“Through the spellbinding pages of Vraja-mandala Darsana, Lokanath Swami will take us on the traditional parikrama of Vraja-dhama, following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and our beloved acaryas. We will hear, see, smell, taste and feel the twelve timeless forests of Vrndavana”
– HH Radhanath Swami
His Holiness Lokanath Swami’s new book Vraja-mandala Darsana is set to release very soon. The book was presented to His Holiness on July 27 this Monday on the occasion of his 66th Vyasa Puja celebrations in Pandharpur Dham by disciples Her Grace Prasanta Mataji from VIHE, His Grace Aatma Nivedana Das, His Grace Vaikuntha Murti Das and His Grace Ananda Govinda Das. Maharaja will now ceremoniously offer the book to Srila Prabhupada in a grand style on Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja festival, September 6, 2015 in Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan.
HG Prasanta Mataji during her presentation reminisced on her early days working on the book, “Guru Maharaja pioneered the very first Vraja Mandla parikrama in 1987 and had the desire to write a book ever since. The early work on the book started in early 90’s but could not be completed due to Maharaja’s commitments and responsibilities as the then appointed Centennial Minister. So, it is a twenty year old desire which has come to manifest now. I remember I would wake up at 2.30am in the morning to work on the book before the Mangala Aarti.”
Later HG Vaikuntha Murti Das shared his experiences on working on the book, “Vraja-mandala Darsana is Guru Maharaja’s long cherished desire which has finally come to fruition after a long span of five and a half years. I was in Sri Sri Radha Londonisvara temple when Guru Maharaja assigned me this wonderful service. The work on the book restarted in 2010 after a two decade long time. We had originally planned to finish the book by 2011 and officially present it on the 25th anniversary of ISKCON Vraja Mandala Parikrama in Kartik that year.
I have come to learn a lot during these years. Guru Maharaja has revealed the potency of the Vraja Mandala Dham to me by assigning me this seva and every person who reads this book will experience the same realizations.” He would later describe of the attributes of the book in his presentation, “Hard bound 608 pages long with 30 different chapters, one for each day of the parikrama, the book contains 246 colored photographs and 107 paintings in addition to the 28 precisely accurate maps designed with the help of Google Earth satellite images.”
The book will officially be available in stores on September 6, 2015 after its to offering to Srila Prabhupada on His Vyasapuja tithi in ISKCON Vrindavan. The books can however be pre-ordered through www.lokanthswamibooks.com/order/ . International devotees can book their copies by contacting HG Deenanukampa Mataji through email: deepeekag@gmail.com or through phone: +27827033980. And locally the orders can be placed by calling: +91 9654473213
“For me, Lokanath Mahraja’s Vraja-mandala Darsana is not only a guide through Vrndavana but a means to live in Vraja while I serve in Hungary. I urge the readers of the book to use it not solely as a guide through vraja, but as a guide through life back to Krsna.”
-HH Sivarama Swami
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