to create the perfect circumstances for Shri Radha and Krishna’s lilas.

In Vrindavan, there is a temple of Yogamaya at the Yogpeeth, in an underground grotto just next to the main altar of the old temple of Shri Radha Govind Dev. The deity is very small and beautiful, and the temple only opens a couple of times a year.

There is also a Paurnamasi temple in Seva Kunj. The origin of this deity is shrouded in mystery. She used to be worshipped by a Brajwasi family, but the temple was recently taken over by the Gaudiya Math. Paurnamasi Devi is sitting in a padmasan, with one hand granting blessings and the other chanting on a 27-bead mala.  

Devi as Katyayani

At Cheer Ghat, the gopis worshipped the Goddess in the form of Katyayani Devi, praying to get Shri Krishna as their husband. A beautiful deity of Katyayani Devi can be seen there to this day.

Vrindavan is also one of the 51 shaktipeeths. It is the place where, after Goddess Sati immolated herself, her curly locks of hair fell on the ground. It is not clear where the Goddess’s hair actually fell, and several temples claim to be the original site.

About a hundred years ago, a mahatma named Swami Keshavananda – a disciple of the famous Shri Lahiri Mahashay – came to Vrindavan from the Himalayas searching for the exact location of the shakti-peeth where the Divine Mother’s hair fell. According to his research and realizations, the place is what is known today as the Katyayani Temple, near Rangji’s Bade Bagicha in Vrindavan. The temple itself was built in 1923.

Devi as the revealer of Vrindavan

Chamunda Devi, Rajpur, Vrindavan

Another important Devi temple of Vrindavan is the Chamunda Devi mandir, just off the parikrama marg towards Mathura. A story related to this temple is also told about Katyayani temple as well.

According to legend, when Shri Roop and Sanatan Goswami came to Braj about 500 years ago, they wanted to find the places of Shri Krishna’s lila that had been lost over time, according to the order of their Guru, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But they didn’t know where to begin; they were not even sure where Vrindavan was.

The Divine Mother appeared to them in the form of a lali – a young Brajwasi girl – and told them that the land embraced on three sides by the Yamuna is indeed Vrindavan, thereby giving them the direction and inspiration to move forward with their mission.

The connection of the Divine Mother with Shri Krishna and his lila is a deep one, and this article merely skims the surface. But we hope, by her blessings, that you may relish deeper and deeper realization of this sacred land of Vrindavan.

The post The Divine Mother in Shri Krishna’s Land appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.09.30 (VT): Near the Shri Radhavallabh temple, within the enclosure of Radhavallabh Ghera, you will find the temple of Anand-Vallabh. Anand-Vallabh is the beloved deity of a female saint named Anandi Bai.

Anandi Bai was from a family of Kashmiri Brahmins who lived in Amritsar. She was from the lineage of priests who served Motilal Nehru and his ancestors. Her father was an inspector for the city of Amritsar. She was born in Kartik month of Vikram Samvat 1912 (1855 AD).

Anandi Bai was fascinated with Shri Krishna and his devotees since her childhood. She always loved to serve others. When she came of age, her marriage was arranged, but the boy she was meant to marry died. Her parents wanted to find another boy, but Anandi Bai took it as a sign Krishna wanted her to dedicate her entire life to him.

She asked her father to make a temple for her, and so he did, right within the family home. There the deities of Shri Anand-Vallabh were established. Anandi Bai took diksha from Acharya Vanshidharji Maharaj of the Ramanuja Sampradaya, but she was always immersed in the mood of Vrindavan. She threw herself into the seva of Shri Anand Vallabh and never looked back.

Shri Anand Vallabh

After her parents died, Anandi Bai moved to Vrindavan. In Samvat 1963 (1906 AD) she bought some property in Radhavallabh Ghera and made a temple for her beloved deities.

Anandi Bai was had vatsalya bhaav. Anand Vallabh was her son, and Radharani was her daughter-in-law. She had a very close connection with them, and they used so speak with her. They would tell her what they wanted to eat, and how they wished to dress.

Sometimes at their request, she would dress them for different lilas. Sometimes Anand Vallabh wore a cowherding dress, and sometimes he dressed for the Raas dance. He would ask for different musicians by name to come and perform for him, and perform they did. Soon, Anandi Bai’s little temple became one of the must-see attractions in Vrindavan.

Once Anandi Bai went to a shop to buy a saree for Radharani, but the one she wanted was too expensive, so she purchased a simpler one. But Radharani refused to wear it, and told her, “Ma, I want that other saree… the one you left back at the shop.” Unable to fulfill Radharani’s request, Anandi Bai was very sad. She sat down outside the temple in a sulk.

Next door at the Dauji mandir there lived a saint named Kishori Das Babaji, who used to help Anandi Bai with her seva. Kishori Das Babaji asked what was the matter. When Anandi Bai told him what had happened, he went straight to the shop and bought the saree Radharani wanted on credit in the name of one of Anandi Bai’s wealthy followers.

Anandi Bai with her son and daughter-in-law, Shri Radha-Anand Vallabh

On another occasion, Anandi Bai went to Lahore (now a part of Pakistan) in search of a very specific type of cloth for Radharani. She searched through many shops but was unable to find the perfect dress. Just then she saw a prostitute boarding a horse-cart, who was wearing the exact type of fabric she was looking for. So Anandi Bai boarded another cart and chased the prostitute all the way to the red-light district, just to find out where she had gotten her dress. The prostitute was so charmed by Anandi Bai that she herself ordered the rare cloth from Amritsar and had it sent as a gift to Anand-Vallabh in Vrindavan.

