Bahulastami Preparations. Safety preparations are underway for the Bahulastami festival to be held on October 12th. Bahulastami is the festival where couples take snarn (bath) in Radha Kund and make a pledge to give up a particular item for a year, in the hope that they will soon be blessed with a child. This year, authorities are not leaving the safety of the pilgrims up to chance – CCTV cameras are being installed around the market; 20 lifesavers will be on patrol in 4 boats; 5 parking lots are being designated and the area will be well lit. Even stray cows will be kept under control by teams of youths who will guide them away from the area. The main snarn is at midnight, but the mela will be underway by midday. This year, the mela is set to have many attractions, even a pet show. Read more (Hindi)
P.C. Jagran
Peacock lila at Goverdhan. The audience at the Sur Shyam Go Aradhana festival, organized by Sur Shyam Seva Sanstha, were thrilled yesterday when Krishna took on His peacock form. The gopis on stage, Radha Rani herself and the audience were all mesmerized by Krishna’s peacock dance. Radha Rani is extremely fond of peacocks, so, to please her, Krishna takes the form of a peacock and dances. Before the Ras Lila performance, Ramesh Ojha, one of the most popular Bhagavata speakers in India, reminded people about the need for cleanliness and said that temples are the places where purity starts. He also told people that they should not be afraid of death, but should not forget about it either. The program will continue until October 15th. Read more
P.C. Jagran
Film shooting at Kusum Sarovar. Yesterday, for the shooting of Anil Sharma’s upcoming film ‘Genius’, the ghats at Kusum Sarovar were filled with nearly 1000 actors including Bollywood actors, foreign actors, and local school children. ‘Genius’ is a story about Holi in the villages of Braj. Yesterday saw the filming of the songs for the movie, as well as a tractor-Holi scene which was filmed in the fields near Kusum Sarovar. Film shootings have been underway in Braj for several weeks now, with much of the film shot in Vrindavan’s Jaipur Mandir. The hero in the film is the director’s son, Uttarkash Sharma, and the heroine is Ishita. Read more (Hindi)
Bhagavat Gita Centers, Model Unveiled. At a press conference in Vrindavan, yesterday, former IPS officer, Brahma Bodhi Siddhart, unveiled a model Bhagavad Gita Center. Bharatiya Chetna Kendra is to establish a Bhadavad Gita Center in every village in India. In these centers, elder people will help the youth in areas such as education, finding employment and health. To date, Bharatiya Chetna Kendra has distributed over 120 million copies of Bhagavad Gita in India and around the world. Read more (Hindi)
P.C. Amar Ujala
Solidarity for orphaned suicide victim. Mainstream and social media are being flooded with stories about 19 year old Rakhi who suicided by taking poison after her parents’ murderers were not apprehended by police. Rakhi’s parents, Banwari Lal and Ravi Bala were sleeping in their house in Amar Colony Mathura on March 8, 2017, when thieves broke into their house, killing them and taking 3 lakh cash and jewelry. The house was under construction, so Rakhi and her brother and sister were sleeping at the neighbour’s house. After the murder, Rakhi, the oldest of the three children, did everything she possibly could to push the authorities to take action to find her parents’ murderers. Rakhi wrote to PM Modi and CM Yogi; made videos for social media; met local ministers and went on a hunger strike, but, to no avail. After Rakhi’s suicide, her body was carried onto the streets in a demand for justice. Rakhi’s brother and sister will now get Rs5 lakh in compensation and we pray that the culprits will soon be apprehended. Read more (Hindi)
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