Tour Report -- Vraja Mandala Parikrama

October, 2006

As in previous Kartikas, Srila Narayana Maharaja is speaking about Sri Damodarastakam (written by Sri Satyavrata Muni) in his morning classes. Although this subject has been the tradition for so many years, Srila Narayana Maharaja's hari-katha is always ever-fresh. In the evenings he is speaking about Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's Madhurya Kadambini. In addition to the almost 1,000 devotees physically attending the classes, over 500 devotees are attending from their cities around the world - by phone. [If you would like to also hear by phone, please log-on to www.purebhakti.com for simple instructions.]

1-Imlitala-Kartika-Oct-9-20.jpg - 5976 Bytes

October 9, 2006

After breakfast, the devotees gathered at Imlitala, which is situated just next to our Gopinatha Bhavan. There the sannyasis spoke on the glories of the place, in its connection both to the rasa-lila of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna and to the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here, Sri Krsna was feeling separation from Srimati Radhika, and as He wept and chanted Her holy name, He assumed Her golden complexion and mood.

2-Rupa-Gosvami-Samadhi-Kart.jpg - 12341 Bytes

From Imlitala the parikrama party went on to Seva-kunja, and then to Sri Radha Damodara Temple where the samadhis of some of the most prominent acaryas of our Gaudiya Sampradaya are situated. There the pilgrims prayed to Sri Jiva Gosvami, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja, and especially to Sri Rupa Gosvami, in order to attain the shade of their lotus feet.

3-Srngar-Vat-Kartika-Oct-9-.jpg - 15108 Bytes

At Sringara-vat, the devotees continued hearing about the rasa-lila of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, and how Krsna performed the sringar (decoration) of Srimati Radhika. At this place there is a beautiful painting of this pastime.

October 12, 2006

The parikrama party went first to Nidhuvana, which, along with Seva-kunja, is the famous kunja of Vrndavana where Sri Sri Radha-Krsna enjoy their confidential night-time pastimes. Nidhuvana is especially known for providing the pastime-ground for these pastimes. In this garden, Swami Haridasa found the Deity of Sri Banki-Bihari. Here, Srimati Radhika once saw a dream of Sri Sacinandana Gaurihari, who was chanting the Hare Krsna mantra in Navadvipa. Upon awakening She narrated Her dream to Sri Krsna, who then told Her about His future pastimes as Sri Gaurahari.

From Nidhuvana, the pilgrims visited the temples of Sri Sri Radha-Gokulananda and Sri Sri Radha-Ramana, as well as the samadhi's of Sri Gopal Bhatta Gosvami and the appearance place of Sri Radha-Ramana. At the temple of Radha-Gokulananda one can also have darsana of the samadhis of Sri Lokanatha Gosvami, Sri Narottama dasa Thakura and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and many other important personalities in our sampradaya. At this temple the devotees heard narrations of the lives of these personalities. There we also fine the Govardhana-sila that was given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, as well as the Deities of Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana.

6-Radha-Gopinatha-Kartika.jpg - 14138 Bytes

The final place to be visited was the temple of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha. This Deity was found by a disciple of Srila Gadadhara Pandita, Sri Madhu Pandita, in the sand of the banks of the Yamuna. Here, the senior devotees spoke on the glories of the personification of the supreme goal of our spiritual aspirations Sri Gopinatha, who calls the gopis to dance with Him in the middle of the night.

The successful day was crowned in the evening as Srila Narayana Maharaja spoke about the independent nature of bhakti how bhakti appears in this world by its own sweet will, through the pure devotee. In reviewing the day during his evening class, Srila Narayana Maharaja said that "we" went here and "we" went there, thus confirming that, although he did not physically accompany the devotees to those above-mentioned holy places, factually he was there, thus making the devotees' efforts fully successful.

Srila Narayana
Maharaja Page