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PREACHING TAKES OFF IN MATHURA……

                                   By     Prem Vilas Das

For the past 4 months devotees from ISKCON Vrindavan have been holding regular Sunday feast programs in Karhagarh (prison house) of Kamsa, where Vasudev and Devaki were imprisoned.  The temple popularly known by locals as Prachin Janambhumi (very old birthplace of Lord Krishna) houses the beautiful deities of Vasudev, Devaki and Keshav Dev Ji (baby Krishna with four arms).  Prachin Janambhumi is west of Potara Kund (Mother Devaki washed baby Krishna’s dirty cloth) and a 5 minute walking distance from the heavily guarded Janambhumi.  Prachin is centrally situated in Malpura(district of the wrestlers), so Kamsa had the prison guarded by these wrestlers.

According to Krishna Cand Goswami the current sevait, Caitanya Mahaprabhu met the sanodiya brahmin here and Srila Prabhupada often visited this temple during his visits to Mathura.  He recalls his grandfather worshipping Keshav Dev Ji but has no recollection has to how or when the Deities manifested.  Keshav Dev Ji has been in his family for generations.

The temple in a state of complete disrepair and hardly frequented by quests and locals, with the permission of Krishna Chand Goswami devotees enthusiastically started the Vasudev Devaki Sunday School for over 25 local children, college preaching, congregational development and the Sunday feast program.

During Nityananda Trayodasi, devotees held an abhishek for Gaura Nitai and Krishna Chand Goswami with his son Shiv Kumar Goswami installed Gaura Nitai with our parampara on the alter of Keshav Dev Ji. A sumptuous feast, cooked on cowdung patties

was later served.

His Grace Niranata prabhu is developing the congregation, His Grace Madhur Murli Das takes care of the Sunday school and Parsada dasi and Gaurangi Dasi are involved in college preaching.

Project Director, HG Devakinandan das said, “We are indeed grateful to Krishna Chand Goswami and his son Shivkumar Goswami for allowing us to render some service to Krishna in this most holy place.  As Kali-Yuga advances we see even in a holy place like Mathura, slaughterhouses, wine shops and other sinful vices.  We appeal to our world-wide community of devotees to please help us in preserving this rare jewel.” he said.

 Anyone needing more info can contact Parsada dasi on 9634563840, Parsadakrsna@gmail.com.

Dear Devotees

Please accept my humble obeisances.  All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Two exalted personalities graced the program at Prachin Janambhumi Mathura last Sunday,   His Holiness Bhakti Rasamrita Swami and His Grace Pancha Gauda Prabhu our Vrindavan temple president filled the hearts and minds of devotees and guests with sweet bhajans and lecture.

The program began with over 150 foreign devotees taking darshan of the beautiful Vasudev, Devaki, Keshav Devi Ji and Gaura Nitai.  Later they all went on shoba yatra and harinam, led by our students from Vasudev Devaki Sunday School, resplendent in their yellow dhoti’s and kurta’s carrying Laddu Gopal , happily fanned with peacock feather and chamara, around Janambhumi.

His Grace Pancha Gauda led the harinam and his ecstatic kirtan blew the minds of onlookers.  Many pious persons came forward and offered their obeisances to Laddu Gopal.   Another feast for the eyes of shop-keepers, tourist and locals was over 150 foreign devotees dancing jubilantly in the harinam.  Mathura never saw anything like this

before!  Of course, Janambhumi is frequented by hundreds of foreign tourist everyday but never in dhoti, kurta and sari!

Returning to the temple, devotee’s ecstasy increased when Pancha Gauda Prabhu led them into melodious and sweet bhajans of the Holy Names.  A group of tourist from Iran visited and asked Nirantar prabhu about what Hare Krishna meant, and for a short while they also participated in the bhajans.

Next, His Holiness Bhakti Rasamrita’s scholarly and devotion filled lecture transported everyone to Lord Krishna’s appearance 5,000 years ago at this very same spot.  It was indeed a conscious-uplifting experience.  His Holiness reiterated the importance of the temple and need to protect and preserve it, stating this was indeed a rare treasure.

The Goswami’s Krishna Chand and his son Shivkumar gave His Holiness Bhakti Rasamrita Swami and His Grace Pancha Gauda Prabhu, a traditional welcome befitting saintly persons, chandan on the foreheads, a silk shawl, a clay pot gorgeously covered with red jari  and filled with Keshav Dev Ji’s mangal sweets, a red string around the wrist and a box of Mathura’s famous pera’s.

We would like to thank Radhakanta Prabhu from Bhaktivedanta Gurukula for the dhotis and kurta and stationery for our Sunday school.  We would like to thank Pancha Gauda prabhu for arranging the weekly prasadam and vehicle, through our Project Director Devakinandan Prabhu.

Anyone wanting to know more about the project can contact Parsada dasi our project co-ordinator on Parsadakrsna@gmail.com.

Hare Krishna!

Your servant                                                                              

Gaurangi devi dasi

Harinam  around Janambhumi

                                             Janambhumi in front and behind                                      

BACK AT THE TEMPLE FOR BHAJANS!

LECTURE BY HIS HOLINESS BHAKTI RASAMRITA SWAMI

                                                      Enjoying the feast!

                                                               HARE KRSNA !!