Shri Krishna decorates Shri Radha

Vrindavan, 2017.11.20 (VT): We continue our Vrindavan Parikrama by taking darshan of the beautiful Shringar Vat.

When the Raas Lila began, Shri Krishna played his flute and all the gopis came running. He danced with every gopi, giving equal attention to each one. But the glory of the Raas Lila could not reach its supreme state unless Shri Krishna enjoyed fully with Shri Radha. So Radha left the Raas, and Krishna followed her.

Now alone, Shri Radha and Krishna played with each other freely. Shri Radha’s clothes and jewellery were disturbed during their play. Shringar Vat is the place where Shri Krishna arranged his Beloved’s clothes, tenderly placing her jewellery back in the right places, gently combing her curly locks and decorating her with flowers.

Shringar Vat is the place where Nityananda Prabhu chose to sit and meditate when he came to Vrindavan. There once was a large banyan tree to mark the place. Now only a stump remains, and a new younger tree offers its shade to the holy spot.

In the 18th Century, a descendent of Nityananda Prabhu, Shri Nandakishor Goswami, came to live at Shringar Vat. He established the deities of Nitai-Gaur there.

The boy who herded cows with Shri Krishna

Shringar Sthali, where Shri Krishna decorated his Beloved.

A young Brajwasi boy used to take care of Nandakishor Goswami’s cows. People called him “Bhondu” (simple-minded) because he was very naive, but also very pure at heart. Born and raised in Vrindavan, the boy had a natural love for Shri Krishna and longed to meet him. Bhondu knew that Shri Krishna herded cows in Vrindavan’s pastures like he himself did. He was ecstatic that one day, he would probably meet him.

And so it happened that one day, Bhondu met Shri Krishna in the pasture. The two became close friends. Shri Krishna and his friends used to share their lunches, which were packed by their mothers and brought from home. But Bhondu didn’t have a packed lunch to share. So he started bringing food from the temple kitchen when he went out for cowherding.

Nandkishor Goswami noticed the missing food and started keeping a closer eye on the kitchen. One morning, Goswami Ji noticed Bhondu on his way to the pasture with the cows, carrying a huge bundle of groceries on his head.

Nandakishor Goswami said, “Child, where are you going with all that food?”

Bhondu smiled and said, “We are going to makde dal-bati-churma today.”

“Who is ‘we’?” asked Nandakishor Goswami.

“Me, Krishna, Balaram, Subal, Shridama…” Bhondu rattled off the names of Krishna’s cowherd boy friends from the nitya lila.

“Krishna and Balaram…?”

“Yeah! You know Krishna! That boy who wears a peacock feather and yellow clothes. He’s really nice. We’re friends now.”

Remnant of the banyan tree where Nityananda Prabhu meditated on the Lila

Goswami Ji didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what he was hearing. But Bhondu was not a liar either.

“Why don’t you invite your buddy Krishna and his friends here for lunch instead? Tomorrow is Gopashtami, so it’s the perfect day to invite them.”

“Oh yes! That’s a wonderful idea! I will! Thank you Goswami Ji!”

Bhondu bowed to Goswami Ji and headed out for the pasture.

That day, Bhondu invited Shri Krishna to Shringar Vat for Gopashtami lunch, but Shri Krishna said, “No, I won’t go.”

“But I promised Goswami Ji you would come!” said Bhondu.

“What do I care what you said to Goswami Ji?” said Krishna.

Bhondu felt insulted and started to walk away. “Goswami Ji is like my Guru. If you are going to insult my Guru then I’m not going to play with you any more!” Bhondu separated his cows from Shri Krishna’s cows and started off in a huff.

Shri Krishna was shocked and started to cry. He blocked Bhondu’s way and said, “Wait! Don’t go! Listen to me!” Bhondu didn’t want to listen, but he stopped for moment and looked at Krishna.

The Ghat at Shringar Vat – Yamuna once flowed nearby

“Listen, I couldn’t say this in front of Balaram and the other cowherd boys. Shringar Vat is a place where I go to meet Radharani. It’s our secret place. I can’t take the boys there. Please understand, brother!”

Bhondu smiled, “Oh, is that it! Well, if Goswami Ji comes here and cooks for you, will you eat?”

“Sure I will!” Said Krishna. “But tell him not to bring anyone else with him!”

Bhondu told Goswami Ji what had happened. He could hardly believe what was happeneing, yet somehow, his hope was greater than his hesitation. The next morning he excitedly got all the provisions ready to make dal-bati-churma for Shri Krishna. Smiling like a child, Goswami Ji brought all the cooking implements from the kitchen across the Yamuna and out into the fields at Bhandirvan.

Nandakishor Goswami’s Nitai-Gaur

He was blissful beyond words when he saw that Shri Krishna was actually there waiting for him surrounded by all his cowherd friends. Goswami Ji cooked for them and fed them to his heart’s content. But as soon as the feast was over, they all disappeared. Goswami Ji fainted out of shock and separation.

In a half-conscious state, Goswami Ji heard Krishna saying, “Don’t worry. I am always with you. Go home and write about my lila.” According to Shri Krishna’s instructions, Nandakishor Goswami wrote two books called Shri Shri Rasakalika and Shri Vrindavan Lilamrit.