Anand Vallabh loved to eat halwah. Sometimes Anand Vallabh would wake Anandi Bai up at two in the morning just to make halwah for him. Once Anandi Bai went Haridwar to collect donations for Anand Vallabh’s seva. Suddenly she heard Anand Vallabh saying, “Maiya! Please come home. The pujari forgot to feed me my halwah last night.” She had to come back to Vrindavan immediately.

In addition to serving Radha and Krishna as her son and daughter-in-law, Anandi Bai loved to serve their devotees. Her kitchen was always open, and no matter what time of day someone came, she was always ready to serve them prasad. Many sadhus and beggars used to sleep in the old Radhavallabh Temple hall. And every night, Anandi Bai would make her rounds of the temple premises, searching to see if anyone was going to sleep hungry. If she found anyone who hadn’t eaten, she would make sure they ate before she herself took prasad.

As Anandi Bai got older, her health began to worsen. Once she was sick in bed for many days straight. After about eight days, some devotees heard her talking to someone in her room, saying, “Why did you two come up here? You know I haven’t bathed in a long time. Please don’t touch me, you could get sick yourself!” They could only guess who she was talking to, but the next day her health was completely back to normal.

Anandi Bai left this world in Samvat 1993 (1936 AD). Just as her funeral pyre was about to be lit, a young Brajwasi girl appeared and said, “Anandi Bai was my mother-in-law. Please allow me to honor her by lighting the pyre.” The little girl lit Anandi Bai’s funeral pyre, and suddenly she was gone. Nobody saw where she went. For many days after that, the devotees of Vrindavan discussed amongst themselves. “Who was that little girl who came with so much love to send Anandi Bai off to the eternal lila?”

Shri Radha-Anand Vallabh’s full altar

The post Anandi Bai and her Son, Anand Vallabh appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

May I reside at Dana Nirvartana Kund, the solitary place where Radha and Mādhava completed their dāna-līlā, for which it was given this name by them and their friends. By residing in this place, which is hidden for those who are averse to tasting transcendental rasa and accessible only to those who know this art, the dāna-līlā will come to its conclusion for me. 

nibhṛtam ajani yasmād dāna-nirvṛtir asminn
ata idam abhidhānaṁ prāpa yat tat sabhāyām
rasa-vimukha-nigūḍhe tatra taj-jñaika-vedye
sarasi bhavatu vāso dāna-nirvartanena

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā: In this verse Das Goswami praises Dana Nirvartana Kund, the lake on whose bank the most rasika dāna-līlā was completed. There is nothing that can compare to the sweetness of Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s dāna-līlā. It was the medicine that cured Raghunath Das of the burning pain of separation.

Śrīla Rūpa Goswami was like a doctor who could cure a patient suffering from grave wounds. He had given Raghunath Das his play Lalita-mādhava to read, but it is filled with the great rasa of separation (vipralambha-rasa) experienced by Sri Radha after Sri Krishna left Vraja for Mathura. When Raghunath Das read the play, he became like a madman, the manifest embodiment of vipralambha-rasa (love in separation)… to the extent that he was about to leave his body from the pain.

So, in order to counteract the effects of his first book, Śrīla Rūpa Goswami composed Dāna-keli-kaumudī, a one-act romantic comedy that is full of sambhoga-rasa (the flavor of loving union) and gave it to Raghunath, taking back the Lalita-mādhava manuscript on the pretext of needing to edit it.

Reading about the dāna-līlā, which is full of Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s sweetest comic flavors (parihāsa-rasa) Das Goswami was filled with so much transcendental relish that he became absorbed in the pastime, and himself composed two books, Dāna-keli-cintāmaṇi and Muktā-carita, both of which filled with this mood of Radha Madhava’s humorous teasing and flirtatious exchanges, the theme that is dominant in Dāna-keli-kaumudī. From this we can understand what great relish there is in the dāna-līlā.

How wonderful is the flavor of Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s mutual love when they quarrel over paying the toll in the dāna-līlā! How many hundreds of varieties of sweet erotic feeling arise from the this pastime of the Divine Pair and their girlfriends!

Sometimes our toll-collector becomes so enchanted by Srimati’s form that he comes up to touch her, saying: “Pay me with your youthful beauty!”

The sakhīs retort: “Oh, is there also a levy on youthful beauty nowadays?”

“Yes, it is to be paid at my station!” The dānī Krishna replies. Srimati then says:

O shameless cheater! Stay far away! Don’t touch me! Don’t instruct pure girls like us, who are under a vow and on our way to a sacrificial arena! If our ghee is even touched by the breeze coming from your body it is blackened and no longer fit for use in the holy sacrifice!

Shyam answers:

O proud girl! You are always come sneaking down this forest path, hiding from me the ghee and milk products you sell! O deciever! By good fortune you have fallen into my hands today. Now I can safely tie you up and bring you before King Cupid, who will affectionately reward me by giving me the jewels of your youth! (Dāna-keli-cintāmaṇi – 37)

Saying this, he comes up to catch her. Lalita then comes up before him and proudly says: “I am the man-hating goddess Bhairavi! See if you can get past me!”

