Vraja Mandal Parikrama - Day 1 & Day 2 - Jan 3 & 4

After the 2 day pilgrimage we took a little break. We stayed mostly at the temple and around this time we had relocated ourselves to the Krishna Balarama guest house in the temple. After the 9am breakfast, we usually sat in the temple and relished the wonderful chanting. Since there were not many people, Gopeesha had bigger space to perform her "dance". I have even seen not only kids but adults too dance away for Their Lordships in such pleasure that they don't care if anyone is noticing them. I saw someone dancing with his hands lifted up and rotating only to the left side for a long time, eyes closed but with a big smile as if they are with the Lord, seeing Them or something. Simplicity, innocence is what can attract Krishna which devotees like this one and the kids have. Plus in dhama every activity is magnified a thousand times what to speak about the relishment from performing such activities. I learnt something; pleasing Krishna is the only goal in our life.

I knew HH Bir Krishna Maharaja was coming to Vrindaban, but I had little idea when. So I emailed to check with him and he said he will be arriving on 3rd morning and everyone will leave for the Day 1 of the Vraja Mandala parikrama. He arrived at 4am on the 3rd (from USA) and was ready at 8am to lead the devotees for parikrama. Maharaja's steadiness in his sadhana is simply unchallenged. We were very happy to meet Maharaja in Vrindaban as we didn't see each other since we left New Goloka.

Another grateful moment for me was to meet all those devotees who were joining Maharaja for the parikrama. They were all ex Fiji devotees now residing in Australia and New Zealand. I was meeting them almost after 5 years. A couple of devotes were from Finland and Croatia.

So here we go..... Vraja Mandala Parikrama ki Jaya!!!

When I joined the group lead by Maharaja, a feeling of security, protection blushed through my mind and I started wondering what our mission was that it felt so peaceful. Everyone looked so graceful and fully dependent on Maharaja wherever he will take us.

While pondering on my mission being with the group, I remembered the video lecture of HH Indradyumna Swami Maharaja which he gave in New Goloka about the thief who wanted to meet Bhagavan, Krishna. I know devotees cannot forget this lecture because it was not only the essence that we would remember but the particular style in which Indradyumna Maharaja had presented the story. It was a Prabhupada story which Maharaja told us in a very awesome style which will be pretty hard for us to forget. So it was like a onward journey to meet Krishna, but when.....I wish I knew.

Bir Krishna Maharaja asked long time Vrindaban resident, His Grace Deenabandhu Prabhu to lead for the first 2 days around Vrindaban and other main forests.

Deenabandhu Prabhu's style of narrating stories was very attractive. It could remind you the exact situation he was talking about. He gave small talks at almost every place we visited. We spent more time at samadhi's of various personalities and Prabhu mentioned how important it is for us to know and remember all these saints and their great input to the human society.

We took darshan of the following temples of Vrindaban.

Radha Madan Mohan Temple
Radha Damodar Temple
Radha Shyamasundar Temple
Banke Bihari Temple
Radha Gopinatha Temple
Asta Sakhi temple
Nrsingha Temple

We also did a parikrama of Seva Kunj, one of the gardens where Krishna performed pastimes with Radharani and the Gopis. The priests say that Krishna still performs His Rasa-lila there every night. They put all paraphernalia for Krishna and Radharani to use and when they arrive in the morning everything is used up. It is a very sacred garden where no stays after 5pm. Even the hundreds of monkeys which dwell there during the day, disappear from there during night fall. It is said if anyone hides in the Kunj trying to experience the Rasa Lila, they would become insane. One Iskcon devotee had stayed back there once and the next thing he knows he was on his way to the Krishna Balarama Mandir. He couldn't remember anything what happened in between those times.

We concluded early the 1st day as prasadam was not arranged for everyone. So we were back at the temple on time to honor lunch at 3pm.

Here are the pictures of our first day out. I have to beg for your forgiveness for not taking more pictures and labeling them accordingly.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=dvaipayana&target=ALBUM&id=5290267277158169233&authkey=QwmcIsVCJek&feat=email


Day 2
Transport and sufficient prasadam was arranged for all of us for our day 2 parikrama. Deenabandhu Prabhu planned to take us to Mathura to see some of the main forests.

Our first stop was at the bank of Yamuna. We were going to the Brother Sister temple. The temple of Yamuna devi and Yamaraja. Though it was a cold morning, devotees opted for a boat ride for an experience. When visiting temples in India, there are many priest who would want to take you around and at the end expect some monetary donation. Even if you don't hire them, they will hire themselves, so we also had one priest who joined us to show us around. Though claiming to be learned he couldn't answer some questions Bir Krishna asked him, like how many brothers did Kamsa have and who killed them?

Then we headed to Madhuban, the glorious forest where young Dhurva Maharaja performed the great tapasya to meet Lord Vishnu to ask boon from Him. We first the honored the breakfast kichiri prasadam, then Deenabandhu Prabhu enlightened us on this famous pastime of Dhruva Maharaja.











Moving on from there, we stopped at Dauji's Temple, Temple of Lord Balarama. After elaborating on the pastime, Deenabandhu Prabhu sang a folk song.

Paar karenge naiya re bhajo, Krsna Kanhaiya
Paar karenge naiya re bhajo, Krsna Kanhaiya

(If we want to get delivered from this material world, we have to chant Krsna Krsna!)

Krsna Kanhaiya, Krsna Kanhaiya

Devotees repeated what he just sang, but he kept looking at us for a different response. Then young Kishori, who is a Vrindaban resident responded;

Dauji ke bhaiya

We have chanted that line together couple of times.

Then Prabhu completed the whole song.
Krsna Kanhaiya, Dauji ke bhaiya,
Krsna Kanhaiya, Bamsi Bajaiya,
Krsna Kanhaiya, Giriwar Uthaiya,
Krsna Kanhaiya, Gaiya Charaiya,
Krsna Kanhaiya, Rasa Rachaiya,
Krsna Kanhaiya, Dauji ke bhaiya,
Paar karenge naiya re bhajo, Krsna Kanhaiya
Paar karenge naiya re bhajo, Krsna Kanhaiya

That was one of the sweetest moments of glorifying Krishna's activities and Balarama's sweet relationship with His brother. I peeped from the corner of my eye to see if anyone became emotional as I found that moment very touching, but no one did. However everyone looked so blissful as if they were crying from within their heart.

Then we drove little further to the Talavan forest. 200 meters before reaching the main point, devotees got of their vehicles to walk behind Maharaja. I found walking on Vraja raj (dust of Vraja) very very inspiring plus being with so many devotees really boosts up the spirit.

Again Deenabandhu Prabhu gave a small talk on the importance of the pastimes. He specially mentioned how we need to get rid of the ass like mentality, the Dhenukasura demon which Lord Balarama killed.

We visited couple more temples then concluded for the day around 4pm and headed back to Vrindaban Iskcon Temple.

Here are the pictures for day 2:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=dvaipayana&target=ALBUM&id=5290270730245105121&authkey=ySuEmCgp7LE&feat=email

You can also visit www.bkgoswami.com for more pictures.

Radhe, Radhe

Your servant,
Dvaipayana das