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Pigs are worse than monkeys for spreading garbage. In the lead up to local elections, residents are speaking out in the media, saying that their complaints about lack of cleanliness have been ignored for years. Residents in the heavily populated Gopinath Bagh area of Vrindavan say that they don’t want to open their front door because of the bad smell on the street. Children cannot play on the street and the risk of getting sick is increased, especially after rain. Residents say that, as well as the monkeys, pigs are playing a big role in spreading garbage around the street. They say that when the garbage is not collected in a timely manner, animals spread it all over the street. The problem of pigs is made worse by people who feed them, thereby increasing their numbers. Despite the health risks of eating wild pigs, the sale and consumption of pig meat is common in some communities in Braj. Read more (Hindi)

Hema Malini playing Meera Bai

Hema Malini at Morari Bapu’s program. Sunday: Braj Vasundari, Goverdhan: Movie star turned politician Hema Malini, sat in the audience to listen to Sant Morari Bapu’s katha along with the common people. Sant Bapu did not call her on stage for a special blessing, and nor did she approach the stage herself. Malini listened to the katha for around an hour. The topic of the lecture was the glories of Parikrama. Sant Bapu talked about how Sri Krishna Himself enjoyed doing parikrama. The sant also said that he feels that is it the time he has spent doing parikrama that has given him the ability speak about the glories of the Lord.  Read more (Hindi)

P.C. NDTV

No. of exam centres reduced due to rampant cheating. This year there will only be 21 examination centers for the UP board examinations in the Mathura district. 39 schools submitted applications to become exam centers, however the applications of 18 schools were refused. Schools that allowed copying in the 2017 examinations are among those whose applications have been refused. The list of examination centres was released last week by the Deputy Central Secretary. To avoid pressure being placed on the department, the list was not released until it became final. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

Samvid Gurukul’s annual function showcases India’s religious and musical traditions. The girls from Vrindavan’s Samvid Gurukulam residential school impressed audiences by playing traditional Indian instruments and re-enacting the killing of demons by Durga Maya in spectacular dance-drama performances. Guests at the program included the Vice President of the Braj Tirtha Vikas Parishad, Shailjakant Mishra, who praised the performances. Read more (Hindi)

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Vrindavan, 2017.11.20 (VT): UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Mathura on Sunday ahead of the Municipal elections. In a rally at Mathura’s Jubilee Park, Adityanath stated that the development of Braj-Vrindavan is one of the State Government’s top priorities.

The Chief Minister blamed previous governments for the sorry state of affairs in Vrindavan, and assured voters that development will run smoothly if the BJP wins the Mayor’s seat. The BJP, said Adityanath, is far more in tune with ancient culture and the specific needs of holy places like Mathura and Vrindavan, than any other party.

Adityanath reiterated plans to develop Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana and Nandgaon with a view to increase tourism. He also emphasized the importance of his government’s accomplishments till date, such as forming the Braj-Vrindavan Tirth Vikas Parishad, and making Vrindavan an official, governmentally-recognized pilgrimage center (tirtha sthan).

A number of “hot issues” were discussed by the CM during his 20-minute speech, ranging from illegal slaughterhouses to the Yamuna River, and from drinking water to irrigation. He also announced a new project by the State Government to promote one famous product from each region in the State. The government will market Agra’s petha and Mathura’s peda, said the CM.

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Yesterday, a crowd gathered at the gates of Mathura’s Janma Bhoomi (birthplace of Lord Krishna) while security personnel checked a bag that had been left unattended. The bag was large and red coloured, which made it even more suspicious looking.

P.C. Amar Ujala

The bomb disposal squad took ¾ hour to arrive. They cautiously approached the bag, and, upon opening it, found only warm clothes and other personal belongings. This caused everyone to breathe a sigh of relief but, meanwhile, a huge crowd had built up, blocking the road.

Sri Krishna Janma Bhoomi, also known as Janmasthan, is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Braj, and consequently, security is particularly vigilant. Nobody is allowed to carry bags or phones into the temple premises and visitors are swiped with metal detectors at the gate.

Visitors to Janma Bhoomi can see the cell in which Sri Krishna was born. The decor is designed to recreate the gloominess of Kamsa’s dungeon. The cell and passageway are small and dimly lit, but, when one looks toward the pictures of baby Krishna, a natural light seems to emanate from the area.

Separate from the dungeon, there is huge temple with friezes of Thakurji’s incarnations and sants covering the walls. One could spend hours trying to have darshan of all of them. On the outside wall of the main temple, it is written that a devotee will never go to any place that doesn’t have a temple.

The temple has a large courtyard with shops selling devotional items and there is a covered, outdoor satsang hall. Not surprisingly, Janmasthan is one of Mathura’s most popular places for darshan.

Amar Ujala reports that, in another incident last week, a female security guard who wanted to go home early closed the woman’s entrance 10 minutes early.

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Radhavallabhji in winter, 2017

Vrindavan, 2017.11.21 (VT): Deities throughout Vrindavan are beating the winter chill through the loving offerings of their devotees. In each temple, the Divine Couple Shri Radha and Krishna are dressed in warm sweaters and shawls. Stylish mittens, and socks embroidered with golded threads, adorn their hands and feet.

Food and drinks that are considered heating from an Ayurvedic perspective are offered in this season; Gur (jaggery), nuts, ginger, cloves and so forth are part of the winter offerings. For their daily bath, the water is heated to a comfortable temperature, and warming attars (fragrance oils) like saffron and heena are applied to their bodies for comfort. And at night, the Divine Couple sleep wrapped in a soft, warm blanket or comforter (rajhai).

Does God feel cold?

One may wonder, does God feel cold? God doesn’t need anything. He doesn’t experience hunger, thirst, and so on. He is not affected by anything. This is true everywhere except Vrindavan. Vrindavan’s Krishna is not just God; he is more than God. He is the Supreme Being who is bound by love.

Radharamanji in winter, Feb. 2017

In Vrindavan, love is supreme. Krishna is beyond hunger, but his mother’s love makes him feel hungry. It makes him crave the food she makes for him. He is beyond cold; yet the winter chills him, for his devotee stands ready with a soft blanket and a cup of warm milk.

