5 March 2011, Dhauji temple, Rama Ghat, Bihalvan, cobras (reptilian and human) and Yamuna River.

 



 Today, finally we got to go out somewhere other than Loi Bazaar. Deena Bandhu, as usual, was offering another parikrama (tour of the holy dhams). This was the final in the series he was doing in celebration of the 8th Anniversary of the Inauguration of Vrinda Kund temple and today we went to a number of wonderful places and I have many photos and a few videos from this day's adventures. Supposedly we gather around 7.30 am to load into the buses, but in true Indian time frame (very very similar to Hawaiian time) the bus didn't arrive until 8 am, which is of course, normal. Before this I was looking for Deena Bandhu because he has an SUV which he usually reserves for Prabhupada disciples (which Baz and I both are) but I couldn't find him and I didn't want to miss out so we went ahead and loaded into the bus. We sat way at the back because in Australia that's where the older kids reserve for themselves so I'm assuming it is the best spot. But apparently Australian kids are retarded because that's the absolute WORSE spot to sit in, especially if it is a rough road... which it certainly was. Baz and I and other went airborne with every bump, which was every 100 feet or less and eventually we learned to sit out of our seats to avoid hitting our heads on the roof. 



Some views from out the bus window...

After an hour of this I was over it and by this time I could see Deena with the SUV so was determined to try and move out of the bus. He was perfectly fine about it when we asked. But first we went to Dhauji temple. Dhauji is the affectionate address for the older brother and this is the temple where Lord Balarama, Krsna's older brother, has been worshipped for 100s of years by the same generation of pujaris (priests). There was a very sweet pujari there who, as per usual, offered us maha prasad (food offerings given to the Deity) - little puffed rice, some rock sugar, little chappati with spicy subji (vegetable stew/curry). (Gee, I might need a glossary for this blog!)



<>

<>

You can see that the picture is a bit blurry from the bouncing bus!









 

 

 

 

 <><>

<>

<>This is a short vid of the kirtan in the temple room. Here you can see the very sweet pujari whose family has been serving this Deity for 100s of  years. 

Some of the views from the window. The camera managed to do a decent job
considering how shakey the bus was as I took these pictures.

From here we all had to go in the bus, Deena Bandhu and his passengers included, to Rama Ghat where there was again a very sweet Deity of Lord Balaram and this is the place where Lord Balaram had His rasa lila with His group of Gopis. This was a lovely and cool place on the bank of the Yamuna with huge Banyan tree and many native Indian trees such as the peepal, whose leaves are shaped like a peacock feather, tamal trees and brihal trees, which is like the fig tree with bright red fruit that grow from the tree's branches rather than from the end of the leafy growth. The other unusual thing about this fig tree was that the fruit comes before the flowers and you will never see the flowers as the flower grows inside the fruit and as the fruit ripens, this is when the seeds develop on the inside of the fruit.

Here are the beautiful presiding Deities of Lord Balarama:

We sat down under the banyan tree and had breakfast prasadam served hot from the temple. After this Deena Bandhu talked story about Krsna's and Balarama's activities there. Then we served prasadam to all the kids that gathered while there. You can see the pictures of this serving out.

 We sat down under the banyan tree and had breakfast prasadam served hot from the temple. After this Deena Bandhu talked story about Krsna's and Balarama's activities there. Then we served prasadam to all the kids that gathered while there. You can see the pictures of this serving out.



The banyan tree under which we had
breakfast


 

The temple pujari is second from the left with colourful chadah (wrap). He
sits here with his neighbours who all participate in the affair of our arrival.



 Then as we were leaving there was a family who had baskets with cobras in them. I didn't end up taking any pictures because I ended up taking pictures with someone else's camera who posed with them. But I will try to get her pictures off her.



Some children hanging about. You can see how in India all the kids, boys and girls,
 are engaged in looking after the younger children and babies.





<>

Devotees walking to and from the Yamuna River...
or rather trying to, you couldn't get through to Her.

 

Then we all piled back into our respective vehicles but you recall that we transferred into Deena's SUV which meant that two people had to either move to the back, but one choose to transfer into the bus. I felt bad about this but this lady was perfectly ok with it and the next day I took her some cookies by way of thanks. But then there was this other guy that was very very angry about it. He sat in the back and later he had a go at me about it and told me, among other things, how he hated me and such! I spoke to Deena about it and offered to go back in the bus, but he said no, that he had told this man that the seats were first for his godbrothers/sisters and that he would have to move if necessary. This man sulked the whole rest of the trip and told us he cursed us! Deena just dismissed it all saying he was just a hothead and would get over it. But it ruined his trip cause he couldn't enter into any temples or activities after that! Silly man... Here he is on the right with orange beanie:



He was very jolly until he got moved.
Then he sulked and had very intense, evil eyes!



Next we drove over to Birhalvan, where the gopis personally planted trees to create a beautiful forrest for Krsna and Radharani. This is a beautiful little area, maybe 10 acres or maybe less, but sweet with ghat and a number of cows and of course, a temple. People come throughout the day with little offerings:



Rama Ghat was next. Here there is what is known as an eternal Banyan tree where Krsna and the cowherd boys would hang their lunch bags of the branches while they would go down to the Yamuna for a swim with their cows after tending to them during the morning then come back up and sit under the cool shade of this tree and have their picnic lunch and play games. Naturally there is a temple there, but instead there are Deities of Rama, Sita and Laxmi with Hanuman...I don't know why, I should ask.



Very handsome Sadhu who meditates here
and gave us all blessings...for a small fee...



Final stop on our journey was on the bank of the Yamuna where Krsna stole the garments of the gopis after worshipping Katyani and praying to her to make Krsna their husband. That same deity is still there:

And that was it for the day. Next we had another very bumpy ride back to Krsna-Balarama Mandir, ISKCON temple where we are staying. We were very tired and thirsty as we forgot to bring the water bottle. So drinks and a nap. but here are a few more pictures. I am having trouble moving pictures around in this program; sometimes it works and other times not.



Yesterday was Sunday - I didn't get around to doing this blog yesterday so this is 2 days after our parikrama. I was still rather tired so I took the day off to work on orders with the cpu and start the blog entry so there aren't any photos from that...actually, there is this one video of this cute little girl dancing in the temple room. Vrindavan becomes alive with visitors on the weekend and there are10s of 1000s of visitors coming. The temple  room becomes packed with 1000s of very happy pilgrims and families. I want to edit this though, cus naturally she stopped by the time I thought to record and only near the end did she start dancing again. But I will add when can...

Hopefully the video of our rickshaw ride into Loi Bazaar will upload before the internet drops out as I did finally get to upload another video above, but I'm not holding my breathe. So here's to HOPE!... Nope, there is no hope and that is the third time I have tried to upload this video. But hopefully other ones will work here. 



Cute young girls that are all very vivacious...and then want rupees, of course.
The one on the right was so determined she reached into the car and took papers from the back.
Then all the kids did. Fortunately, they weren't important.





I know, you will perhaps complain that you can't see this lady's face
but that's just the way it can be here. But this lady handed me her baby to hold for a while
which I did and she would laugh and smile. Very young, small and light-weight. but all
very sweet.



Another view from the back of the bus window. It belongs up top,
but I can't be bothered trying to move it there, this program
is so difficult to do such things...



bhaskara standing in the black waters of the Yamuna.



Another view of Katyani's temple and the tree where Krsna stole
the gopis' garments.

This is a video of a lovely water buffalo brought down to the
Yamuna for a bath. I don't know if you can tell, but
he has fully grey eyes and was very friendly as
Assuming this loads up...