Vrindavan - Land of Krishna "Connecting Vrindavan to the Rest of the World" The mvtindia.com   Newsletter: Gaura Purnima 2003 You have received this newsletter because your email address was submitted at www.mvtindia.com to subscribe for it, or you have ordered from, or made enquiries about the website.  If you would like to be removed from the newsletter mailing list please follow the  unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of the page.

Online version: http://www.mvtindia.com/mvt_newsletter3.htm

In this Issue:
1. Gaura Purnima Festival in Vrindavana by His Grace Deena Bandhu dasa
2. Featured Sacred Place: Lord Chaitanya rediscovers Radha Kunda
3. Food For Life by His Grace Rupa Raghunatha dasa
4. Care For Cows
5. Festivals - Holi & Gaura Purnima
6. Letter from satisfied MVT Guest
7. Unsubscribe Information

Gaura Purnima Festival in Vrindavana 
by His Grace Deena Bandhu dasa

My dear Maharajas and Prabhujis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

We would like to invite you all to the Vrindavan half of the Gaura Purnima Festival from the 21st to 29th of March. A very ecstatic festival of Vraj Parikrama, Hari Nama Sankirtan, and the beautiful Boat Festival have been planned out. And there is no Festival Registration Fee!

On the evening of 22nd March, we will take Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar on a gorgeously decorated boat in the courtyard of Krishna Balaram Mandir. From 4:30 pm onwards, Their Lordships will be giving darshan in an exquisite shrine on an island in the middle of the courtyard lake. Then after Sandhya Artik, They will perform Their boating Pastimes accompanied by a lively kirtan and profuse distribution of mahaprasada.

Then next day on Sunday afternoon, we will have a Maha Hari Nama Party with Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada through the streets of the ancient city of Mathura. We will pass the famous Vishram Ghat, where 5000 years before, Krishna and Balaram rested after killing Kamsa and his wrestlers. 500 years ago, as soon as Mahaprabhu entered Braj, He took His bath at this holy place.

Throughout the week-long festivities, there will be parikramas to the sacred places in Braj where Sri Sri Radha and Krishna have performed Their Transcendental Pastimes.

For accommodation in the Krishna Balaram Guesthouse contact Ganapati Prabhu ganapati.gkg@pamho.net ++90 565 2540022

For accommodation at MVT contact mvt@pamho.net ++90 565 2540050

For assistance getting accommodation elsewhere contact myself deena.bandhu.acbsp@pamho.net or Gopinatha Prabhu at ++90 565 2540343

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,
Deena Bandhu dasa

Lord Chaitanya Rediscovers Radha Kunda

One day while on parikrama around Govardhana Hill, Lord Chaitanya arrived at a small village then known as Aritagram. The Lord inquired from the local people where the sacred lakes of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda were situated, but no one knew. Over the many centuries the two sacred kundas were practically forgotten and somehow had become renamed as gauri meaning golden (the complexion of Radharani), and kari meaning blackish (the complexion of Krishna). These two kundas had been turned into paddy fields by the local farmers.

On the outskirts of the village Lord Chaitanya sat in deep contemplation underneath a beautiful tamala tree. As the Lord sat there His glance. Fell across the two nearby paddy fields that were fed by underground springs. By His divine spiritual power, the Lord could understand that these two paddy fields were non-other than Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. In great ecstasy the Lord suddenly ran into the middle of the paddy fields and in whatever water was available there, took His bath, much to the astonishment of the onlooking villagers. Lord Chaitanya then took clay from the sacred kundas and applied Vaisnava tilaka marks to His transcendental body. The Lord then danced in great ecstasy around the two kundas while chanting the holy names of Radha and Krishna. After fully satisfying Himself Lord Chaitanya offered His obeisances to the sacred kundas and continued His parikrama of the holy land of Vraja.

After completing His pilgrimage to Vrindavana where He rediscovered many important holy places, Lord Chaitanya began His return journey to Puri. On the way, the Lord stopped at Allahabad, where he met Rupa Goswami and instructed him in the science of devotional service for ten consecutive days. The Lord then ordered Rupa Goswami to proceed to Vrindavana and excavate all the lost holy places as well as write books on the science of devotional service (bhakti-yoga). Some years later Rupa Goswami wrote one of his most famous books, Sri Upadesamrta, which mentions the glories of Radha-kunda

After leaving Allahabad, Lord Chaitanya next visited Varanasi (Kasi), where He met Rupa’s elder brother Sanatana Goswami. The Lord also gave elaborate instructions on the science of devotion to Sanatana. The Lord then ordered him to join his brother Rupa in Vrindavana, where they should both write books elaborating on the Lord’s instructions, excavate the lost holy places of Krishna’s pastimes, and establish Deity worship.