Once there was a devotee named Krishnaprem. He was from England, but had converted to Vaishnavism and took initiation in the Radharaman Temple tradition.

One night in winter, Krisnaprem had a dream that his deity of Gopal – the Child Krishna – was shivering with cold. He woke up and went to the altar. There he found that he had accidentally left the window open, and it was actually very cold.

Looking at Gopal he said, “Oh! Do you really feel cold?”

Two teardrops fell from Gopal’s eyes, and Krishnaprem realized his mistake. He immediately closed the window and covered Gopal with a warm blanket. (V)

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European birds come to Narad Kund for the winter. Birds from Siberia, Russia and European countries will start arriving in Narad Kund from the first week of December. A forest officer said that species including the Siberian crane, gray legged goose, and tuffed duck will soon start arriving. There is a small ashram by the side of the kund and it is said that Narad Muni still resides there in eternal spiritual form. Several important incidents from Sage Narad’s life took place in the area. It was here that Dhruv Maharaj received diksha from Narad, and, according to the ashram’s pamphlet, Prahlad Maharaj was born at Narad Kund. According to the ‘Padma Puran’, Narad Muni came to Goverdhan to experience love of Krishna. Sage Narad spent time as a gopi residing at Goverdhan, before moving on to Vrindavan to find out more about Sri Krishna’s lilas. Read more (English)

Political rallies create traffic jam, break electoral code of conduct. Yesterday, campaigners in Raya broke the campaign rules and created an hour long traffic jam by staging a rally with Hanuman as a mascot. Campaigners for independent candidate Rekha Agrawal held the rally at Sadabad intersection. Patrika reports that election officials turned a blind eye to the violation of campaigning regulations.  See video here

P.C. India Today

CM Yogi speaks against the release of Padmavati. In response to nationwide protests against the film Padmavati, including protests last week in Mathura, CM Yogi said that, if action is being taken against people who have announced bounty on Bhansali’s head or threatened to chop off Deepika Padukone’s nose, then there should also be action against the filmmaker who is hurting the sentiment of the people. This seems to be a point of difference between the CM and PM Modi. PM Modi has previously said that he is not in favour of heavy censorship. Padmavati is a historical drama; it does not claim to follow historical fact, however, members of the Ksatriya community are offended at what they feel is the defamation of one of their ancestors. The Karni Sena and some political leaders allege that the movie distorts history and besmirches the honour and valour of Queen Padmini by suggesting a romance between her and Khilji, who was infatuated with her beauty.Read more (English)

Two murders by strangulation in one night. In two different areas of Mathura, murder by strangulation was committed after the attacker entered the house of the victims during the night. The two cases are thought to be unrelated. Read more (Hindi)

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Vrindavan, 2017.11.22 (VT): The Vrindavan Research Institute (VRI) is celebrating is fiftieth year of preserving Braj Culture. The festival begins tomorrow and will last for several days.

On November 23rd, the celebration begins with an exhibition of Sanjhi, one of Vrindavan’s famous folk art forms. Acharya Srivatsa Goswami of the Sri Radharaman Temple will enlighten the audience about folk art traditions of Braj. Temple sanjhi will be created by local masters, while children will make simpler folk Sanjhis, which are reminiscent of rangoli.

Palm Leaf Manuscript at VRI (P.C. jiva.org)

On November 24th, there will be a discourse in memory of VRI’s founder, the late Dr. Ramdas Gupta. Regional folk dances will be presented after the talk. A painting competition is scheduled for November 25th.

The Vrindavan Research Institute was founded by Dr. Ramdas Gupta in the late 1960s. Gupta was previously involved with the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. VRI is devoted to the preservation of Braj culture, and its efforts include a library of manuscripts and archival material, as well as a newly-renovated cultural museum. The University of Agra recognizes VRI as a research centre for PhD studies in Hindi and Sanskrit.

Recently, VRI made news when it came forward to preserve a neglected relic from the British era, which was about to be hauled off to the landfill. (V)

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Vrindavan, 2017.11.22 (VT): Under immense pressure from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Allahabad High Court, officials are turning their attention towards Mathura’s sewage treatment plants. Reports say that the holy city’s STPs are beginning to increase the amount of sewage processed each day.

The current sewage treatment facilities in Mathura and Vrindavan are quite dated. The system is sorely in need of renovation, and new STPs need to be built in both areas.

Till recently, only one of the four pumps at Masani Pumping Station was operational. Now officials have started a second pump. Pipeline leaks were expected when the second pump was turned on, yet mirculously the pipes are holding up so far.

Pumping capacity has also been increased at the Bengali Ghat and Dariy Farm plants. Some pending issues with the Bengali Ghat plant have been rectified, and reportedly, it is not dumping sewage into the Yamuna River at present. However, sewage is still falling into the river from the Dairy Farm STP.

The sewage processing situation in Mathura Vrindavan has a long way to go, but residents are pleased that at least some progress is being made. Hopefully these efforts will continue after the Municipal elections on November 26th.

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The ropeway that will make for easier access to Barsana’s Radha Rani temple has been on hold for the last 2 years, despite having approval. It has been 4 years since the approval process began, but, delays caused by interdepartmental negotiations have been preventing the 13 crore project from getting underway.

The Forestry Department has now agreed to accept rent for the 0.9 hectares of land that will be used for the ropeway. A lease has been drawn up and rent will be paid according to the circle rate. It has been agreed that Rs 24 lakh will be paid to the Forestry Department for the land.  Yashu Rustagi, Vice Chairman of the Development Authority said that the negotiation process is being carried out according to the guidelines set by the government.

