Eco friendly practices adopted to celebrate Baba’s disappearance day

Vrindavan, 2016.01.19 (VT): Hundreds of ascetics assembled in Bhagvat Niwas to pay their tribute to Baba Kripasindhu Das Maharaj, on his 43rd disappearance day. A ‘dharma –sabha’ followed by tree plantation and grand feast was organised to commemorate the great saint who was a close associate of Siddha Ram Krishna Das (Pandit Baba).
The event was very meaningful from the spiritual as well as environmental point of view. The trees of champa and amla were planted in memory of the great saints of the ashram. Moreover, the plastic cups and plates were not used to feed the big number of devotees who attend the commemoration event.
Shri Sukhdev Das, the present President of the ashram announced the ban on plastic cups and plates in the ‘bhandaras’ (feasts), which takes place in the ashram.
It should be noted that the efforts of Friends of Vrindavan (FoV) motivated the ashram to ban the plastic cup, plate and glass in the feasts. Every year a tree plantation drive is organized by FoV with Bhagvat Niwas in its ashram campus.
The devotional event began with the panchamrita abhishek of Thakur Shri Girindra Bihari ji and Harinam Sankirtan. The saints and devotees glorified Kripasindhu Das Baba for the establishing a high standard of Bhajan for the sadhus of the Bhagvat Niwas. The inmates of the ‘Bhagvat Niwas’ strictly follow the guidelines set by its founder of the ashram even today.
Presiding over the function Shri Ful Dol Bihari Das said, “Baba Kripa Sindhu Das was completely detached from the material desires and dedicated his life for spiritual pursuits.”
Shri Bhakti Vedanta Madhusudhan Maharaj said, “Bhagvat Niwas is one of the few ashrams of Vraja which strictly follow the principles of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism. The tranquil and green ambience of this ashram provides an atmosphere to the saints to perform bhajan. This ashram is the house of many renounced souls who live in small huts and cottages provided by the ashram.”
Shri Tamal Krishna Das Brahmachari from Imli Tala Mahaprabhu Mandir said, “The unique aspect of Bhagvat Niwas is carrying on the tradition of Madhukuri, which encourages the saints not to cook at home and just beg the food from the houses of Vrajawasis, required for living. In return the saints do extra rounds of chanting harinam for their well being. This tradition was begun by Shri Kripa Sindhu Das Baba.”
Dasabhas Dr. Girraj Nangia said Baba Kripa Sindhu Das provided shelter for hundreds of ascetics who want to spend their life by performing bhajan. He was not selective of the sampradayas, and allowed the saints from all the schools of Vaishnavism to stay in Bhagvat Niwas ashram and meditate. No woman, even if she is the mother or sister of the saints living in ashram is allowed to stay in the ashram.
Shri Ram Swaroop Das Baba, Shri Sukhdev Das baba, Bihari Lal Bashishtha, Madhumangal Shukla, Bhaktamal Das, Lalit Arora and many others addressed the conference.

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