Reports with photos
Sri Giriraja Govardhana Gaudiya Matha
October 26 - November 3, 2005
APPEARANCE DAY OF SRILA BHAKTI RAKSAKA SRIDHARA GOSVAMI MAHARAJA
October 26, 2005 is the divine appearance day of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja. At 10:00 am the 800 devotees at Gopinath Bhavan in Vrndavana began singing bhajanas. At 11:00 am Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja came to the pandal to glorify and hear glorifications of Srila Sridhara Maharaja. He called on four disciples of Srila Sridhara Maharaja to speak, and he commented that they all spoke so highly about their Guru Maharaja. After expressing his own heartfelt realizations about Srila Sridhara Maharaja’s glories, he said glorifications will continue in the evening. He then performed arati to Srila Sridhara Maharaja and his guru-parampara.
TOUR REPORT – GOVARDHANA PARIKRAMA
October 31, 2005
Under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, the Vraja Mandala parikrama has been going smoothly and blissfully. Every day more devotees arrive from various parts of the world, and there are now at least 1,000 on the parikrama. On October 30, 2005 the pilgrims moved from Vrndavana to Govardhana, where they will spend the next two weeks at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha.
On October 31, the party went on the first half of Govardhana parikrama, taking darsana of Dan Ghati, Dan Nivartana Kunda (pond), Naval and Apsara Kundas, Govinda Kunda and Surabhi Kunda.
At Surabhi Kunda, Srila Narayana Maharaja mentioned that there are so many sacred places in Vraja Mandala that are not taken care of properly. The government does not do anything to help, and instead creates obstacles. Therefore, he has taken the responsibility to renovate and protect these places in Vrndavana and Govardhana, especially Surabhi Kunda. In the past couple of years, with the help of Dr. Sanjaya from Mathura, he has arranged the cleaning and renovation of this beautiful kunda.
Srila Narayana Maharaja then told the pastime of Krsna lifting Govardhana Hill – how Indra offended Krsna, took shelter of a Surabhi cow, and then came to Surabhi Kunda to beg forgiveness. He said that one who takes acamana (sipping water from the kunda for purification) or bathes in this kunda will be forgiven of their sins and offenses, and they will get the gift of krsna-prema.
TOUR REPORT- RADHA KUNDA PARIKRAMA
On November 3rd the parikrama party circumambulated the “short side” of Govardhana Hill. The first stop was Uddhava Kunda. After seeing the greatness of the gopis’ prema, Uddhava had prayed to become a blade of grass in Vrndavana so that he would be able to take the lotus foot dust of the gopis upon his head.