While most local people are in favour of the project, the cutting of old growth trees has made the ropeway controversial. In 2015, the municipality sanctioned Rs. 2.25 crore for planting trees in Govardhan Parikrama and Vrindavan. The fund has been allotted as a compensation for trees cut in the path of the ropeway.

Nobody wants to see trees cut down, but, currently, devotees have to climb 172 steps to reach the temple which is situated at a height of 45 meters, and this causes inconvenience to the old, the infirm, and children.

Bhavana Dasi, who makes the trip from Vrindavan to Barsana every month, said, “We enjoy doing ‘pedal yatra’ (on foot journey) from Barsana village to the temple, however, it should be a matter of choice, not by force. When I see overweight people being carried up the hill, my heart goes out to them and also to the person carrying them. I hope the palanquin carriers find jobs with the ropeway; that would be ideal.”

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Banke Bihari’s festivities from 5am tomorrow. The celebrations for Bihariji’s appearance day, will begin tomorrow, 23^rd November, 5am at Nidhivan, the place where Bihariji appeared. Abhishek will be performed at 5.00 am at Nidhivan, and at 8:15 am, Swami Sri Haridas Maharaj’s aarti will be performed. From 8:30 onwards, a procession will move through the streets towards the Bihariji temple. The procession will include 11 bands and a dhandiya dance performance by Braj’s Marwari community. Devotees lucky enough to get darshan of Bihariji will see Him wearing beautiful yellow garments. Read more (Hindi)

Voters lament after 151 years of an independent Vrindavan Municipality. On 26^th November, voters will elect a mayor for a combined Mathura-Vrindavan municipality. Local activists are lamenting the end of a 151 year old independent mayorship for Vrindavan. Feeling that their interests are not being accounted for, many voters are likely to lose interest and not take the trouble to vote. Local leaders have advised that, those wishing to register a complaint about their interests not being represented should vote NOTA (none of the above) in the coming election.

P.C. Jagran

Five injured due to ‘harsh firing’ at wedding. Monday, Mathura: Despite the bans on ‘harsh firing’ (celebratory firing of gunshots), a drunk person fired three or four shots from a double barrel gun at a wedding ceremony at BSA Engineering College Road. Police are questioning those present at the wedding and it has come to light that the person responsible for the firing was drunk. The incident took place at 11pm and caused a panic among the guests. Two of the injured were admitted to hospital, while the other three were sent home after treatment. Read more (Hindi)

Taxi driver’s account used to extract 15 lakh from bank. A Gopal Nagar resident is being questioned by officials from Vijaya Bank and police after an unknown person used his account to cash a fake cheque. A cheque for Rupees 17 Lakh was deposited into the taxi driver’s account, then, the next day a person came into the bank and withdrew 15 Lakh in cash. On 18^th November the taxi driver was contacted by bank officials and he has been questioned twice by police. The taxi driver denies any knowledge of the transactions. Read more (Hindi)

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Samadhi of Siddha Balram Das Babaji Maharaj at Jharu Mandal

Vrindavan, 2017.11.22 (VT): Next on our parikrama we visit Jharu Mandal.

For lovers of Shri Radha and Krishna, it the greatest honor to sweep Vrindavan’s sacred groves. Whenever they found time between their other practices, the great saints of Vrindavan’s history used to sweep the holy dust. Most of these saints were renounced; they did not own any posessions. Jharu Mandal is the place where the saints kept brooms, which remained available for anyone to come and use them.

Today, sweeping or “Sohni Seva” as it is known in Braj, is still one of the most cherished services one can do. A strong tradition of Sohni Seva is still maintained in places like Tatiya Sthan, Nidhi Van and other temples and shrines. It was by sweeping Vrindavan that Shyamananda Prabhu found the anklet of Radharani and received her special grace.

In later times, Jharu Mandal became a place where various saints lived. One such saint was a woman named Radha Dasi. Radha Dasi was completely absorbed in her devotions. Due to her intense schedule of spiritual practices, money became a problem. In addition to her own needs, she had deities of serve, and that too required money.

The footprint of Shri Krishna on Radha Dasi’s grinding stone.

Unable to find time in her schedule for work, Radha Dasi used to wake up before 3am to grind wheat, which she got by begging, and make flour. She would then sell the flour for a few paise, or use it herself.

One day Shri Krishna came while Radha Dasi was grinding flour and said, “Ma, it’s the middle of the night! Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Lala,” said Radha Dasi, “I don’t have time to work during the day, so I have to get up very early.”

Shri Krishna then placed his lotus foot on the grinding-stone. His touch left a beautiful footprint.

“See, Ma!” Krishna said. “Now devotees will come to see my footprint, and they will give donations. You don’t have to strain yourself anymore.”

Siddha Balram Das Babaji’s samadhi is also located on the premises.

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This is a first-person account of the incident, which has been handed down through the line of Bihariji’s Goswamis:

My name is Vijnani Khatri. My family owns a flourishing perfume business in Amritsar. Our business is very well established and we are known as manufacturers of best quality of itra* (perfume), rosewater and other products. Our customers include the royal families of Dehli, Awadh, Jaipur, Nabha, Jammu, Jodhpur etc. Ours is a religious family and we do service for sants (holy men), cows and the impoverished. Sants from all over India visit Amritsar and oblige us by accepting our hospitality and conducting satsang sessions in local temples and halls.

One day, when I visited the sant-niwas (sadhu residence), I came across a sant who had passed through Amritsar only a few days before during a long pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath and other holy places. I was surprised to see him returned from the arduous and time-consuming journey. Moreover, such a yatra does not just involve travelling to the pilgrimage sites; along the way, sants also conduct satsang sessions at various places and are never in hurry to return to their kutia (hermitage).

