Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama 2015
"Immerse yourself in
Vraja-rasa"
All Glories To Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga
Dear Devotees,
By the causeless mercy of Srila Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama 2015 will be performed from 27th October till 25th November 2015.
Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama was inaugurated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada re-established it in October 1932, and his dear most disciple Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja sustained it in the decades that followed.
Our beloved spiritual master om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja has been guiding pilgrims on this parikrama since 1954, thus fulfilling the inner heart's desire of all acaryas in our line.
Srila Gurudeva's heart's desire and great pleasure is that during Sri Vraja-mandala and Sri Navadvipa-dhama parikrama devotees from all over the world come together as a loving family and become immersed in sweet hari-katha, remembering the pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Krsna and Sri Gaura Nityananda Prabhu.
Glories of Sri Vrndavana-dhama
"Vrajati-gacchati iti vrajah -- that which moves around is Vraja." This is the original understanding of word vraja. The places where Nanda Baba dwelt and moved around with his cows, calves, family and associates are called Vraja. "Vrajantigavah yasminnativrajah -- the land where the cows cowherd men, cowherd boys and cowherd girls wander is known as Vraja".
Vraja particularly denotes the land of the pastimes of the Supreme Person, Vrajendranandana Sri Krsna. Its a place where Sri Krsna eternally resides and performs his sweet amorous pastimes in four prominent moods: dasya (servitude), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya (parental affection) and madhurya (amorous love).
Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.44.13) describes:
puṇyā bata vraja-bhuvo yad ayaṁ nṛ-liṅga
gūḍhaḥ purāṇa-puruṣo vana-citra-mālyaḥ
gāḥ pālayan saha-balaḥ kvaṇayaṁś ca veṇuṁ
vikrīdayāñcati giritra-ramārcitāṅghriḥ
"How pious are the tracts of land in Vraja, for there the primeval Personality of Godhead, disguising Himself with human traits, wanders about, enacting His many pastimes! Adorned with wonderfully variegated forest garlands, He whose feet are worshiped by Lord Śiva and goddess Ramā vibrates His flute as He tends the cows in the company of Balarāma." * BBT translation
Cost
A minimum contribution of Indian Rs.12.000, US $195, or Euros 148 per person is requested in order to cover the most basic expenses of the month long festival. This payment covers prasadam, simple accommodation in the dharmasala and bus travel, as well as electricity, water, the sound system, a generator, the payment of various workers, cleaning costs and so forth. This contribution is therefore a service, not just a payment, and it is genuinely needed.
Included within the festival fees:
We have arranged dharmasalas (simple lodgings for pilgrims) near Gopinatha Bhavan and Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, where there is facility to set up your sleeping mat and mosquito net in a hall or big room. At the Matha at Govardhana there is also facility for tents.
For an extra cost:
Rooms are available for rent in nearby guest houses and in the houses of the local residents. The average charge is about 350 rupees per room per day, depending on the facility offered. If you need a room, you should book it before October 20th.
For more details regarding rooms in Vrindavana, contact Mani-mati dasi. For accommodation in a dharmasala (the cost of which is included in the festival fee) contact Vrinda-devi dasi,
There are hotel rooms at varying distances from the Matha in both Vrindavana and Govardhana that you can rent directly from the hotel managers. We have listed some hotels on our travel page.
Registration
To register for this festival, upon arrival in Vrindavana or Govardhana, submit a completed Participation Form + a copy of the picture page of your passport, your visa page + a passport photograph and give your contribution (in rupees, dollars, or euros) to the devotees responsible at the registration table in the courtyard of Gopinatha Bhavan or in front of the temple building at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, where you will find devotees responsible for accommodating you in rooms inside or outside the temple complex.
The dharmasalas we are arranging for you in Vrindavana-dhama will be available from October 27th onwards. If you arrive before this date, you will need to make your own arrangements for accommodation and prasadam. We trust that all of you will cooperate with the festival seva team in this regard.
Please inform us by e-mail about the details of your participation before September 15th, especially if you are coming in a group. In this way we can arrange suitable accommodation.
Taxi
To arrange a taxi to pick you up from the airport or to take you to and from other places, you can you can contact Mani-mati dasi at
For more details about traveling to the Dhama, how to maintain good health during your visit, and other practicalities, please visit our website page, Traveling to India.
Devotees are advised not to travel and arrive in Vrindavana during midnight hours; try to reach Vrindavana before 21:30 pm or after 4:30 am.
Kitchen Seva
Sriman Radesh dasa
Sripad Bhaktivedanta Sridhara Maharaja
For details, contact :
Sri Ramacandra dasa (+91-981.019.2540)
Sri Dhira Krsna dasa (+91-945.682.8001, +91-963.498.3070)
Click this link to download Parikrama schedulepdf.
Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama 2015
Sri Gopinatha Bhavan, Vrindavana, Tel: 96.3456.3739
Sri Rupa Sanatana Gaudiya Matha, Vrindavana, Tel: 0565-2443270
Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, Govardhan, Tel: 0565-2815668
- Oct. 25, Sun. Darsana of Sri Durvasa Rishi Gaudiya Asrama, Hari-katha and prasadam in Vrindavana at Gopinatha Bhavana till morning of 9th November.
- Oct. 26, Mon. Hari-katha and rest .
- Oct. 27, Tue. (Vrindavana) Sri Sarad Purnima. Kartika-vrata begins. Sankalpa (vow) for the parikrama at Kesi-ghata in Vrindavana. Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Gosvami Maharaja disappearance festival.