Food For Life - Your Donations @ Work
by Rupa Raghunath dasa, International Coordinator, FFL Vrindavan

Food For Life Vrindavan – Your Donations at Work
By Rupa Raghunath Das, International Coordinator, FFL Vrindavan

We have just completed another village water project (Tehra) bringing drinking water to over 6,000 villagers. We have also opened a school for 120 destitute children. The school project provides education, prasadam, clothing and medical care-all free.

Visit our website. We upgraded our site with a new look. Let us know what you think.

When you visit Vrindavan please stop by and visit us. Many devotees, on top of donating funds for the many FFL programs, are bringing items of clothing (socks, sweaters, etc.) with them for FFL Vrindavan to distribute to the Vrajavasis. Even a few pieces of warm clothing can make a big difference!

For more information or to donate on line go to: www.ffl.vrindavan.com

Care for Cows Update

The Bad News

This year there is a shortage of busa (hay) which is the main staple of the Vrindavan cows. The price of busa at present is three to four times the summer rate and the increase has forced many villagers to abandon their cows to the streets where there is great competition for whatever edibles that can be found in the garbage heaps. This, and an exceptionally cold winter have created great hardship for the Vrindavan cows and as a result many are starving and a considerable number have died. On several occasions abandoned calves weakened by the cold were attacked by hungry dogs and killed. We are aware of two cases where dogs devoured the calves of abandoned mothers at the time of delivery. Care for Cows has arranged for five burials in the last 12 days. This is not how it should be in Sri Vrindavan Dhama.

At present our facility is hosting 60 cows and is filled to capacity. We are hoping to acquire more land so we can begin attending to the 500+ that roam the streets. We have built a feeder by the gate so we can at least provide food for the abandoned cows in the neihborhood in the interim. Persons interested in helping Care for Cows acquire more land are encouraged to contact us immediately. A community effort is in required.

The Good News

Under the direction of Nepali born Yogacarya Dilliraj Ghimire, 37, who is certified by the Go-Vigyana Research Center in Nagpur, Maharastra, Care for Cows has started producing garden insect repellents, air-purifying incense, medicines, and hygienic body ointments including massage oil, tooth powder, and shampoo from the by-products of the cow.

Part of the procedure for making garden insect repellent is boiling cow urine and neem leaves in a copper vessel on a fire fueled with dried cow dung. The concentrate is then diluted and sprayed on insect infested vegetables and plants including Tulasi. This product is very effective in repelling a large variety of insects but does not kill them. A different variety of this solution is effective for ridding the soil of underground insects that feed on the roots of vegetables.

A variety of ground natural herbs and resins are added to a base of cow dung and ghee and formed into cones to make an earthy and purifying incense. The fragrance reminds one of an auspicious fire sacrifice.

People interested in helping protect abandoned cows in Vrindavan are encouraged to contact either of the following devotees:
Kurma Rupa dasa in Vrindavan - giriseva@pamho.net
Arjuna dasa in London/Birmingham - khem108.hotmail.com 
Nila Madhava dasa in USA - nmdasa@careforcows.org

Festivals: Holi and Gaura Purnima 

Holi  (Dates: 2003 March 17^th)

Holi is celebrated for several days, at different places around Braja, before the actual day of Holi. People throw colored powdered dye and colored water on each other. This is joyfully celebrated in Vraja, especially at Varsana, Nandagram and Dauji. In Varsana the festival includes colorful processions with music, song, dance, and some boisterous scenes around the temples. If you go to these festivals you should expect to be totally covered in dye and never able to use the clothes you are wearing again, at least until next year’s festival.

Gaura Punima (Dates: 2003 March 18^th)

Letter from satisfied guest at the MVT

Hare Krishna Badri Prabhu,

Hope you are well. I got back from India a few days ago. 

Thank's so much for setting me up in the MVT. 
It was a really nice place to stay, and Dhananjaya Prabhu made us all feel right at home with his hospitality. It was really, really cold this year in N. India, and the fact that MVT was the only place we stayed in that had a genuine heater that actually emitted heat was a such a treat!

Thanks again, hope to see you soon!

Your servant,
Janesh

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