I greeted the sant in his usual style, “Jai Shri Hari.”

He replied, “Jai Shri Haridas.”

Smiling at him, I asked, “Revered Sir, what has happened to you? You are back from your pilgrimage so soon, you have also changed your greeting. How has this Haridas fellow’s name come in place of Hari? I am surprised.”

The saint laughed heartily, “Yes, you may be surprised, but, as you know, the universe is full of surprises. Shri Hari gave me a pleasant surprise, this time in the form of Swami Shri Haridasji at Vrindavan. I stayed in Vrindavan for some time enjoying his divine company and there I realized my goal. I am now so contented that I don’t want to go anywhere. I just meditate on the Vrindavan satsang of Swamiji and chant the holy names- Jai Jai Shri Kunj Bihari Shri Haridas, Jai Jai Shri Vrindavan Nidhivan Vas.”

I became curious to know about Swami Haridas and his satsang. I had visited many places, met many saints and had attended satsangs in many places, including Vrindavan, but I had never heard about this Swamiji. Moreover, the glow I saw on the face of the saint and the shine in his eyes while talking about his Vrindavan visit was unprecedented. I wondered, if the mere remembrance of those moments can make the saint so joyful, how much more joyous would Swamiji’s darshan be? I wanted to know everything, urgently. Seeing my eagerness, the sant smiled, and said “Shant ho jao (be at peace); come, sit with me and I will tell you everything I know about Swamiji.”
A Sant’s vision of Sri Haridas:

“Swami Shri Haridas is an ascetic of highest order staying in Vrindavan at present. His personality is so magnetic – with shaven head, flawless skin, big lovely eyes, shining teeth, a childlike innocence and a friendly smile. He has a fair complexion and a tall, well-built body. He is so attractive that once you see him it is difficult to take your eyes off his face. His way of praying is through music. He himself composes poems in praise of the Lord in classical form and then he sings these in Nidhivan as well as on the banks of the Yamuna.

Shri Lalita Sakhi

His followers and Brijwasis believe him to be an incarnation of Lalita Sakhi. According to tradition, Lalita Sakhi is in charge of musical activities in eternal Vrindavan, the abode of the eternal couple, Shyama Shyam. Shri Lalita appeared on this planet primarily to enlighten the path of prema bhakti (where a devotee is inspired to put all of his/her endeavors into maximizing the pleasure of Shri Shyama Shyam without desiring anything in return). This is the ultimate form of bhakti, in contrast with the usual religious practices where the practitioner performs rituals with some expectation of gain.

There is a small temple in Nidhivan dedicated to Shri Kunjbihariji, the revered Lord of Swami Haridas. I heard the story from local saints and disciples of Swami Haridas that Shri Shyama Shyam appeared in person in Nidhivan for a very brief period to the presence of a group of saints, enjoyed the music of Swami Haridas for a moment, talked to him and granted a charming, black deity before disappearing. This deity is worshipped as Shri Kunjbihari, Bihariji, Banke Bihariji or simply Thakurji. The beauty and charm of Thakurji is beyond description. Only those who have darshan in the temple can know about it. I have visited so many places, so many temples – but I have no hesitation to say that Bihariji is Bihariji, there is nothing to which He can be compared. After having His darshan, I decided not to go anywhere else but to return to my hermitage and meditate on Him. If any time I feel like travelling, I will go to Vrindavan to see Him. So, now you have heard my story.”

Hearing the story, my mind became immersed in thinking about Bihariji and I became keen to visit Vrindavan, to bow to Swami Haridas and have darshan of his beloved Thakur Shri Bankey Bihari ji Maharaj as a matter of urgency. As I reached home, my sister could see that I was lost in certain thoughts and gently asked about it. I narrated the entire story as it was told to me by the sant in the evening and also mentioned to her that I wanted to go to Vrindavan as soon as possible. We decided to go to Vrindavan as soon as possible as there seemed to be no good reason to delay a visit to such a rare personality.

Accordingly, I made arrangements to look after the business in our absence, and we left  Amritsar for Vrindavan. On my sister’s suggestion, we took a small container of a recently extracted itr to offer to Swamiji. This itr was extracted from a rare variety of exotic flowers and was of a unique fragrance. We had not yet started selling it. After completing a journey that took several days, we reached Vrindavan and asked for directions to Swami Haridas’s place. It was afternoon and we were directed to the banks of the Yamuna; here we saw Swami Haridas sitting in the sand surrounded by saints and pilgrims.

Swamiji, his eyes closed and fingers moving swiftly on the strings of a tanpura (musical instrument), along with a few of his disciples, was singing in the praise of Lord. It was a rare combination of vocal and instrumental music and the voices were so melodious that everyone was lost in the music. I do not remember how long the sitting continued but, during this time, nobody moved. It appeared to me as if everything around us, including birds that continuously chirp in the trees, the monkeys that are always performing aerobatics and even the water of Yamuna – everything and everybody – remained still during that time. Finally, the recitation was over. It appeared to me that suddenly everything and everybody came to life. Birds started chirping, monkeys started jumping around and the water in the Yamuna started flowing.

Swamiji moved his Tanpura aside and looked around. Everybody bowed to him, and so did we. While bowing, I placed the container of itr at his feet. He looked at me, smiled and said, “Bahot acchhe samay par aye ho” (You have come at a very important moment). Saying this, Swamiji opened the container and emptied it in the sand. I got the shock of a lifetime. What type of swami was he? Did he have even slightest idea of what I offered to him? However exalted a saint may be, he has no right to hurt the sentiments of visitors like this. I was agitated but restrained myself. One thing that surprised me was that the fragrance of itr was totally missing, though the entire container was emptied.