- Oct. 28, Wed. Kaliya-daha, Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati's bhajana-kutira and samadhi, Srila Sanatana Gosvami's bhajana-kutira and samadhi, Sri Madana-mohana Temple, Dana-gali.
- Oct. 29, Thu. Seva-kunja, Sri Radha-Damodara Temple, Imlitala, Sringara-vata, etc.
- Oct. 30, Fri. BY BUS (from Vrindavana) to Bhatrol, Akrura-ghata, breakfast prasadam at the place of the Yanja-patnis. Mana-sarovara, Mathavana, Bhadravana, Bhandiravana.
- BY BUS (from Vrindavana) to Madhuvana, Talavan, Kumudvana.
- Oct. 31, Sat. Nidhuvana, temples of Sri Radha-Ramana, Sri Radha-Gokulananda, Sri Radha-Gopinatha.
- Nov. 1, Sun. BY BUS (from Vrindavana) to Madhuvana, Talavan, Kumudvana.
- Nov. 2, Mon. Dhira-samira, Vamsi-vata, Gopesvara Mahadeva, Sri Govindadeva Temple.
- Nov. 3, Tue. BY BUS (from Vrindavana) to Dauji, Brahmanda-ghata, Mahavana-Gokula, Raval, Lauhavana, (Return to Vrindavana).
- Nov. 4, Wed. Sri Jharumandal, Sri Radha-Syamasundara.
- Nov. 5, Thu. Pujyapada Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja's appearance festival. Hari-katha and rest.
- Nov. 6, Fri. BY BUS (from Vrindavana) to Khelanvana, Rama-ghata, Viharavana, Cira-ghata (prasadam), Vatsavana, Garuda-Govinda. (Return to Vrindavana).
- Nov. 7, Sat. Ekadasi. Sri Vrindavana parikrama.
- Nov. 8, Sun. Baelvana darshan.
- Nov. 9, Mon. Departure from Vrindavana. BY BUS to Govardhana via Bahulavan,Santanu-kunda, Paitha and Candra-sarovara. Hari-katha and prasadam in Govardhana at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha till Nov.25th.
- Nov. 10, Tue. Govardhana parikrama – Dana-ghati, Anyora, Govinda-kunda, Punchari, Surabhi-kunda (prasadam), Jatipura.
- Nov. 11, Wed. Sri Hari-deva Temple, Brahma-kunda, Cakalesvara Mahadeva, Sri Sanatana Gosvami's bhajana-kutira, Mukharavinda etc. Dipavali - festival of lights in the evening.
- Nov. 12, Thu. Govardhana Puja, Annakuta festival, worship of Govardhan Hill. Go Puja and Go Krda - worship and decorating cows.
- Nov. 13, Fri. Bhaijaduja (Yamaraja's blessings on brothers and sisters). Radha-kunda parikrama, Uddhava-kunda, Kusuma-sarovara etc. Prasadam at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha.
- Nov. 14, Sat. Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja's and Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja's disappearance festival. Hari-katha and rest.
- Nov. 15, Sun. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja's disappearance festival. Hari-katha.
- Nov. 16, Mon. Srila Bhakti Srirupa Siddhanti Gosvami Maharaja's appearance festival.
- Nov. 17, Tue. BY BUS to Kamyavana via Dig, Bhojana-thali (breakfast prasadam), Pichala-pahadi (slide-hill), Vyomasura’s cave, Carana-pahadi, temples of Govindaji, Vrinda-devi and Kamesvara Mahadeva, Vimala-kunda (lunch prasadam), Kedarnath, Gulal-kunda, (Return to Govardhana.)
- Nov. 18, Wed. (Govardhan) Killola-kunda, Gvala-pokhara (prasadam), Syama-talaiya, Ratna-vedi, Carana-cihna, Narada-kunda. Lunch at the Math.
- Nov. 19, Thu. Gopastami. BY BUS to Nandagrama via Ter-kadamba, Asisesvar Mahadeva, Choti Carana-pahadi, Pavana-sarovara, Nanda-bhavana, Lalita-kunda, Uddhava-kyari (prasadam), Nandakhirak (Nanda-baba’s goshala), Sanket, Prema-sarovara, (Return to Govardhana.)
- Nov. 20, Fri. Hari-katha and rest at Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, Govardhana.
- Nov. 21, Sat. BY BUSto Varsana. Sankiri Khora, Cikasauli, Gahvaravana parikrama, Vilasa-gharha, Mana-garha, Dana-garha, Mor-kuti (breakfast prasadam), Sriji Temple, Varsana. Pili-pokhara, Uchagaon (prasadam), Sakhigiri-parvata, Suryakunda. (Return to Govardhana.)
- Nov. 22, Sun. Ekadasi. Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja's disappearance. Bhisma-pancaka. Hari-katha and rest at Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, Govardhana.
- Nov. 23, Mon. BY BUS to Vrindavana. Yearly festival at Ananda-dhama with prasadam and nagara-sankirtana in the evening.
- Nov. 24, Tue. BY BUS to Khadiravana, Javata, Baithana, Carana-pahadi, Kokilavana, (prasadam). (Return to Govardhana.)
- Nov. 25, Wed. Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja’s disappearance festival.
Vaisnava homa (honoring Vaisnavas).
End of Kartika-vrata and Urja-vrata.
End of Sri Vraja Mandala Parikrama 2015
