Vrindavan, 2012.02.13 (VT): As the grand opening of the Kripalu Temple of Love (Prem Mandir) in Vrindavan nears, many in the local community are receiving the majestic project with mixed feelings.

Indeed the opulence of the temple, made entirely from pure white marble imported piece by piece from Italy, stands in stark contrast to the muddy reputation Kripalu Maharaja and his disciples have managed to gain around the world.

Now 90 years old, Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj has gained the adulation of countless followers who follow him with almost fanatically blind devotion. His disciples claim that he is an avatar greater than Krishna or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — while denying a growing body of documentation from ex-disciples who tell the same stories of sexual contact with females followers, often minors, sometimes consensual, but just as often not.

What is more, the traditions that Kripalu set into motion by his own example appear to be carried on by many of his disciples, not the least of whom is Prakashananda Saraswati, the founder of Barsana Dham, a huge temple project in Austin, Texas, and the main mover behind the Vrindavan Prem Mandir, until his name was sullied by a guilty verdict last year in an American court, which found him guilty of 20 counts of molesting minor girls.

Karen Johnson, an American follower for over 15 years, after becoming aware of the “dirty little secrets” of the Kripalu organization, has spent the last few years researching and writing about her experiences with the goal of exposing the cult for what it is. The full title of her book is “Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus: How I Was Conned by a Dangerous Cult—And Why I Will Not Keep Their Secrets.”

We had the pleasure of speaking to Ms. Johnson an getting an idea of what this book is about and why she wrote it.

Jagatguru Kripalu Maharaj

VT: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to write this memoir.

LJ: I was a member of the Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) cult. I lived in the JKP ashram formerly named Barsana Dham in Austin for 15 years. When I realized that I was a member of dangerous cult with dark secrets, I decided that it was necessary to expose them. I founded a Facebook page called The Truth Project for Barsana Dham and JKP, where I collect and disseminate information about the JKP cult. I started as an innocent spiritual seeker, but now I see myself as warrior seeking justice for children harmed by these gurus.

VT: Why did you choose to release the book at the same time as the opening of the Prema Mandir?

LJ: I specifically chose this publication date because I want to contrast Kripalu’s public image with the truth. The sole purpose of the new giant temple is to glorify Kripalu Maharaj—who uses the self-designated title “jagadguru.” Kripalu has been arrested for rape twice during his 60-year reign as a Hindu “spiritual leader.” Yet, he has never been held accountable for these or any other crimes, and the true story has not been fully told until now in my book.

What’s more, this date is close to the one-year anniversary of Prakashanand Saraswati’s criminal trial in Texas and his escape into hiding in Mexico. Prakashananda Saraswati was one of the driving forces in spreading Kripalu’s message in America as well as in building the Prem Mandir and collecting money for it.

VT: What exactly has Kripalu Maharaj done that is so heinous?

LJ: Well, the main thing that most people find reprehensible is Kripalu’s bedroom rituals. Because he is considered to be an avatar of Krishna, his sexual touch and so on are supposed to be a gift of divine love, or prema dan. He gives private audiences to women he can manipulate and blesses them by sexual touch. He invites women to give him “charan seva”, a kind of massaging ritual which usually incorporates sexual touching.

What is worse is that many of the higher placed disciples act as pimps and procuresses finding and bringing young girls to Kripalu. I was in Austin when the daughter of one Indian American devotee, a virgin, refused to go. What is incredible is that the father of the girl himself reacted bizarrely and actually blamed her for not serving her guru. I have given a detailed account of this in the book.

VT: In your book you say that you did not find out about any of this until 2007. You had already been in the organization for 15 years. Why do you think it takes people so long to “wake up”?

KJ: The main reason that I stayed for so long is that I believed what these men said, which is basically that they (alone) could guide and grace me so that I could achieve God realization. That was my primary goal when I met them. I had no idea the entire time that I lived in the ashram what exactly was going on in their bedrooms with adult women and underage girls, because they were very, very good at making those who knew keep their secrets. In the beginning, I naively accepted that they were “saints.” Once I believed that, then I was pretty much doomed, because all of their teachings begin with that core deceit. For example, because they are “saints,” their actions cannot be judged by mere mortals, and, in fact, to judge them is to create an irredeemable “transgression” (sin, aparadh), and you’ll never reach God if you commit such a sin. In hindsight, my problem was believing the initial deceit – that they are saints. Which, of course, I now know they are most definitely not.

