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, 2nd 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 18th 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)
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