Swamiji commanded his principal disciples, “Jao Vitthal, Jagannath, jao. Thakurji ki sayan sewa ko samay aa gaya hai. Jake Thakurji ki sewa karo aur sab bhakton ko Bihariji ke darshan karwao.” Hearing their master’s command to perform the evening rituals, Vitthal and Jagannath left. As Vitthalji and Jagannathji proceeded to the temple, everybody followed them.

We reached a small temple in Nidhivan. The priest entered the inner sanctum of the temple through the side door and we all sat in the front verandah singing “Jai jai shyama, Jai jai shyam, Jai jai shri vrindavan dham’ and other melodies. After a few minutes, the main door of the inner sanctum was opened and I had my first sight of Thakurji. I was surprised that the temple was undoubtedly filled with the sweet fragrance of the itr that I had brought. I was sure nobody else could produce this fragrance as it was the result of my efforts of several months. Swamiji had emptied the container in the sand for all to see. He didn’t even leave a single drop, nor did he give the empty container to Vitthalji or Jagannathji to bring it to the temple. So how was it possible that the  fragrance was so prominent here? Even after the entire contents was poured out, the fragrance had not lingered on the banks of the Yamuna.

I looked here and there as if trying to locate the source of fragrance but to no avail. Confused and bewildered I looked at Bihariji, surrendering to Him and telling Him – I do not understand what is happening here. I have come to you and you must tell me what is this all about. I felt He was looking straight into my eyes. It seemed as if He was pulling me towards himself through his vision. I thought I would lose my consciousness, so I tried to take my eyes off Him but I could not. During those moments, everything around me got blurred and I felt I was migrating to a different plane of consciousness. Then I had a vision of Eternal Vrindavan – Shyama-Shyam playing holi in the nikunj! And I saw the container I had brought being emptied in the pot of colours that they were spraying on each other!

So that was it! By the grace of Swami Haridas, I had an experience of the eternal Vrindavan. Swami Haridas ki Jai! Banke Bihari Maharaj ki jai!

*The extract of flowers, distilled in a sandalwood oil base, is known as itra (or attar). Itra is known to have a soothing effect on our nervous system and has been used in aromatherapy since time immemorial. Even apart from this, the pleasing fragrance of itra enhances the pleasure of the moment and makes everybody around happy. Itra is extensively used in daily sewa in the temples all around India and is considered to be a very special offering.

Source: https://www.bihariji.org/divineglimpses4.php Editing: Vrindavan Today

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Gurus weigh into the monkey debate. As monkeys continue their daily routine of taking objects and waiting for a bribe to get them back, stealing from shops and stealing food from people’s hands  – giving a bite in case of any resistance – the debate about what should be done (and whether in fact anything needs to be done) continues. As well as politicians and local leaders, Bhagavatam speakers are also speaking out about the monkey issue. At a recent lecture in Vrindavan, Ananda Murthi Guruma said that anyone who is troubled by monkeys is not a devotee because the monkeys learnt their trickiness from Krishna, so you can’t beat them. The Guruma also said that we have taken the forest from the monkeys so it is humans’ fault that they are living in the town. This statement is, however, debatable. Studies show that monkey numbers are increasing every year.

P.C. Amar Ujala

Illegal weapons factory on the banks of Yamuna. Police have raided an illegal weapons factory that was producing weapons on the banks of the Yamuna, in Raipur village. Rifles, pistols and the equipment to make them have been removed from the factory and 4 people have been arrested. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Patrika

Man beaten for making nuisance calls. Fed up with being pestered by a man who repeatedly made nuisance phone calls, a woman and her family decided to catch him and teach him a lesson. The woman agreed to meet him, but, little did he know that she and her relatives were waiting to catch him. They shouted at him and gave him a beating, eventually allowing him to escape. There were many onlookers, but nobody called the police. Read more (Hindi)

Politicians unable to make Vrindavan Mokshadham. The tradition of bringing bodies to Vrindavan to be cremated is as old as anyone can remember. For years, politicians have talked about a ‘Mokshadham’ project, which would provide a designated area for families to gather and perform funeral rights. The suggestion for the project was first made 22 years ago by the Vrindavan Vikas Samiti. Due to a land dispute, the case went to the high Court, and was finally cleared in 2012. The Mayawati government created a proposal to construct a Mokhsadham on 1600 sq. ft. grounds at a cost of 1.15 crores, however, the project did not get underway in Mayawati’s time, and it was not undertaken during the outgoing chairman Mukesh Gautam’s term.  Read more (Hindi)

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Shri Vitthal Vipul Dev ju

Vrindavan, 2017.11.24 (VT): Swami Vitthal Vipul Dev ju was born on Margashirsh Shukla Panchami of 1532VS. He is the second principal Acharya of the Nimbark Haridasi Parampara.

He appeared in Rajpur in Braj Mandal, which is near Vrindavan. He was a cousin of Swami Haridas and he was also his first disciple. From the age of 30, Vitthal Vipul Dev renounced worldly life and offered himself completely to the worship of Shri Radha and Krishna, living in the forest at Nidhivan. Thirty-nine sacred songs (pads) were written by him.

One beautiful pad of Sri Swami Vitthal Vipul Dev Ju is :-
नव निकुंज मन्दिर मे प्यारी पियही सिखावत वीणा ।।
Nav Nikunj Mandir Mai Pyari Piyahi Sikhavat Veena

“In the Divine forest of Sri Nikunj Vrindavan Sri Priya Ju  (Radha Rani) is teaching Piya (Krishna) how to play Veena.”