As for other people, I believe that they do not want to accept that these men are not saints. Many people have “invested” a lot in this belief, including their time and money. Some people have abandoned family members for the gurus, while others are forced by their family to stay in JKP. Some people’s egos are huge, because they think they have found the highest form of God on Earth (they brag about how Kripalu is THE Jagadguru of our age). And in the case of some of the women, they’ve had humiliating bedroom experiences with the gurus, and they do not want to face the fact that they have committed these acts with some slimy con man. They prefer the deceit to the truth.

VT: Do you work together with other “anti-cult” groups?

KJ: No, I am not. I have been too busy since I left the JKP cult. I have had to heal from the traumatic experience. I spent a great deal of time supporting victims of this cult. I have researched to learn more of these gurus’ secrets. And I have written my memoir, Sex, Lies, and Two Hindu Gurus, which was a major undertaking.

I do not want to be a voice speaking out only against cults, because that would be a victim mentality. What I want is to be a voice speaking out for our eternal relationship with God, which people like fake gurus and other spiritual con men and women only further blind us to.

VT: You seem to be saying that the religion itself is bogus. Is that what you think? What is the relationship between the 15 years you spent following the JKP people and your current thinking on spirituality?

KJ: If you mean that I am saying Hinduism is wrong, the truth is that I have never said that. What I have said is that what Kripalu Maharaj and Prakashananand Saraswati taught was a huge distortion of what I’ve since learned about this religion (or what some people call a “dharma”). I knew nothing about Hinduism when I joined JKP at the age of 33. So whatever I learned while I was in JKP, I learned from them.

I have since spoken with many Hindu people, and they have explained some of the basic tenets of Hinduism to me. There is no other conclusion to draw, except that these two men took a few elements from Hinduism and massaged them to manufacture their own person religion that suited their needs, and they called it “Hinduism.”

For example, Kripalu claims to be both Radha and Krishna. He is Radha, because they say that Radha is THE highest form of God. He is the loving form of Krishna, because that gives his inner circle a way to prepare women and young girls for what he does in the bedroom. They literally tell females that in his bedroom they will have an experience like the gopis have with Krishna in divine Vrindavan.

My current feeling on spirituality is the opposite of what the fake gurus in JKP taught. One Hindu man explained it to me best. It’s the simple idea that we are already God, so we don’t have to “realize” him and we don’t have to go anywhere. We just have to remove the ignorance that makes us think we are separate from God. I know now that those two men just got in the way of my relationship with God. I remember in 2007, right before I learned the truth, I had a moment of frustration at hearing Kripalu say for the millionth time: “Love me more than God.” I thought to myself in: I don’t want to love you; I only want to love God. One month later, I learned the truth about him.

VT: As a person living in Vrindavan, I find it difficult to swallow that from now 50-100 years, Kripalu’s big monuments will be here and there and that will be his legacy. Who he was and what he did will be forgotten. What do you think about that?

KJ: That is a horrible thought, isn’t it? What it will take for that to not happen is for more people to speak out and tell their stories of abuse at the hands of Kripalu and his people. I can tell you that in the USA, Kripalu’s mission is floundering, because people have learned the truth. His “monument” here in Austin, Texas, is struggling. Fewer people are going there, and the ashram’s donations are drying up.

If a group of people in India would stand up to this demon, tell their true experiences, instead of just going away quietly, then perhaps they can help change the course of history there as well. Many people have written to me to support what I am doing. However, they have said things like: “You are brave to stand up to such a large organization.” Well, I don’t think I’m brave, I just think it’s the right thing to do – to help others avoid trap. When I learned the truth, I was appalled to realize how many had left JKP and never spoken out, even former preachers. I decided very early on that I would not go away and stay silent, because that only allows the con men to continue hurting people. A few sincere voices can make a huge difference.

