Holy cows worshiped as Vraja celebrated Gopashtami
On the auspicious occasion of Gopashtami, the devotees visited the gaushalas of Vrindavan and other parts of Vraja to offer their prayers to the holy cows. The worshipped them by performing aarti with diyas and put garlands of flowers around their neck and applied tilak on their foreheads. The cows were fed green peas, jiggery etc by the devotees.
People donated food and other items in the gaushalas. There was a procession of cows and the brajwasis carried sticks as if they were helping Shri Krishna and Balaram tend the cows. Vrajwasi boys dressed up as Krishna and Balaram and walked with the cows.
Gigantic elephant of Kuvalayapida was killed again
Back in his time, Shri Krishna killed the gigantic elephant Kuvalayapida at the present site of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi.This event was staged by the local artists in Mathura to an audience who were mesmerized by the performance. The event was organized by the Kuvalayadia Hathi Vadh Mahotsava Samiti. A procession of Krishna and Balaram sitting on a chariot was taken out from Swami Ghat.
The procession began after the aarti was performed. The tableau of the images of Kuvalayapida, GaneshJi, Banke BihariJi, Giriraj Dharan and the Shiva family were followed by the chariot carrying the divine brothers. People walking with the procession carried a stick in their hand to display consolidation of their support to the Lord. The procession passed through different parts of the city, where it was welcomed by the devotees.
Finally, the procession reached the designated site where the elephant was killed by Shri Krishna 5000 years back. A symbolical killing of the effigy was carried out by removing the tail, trunk and tusk from. The devotees who witnessed the event commemorated the Dwapar Yuga, the time period during which this event actually took place.
Vrindavan temples enthralled by tribal folk dance
The temple town of Vrindavan attracts devotees from all around the world, as a result of which this town has experienced spontaneous outbursts of ecstatic devotion. The journey which started 500 years back when Lord Chaitanya arrived in Vrindavan continues even today in one form or another. The temples were enthralled by enchanting folk dance of the tribal devotees who are in Vrindavan for their annual visit.
The devotees included both men and women and the band performed various folk dances in front of the deities of the different temples. They danced wearing traditional costumes and holding peacock feathers in their hands. They paid a visit to the Sapta Devalaya temples, RangaJi temple, Gopeshwar temple and other ancient temples. They performed the folk dances everywhere they went.
Other devotees who had come for darshan to these temples also joined in the dancing and the singing. The tribal devotees also offered their prayers to the Yamuna. The tradition of pilgrimage to Vrindavan among these tribal people has existed for more than a century. They collect peacock feathers in the forests and fields when they graze their cattle for this visit, which signifies the peacock feather that adorned Lord Krishna’s crown.
Grateful followers carried Prabhupada for the Saptadevalaya darshan
The streets of Shri Dham Vrindavan resonated with Harinam Sankirtan on the eve of ISKCON’s founder A.C Bhaktivedanata Swami Prabhupada’s disappearance day.
The devotees carried the deity of Srila Prabhupada on a decorative pedestal palanquin. The deity was carried to the Saptadevalaya temples for darshan. The procession was welcomed in each street that it passed through.
The shopkeepers showered flowers on Prabhupada’s palanquin to pay tribute to the great saint. Many foreign devotees also joined the procession along with their Indian counterparts. Everyone was dancing enthusiastically and feeling the ecstasy of the moment. The holy name was being chanted and a lot of graceful dancing ensued. It is being said that the vibration of the mahamantra, enacted during the procession, purified the heart of everyone who heard it.
The procession left ISKCON temple in the morning 7.30 a.m. It followed the Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg to reach Madan Mohan Mandir passing through the Hari Nikunj Chowraha. Then it took the Parikrama Marg to reach Radha Damodar and Radha Shyam Sundar Mandir. After that the devotees carried the palanquin to Radha Raman, Radha Gokulananda and Radha Govinda Dev Mandir.
Shri Gopal Krishna Goswami, Shri Loknath Swami Maharaj, Bhaktirasamrita Swami, Bhakti Anugraha Janardan Swami, Radha Govinda Goswami, Bhakti Ashraya Vaishnava Swami, Kadamba Kanan Swami, Shri Devakinandan Das, Shri Dina Bandhu Dasa, Shi Panchagauda Das were some of the Acharyas and senior devotees led the procession.
Holding each other’s hands brothers and sisters took holy dip
Thousands of pairs of brothers and sisters took a holy dip in the Yamuna at Vishram Ghat to pray for each other’s healthy and long life on the occasion of Bhaiya Dooj. Apart from the locals, many pilgrims visited from all over the country and the number of Gujrati pilgrims was the most in number. Devotees started gathering at the Ghat just before sunrise.
After the bath, they lit lamps on the banks of the Yamuna and prayed to the holy river. After that the sisters performed the tilak ceremony for the brothers and the entire party headed off to the temple of Yamraj and Yamuna to pray to the divine brother and sister. The temple offered bhog to the deities and distributed the Prasad among the devotees. The entire ceremony is about the sisters praying for the health of their brothers and the brothers promising to protect their sisters from any kind of harm.
Mounds of cooked rice became special attraction on Annakoot
Annakoot Mahotsava and Govardhan Puja were celebrated with much joy and splendor in the temples of Vraja. Devotees thronged Govardhan and worshipped Giriraj at Indra Maan Bhanjan Puja Sthal near Jatipura and other Giriraj temples. Thousands of liters of milk were offered to Giriraj apart from the varieties of Prasad that was offered to Mount Govardhan, which is believed to be an embodiment of Shri Krishna.
The Radha Damodar, Radha Shyam Sundar, Radha Gokulananda and Radha Raman temples drew huge crowds. A mound of huge rice was prepared in the temples and the mound was decorated with 108 kinds of vegetables. Devotees queued outside the temples for hours to get a few grains of the Prasad as it is believed that anyone who consumes this Prasad will never go hungry in their life.