One day in Nidhivan, Vitthal Vipul Dev requested Swami Haridas to reveal the eternal lila of Radha and Krishna to him. Swami Haridas ji told him to look within a nearby enclosure of tangled vines. When Vitthal Vipul Dev looked inside, he saw Shri Radha and Krishna in their eternal lila. Accompanying them was Swami Haridas in his sakhi swaroop.

Overwhelmed with bliss and filled with gratitute, Vitthal Vipul Dev Ji went and bowed in front of his Guru. Swami Haridas smiled and told him to go inside the tangle of vines, adding, “Whatever you find inside, bring it out.”

Banke Bihari’s appearance place in Nidhivan

Vitthal Vipul Dev went inside the vine enclosure. Inside there was a gupha (cave). When he went inside the gupha, he saw Radha and Krishna had joined together to form the black stone deity of Shri Banke Bihariji. He brought Banke Bihari out of the cave and handed him over to his Guru.

When Swami Haridas left this world for the eternal lila, Vitthal Vipul Dev found it hard to go on. From that day forward, he tied a bandage over his eyes. Perhaps, after the divine illuminating form of his Guru had left this world, he did not wish to see anything else.

Soon after, a Raas Lila play was held and Vitthal Vipul Dev was in the audience. The Raas Lila depicted Swami Haridas serving the Divine Couple in his sakhi swaroop. Vittha Vipul Dev Ji sang:

करूणानिधि मम स्वामिनी, तुम पकरयौ मम हाथ ।
अब करूणा कर लाड़ली ! राखि आपुने साथ ।।

karuna nidhi mam swamini, tum pakaryo mama haath
ab karuna kar laadli, raakhi aapune saath

“Oh My compassionate queen, my lord Sri Radhike, please hold my hand. O my beloved queen please cover me and keep me in your divine service eternally like my Gurudev Sri Swami Haridas Ju Maharaj. I can not take this sepration of my Guru so please hold my hand, Priya Ju.”

Shri Radharani came forward and held his hand. She made Vitthal Vipul Dev stand up and asked him to open his eyes.

Removing the bandage, his eyes fell on the lotus face of Radharani. Suddenly there was a flash of light, and Vitthal Vipul Dev was gone. He had entered the eternal lila in his sakhi swaroop. (V)

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Students from Newtown US to visit Vrindavan. Param Pujya Didima’s work to empower women and girls is now reaching students in America. After Didima visited a US school, the faculty decided to send some teachers to visit Vatsalyagram Vrindavan in order to research whether it would be a suitable destination for a student study tour. The aim of the tour is for students to learn about current cultural issues such as the empowerment of women from social, personal, and political perspectives.  Ms McConnell, a teacher from Newtown Public school, said that it is not only the American students who will benefit from the tour.  Ms McConnell said, “Didi Ma’s wish for her students, why she wants us there, is to show them through example how to learn, how to become empowered, how to become more proactive, because, women…are held back,” Read more (English)

Celebrations at Vrindavan Research Institute continue today and tomorrow. Today was the second day of the golden jubilee celebrations at Vrindavan Research Institute. Today’s program included cultural programs by Vrindavan school children and speeches by academics about the role that Braj culture plays in uniting Hindus world wide. The program also included a presentation of the first volume of The Encyclopaedia of Braj culture, published by Pragati Sharma.  Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

Police act to enforce helmet rule. Police at Mathura’s new bus station imposed fines on several people for not wearing helmets and seized the bikes of those who could not produce registration papers. People who were stopped at the check point said that nobody wears helmets and they are happy to pay the Rs100 fine and that they don’t want to purchase helmets for themselves and passengers. Read more (Hindi)

Farmer robbed of season’s earnings.  After his father died, the responsibility to sell the crop fell on to Vinay Kumar. Yesterday, he came to NH2 Farah, Mathura to sell his crop for the first time and was robbed on the way home.  A car stopped and offered him a lift, which he accepted, but, a little way down the road, a man riding in the back seat pulled out a knife, took the farmer’s bag and threw him out of the car. Read more (Hindi)

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Yesterday, lakhs of people came to see the abhishek and shobhyatra (auspicious procession) in honour of Banke Bihariji’s appearance day. An abhishek was held in the early morning hours at the place where Bihariji appeared, proceeded by aarti and a procession from Nidhivan to Bihariji temple.

The procession made its way through the streets of Vrindavan’s market place, showering auspiciousness on all. Thousands danced and sang popular Bihariji bhajans as well as music composed by Swami Haridas. People from across North India, foreigners, villagers and Vrindavan locals followed the procession with great joy, losing themselves in the music of Bihariji.

People from far and wide proclaim that Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari is special. There are many stories of miracles surrounding Bihariji and, it is said that Bihariji appeared to fulfil the desire of Haridasji, who only wished that more people could experience the joy of absorption in Thakurji’s lilas.

Bihariji appeared in Nidhivan, the place of Radha-Krishna’s ras lila. Swami Haridas would sit in Nidhivan and become completely absorbed in intricate classical melodies. While Haridas was playing and composing music, Radha-Krishna danced before his eyes. Despite his enjoyment and complete absorption in playing music for Radha Krishna, Swami Haridas realized that not everyone could experience Thakurji through music. He wanted that more people could have a tangible experience of Sri Krishna’s most attractive form, so, he wished for a special, most attractive Thakurji. To fulfil Haridas’ desire and give darshan to as many people as possible, a combined form of Radha Krishna appeared in the form of the deity Banke Bihari.

The curtains of Bihariji are constantly opened and closed because the strength of the attraction between Thakurji and His devotee is said to be too strong for either to withstand.

Yesterday, Rajbhog Prasad and sweets were distributed to devotees after the Rajbhog (midday) aarti. In the evening, devotees followed the Swami Haridas float back to Nidhivan for the closing of this year’s Bihari Jayanti festival.