VT: I have a difficulty with the complicity of the women who “massage” Kripalu or Prakashananda. It seems that they were in the know. The disciples who engaged them certainly were. Did you ever talk to the women, especially the Indian women, to get their take on the situation? Was the general mood one of “it is a blessing and we are fortunate to have this charan seva or prema dan. My feeling is that until this point is clarified, the whole accusation of abuse becomes moot. What do you think?

KJ: Generally speaking, the women and girls who were part of the highly secretive pressing ritual and “private time” sex experiences in the gurus’ bedrooms, believed that it was a blessing from God. They thought they were special, the “chose ones,” above all the other devotees who were not invited into the gurus’ bedroom. There is a very hush-hush aspect to the whole thing, even among the women who have participated.

However, to really understand the inside world of JKP is not easy — the answers are not black and white. It’s complicated. And, unfortunately, it’s this very complexity that keeps people in doubt. And the doubt keeps the JKP machine running.

Here is basically how it works: Kripalu has helpers, female preachers, and female devotees who have had sex with him and who bring him new recruits — women devotees and underage girls. Some women jump at the chance to have the sexual experiences, believing that it’s grace and they get an ego boost in the process. Some women and girls are “prepared” for the experience by other women, but are shocked when it happens. Afterwards, they either forget about it and avoid it in the future, or leave the organization without speaking out.

It needs to be understood that the preparation part is very vague. They don’t tell women exactly what will happen: What they say is anything can happen. When I pushed the woman who prepped me for specifics, I asked: “What do you mean anything? Do you mean sex?”

And she answered, “I cannot say. Whatever happens is between you and Kripalu.” So they are very dishonest from the beginning. Then after the women and girls interact with him sexually, he tells them, “Don’t tell anyone.” His supporters further tell the women and girls that if they tell anyone they will lose the “grace.”

Lastly, there are the young girls who are literally raped by him. I have read that he tells rape victims if they speak out they will be punished and receive a great curse. Some young women, especially the Indian girls, do not speak out because of the shame. One young girl, who was raped at 16, did not want to tell because she was afraid no one would want to marry her. Another young girl, raped at 13, didn’t tell, because she was threatened by a preacher and also because she assumed her parents already knew.

One woman who was digitally raped by Kripalu went to tell the woman who organized the “charan seva.” The woman yelled at her and said, “Don’t tell me about your private experiences with Kripalu.”

These are just a few examples. There are so many stories and so many situations contributing to sexual abuse in JKP.

VT: Was there a clearly spelled-out philosophical justification for the charan seva, etc.? It seems that there was definitely an admission to a level of trustworthiness before you were allowed into that inner club. Was it accompanied by any new teachings?

DJ: No, there was no clearly spelled-out justification. As I explained above, it was all secretive. The only public dialogue about it was in coded language. For example, when Prakashanand mention Kripalu’s appearance on this Earth (as the modern-day form of Lord Chaitanya) he said that unlike Chaitanya, “Kripalu is bestowing his grace in so many ways, such as singing, speaking, and touching devotees.” While saying this, Prakashanand is patting himself on the head, as if to say that’s the way that Kripalu touches people.

As for trustworthiness, they did attempt to filter out females whom they felt would not be complicit in their crimes; which explains why I was excluded until 2007, when, as I say in my book, there was a shortage of women. While Kripalu was in the USA that year, they brought in many more women who had never participated. However, before that they tended to invite in Indian women, whom I guess they assumed who never tell, and Western women who were very subservient to the gurus and preachers.

VT: From the Facebook page and elsewhere, it seems that Kripalu’s disciples are continuing this tradition of abuse that he set in motion. Certainly Prakashananda was following it. Do you have close contacts with others following the preachers of the JKP and documenting their activities? If they are doing the same kinds of things, it would seem that they are following a clear philosophical direction, or is it that they are just sexual predators and taking advantage?