Krishna, the toll-collector, is unable to come any closer, but he gives the sakhīs a long look, and after deliberating for a moment, points to Sri Radha and says: “Alright, if you don’t have the money with you to pay now, then I will keep this one as collateral. You all go and once you have sold your goods in the market you can come back and bail her out.”

The sakhīs reply: “We cannot leave her alone with you!”

Hearing this, Shyam proudly blocks the road and says: “Then let me see how you get away from me!” This makes the sakhīs flee in great fear, leaving Radha and Madhava alone, as they both wished, and they took the opportunity to enter a nearby kunj and there become immersed in an ocean of amorous pastimes.

Looking upon each other, their hairs bristle and tears stream from their eyes. Absorbed in the moment they perspire, their voices stutter and they become motionless once again in trance.

Shyam, the great lover, resembles an atasi flower, our heroine a golden champaka. She sits on his lap like the moon in the lap of a newly risen monsoon cloud. Their hair is loose and their flowers, his peacock-feather crown and her blue bodice have all fallen off.

Because the dāna pastime was consummated by Sri Sri Radha Madhava on the solitary banks of this kund, they and their sakhīs gave it the name Dana Nirvartana Kund.

This confidential dāna-līlā is hidden to those who are averse to relishing transcendental mellows and can only be known by rasika devotees who have taken shelter of the madhura bhāva. Thus Raghunath Das Goswami desires to reside on the bank of this kund, where the memory of this greatly confidential dāna-pastime lives on.

e boḍo lālasā mane,dāna-līlā pravartane,
thāki yeno yūtheśvarī saṅge.
duhuṅ līlā raṅga rasa, hobe more sarabasa,
dāna-chale bheṭibo govinde

I greatly desire to reside on the bank of the lake called Dāna Sarovara, where the confidential dāna-līlā took place, which is never accessible to people who are ignorant of the dāna-līlā and which is only perceived by the rasika devotees. In the company of all the gopī-group leaders I will take part in the flavors of this blissful dāna-līlā, and that will become my all-in-all. On the pretext of paying toll I will thus meet Govinda!”

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.

© Translated by Advaita dāsa in 1994

More of Ananta Das Pandit’s writings in English translation can be found at Tarun Govinda’s blog, Amrita Tarangini.

The post Vraja Vilasa 78 :: Dana-nirvartana Kund appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Today is the disappearance tithi of Haridas Das Babaji (1898-1957). As you will be able to read in the short biography that follows, he spent most of his time in Nabadwip, or traveling the length and breadth of India in the hunt for rare manuscripts from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. Many of these he published and presented to the broader scholarly and devotional community, for which he is revered and honored by all. His hunt for rare works naturally brought him frequently to Vrindavan, as you can read below.

–o)0(o–

Before taking to the Vaishnava life, Haridas Das was known by the name Harendra Kumar Chakravarty. His birthplace was in the village of Madhugram in the Pheni subdivision of Noakhali district in what is now Bangla Desh. He came from a line of scholarly Brahmins: his father’s name was Gagan Chandra Tarkaratna and grandfather was Goloka Chandra Nyayaratna.

Haridas Das only had one brother, Manindra Kumar, who left home to take up a life of renunciation while still quite young. Neither brother ever married, but observed the principles of celibacy throughout their lives. Manindra Kumar took initiation from the same spiritual master as his brother and came to Nabadwip where he lived at the Haribol Kutir for fifteen years, taking the name Mukunda Das Babaji.

Harendra Kumar was a very clever student and passed all his academic exams with honors. In 1925 he graduated from Calcutta University with an English M.A. in Sanskrit, specializing in Vedanta. He was first in his class and awarded a gold medal. A little before graduating, he took initiation from the renowned Vaishnava acharya Sri Harimohan Shiromani in the diksha succession from Gadadhar Pandit.

After graduation, he taught for some time in Kumilla, at the Ishwar School, but only for as long as it took to pay off his debts to his teachers and spiritual master. During this time, his intelligence, learning and sterling character impressed everyone. As all good teachers, he combined the personality of a tough disciplinarian with that of a gentle parent-figure. He was known for his punctuality and devotion to duty, as well as the affectionate care he gave to his students.

Nevertheless, after only three years of teaching, he began to feel a strong desire to pursue the spiritual life and so began his career as a bhajananandi Vaishnava, living sometimes in Nabadwip, at others in Vrindavan. He came back and taught for a while at Kumilla College, but not long thereafter renounced material life definitively, taking vesh from Sri Sri Giridhari Haribol Sadhu* with the name Haridas Das. After that, he remained in Nabadwip and lived on madhukari at his vesh guru’s ashram, Haribol Kutir in Poraghat, Nabadwip.

Haridas Das has written about both Haribol Sadhu and Harimohan Shiromani in one of his better known books recounting the lives of saints in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition from the 19th and 20th centuries, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Jīvana. This book is indeed the primary source of information on many of Braja’s siddha mahatmas from the past.

Sri Sri Giridhari Haribol was given this name because of his devotion to chanting “Haribol” in kirtan. Whenever Haridas Das was asked who his father was, he always gave Giridhari Haribol’s name and never talked about his previous life, his degrees or academic accomplishments. If anyone asked him about his blood father, he always said with great humility, “He has died, may he rest in peace.” Haribol Sadhu left this world in Jagannath Puri in 1944.

