vrajabasi

[vrajabasi]

Temples and deities of Vrindabana - Various Places 

#temples #shri radharaman mandir #sri radha gopinathji temple #krishna #radha

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top row: Nandabhavan; middle: Pavan Sarovan; 2nd middle: Ter Kadamba (meeting place), Prema Sarovar; bottom: Rhada Prem Bihari Mandir, Radha Sanket and old ground of Rasa Mandala @ Sanket

#nandabhavan #pavan sarovan #ter kadamba #prema sarovar #sanket devi

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top row: Kokila Vana (Saturn's Sanctuary - forbidden photo), Naga Baba Muni - sitting; 1st middle: Durga's expansion (Yoga Maya - Goddess of Supreme power), Vrinda Devi and myself on Vrinda Kund; 2nd middle: Nandagram, Temple's frescoes, and Gupta Kund; bottom row: children-beggars @ Nandagram

#durga #yoga maya #nandagram #Vrinda devi #Vrinda kund #Kokila vana

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Varsana temple - 1 top row, Javat (lake) and Jatila, Kotila, and Abhimanyu - middle row; Kishori temple and village girls - bottom row

#varsana #pila pukur #javat #jatila #kotila #abhimanyu

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The birth of the day and way to Varsana (Barsana) with a look of the hill -1st row, Man mandir the 1st hill and the blossoming trees in Gahvardan forest - 2nd row, Morkutir (Mor mandir) the second hill with monkeys resting - 3rd row, and the last 3rd hill on the last row - Dan mandir

#varsana #gahvarvana #man mandir #mor kutir #dan mandir #barsana #mathura

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Shankarshan Kund and Talavana (palmtrees forest) - 1st row, Balaram and Satrubna temples - 2nd row, Krisna Kund and Druvatila and tulasi forest - at the lowest

#talavana #balaram #krisna kunda #madhuvana #druvatila

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Bahula kunda and Bahula (the holy cow) vana (forest) - first row, Satoha Santana kunda - third row, and Komudovana or small forest - the last row

#bahula bana #bahula kunda #satoha santana kunda #kamudovana

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Surya Kunda & Gaura Nitay, 1st on 3rd row

#surya kunda #gaura and nitay #mathura

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Brahma kunda - top row; Together with father at Brahma Kund and Rangaji temple with the human gate, rangaji inside and the celestial gates (for the demigods) Lord Vishnu is worshiped there - 2nd middle row;

Radha Govinda temple - the bottom row, a place dicovered by Roopa Goswami and midevil raja from Amber (Jaipur) build the temple and completed in 1590, at that time it was the tallest building with 7 floors.

#vrindavan #rangaji #temple #vishnu #brahma kund #govinda

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Govardhana parikrama (2)

…Once we arrived in the temple, I payed the due respect to the deities and found the donation box for the pujari offering.  Also took some sprinkling from the waters for auspicious karma. And again on the local nearby holy stones, the self-proclaimed pandits wanted to take double than I offered at the nearby sanctuary of the lotus feet of the Lord Krishna. I’ve become furious, and immediately took my 100 rupees back running to the adjucent temple, where I found the girl who gave me the Govardhan little stone. I’ve promised the money if she shares the with other girls around, and as she agreed I gave her the 100 rup. bill. It was as happening in a film, where I had to play justice, but later realized that the Lord should be supreme justice. However, I did it differently by giving a bit to those who are meek and humble and innocent in their actions, and even if the Dieties may get offended, I am happy with the outcome of the situation. So if Krishna is everywhere, He will also like it the way I did it.

The stone from that 10-12 years old girl is indication, an auspicious sign that whatever we do in life, we do it with love and devotion and we clean our hearts of lust, greed and desire for more. Otherwise in our hearts there’s nothing but stone, just like that piece I got. (shown below)

#govardhana #parikrama #holystone

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Radha Bana-Bihari Mandir, depicting Sri Sri Radharani and Krisha at her service, the Govardhana hill stone, and the parikrama route.

#radharani #krishna #kusum sarovara

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Govardhana parikrama

By the time we got to Radha Kunda, the holiest lakes of all, my headache was culminating,  especially with the so called “local pandits” (local men preaching) thinking only they are of “service” for Krishna.

I refused one older lady for flower offering to Radharani, but I could not a forceful men who literally just stuck a flower in my hand and started to chant the holy names in Sanscrit, inducing me to repeat  them. He wanted only money, of course, by not telling the price it was not hard to see I was just about to be fouled. After the ceremony, at the end, price was astronomical not only for local standards. I refused to pay, not believing in his preaching said that will put them in a donation box. What’s great about India is that the right person appears when you need it. As I was exiting the gate of the lake, another girl said to me in english where “my” people are - showing me the way to the nearest temple on the lake. By offering me a piece of a holy stone that I’ve refused, saying not having any small change, she insisted to keep it regardless if give her money or not so afterall I reluctantly kept it…

#govardhan #parikrama #adventure #india #radha kund

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Govardhan parikrama, the 21 km pilgrim walk around the Hill that Krishna took it up on His small finger. Start time was close to 5:30 a.m. Kusum Sarovar with a lake in front - the top. Sri Sri Radha Bana-Bihari Mandir and a town street on the parikrama route - first middle row. Vegetation on the Govardhan hill, a protected area, and children playing at Surabhi kund. Radha Kunda, or the adjacent Shyam Kund, the most known of the lakes from Vraj region - the bottom. It is believed that bath there is very auspicious.

#govardhan #mathura #radhakunda #parikrama

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Vrindāvana Parikrama: Visiting the samadhis of depared devotees in the nearby park, with a group of Croatian bhaktis, very old tree at the Kaliya Ghat - ancient temple from Krishna times, Nityananda Vat, his favorite place where Caitanya mahaprabhu will come and sit under the tree - myself in front of the tree replica, all animals together in search for food and unfortunately they pay the price of the human littering by choking on plastics.

#vrindāvana #india #parikrama #temples

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Ramanreti, near Gokul, the place where Krishna, Balarama and the cowherd boys will spend their early childhood days.

#gokul #krishna #mathura #india

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Chinthaharan Ghat, the place where any difficulty is taken is acient sanctuary of the Lord Shiva, where Krishna as a boy was taken by His Mother Yosoda, after she saw the whole universe in His mouth when He ate dirt.

it really does feel enchanting!

#mathura #gokul #india #shiva

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Yamuna river, holiest of all rivers and more pure than Ganges. A deity of its own, Yamuna is personified and glorifed.

The river turtles are fed by the locals at Brahmanda Ghat. Anyone who gets sprinkled from its waters gets purification and blessings.

#yamuna #gokul #mathura #india