LJ: I do not have contact with JKP’s preachers. I only know what Prakashanand did. I had also heard something about another JKP preacher, Siddeshwari, when I saw a letter that some people in Oklahoma sent to her mailing list in the 1990s. In the letter they were warning parents with daughters about taking them to India to meet Kripalu. They said that they believe that Kripalu was raping young girls. They further said that this preacher was caught having sex with some of her male devotees. When they confronted her, she admitted to it and also to having sex with Kripalu. She claimed to be a sex addict. She disappeared for a while after that, then reappeared with a new organization with a new name, Radha Madhav Society.

I only know that the preachers bring Kripalu what he wants – money and female bodies. I have heard him yelling at the preachers for not bringing him enough devotees. I can only assume they are so warped by their experience with him that they become like him.

I had heard rumors that people also bring women to his three grandsons, who are young and virile men, who could very likely take over where Kripalu leaves off when he dies. So if people think it will all end when he dies, they should think again.

On thing I’d like to stress regarding Prem Mandir is that this was Prakashanand’s project since the beginning. He was the captain of the ship. I find it interesting now that he is a convicted felon and fugitive from justice that there is no mention of him. Kripalu told the ashram in the USA to remove photos of Prakashanand from the prayer hall.

Scene from Prem Mandir wall decoration showing Kripalu with disciples. Where has Prakashananda gone?

I was wondering if they had also removed him from any images on Prem Mandir. At one time there was a statue of him there and image of his face in a crowd of faces. Many scenes from Kripalu’s life are depicted on the Prem Mandir’s wall. One such scene shows him with a group of his disciples. Of course, one of the main disciples in the scene was Prakashanand Saraswati. Now, however, his face has suspiciously gone missing and someone else’s head put in its place! I was told by a friend who lives in Vrindavan that there is a place where all these abandoned “heads” of people who lost favor with Kripalu have been dumped. They lost their chance for immortality! It sure looks like every one is dispensable around there. Prakashanand is very much still being sought by U.S. Marshals.

Vrindavan, 2012.02.12 (VT): Devotees and villagers supporting the Save Yamuna Movement led by Ramesh Baba of Barsana and the Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) continued their unbroken kirtan at Keshi Ghat for another day. The kirtan started on Feb. 1 and will go on indefinitely in the hope of influencing people and politicians to take action on the Yamuna River pollution.

Each day, groups coming from different villages in the Braj area join the kirtan as directed by BKU leaders. They thus show the widespread support for the action that comes from everywhere in the region. On Friday, men and women villagers came from Barauli to sing and make the vow for saving the Yamuna from pollution.

They sing the Nimbarki dhun–

Radhe Krishna Radhe Krishna Krishna Krishna Radhe Radhe
Radhe Shyam Radhe Shyam Shyam Shyam Radhe Radhe

Leading the non-violent protest (satyagraha) is Jai Krishna Das Maharaj. He said, “The Central government and State government need to make the cleaning of the Yamuna a priority. This sit-in here is being carried out by ordinary people from around Braj in a peaceful but determined manner. We will keep at this and other actions until we get the desired result and pure and pristine water once again flows in the Yamuna through Braj.”

Kirtaniyas at Keshi Ghat.

Radha Kund, 2012.02.11 (DJ, AU): Illustrious ISKCON author and initiating guru, Mahanidhi Swami, was honored by his disciples yesterday at his Radha Kund residence. As a part of the festivities, a helicopter was engaged to shower rose petals on various spots in the holy village. The event also included a cultural program.

Borni in America, Mahanidhi Swami has been living in India since 1987 where he became so immersed in a life of bhajan that he never returned again to the West. In this time he has written 21 books about the devotional life.

On Saturday, his disciples celebrated the silver jubilee of his residence in Braj Dham by showering flowers for fifteen minutes on the roof of his ashram in Ram Ghera, Radha Kund. In the evening there was a bhajan evening and a performance of Rasa Lila.

