By ISKCON Vrindavan
One of the major highlight of Kartik in Vrindavan is, of course, the parikramas, or pilgrimages. Every year, ISKCON guru Lokanath Swami heads up the massive Braj Mandala Parikrama, which drew 1,500 devotees last year for its 25th anniversary, and is expecting a similar attendance this year.
Participants travel by foot from holy place to holy place in and around the town now called Vrindavan for the entire month of Kartik, camping in tents or sleeping in local school buildings.
Rising daily at 4:00am and chanting Krishna’s names congregationally as well as on their japa beads, they begin walking early and average fifteen kilometers per day—sometimes up to twenty-five.
At each holy place, Lokanath Swami and other senior devotees tell stories related to the location and speak about Krishna’s glories.
Meanwhile, for those who prefer a bed and a roof over their head at night, Deena Bandhu takes a group of devotees out on pilgrimage every day by bus, leaving in the morning and returning to Krishna Balaram Mandir for lunch at 3pm.
Occasionally, they’ll eschew the bus and take a boat ride down the river Yamuna to return to the temple. Often, they’ll meet up with the larger Braj Mandala Parikrama.
Source.... www.dandavats.com
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