At some time prior to this Haridas Das was in Govinda Kund, practicing intense bhajan. It was while he was there, the siddha mahatma Manohar Das Babaji ordered him to work on recovering lost Gaudiya Vaishnava scriptures. Haridas Dasji took this order seriously and until his dying breath was deeply involved in this service to Gaudiya Vaishnava literature.

The extent to which Haridas Dasji received the blessings of the Divine Lord to accomplish this service can be seen from the following anecdote. Many people heard him tell this story, but this account has been taken from an article written by the devotee Suresh Chandra Datta in the Phalgun 1364 issue of Sudarshan magazine:

Once Haridas Dasji was engaged in a search for Sanatan Goswami’s Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava, but was not meeting with any success. One day he sat down by the Yamuna, calling out to Sanatan Goswami, hā hā prabhu sanātana! and crying with frustration. As he was descending the steps of the ghat to the water, he saw a bundle floating on the waves, which were lapping against the shore. Curious, he plucked the bundle out of the water and found in it a decaying manuscript of the Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava. Someone had thrown it in the Yamuna, but miraculously it was still readable. He took the manuscript and held it to his head, then to his chest, and then to his nose, ecstatically smelling the perfume of old paper mixed with incense and sandalwood.

Haridas Das had all the godly qualities described in the Bhagavad Gita. He had the humility that is the ornament of the Vaishnavas, and stayed free of faultfinding. He kept all the principles of sadachar, and showed a powerful spirit of renunciation. His attractive personality impressed all who came in contact with him.

He preferred to remain out of the public eye. He never went to large gatherings, and though he was often invited to lecture or give discourses on the scriptures, he always refused. Even so, all who were interested in Vaishnava literature recognized his contribution and expressed their gratitude to him. Swedish professor Walther Eidlitz and the German scholar E. G. Schulze in particular praised him lavishly for his publications. It is impossible not to be impressed by what Haridas Dasji was able to accomplish on his own and without riches or political clout, simply through hard work and unfailing determination.

Though he was an imposing figure, light-skinned, tall and long-armed, with wide-eyes and a steady smile, his face luminous with spiritual power and devotion to Vaishnava practices, he was so hospitable that he would rise up from his seat to eagerly greet any guests to his kutir.

He was ready to undertake any effort to achieve the needful in establishing the authentic Vaishnava path. At some time early in his life he heard a youth sweetly singing Radha Madhava’s names in a beautiful voice and was plunged into a sea of feeling for the Lord, a feeling that all his university education or a life of austerity never undid. All this is the proof of the unequalled mercy of his teachers and spiritual masters on him. His humility before his teachers always amazed anyone who witnessed it, such as when he met his university professor Dr. Amareswar Thakur later in life and prostrated himself on the ground in front of him.

Haridas Dasji always seemed to be rushing from one library or manuscript collection wherever he heard of one, from one end of the land to the other. He looked through countless manuscripts like someone obsessed, trying to find any evidence of works that had hitherto been unknown–writings by Mahajans, Goswamis or other Vaishnavas. He never thought about whether food or shelter would be waiting for him, his only concern was to go where there was a possibility that some new literary discovery could be made. But the discovery alone was not enough, he wanted to make these jewels shine for all, and so he translated and published so many such works.

Simultaneously, he was constantly gathering notes related to the geography and history of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya. Everywhere he went, he would inquire into the family histories of Mahaprabhu’s associates. Though his efforts alone were glorious, the success he achieved in compiling the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna–the fruit of these researches, was even more glorious.

The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Abhidhāna was the last work completed by Haridas Dasji. He would work on it for 16 or 17 hours a day. In fact, he finished the second volume (Parts 2, 3 and 4) of the Abhidhāna on the day before he left his body. He was in Calcutta going through the last proofs of the first volume and he said, “I am not well. When the Abhidhāna is finished, I will be too.”

On September 20, 1957, just three days before Mahalaya, he fell ill, and after only seven or eight hours of sickness he entered the spiritual world. He was only 58. Had he remained alive another three days, he would have seen the first completed printed editions of the first volume. The second volume was completed a year later after proofreading and copy-editing by other volunteers.

The post Haridas Das :: Servant of Gaudiya Vaishnava literature appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Ravan temple planned for Mathura. Yesterday, at the Pallipar Shiva temple, on the banks of the Yamuna, devotees held Ravan pooja and plans to build a Ravan temple in Mathura were announced. The Saraswat Brahmin community leaders present expressed their determination to have Ravan respected as a scholar and devotee. Advocate Sanjay Saraswat, said that Lord Ram gave Ravan a respectful funeral and that those who burn Ravan’s effigy are not worthy of calling themselves devotees of Ram. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Akrurghat blogspot

Akrura Yatra from Bihariji Temple. Yesterday evening, crowds gathered to watch as the ‘Akrura shobh yatra’ procession made its way around the streets of Vrindavan. Akrura is perhaps most famous for transporting Krishna and Balaram to the wrestling match in Mathura. He is a relative of Sri Krishna and is considered a liberated soul as he had darshan of Krishna as Mahavishnu and Balaram as Shesh Naag. Akrura was from the Yadav clan and people with the surname Varshney are considered to be his descendents.  Read more (Hindi)

Police to Scrutinize Ravan Burning Programs. Mathura-Vrindavan police force are preparing their crowd control operations for tonight’s Ravan Burning Programs around the city. Police will concentrate their efforts in the most crowded areas as thousands of locals and visitors will gather to see Ravan effigies being burnt in local parks and temple grounds. Read more (Hindi)

