Nov 29, 2010 05:02 AM
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Today as I Grow
And I look down the Row
Its time to take a Bow
In front of my Creator and Lord
For its coz of Him My words could Flow…..
For every sad and alone moment I remember Him, for every problem in my life I call Him for solution, for every time I feel like blaming somebody I blame him, for every now and then I depend on him.
So today is no exception and, how irrelevant or little it may seem, I remember him again and Thank Him for being there always…
My Lord My Krishna!
And with Krishna the first and foremost place I associate is Vrindavan or as we call it Brindaban.The land of Shri Krishna and his ardent devotees. The city where he grew up, the sacred place of Krishna-Leela and the place where Meerabaidiscovered her Lord and her love; the destination of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked, "Where should the living entity live, abandoning all other places?"
Ramananda Raya replied, "The holy place known as Vrindavana or Vrajabhumi, where the Lord performed His rasa dance."
(Chaitanya-charitamrta Madhya 8.254, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu talks with Sri Ramananda Raya)
Source: https://vrindavan-dham.com/modern-period.php
Vrindavan
Situated in Uttar Pradesh, Vrindavan is about two and half hours drive from Delhi, also can be reached through Mathura which is about 15 kilometers away from the city.
And my usual visits are always by road, the first time I went there, the foremost thing which caught my attention was the name of Radha-Krishan inscribed on each and every wall of the city. As soon as we enter the city it clearly depicts an archetypal pilgrimage.
The name of Radhe-Shyam on all the walls, the Dharamshalas, the buses carrying truckloads of devotees, their banners clearly mentioning the tour of nearly all the Holy places of Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand.; not to mention the flock of saints and widows which are a facet of this city.
The foreign Saints are found in plenty, considering the effect of Hare Rama Hare Krishnamovement in foreign countries
For years this city has been giving shelter to widows who have been shunned by society and it is does pain the soul to see their conditions. They live in the worst possible manner, with their heads shaved, a markeen saree which barely cover up their body and mostly a hunchback. They sing, beg, dance to earn their living and just wait for death to encompass them.
.In short all those who have renounced the worldly pleasures take refuge in Brindaban.
The heart and soul of Brindaban is the Banke-Bihari temple. Built in 1862 this is the most famous shrine of the city.
The timings of the Darshan are fixed and hence it is better to plan the visit accordingly.
The lane which takes us to the temple needs to be crossed either by foot or cycle rickshaw.
An utter concentration is required to reach THE DESTINATION because the shops in this lane tempt the hungry souls to the extreme. Don’t risk a peek!
The temple is the perfect example of Beauty lies in Simplicity!
Thereon I came across a revelation; it’s not easy to get the glimpse of the naughty Krishna. The idol stays covered with a curtain which is lifted every now and then for the devotees. The idea being that Krishna is very mischievous and if glanced at for very long he might lope away with the person admiring him.To be able to reach him takes every bit of an effort!!
While I waited for my luck to shine I glanced around the temple; though it is clearly visible that its an old structure , it has been renovated and maintained, beautiful paintings/images carved on the walls depicting Krishna –Leela in various forms and also those of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and likes.
Swamya-sevakas and sevikayencan be seen performing various voluntary services like baking pooris, cleaning up ,managing the crowds, giving drinking water and of course singing bhajans.
At last the curtain is lifted and I manage to catch the glimpse of God, the Krishna beautifully adorned in jewels and yellow clothes or Angarakha.
The atmosphere created during the Krishna Aartibrings Goosebumps and a few tears also on observing the frenzied crowd joining the lyrics and swaying along with.
Though Brindaban boasts of many other temples namely :
The Madan Mohan Temple
The Radha Vallabh Temple
The Jaipur Temple
Sri Radha Raman Mandir
The Shahji Temple
The Rangaji Temple
The Govind Deo (Govindaji) Temple
The Sri Krishna-Balrama Temple
The Radha Damodar Mandir
Though I have never visited them in my three visits to the city.
The Radha Kundis also a must visit since it is claimed to be the one in which Radharani took bath with her friends.
Another thing which catches my attention are the lovely Kadambtrees which can be found throughout the city, some of them being years old.
Now that I have paid my tribute to the God, its time to treat the hungry stomach.
The lane which I mentioned earlier is lined by shops offering yummy food and the famous Pedasand Lassiof Brindaban.
The Chaat shops are the one which tempt you to the core.And nothing to beat the Kachoris accompanied with spicy Aloo-sabjiand washed down with a Kulhadof Lassi.
Just when I assumed that am through with the beauty of Brindaban and walked back to my car, a lovely music of Dholakaccompanied with Manjeere lured me to the source. A society/group of blinds play bhajans and music to earn their bread, round the clock.The typical Brajlanguage bhajans in the praise of Lord attracts the passerbyes for charity.
Sometimes talent can be discovered at least possible places.
Till date Brindaban symbolises the eternal and selfless love of Radha-Krishan, a place where people shunned from this world seek refuge and a city which provides solace to disturbed minds. A true destination of God.
Speaking in the mood of Srimati Radharani, ChaitanyaMahaprabhu said, "For most people, the mind and heart are one, but because My mind is never separated from Vrindavana, I consider My mind and Vrindavana to be one. My mind is already Vrindavana, and since You like Vrindavana, will You please place Your lotus feet there? I would deem that Your full mercy.((Chaitanya-charitamrta Madhya 13.137)
