Mathura 2016.09.27 (VT): Mathura is becoming a major tourist hub on India attracting crores of domestic and international tourists every year. Central and State Government has also initiated many development programme worth crores of rupees in the region to provide better amenities to tourists at Mathura, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Barsana and Nandgaon.
At one end when Barsana is all set to get its first ropeway connectivity, on the other hand Government is investing a lot in Vrindavan to develop tourist facilities centre there. Muktakashiya Rangmanch is also getting ready to fascinate the devotees and tourist from world over by cultural drama depicting the pastimes of Radha and Krishna.
THE GOOD: A look on the Government projects to make Mathura region, a major tourist hub
- Akbarpur will be having a theme park soon which will have amenities like parking, path-way, water bodies, water fountains, tree of various kinds of all season flowers, and an art gallery to exhibit the pastimes of Lord Krishna.
- Development Authority is developing a ropeway in Barsana. Till date devotees have to climb around 350 stairs to reach Shreeji temple which will be ease out after the ropeway is functional. The project is expected to finish by July 2017. Apart from that, a beautification project has also been initiated by the Government to beautify the sub-district of Barsana.
- Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority has already constructed 21 kilometres long parikrama marg at Govardhan, suitable for pedestrian devotees. Bypass road construction is also in full swing. CCTV cameras have been installed after recent security breach, while public facilities have been constructed near Radha Kund and Uddav Kund. Electronic sign boards have also been installed for better instruction to devotees and vehicle drivers.
- Parijaat and Kadamb trees have been planted alongside Braj 84 kos Parikrama road which will not only save the environment, but are precious from the spiritual and traditional context.
- Road connecting Vrindavan to National Highway has been beautified and made as per international standards. Tourist facilitation centres are also under construction to provide lodging facilities to visitors besides a library to provide the Braj history. Yamuna riverfront development project is underway to renovate, develop and beautify the banks of the holy river in Vrindavan. An auditorium is also under construction to showcase the cultural heritage of Vrindavan and Braj. Krishna Theme Park project is also under construction.
- A multi-level parking is also being constructed at Vrindavan to accommodate around 700 four-wheelers. Road from Chaitanya Vihar to 100 bed hospital is also getting widened to four lane road. Cycle track and path way project will finish soon which will be another attraction of the sacred city. Vrindavan parikrama marg will also get better lighting facilities and CCTV cameras which will be connected to nearest Police stations.
- Old Vrindavan has got teh grants from World Bank to develop and beautify the narrow lanes in and around Thakur Bankey Bihari temple.
- Muktakashiya Rangmanch is getting a modern look to stage drama showcasing the pastimes of Radha and Krishna.
- Krishna Circuit master plan is already in process to develop the tourist spots in complete Braj region, including Gokul, Rawal and Nandgaon.
THE BAD: Commercialisation and concretisation of Braj dhaam
Vrindavan, the holy city of Radha Rani and Krishna is merely two hours ride from the National capital of India, New Delhi. People from the NCR and other areas on the country throng this place in search of peace, tranquillity and spirituality here while exploring more than 5,000 temples here. However, expectation took the first beating when devotees stuck in heavy traffic at Mathura. The honking from every corner disturbs the very essence of early morning when people are trying to offer morning prayers to the Lords. Then when the devotees visiting the holy city sees the hoarding reading “Live with God, buy a cheap home in Vrindavan Town” shows the commercialisation of Vrindavan, as it is slowly turning to be a concrete jungle.
Past-times of Radha and Krishna
Legend has it that Mathura and Vrindavan are the places where Lord Radha and Krishna were born and spent their childhood. The forests here are mentioned in several scriptures and epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana and Bhagvat Purana. However, now the region is called Braj, divided into two distinct units – the eastern part has places like Gokul, Mahavan and Bajna in trans Yamuna and the western side of the Yamuna has Mathura region, including Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana and Nandgaon. Braj expands itself in three states on India viz. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
As devotees enter in the city, they start looking for all those places that marked Krishna’s pranks with Gopis, places associated with tales of Radha and Krishna. However, all they see are houses, roads and buildings under construction.
The holy city
The name Vrindavan is derived from Vrinda, another name for the sacred tulsi (basil) plant. But the holiness of the city is slowly losing its touch, as every other township is coming up in the city. Vrindavan, now more developed than Mathura, has constructions going around in every corner disappointing the devotees coming here in search of spirituality.
Once an abode of Gods, Vrindavan’s forests and river, made famous by Krishna’s miracles, are no longer seen. In fact, spirituality itself seems missing. Though the city has more than 5,000 temples in and around it, but they are slightly hiding themselves behind the man-made concrete jungle. Some of these temples are centuries old depicting the past times of Radha and Krishna, while others belong to prominent spiritual leaders and organisations.
The temple
After crossing a small congested street, which was full of shopkeepers selling sweets, parsad, clothes and other items, devotees reach Thakur Bankey Bihari temple, the most prominent temple of Vrindavan. Built by Indian music Guru Swami Haridas in 1862, the Bankey Bihari Temple houses a sacred image of Krishna known as Thakur Ji, which shows Krishna in blackened body. It is one of the most visited temples in Vrindavan.
Some spirituality can also be felt in other seven main temples of Vrindavan viz. Radha Damodar, Radha Shyam Sundar, Radha Raman, Radha Gopinath, Radha Madan Mohan, Radha Govind and Radha Gokulanand. Most of these temples are not visited much, offering peace to the devotees, for their meditation. It feels like the Lords have saved some spirituality for their devotees in these temples.
A couple kilometres from Bankey Bihari temple, is the Iskcon temple, another most visited temple of Vrindavan. Though it gives a good experience to devotees, but spirituality seems to be missing from here too. The same was true of Prem Mandir, another Krishna temple. More than spirituality, the lightings and architecture can impress a visitor.
However, this is just a beginning for any devotee. Akshay Patra, a prominent NGO in India, is also constructing the tallest temple – Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir at a cost of Rs 300 crore. The temple will have a helipad, indoor Radha Krishna recreational park, theme park and much more. Like this, there are many such temples in the pipeline that would be equipped with latest technology and facilities. The idea behind building modern temples is to transform the city into a touristic hub rather than temple tourism, killing spirituality from the holy town.
Around 20 kilometres from Vrindavan, is the sacred hill of Govardhan, which Krishna lifted to save the Brajwasis from the fury of Lord Indra, in Dwapar yug. Unlike its name, the “hill” is no more than a little mound. The Goverdhan Parbat is also surrounded by many famous temples and Kund . Usually people do Parikrama on foot. But these days, doing Parkirama in a car is more popular and convenient for people who give more importance to their tight schedule, rather than spirituality. After spending some time in Brajbhoomi, one could only say the day is not far when people would come here as tourists not for spiritual purpose.
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