Record number of students dress as Radha-Krishna. With the

P.C. Jagran

record for most people dressed as Radha-Krishna listed as: Abhaya school, Indore, Vrindavan schools have been presented a new challenge to beat the record. The  Golden Book of Records has noted the record and presented the organizers with a certificate. On Wednesday, the entire student body of the Abhaya school came dressed as Radha Krishna with the most enthusiastic participants painting themselves black. Read more (Hindi)

Gaudiya babaji severely beaten. On Thursday night, Nimai Sharan Das of Rajani Baba Ashram, Govindakund, Vrindavan, was clubbed when he went to get milk. A tempo driver and his two sons started hurling insults and beating the Babaji with sticks. Hearing his shouts, devotees and servants from his ashram rushed to Babaji’s assistance, and they were also beaten. The victims filed a report at the police station. Police are currently searching for the whereabouts of the attackers, whose identities are known. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Down to Earth

Chief Cleaning Inspector Appeals for help. KK Singh, Chief Cleaning Inspector, Mathura District, says that the department is short staffed by up to 400 staff. According to Singh, the cleaning department currently has 700 staff, however 1100 are needed. The additional staff are needed because the area covered by Mathura-Vrindavan municipality has increased by a 10km radius. The garbage produced in Mathura-Vrindavan is estimated to be around 175 metric tons. In addition to the need for garbage collection and street cleaning, monuments and parks in the area are also badly neglected. Read more (Hindi)

The post Saturday’s DIGEST: Ravan temple for Mathura; Akrura Yatra; Gaudiya Babaji beaten, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.10.01 (VT): The holy month of Kartik is a special time of year when devotees come from all around India and the world to perform spiritual practices in Vrindavan.

“Although Vrindavan is here on earth, and Kartik month comes every year, what a tragedy that some people still do not come to Vrindavan during Kartik, and remain suffering in the ocean of birth and death!” (Haribhakti Vilas 16.162, quoting the Padma Purana)

The scriptures are full of praise for the month of Kartik. The Skanda Purana says na kārtika samo māso – there is no month equal to Kartik. The Padma Purana further states, “Of all the twelve months, Kartik is the most dear to Shri Krishna. Know it to be certain that if someone worships him even a little during this month, the Lord grants that person entrance into his eternal Home.”

Niyam Seva: Special Practices During Kartik month 

During Kartik, devotees observe a month of resolutions, known as Niyam Seva. Many devotees are beginning their Niyam Seva today on Ekadashi, whilst others will begin on Sharad Purnima. There are a number of scriptural recommendations for this month, which include:

*Worshiping Radha-Damodar: “Krishna who is bound by love” with his beloved Radha
*Deep Daan: offering a ghee lamp
*Chanting “Damodarashtakam”
*Giving charity
*Bathing in holy waters like Yamuna and Radha Kund
*Planting tulsi
*Govardhan Parikrama
*Performing jaagran (staying up all night) whilst singing kirtan
*Giving up certain foods and spices
*Fasting on Ekadashi
*General increased spiritual practice

Although the resolutions differ from person to person, deep daan – offering of ghee lamps – is generally performed by all. The Padma Puran states “Just as one gets fire by rubbing two sticks together, one gets the benefit of the Kartik vrat by offering a ghee lamp to Shri Krishna.” (quoted in Haribhakti Vilas 16.120)

Shri Radharaman Lal on Gopashtami

The Mouse who Offered a Lamp in Kartik

In the Kartik Mahatmya of Padma Puran, the story is told of a mouse who attained the eternal dham by offering a lamp during Kartik. The mouse lived in a temple. One day, feeling very hungry, she tried to eat the ghee from a lamp which someone had offered to Shri Krishna.

The lamp was still burning, and unfortunately the wick got stuck in her teeth. She began to leap about in pain in front of the deity of Shri Krishna. She died from the fire, but the Lord accepted her writhing about as aarti, and thus granted her a place in his eternal home.

Upcoming Festivals in Kartik:

Papankusha Ekadashi (Ashwin Shukla Ekadashi): The last Ekadashi in Ashwin marks the beginning of Niyam Seva for many devotees. Many people try to observe this Ekadashi in the traditional way by fasting and staying awake all night singing kirtan. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 1.

Sharad Purnima (Ashwin Purnima): Sharad Purnima is the day when the sharadiya Raas Lila began. Shri Radha and Krishna are dressed in white, like the light of the full moon. Special sweets called makhane ki kheer and chandrakala are offered in Vrindavan temples. Shri Ramesh Baba begins his 84-krosh Braj Mandal parikrama from this day. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 5.

Karwa Chauth (Kartik Krishna Chaturthi): Married women keep a fast for their husbands and worship Chandra Dev. They break the fast only after having darshan of the moon. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 9.

Radha Kund Snan on Bahulashtami

Bahulashtami (Kartik Krishna Ashtami): Bahulashtami is the day when Radha Kund appeared in this world. After Krishna killed the bull demon Dhenukasur, Radharani teased Krishna that he had incurred the sin of cow killing and should never touch her again until he bathed in every holy place in the world. Krishna immediately brought all the holy waters into a single lake and bathed in it. Radha and the Gopis felt irritated by this, and so they decided to make their own lake by digging in the ground with their bangles and filling the hole with water from Mansi Ganga. When the project proved troublesome, Radha allowed Krishna to use water from his lake to fill hers. Thus Radha Kund and Shyam Kund were formed. On this day, thousands of people take bath in Radha Kund at midnight. This day is also known as Ahoi Ashtami, a special day for mothers and children. Around this time, people who desire to have children make a vow to give up a certain fruit or vegetable for one year, and then offer that same fruit to Radha Kund. Most people choose to give up petha, as it is not very popular anyway. Thus one can find the strange sight of Radhakund full of of pethas wrapped in red cloth during the week of Ahoi Ashtami! In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 12.