H.H. Mahanidhi Swami of Radha Kund

Madhava Smullen. Barsana, 2011.02.11 (ISKCON News: The Barsana Eye Camp is the rarest of social work efforts—Krishna conscious doctors administering to Krishna conscious patients, in Krishna’s land. Or, rather more specifically, the land where Srimati Radharani, Lord Krishna’s eternal consort, spent her childhood.
It all began in 1989, when a group of young medical students from Mumbai, who had just gotten their degrees, visited the holy town on pilgrimage.

“We saw that many people there suffered from cataracts, a clouding of the clear lens in the eye that causes deterioration of vision, and, if untreated, eventually blindness,” says Barsana Eye Camp Deputy Director Vishwarup Dasa, who is also the head of spiritual care at ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai. “At the time, we were already doing small eye camps to help the poverty stricken in Mumbai and its suburbs. So we thought, “Why not do one in Barsana?”
In 1992, Bhaktivedanta Hospital doctors operated on 185 patients at the first Barsana Eye Camp. The program was repeated in 1993, then put on hiatus from 1993 to 2002, while staff focused their energies on developing Bhaktivedanta Hospital. But it was revived in 2002, and has gone on annually since then, enhancing the eyesight of 8,000 patients in total.

All the while, the same core team has remained, as the project expanded around them. While the first Barsana Eye Camps were staffed by only fifty volunteers, this year’s Camp, running from January 13th till February 20th, has drawn 300 skilled workers. There’s fifteen experienced doctors, mainly eye surgeons, as well as anesthesiologists, nurses, and medical students, from the Indian cities of Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum, and Delhi, as well as from the US and the UK.
“This year, ten professional nurses from the UK are joining us,” Vishwarup says. “Four of them are devotees, while the others are philanthropic workers who were inspired by the project and wanted to learn more about the spiritual care unique to it.”

The volunteers have their work cut out for them. Barsana and its surrounding 120 villages have a population of 300,000, out of which around 4,200 people develop cataracts every year.
Cataracts, Viswhwarup explains, are simply part of the aging process, like graying hair, and are easily detected and treated in big cities. But in rural, poverty-stricken areas like Barsana, where there are no good medical facilities, and residents are too poor to travel to the nearest city, they can progress and lead to blindness.

In a town like Barsana where the average literacy rate is only 53%, lack of knowledge is also a major cause of residents continuing to bear the inconvenience without taking action.
That’s why Vishwarup and his team spend four days before each Camp traveling through the 120 villages in the area and creating awareness. As a result, 1,900 people were screened this year, and 900 selected for surgery—a big leap from 1992, when only 185 patients were treated. And all for free! Most of the patients are elderly, with an average age of sixty, although some are children who have gotten cataracts due to an injury, or have had them from birth due to harmful pregnancy medication taken by their mothers.

Barsana Eye Camp volunteers work 16 hour days from their base at Radha Madhava Ashram in Barsana, where trustees of the Ashram built them a permanent clinic in 2007 after seeing their ten years of dedicated work in the area. Equipped just as well as any major hospital, it includes an operating theater, inpatient area, and residential quarters for volunteers and staff members.

Spiritual care is a major part of the Barsana Eye Camp, just as it is at Bhaktivedanta Hospital. From 6am until 10pm, as the staff work tirelessly, a kirtan party chants the Holy Names of God, which can be heard throughout the operating theater, examining area, and wards.
“We firmly believe that, while we have all our professional equipment and protocols in place, the staff and doctors will be empowered by the Holy Names to perform their operations well,” says Vishwarup.

Patients are fed prasadam, and a spiritual counseling booth is available for those who feel anxiety about their health and upcoming surgeries.

“We tell them that disease, along with birth, old age, and death, is simply part of material life, and that these situations will come,” Vishwarup says. “But that chanting the Holy Names and rendering service can save us from these difficulties and the world they reside in. We request the patients not to worry, telling them that we will treat them to the best of our professional ability, that the Holy Name will be chanted throughout their operation, and that they should have full faith in the Lord that by the power of his Name the operation will be successful.”

When staff remove the bandages from patients’ eyes after surgery, they test their eyesight by showing them a picture of Krishna and asking them to identify minute details of his lotus feet, peacock feather, flute, and eyes.

