Vrindavan, 2015.11.12 (Vrindavan Today): As Vrindavan gears up for the festivities commemorating the 500th anniversary of Mahaprabhu’s one and only visit here, several different sites related to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are playing an active role with their own independent programs. One of those is Imli Tala, the site of the ancient tamarind tree under which Mahaprabhu rested when coming near the Yamuna to bathe.
[See below for the legends associated with this place.]
Like most of the other celebrations, Imli Tala will have more than a week of festivities (from 17th November to the 27th) highlighting several prominent speakers of Hari Katha who will expand on the meaning of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s visit here in 1515.
From Nov. 17 to the 27th, Padmashri Swami Hargobind Rasacharya and his group will present Gauranga Lila, from 9-12 a.m. each day.
Then each day, H.H. Bhaktivedanta Madhusudan Maharaj will speak from Nov. 17 to the 24th, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. He will then introduce the following guest lectures. who will speak from 5-7 p.m.
- Nov. 17: Vaishnavacharya Pundarik Goswami Maharaj (Radharaman Mandir,
- Nov. 18: His Holiness Radhanath Swami of ISKCON
- Nov. 19: Vaishnavacharya Shrivatsa Goswami Maharaj (Radharaman, Jai Singh Ghera)
- Nov. 20: Tridandi Swami Bhakti Suhrid Paribrajak Maharaj (President and Acharya of Gaudiya Mission)
- Nov. 21: Tridandi Swami Bhakti Sarvasva Govinda Maharaj (Rupanuga Gaudiya Math)
- Nov. 22: Dr. Sri Achyuta Lal Bhatta Goswami (Gadadhar Bhatta vamsha)
- Nov. 23: Mahant Premdas Shastri (Boro Shurma Kunj, Vrindavan)
- Nov. 24: Tridandi Swami Bhakti Swaroop Shridhar (Jagannath Puri)
- On the Karttik Purnima, there will be a shobha yatra (kirtan procession) from Akrura Ghat up to Imli Tala.
From 25.11.2015 to 27.11.2015 conferences held each day from 3p.m. to 6 p.m. with many of Vrindavan and Braj’s leading scholars and Bhagavata speakers, including:
- Guru Sharanananda Maharaj
- Jnanananda Mahara, Gita Manishi
- Jagad Guru Sri Radhavallabha Dasacharya Ji Maharaj
- Acharya Sri Mridul Krishna Goswami Ji Maharaj
- Sri Krishna Chandra Shastri (Thakurji)
- Sri Gopal Krishna Goswami (ISKCON, New Delhi)
- Tridandi Swami Bhaktivedanta Paryatak Maharaj
- Tridandi Swami Bhakti Bibek Madhusudan Maharaj (Bhubaneswar)
- Tridandi Swami Bhakti Prasad Sadhu Maharaj
- Mahant Sri Balaram Dasji Maharaj
- Sri Madhu Pandit Das (Chairman, Akshay Patra Foundation)
- Sri Ram Kripal Tripathi Ji (Rector, Ranganath Sanskrit Vidyalaya)
- Sri Biharilal Vasishtha (Brahmin Mahasabha)
- Sri Banke Bihari Brijbasi (Mathura)
- Sri Vineet Narain Ji (Chairman, The Braj Foundation)
- Maluk Peeth Adhishwar Sri Rajendra Dasji Maharaj
- Mahant Ful Dol Bihari Dasji Maharaj
- Sant Sri Radha Madhava Dasji Maharaj
- Sri Shrinath Shastri Ji Puranacharya
- Sri Anurag Krishna Shastri (Kanhaiyaji)
- Swami Sri Ramaprapannacharya Ji Maharaj
- Swami Sri Govindananda Tirth Ji Maharaj
- Tridandi Swami Sri Gopananda Bon Maharaj
- Tridandi Swami Sri Bhakti Prasad Vishnu Maharaj
- Tridandi Swami Sri Bhakti Alok Paramadwaiti Maharaj
- Tridandi Swami Sri Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaj
- Sri Chanchalapati Das (Vice Chairman, Akshay Patra Foundation)
- Sri Sridama Das Brahmachari
- Sri Pundarik Das Brahmachari
- Sri Vinode Krishna Dixit
The legends of Imli Tala
Imli means tamarind tree and talä means at the foot of. So the place that is at the foot of the tamarind tree is called Imli Tala. Previously this spot used to be situated right on the banks of the Yamuna, but as the Yamuna has changed its course over the years, it now flows at some distance though it can be seen clearly from the Parikrama Marg.
This is the place where Shrimati Radharani left the rasa dance on Sharad Purnima, leaving Krishna searching for her with intense feelings of separation. In this mood, Krishna started to burn with eagerness to see her and his love expanded to infinite intensity. Fatigued by looking for Radha and not finding her, and distressed at her absence, Krishna sat down under this tree to rest, for it was under this very tree that Radharani’s maha-abhishek was performed by Lakshmi and other heavenly damsels.
It is a kalpa-vriksha or wish-fulfilling tree and is always encircled by devotees praying for success in their spiritual lives.
Sitting there, Krishna became so completely absorbed in thinking of her and chanting her names, that his own body assumed her hue.
Just at that time, Shrimati Radharani appeared, bringing an end to his separation and Krishna immediately assumed once again his original form as Shyamasundara. He then disclosed to her, “In my intense ecstasies of separation, I assumed your form, your complexion and your feelings of ecstatic love. In the age of Kali, I will again appear like this and spread that very same love to all living beings throughout the world, through the sankirtan movement – the chanting of the Lord’s holy names.”
This indeed happened when Krishna appeared as Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, just 500 years ago. When Lord Chaitanya visited Vrindavan, He would come to Imli Tala every day and and chant japa for hours and hours, becoming deeply absorbed in the mood of Shrimati Radharani.
He would become so deeply immersed in the ocean of separation from Shyamasundara that His golden form would be transformed once again into that of Krishna, dark like a newly formed monsoon rain-cloud.
Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, one of the dear disciples of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati, had a vision in a dream. His Guru appeared and said, “Nobody is taking care of my Imli Tala.” When he awoke, Goswami Maharaj went to Vrindavan and made all the necessary arrangements to get the service of the Imli Tala.
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