Ramaa Ekadashi (Kartik Krishna Ekadashi): The first Ekadashi of Kartik is Ramaa Ekadashi. Many people try to observe this Ekadashi in the traditional way by fasting and staying awake all night singing kirtan. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 15.

Dhanteras (Kartik Krishna 13): This is the appearance day of Lord Dhanvantari and part of the Diwali celebrations. In the Shri Radharaman Temple, Shri Radha and Krishna play chaupar – an ancient boardgame resembling parcheesi or ludo – through their attendant Goswamis. Ghee lamps are offered to Yamraj on this day. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 17.

Diwali at Govardhan, 2016

Diwali (Kartik Amavasya): Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is the day Shri Sita-Ram returned to Ayodhya. The day is celebrated in Braj with the lighting of firecrackers. Homes, temples and the banks of holy lakes are filled with shining ghee lamps. Brajwasis deep-clean their homes and re-paint them. Shri Radha and Krishna celebrate this day with their families in a similar manner to modern-day Brajwasis by wearing new clothes, lighting ghee lamps, and enjoying sweets. Shri Raghunath Das Goswami’s Mukta Charitra (The Pearl Story) takes place on Diwali. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 19.

Govardhan Pooja and Annakut (Kartik Shukla 1): On this day, Govardhan Hill is worshipped and offered a mountain of delicious food (Annakut). Millions of people flock to Govardhan to perform Govardhan Parikrama. Local children build Govardhan Baba – a mini version of Govardhan hill – out of cowdung. Govardhan Baba is also formed in the courtyards of temples. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 20.

Govardhan Baba made by children on Govardhan Pooja, 2016

Bhaiya Dooj/Yama Dwitiya (Kartik Shukla 2): This is the appearance day of Yamraj, the god of death and the brother of the Yamuna River. On this day, sisters honor their brothers, and brothers and sisters bathe in the Yamuna River together In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 21.

Gopashtami (Kartik Shukla 8): This day celebrates the first time the child Krishna was allowed to herd full-grown cows. Shri Krishna is dressed in a cowherding outfit complete with a cowherding stick, lasso and buffalo-horn bugle. In some temples, Radharani is also playfully dressed as a cowherd boy on this day.  In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 28.

Yugal Parikrama (Kartik Shukla 9): On this day, devotees perform a joint parikrama of Mathura and Vrindavan. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 29.

Devotthan Ekadashi (Kartik Shukla 11): On the last Ekadashi of Kartik, the gods wake up from their four-month sleep during Chaturmasya. Brajwasis celebrate by making a teepee-type structure (minus the cloth) out of sugarcane branches. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are offered inside this structure. Many people try to observe this Ekadashi in the traditional way by fasting and staying awake all night singing kirtan. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on October 31.

Raas Purnima (Kartik Purnima): On the last night of Kartik, Shri Krishna dances the Raas Lila with Radha and the Gopis. This is also Nimbark Jayanti – the appearance day of Nimbarkacharya. On this day, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu entered Vrindavan for the first time. For Nimbark Jayanti, a special procession goes out in the evening from Nimbark Kot, while in celebration of Shri Chaitanya’s Braj Yatra, another procession goes out from the Amiya Nimai Temple in Gopinath Bazaar at 4pm, and continues until after midnight. In 2017, this festival is being celebrated on November 4.

The post Celebrating the Holy Month of Kartik appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

P.C Uttarpradesh.org

Mountain of Food. The three day Annukut day festival at Goverdhan has begun. Annukut literally means ‘mountain of food’ and is also known as Goverdhan Pooja. In traditional temples, and at the main celebration, held at the foot of Goverdhan mountain, a  chappan bhog offering of 56 dishes is prepared. Other temples, such as ISKCON, interpret the idea of ‘mountain of food’ literally and make replicas of Goverdhan mountain out of sweets. Today, at Goverdhan, Giriraj abhishek is being conducted. Tomorrow, 2^nd October, the chappan bhog offering of 56 dishes will be offered and distributed to devotees. Read more (English) 

P.C Jagran

Dussehra’s anti pollution message. In the wake of the controversy over whether the burning of Ravan is disrespectful, environmentalists have used Dussehra to highlight their cause. In Kosikalan yesterday, environmentalists, had people take an ‘oath of cleanliness’ . While the burning of Ravan has been traditionally associated with the victory of good over evil, environmentalists have re-interpreted the festival as the triumph of cleanliness over dirtiness. In 2015, Yamuna activists in Mathura burned effigies of pollutants. This year, with PM Modi’s Cleanliness Campaign in full swing, anti-pollution rallies were held across the country. Read more (Hindi)