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A Development Studies student who recently visited Vrindavan said, “I had heard about the problems with street animals and garbage in Vrindavan, but, the condition of the environment in Vrindavan is worse than I imagined.”

Shreya Banerjee, who is currently undertaking an MA in Development Studies at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, interviewed many local leaders, including Friends of Vrindavan director Jagannath Podder, and Tamal Krishna Das, priest at Imli Tala Mahaprabhu Mandir,

Talking about her impressions after spending a fortnight conducting interviews, Shreya said, “There are organizations, like Friends of Vrindavan, that have been planting trees and simultaneously working to clean Vrindavan and are doing some really great work in the process, but, more needs to be done; especially in the area of educating people about how their habits affect the environment. The educated sections of society are mostly aware, but, from what I gathered, building awareness among the people who are uneducated and struggling to make ends meet is still a challenge.”

Shreya said that she first became interested in the connection between religion and environment at university. The debate surrounding the role of religion in creating eco-friendly worldviews ignited her curiosity, and she set out to discover how Hinduism affects people’s relation to their environment. Shreya said that she had always wanted to visit Vrindavan and feels fortunate to be able to contribute to research on the environmental and development issues affecting the town.

Talking about the role of the government in creating a clean and green Vrindavan, Shreya said, “Considering that Vrindavan is a religious town with a large number of pilgrims visiting every day, the government should ideally have a separate set of experts, including scientists, environmentalists, development practitioners, planners, economists, etc, to formulate effective policies to deal with the wide range of issues in Vrindavan.”

The field of Religious Environmental Studies was born from the growing awareness in academia that there is a need for more interdisciplinary research. Defining the field, Iranian-American philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr wrote, “the environmental crisis is fundamentally a crisis of values,” and, religions, being a primary source of values in any culture, are thus implicated in the decisions humans make regarding the environment.”

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Hundreds arrive on doorstep after girl says Sri Krishna is coming to marry her. In a display of faith and devotion that is rare in this world (but more common in Braj), hundreds of villagers camped outside the house of a 17 year old girl who said that Sri Krishna would come to marry her at midnight. The villagers, who were hoping to have darshan of the marriage, brought gifts and wedding clothes. The lanes and alleyways leading to the 17 year old’s house were completely choked with people inspired by the young girl’s austerities and determination to marry Sri Krishna. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

Hema takes time out from BJP campaign to attend cultural program. Hema Malini, who has been busy in recent days supporting the BJP candidates in the local government elections, took time out to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of Vrindavan Research Institute. Malini, who has been the member for Mathura in the Legislative Assembly since 2014, said that she very much enjoyed the cultural program, which included Kathak dances and sanjhi art displays. Malini said that preserving Braj’s culture is of utmost importance and praised the contribution of VRI in facilitating research and publications related to Braj culture. Read more (Hindi)

Sadhus silent in election campaigns. In the lead up to local elections, due to be held on 26^th November, the views of Vrindavan sadhus are being expressed through silence. Jagran  reports that in the last election, Sadhus and Mahatmas supported BJP candidates, however, during this campaign, they are silent.  Across India, and especially in Braj, Sants are integral in swaying people’s political opinions. Even in this election, some independent candidates are being supported by local religious leaders, however, disappointment at the BJP’s lack of action in cleaning the Yamuna has caused many sants and sadhus to withhold their support.

P.C. Patrika

Police fail to make arrest despite evidence. Police recovered stolen goods from the house of a government employee but failed to make an arrest or take him into custody. Assistant Block Resource Co-ordinator, Rajendra Singh, was caught on CCTV putting 50 mats into his car. Despite having camera and eye witness evidence, the theft was recorded by police as being carried out by ‘unknown persons’. Read more (Hindi)

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Two of the four chatris. One now contains a mini barber shop.

Vrindavan, 2017.11.25 (VT): Between Imlitala and Shringar Vat, we missed a very important site called Ranapat Ghat. The legend of this ghat is related to Mirabai. Opening onto the ghat is a a temple, which houses the beautiful deities of Shri Radha-Kant Ju.

According to legend, the King of Mewar, who was Mirabai’s brother-in-law, made this temple for her when she came to Vrindavan. However, Mirabai refused to stay in it, preferring instead to live in the wilderness of Vrindavan forest. Some say she lived in a gupha (underground cave) where Mirabai Mandir is now. Others believe she lived in a chatri at Brahmakund, where she could easily enjoy the darshan of the King of Vrindavan, Govind Dev.

Shri Radha-Kant Ju

The legend goes on to say that, although Mirabai didn’t live at the property, she would come every day to worship the deities of Shri Radha-Kant which her family had installed there. Unfortunately, just over half a century ago, the deity of Shri Krishna was broken, and another deity was brought from Gokul to replace the broken one. However, the deity of Radharani is from Mirabai’s time.

The Ranapat Ghat property consists of the ghat itself, four chhatris (gazebo-like structures made of sandstone), the temple, a living area and a garden. According to Mathura: A District Memoir by the British magistrate F.S. Growse, Ranapat Ghat was built by the King of Udaipur. About 330 years ago, the property was purchased by Guru Prasad Roy, a friend of the King’s family, for 3,675 rupees. Since then, the property adjoining the ghat is known as Guru Prasad Roy Kunj.

In the late 18th Century, Shri Hit Chandra Lal Goswami of the Radhavallabh Sampraday described this kunj, saying a very dedicated female devotee lived there at that time. He also mentioned that the kunj was sheltered by two very large trees – one tamal and one neem. His description with elaborate commentary can be found on page 48 of the Vrindavan Prakash Mala.

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