A free cataract surgery camp was organized at Vatsalya Gram in Vrindavan under the supervision of Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara from 20^th to 23^rd December. The event went on for four days and medicines and spectacles were distributed to the poor and needy. 785 people registered in the camp and surgery was performed on 350 patients. Eye specialist Dr. Shyam Agarwal informed the patients that the second phase of the camp will be organized in late February.

Shri Devki Nandan Jindal, the sponsor of the event, informed everyone present that eyes can be kept healthy and diseases can be avoided by refraining from smoking, consuming alcohol, tobacco and other intoxicants. Doctors Shyam Agarwal, Vishal Rathod, Rahul Jain, Anand Jaipuria, Mayur Agarwal, Anuj Bhauva, Sourav Ramuka and Priyanka operated on the patients.

Shri Devki Nandan Jindal, Rajendra Tulsyan, Sohan Ramuka, Heera Bhai Jain, Murlidhar Joshi, Sanjay Gandhi, Ramesh Vijla, Mahavir Prasad Jindal along with the doctors helped make the event a success. They hope to repeat this success during the second phase of the camp in February as well.

Among the winter festivals of Vraja, the Belvan Mela holds an important place. Thousands of people from across the country are visiting Belvan on the Thursdays in the month of Pausha to have darshan of Mahalaxmi Devi deep in meditation. Belvan is situated in Jehangirpur village across the Yamuna in Vrindavan. The temple of Mahalaxmi Devi is the main attraction of this festival. Devotees gather in the temple and sing various songs in praise of the Goddess and partake of the khichdi prasadam.

Winter continues to grip Vraja and due to its harshness the deities of Vrindavan are also affected. The winter seva of the deities has begun in the saptadevalaya temples and khichdi is being made with a variety of pulses for their changed diet. There is also a change in their attire and their daily routine. They now go to bed early and rise late in the mornings.

At the temples, the priests are adorning the deities with clothes made of velvet and wool and the devotees who are coming for darshan are bringing ‘bhog’ that are suitable to the climate. A sigari (a heater that is run with burning coal) is also being placed beside the deities to keep them warm. Hot water is also being arranged everyday for their baths.

The delicious items that are offered to the deities include peanut gazak, til papdi rolls, urad dal laddoos, moong dal barfis and various kinds of dry fruits. The devotees can often be seen in the markets of Vrindavan buying these delicacies and warm clothes for the lordships.

The dancers from the ‘Natya Vriksha’ fascinated Shri Radha RamanJi in Vrindavan with their classical performances. The devotees present in the temple were enthralled by the Bharatnatyam presentation by the artists. The students of Padmashree Geeta Chandran, Sharanya Chandran, Amrita Shruthi Radhakrishnan, Madhura Bhrushundi, Megha Jaju Jha, Aditi Balasubramaniam, Shreya Dua and Yushika Baid presented their classical offering to Radha RamanJi, which were based on the works of the great Vaishnavite poets, Jaidev, Surdas and MeeraBai.

Classical events have continued to be the source of enrichment of the ‘Annual Seva Mahotsav’ of Shri Radha RamanJi by the family of Jagadguru Shri Purshottam GoswamiJi Maharaj. The decoration is always based on the different themes of the pastimes of Shri Krishna and is a major attraction during this festival. This festival will be continuing until the 18^th of December under the direction of Acharya Shrivastava GoswamiJi Maharaj

Famous Hindustani classical music vocalist Padmashree Madhup Mudgal also made offerings to the seva by singing classical bhajans in his melodious voice. Odissi dance was also performed by the dancers of Venu Nad Kala Kendra. Daily kirtans are being carried on by the Bengali Vaishnavite residents and those who are visiting. Other forms of devotional services are also being performed.

Apartments at Krishna Bhumi, the iconic temple township, come in the range of studio, 1 BHK, 2 BHK and 3 BHK units. The minimum areaof the studio apartments, are approximately 600 sq ft and the starting price for the same is 22.57 Lacs. Apartments are available in the second phase at Krishna Bhumi right now, which has been named Tulsi Vas. However, some time has passed since Tulsi Vas was launched and so we recommend that you book your apartment at the earliest. Looking at the speed at which the first phase, Govardhan Vas, sold out, it is not difficult to believe that very soon Tulsi Vas will also be almost full.

There is also a special offer going on right now. With every apartment booking at Tulsi Vas, a modular kitchen comes absolutely free. So now would be the best time to purchase those apartments. If this offer alone does not attract you, think of the fact that these apartments are situated at the feet of the Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir, the global monument in the making, and every morning you will be waking up to the sounds of aarti and ringing temple bells. Not to mention that life in Krishna Bhumi is replete with a host of amenities and facilities for all generations.

Residents of Krishna Bhumi will be privileged to have a separate access to the Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir and can also conduct Puja inside the temple once in a year. Also they can enjoy Darshan to the iconic temples of Vrindavan in the free air conditioned coach service provided by Krishna Bhumi. vast green areas, Swimming pool, outdoor games, a world class club and lot more is on cards for the residents of Krishna Bhumi. You can always call our efficient sales team at 969696 8899 or visit www.krishnabhumi.in for more details. Our Facebook page is also constantly updated. Otherwise you can always just keep following these blogs.

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच |
धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः |
मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ||

Dhritarashtra said: O Sanjay, after gathering on the holy field of Kurukshetra, and desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?

Explanation:

King Dhritarashtra who was blind from birth also lent his blind eye to the misdeeds of his sons, out of his love for them. At a point of time he was bereft of any kind of spiritual wisdom. He knew in his heart that the kingdom of Hastinapura belonged to the Pandavas and yet he usurped and strayed from the path of virtue.

In some deep corner of his heart, he knew that he had wronged the Pandavas. Hence, out of a guilty conscience, he asked Sanjaya to tell him what was going on in the battlefield. In this verse, he asks Sanjaya regarding what his sons and the sons of Pandu are doing after they have gathered on the battlefield. Dhritarashtra already knew that their purpose was to fight each other, then why was he asking such a question?

This question has deep roots in the land of Kurukshetra itself. In his question, Dhritarashtra mentions the phrase ‘holy land’. This is because in the Shatapath Brahman, Kurukshetra is decribed as kurukshetram deva yajanam or the sacrificial arena of the celestial gods. Hence Dhritarashtra was worried that the power of the land would make the Kauravas reconsider their actions and come to a truce with the Pandavas.

If this happened then the Pandavas would, according to the thought process of Dhritarashtra, forever remain impediments in the path of success of the Kauravas. Thus out of the love for the Kauravas and curiosity, Dhritarashtra asked Sanjaya to narrate to him the events of the battlefield.