Vrindavan’s Ancient Ghats uncovered. With plans to divert the Yamuna back to its original course along the ancient Ghats, their amazing history is being uncovered by the Braj Culture Research Insititute. The artistry of the Ghats was once seen as one of the wonders of Vrindavan, second only to the temples and deities. In 1830 AD, a foreign traveler, Junkamant, described the beauty of Vrindavan’s Ghats in his travel log, saying: for pilgrimage, Vrindavan is a more important city than Mathura or Varanassi. Vrindvan’s Ghats were mostly built in the 18^th Century, by kings and rich merchants who realized the necessity of bathing in Yamuna for cleansing the physical and spiritual body before undertaking pilgrimage. Read more (Hindi)

Foreigners arrive en masse. Today, Indian newspapers are filled with reports about the huge influx of foreign devotees in Vrindavan for the Kartik festival.  Radha Damodar’s Krishna Balaram Goswami, explained why people from India and abroad flock to India during Kartik. Goswamiji said that people flock to temples at this time because Kartik is the best time for service to Vishnu. Read more (Hindi)

The post TODAY’s DIGEST: Mountain of Food; Vrindavan’s ancient Ghats and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Some small changes are taking place at Vrindavan Today and this is making me reflect a bit about where VT is going.

This site has been going for 8 1/2 years, which is more than I ever expected would happen when it started, which was basically to protest the flyover at Keshi Ghat. It seemed at that time that Vrindavan was in danger of falling into the hands of technocrats who saw it as a series of problems that needed to be fixed… like the traffic problem with a flyover.

It seemed that Vrindavan was being looked at like a goose that could maybe lay some golden economic eggs and we will all be rich! And of course, as is always the case when greed or “too much intelligence” gets to work, the killing of the goose is the end result. And so for once I felt we cannot sit on the sidelines and do nothing.

Brajavasis must have a voice. And now we hear for the first time government officials assuring the Brajavasis that they will be heard. And by Brajavasis, I think they understand that they mean the spiritual leaders of Braj. The ones who know best what Braj is and what it is supposed to be. In other words, the ones who know what really makes this goose flourish.

And, as an important part of that, it was understood that we outsiders who have come to Vrindavan either as pilgrims or as permanent residents, have a huge stake in what Vrindavan is or is to become. We did not come here as tourists to stare at a dead goose carcass. We want the living Braj-Vrindavan to flourish.

The work

Over the years, we have collected quite an archive and the abundance of links to VT from almost any kind of Vrindavan-related Google search is a testament to the work that has gone into building it up. In my more pessimistic moments, I thought that even if we do not influence anyone or make any change, still we would still have an archive of Vrindavan’s descent into spiritual irrelevance.

Most of the work here was done by myself and Jagannath Poddar, with occasional input from other volunteers. But we have never been too ambitious about what we could achieve here, even though the potential has always been obvious to me. The fact is that Jagannath and I both do other stuff. Jagannath in particular is fighting to have the Yamuna come back to the ghats as well as running Friends of Vrindavan and animating the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance.

Recently we got a little bit of money and we put some of that into hiring some full-time staff to help expand the content on the site. Jennifer has joined us in the last couple of weeks and is doing a new feature, the daily news digest.

I don’t know why we never thought of this earlier. Making a selective digest of news stories that our readers would be interested in so that we can put more energy into featuring others in greater depth makes a lot of sense. And our other hire is full-time editor Vishakha Ramos, who has indeed been providing beautiful features about hidden corners of Vrindavan, some of those 5000 temples that we never hear about.

Moreover, by giving more current news stories in brief, we can bring up a lot of relevant or interesting things that are going on, stories that we otherwise might not have noted, like the crops failing story.

One of our goals at Vrindavan Today is to make those who are devotees living far away from Braj to feel that this is their home. To help them gain an awareness of the current “real-world” situation in the Dham. It is meant to provide a vicarious experience of being in Vrindavan.

The VT philosophy is that the Dham — as it is, right now — is the Internal Potency of Krishna acting in this world. It is made to work its spiritual magic simply by our being conscious of it.

And though “being” in Vrindavan can mean different things to different people, it is good to know something about the living, breathing place called Vrindavan in order to “be” there.

And that is true even if being there for you means meditating on Radha and Krishna in the eternal abode and nothing else. The natural place for the sadhaka deha is in the physical Vrindavan.

Anyway, I am feeling quite encouraged with the addition of Jennifer Michael to the staff. And Vishakha Ramos has been with us since the beginning of the year. So if you are noticing any improvements at Vrindavan Today, it is totally their doing.

So now I am thinking how we can improve more and actually realize the kind of participation in the Vrindavan community that is necessary to create the Vrindavan of tomorrow that we, the devotees, the Brijbasis, wish to see. One thing is that if we wish to improve even more, we will need some sources of income.

Funding

I am still very reluctant to clutter this site with banners and advertisers. This is because we would like to maintain and improve both its devotional and activist stance with regards to Vrindavan culture, heritage and environment, and not be beholden to anyone, nor to distract the readers to unrelated matters.

We would much prefer donors to come forth and help us to move this project forward.

We ask anyone who would like to sponsor Vrindavan Today to get in touch with us at vrindavantoday on google mail.

Here are some of the other things we need to do:

We have a Hindi website that is badly in need of development. We have also been able to get the help of Dhruv Shukla, who has been posting several articles a day there.

Now that Indian use of the internet is skyrocketing, there are hundreds of people even here in Vrindavan that are using Facebook and so on in Hindi. There needs to be a special portal for news stories related to the fundamental issues that face Vrindavan and Braj development.

