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 Maharajas glories, he said glorifications
will continue in the evening. He then performed arati to Srila Sridhara
Maharaja and his guru-parampara. Visit the
Photo
gallery of pictures accompanying this report.
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. Visit the Photo
gallery of pictures accompanying this report.
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. Visit the Photo
gallery of pictures accompanying this report.