I have long held that the primary benefit of a Vrindavan-oriented website is that it can be a place for discussion of topics that are of interest to the public in Braj. Certainly matters related to tourism/pilgrimage are at the heart of almost everything related to the Dham “today”, and there is a need for a forum discussing these issues that will engage the insiders, the stakeholders, the old guard of Vrindavan. That can only be done in the language of Vrindavan.

Vrindavan Today, being in English, always has the disadvantage of being translated, of being a mediated eye on the Dham. It is thus always an outsider’s view. We would rather that it would be the real thing, but that could only happen in Hindi, or better yet, Braj bhasha.

Vrindavan Today is really about Vrindavan in all three times, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

• Yesterday is everything that makes Vrindavan the Vrindavan as we know it.
• The “today” really means the eternal now of the transcendent Vrindavan. But it also means the now of the worldly, bhauma Vrindavan.
• The tomorrow is the vision of what Vrindavan is becoming, in the current globalized context with all its stresses, with all the Brijbasis and all honorary Brijbasis from around the world. Let Vrindavan do its work in the world.

The post Vrindavan Today: Yesterday and Tomorrow appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Radharamanji rides on a silver Elephant. Once in the entire year Radha Raman ji comes off his throne and sits on a huge silver elephant. The festival of Dusshera, the day before Kartik begins, was this special day and crowds flocked to the temple to have this special darshan. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Amar Ujala

Arms rally on Dussehra. In Agra, yesterday, activists from Bajrang Bali Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gave people a scare when dozens of armed men gathered and started firing rifles into the air. Read more (English). In Mathura, the celebrations were more peaceful. Yesterday evening, the crowds gathered at the Ram Lila Maidan, Mathura, were thrilled when the show ended with the burning of a huge Ravan effigy and a fireworks display. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Wikipedia

Madhavacharya’s Disappearance Day. Yesterday, noted as Vijaydashmi on the Hindi calendar, is celebrated as Dussehra as well as Madhavacharya’s Avirbhava (Disappearance day). Madhavacharya is considered to be an incarnation of Pawan Dev. An amazing figure even among Vaishnav saints, he took initiation at 5 years old and sannyasa at 12.  Madhavacharya was born in 1238, in northern Kannada, in a village three miles from Udipi. From an early age, he would argue with his father and refute Shankaracharya’s idea that God is formless. In order to prove his point, Madhavacharya asked Thakurji to change his father’s walking stick into a tree; the tree grew before their eyes. Madhavacharya’s best known published work is ‘Mayavad-Shastashashni’.  Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Trip Advisor

Mathura Museum to be investigated. District Magistrate Arvind Mallappa Bangari has ordered an investigation into how 4.25 Crore was spent at Mathura Museum. The funds were allocated for renovations and exhibit showcases, however, questions are being raised about the quality of work. The renovations are nearing completion, but funds seem to have been ill spent as several of the glass showcases have already broken.  Read more (Hindi)

Bugs found in Station Patties. Mathura train station, 1.50pm, students filed a complaint at the Deputy Manager’s Office about bugs found in the patties they bought at the outlet next to the Catering Inspectors Office on platform 1. The catering inspector denied the incident and said that action will be taken if necessary. Read more (Hindi)

UPCOMING EVENTS

3^rd and 4^th and 5^th October, The Braj Foundation invites devotees to attend the festivities at Sankarshan Kund, Goverdhan. On 3^rd October there will be dance performances and, on 4^th October, devotees are invited to participate in the  abhishek of Sankarshan Bhagvan. At 35 feet, Sankarshan Bhagvan is said to be the tallest deity in Braj and those participating in the ceremony will have to climb up ladder with their offering. The Braj Foundation has been working hard to restore Sankarshan Kund, which is said to have the power to cleanse even the worst sins, such as the sin of cow killing. For program details, contact: 9997 337 111 or 9927 338 555

From 5^th October, Ram Lila will be organized in front of Rang Ji temple, by Nagar Panchayat (local council). Shri Gopal Vashishth, chairman of the Ram Lila committee, said that the purpose of Ram Lila is not so much entertainment as the creation of unity and harmony between different Hindu sects. Despite reports of the difficulties in funding Ram Lila due to recent price hikes, the committee promises that the Ram Lila this year will be bigger and better than ever. Read more (Hindi)

The post Today’s Digest: Thakurji’s elephant, Arms rally, Upcoming Events, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.10.03 (VT): The problem of the monkeys in Vrindavan is becoming increasingly serious. About a dozen people have been killed and hundreds more injured by monkeys in the last few years alone. But the government’s effort to control the monkeys is hitting a surprising snag, as the relocated monkeys are reportedly returning to Vrindavan.

Despite spending lakhs of rupees on monkey control over the past two years, the number of monkeys in Vrindavan is merely increasing. Monkeys captured by the government were reportedly relocated to Palwal, a town about halfway between Vrindavan and Delhi.

But it seems the Brajwasi monkeys are unwilling to give up their brajwaas, and they have reportedly returned from Palwal to Vrindavan.

The Municipal corporation, however, is planning to continue relocating the monkeys, rather than exploring the other option: sterilization. Recently, an Aligarh company seeking to acquire the contract for controlling Vrindavan’s monkeys, was asked to demonstrate its monkey-capturing ability.

In the trial, 40 monkeys from near the Rang Ji temple were relocated to an undisclosed location (possibly Palwal). Others, including a monkey-control team from Mewat, have performed similar trials.

The post Relocated monkeys return to Vrindavan appeared first on Vrindavan Today.