“If they can do it correctly, that means the surgery is successful,” Vishwarup says.
Patients are given forty days of medication upon being discharged, along with instructions about how to take care of their eyes. Spiritual advice is mixed in with the medical—don’t watch television or movies; read the scriptures and take darshan of the Deity in the temple.
Of course, as the patients are residents of Braja, the land of Krishna, and are deeply devoted, the reminder isn’t necessary: Vishwarup says that the moment their vision is returned to them, most head straight for the temple to drink in the Lord with their eyes.

And that’s just a fragment of their devotion. Even as they wait in the ward, or head to the operating theater, these simple Brijbasi people dance and sing songs praising Radha and Krishna.

“They go into their operation singing, come out singing, and then dance home,” Vishwarup says, laughing. “It’s a very unique experience that you would see only in Barsana.”

Eye Camp staff are constantly amazed and inspired by the deep devotion of the Brijbasis, who are clearly not ordinary people.

“Sometimes, when doing our rounds during the night to see if everybody is all right, we hear loud calls of ‘Radhe, Radhe!’” Vishwarup says. “We approach the person, thinking they must be in pain, and that’s why they’re calling out. But when we get close to them, we see that they are fast asleep, even as their mouth chants Srimati Radharani’s name. These are very special people.”

No wonder, then, that the Barsana Eye Camp volunteers are eager to offer service to them, and keep expanding their efforts.

In 2007, when the permanent clinic at Radha Madhava Ashrama was built, they began a monthly camp along with the annual camp. And in October 2011, some members of the team moved to Barsana where they now run a permanent hospital.

The facility is still relatively small, with around twenty-five patients seen every day, and only three to four working hours, as opposed to the sixteen-hour days of the annual camp.
“Altogether, we operate on 2,000 patients in a year, while some other voluntary organizations do a further 1,000,” Vishwarup says. “Unfortunately, the rest of the 4,000 or so cataract sufferers in the area all go blind.”

To solve this problem and reach their goal of treating all 4,000 patients ever year, the Barsana Eye Camp has purchased a two-and-a-half acre plot of land in Barsana, where they plan to build a full-sized eye hospital.

The hospital will have many more operating rooms than the current clinic, and will include an inpatient area, residential quarters and a prasadam hall. The project will be completed in stages: in the first phase, it will have fifteen beds, in the second twenty-five, and in the third, forty. The first stage is expected to be completed within two years, and the whole project finished in four.

After this, the group also plans to build a birthing center and children’s medical facility, as well as a center for corrective polio surgery.

In the meantime, they’ll continue to work on the annual camps, which are a tremendous inspiration and boost to their spiritual life.

“Our service here is a great privilege and honor, and is part of our sadhana (spiritual practice),” Vishwarup says. “The spiritual upliftment that we get from the Barsana Eye Camp is tremendous. When it’s time go, our volunteers cry, longing for the time when they get to return and have this amazing experience again.”

The success of the operation is in seeing Radha Shyam

Read more: http://news.iskcon.com/node/4192#ixzz1m8OzeFyg

Vrindavan, 2012.02.11 (AU): As a part of its election coverage, Amara Ujala newspaper held a round table conference with some of Vrindavan’s leading citizens from different sections of the population and summarized their views. This gives an idea of what are the important issues in many people’s minds as the campaign starts to pull into high gear.

Pradeep Mathur

Currently the Mathura riding is held by the Congress Party’s Pradeep Mathur, who is one of only 20 representatives of the party in the Vidhan Sabha or legislative assembly. The state is currently ruled by the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), which is running Vrindavan’s outgoing municipal chairperson Pushpa Sharma as its candidate in the district. The BSP symbol is the elephant and currently has 219 of the 404 seats. The Socialist Party or Samajwadi Party (SP), using the bicycle symbol, has 88, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with its lotus, with 48, are the two other main parties in UP.

No polls have been published, but prevailing public opinion gives the inside track to Mr. Mathur to hold on to his seat in Mathura. He is popular and has supported most of the issues that are raised in this article.

Save the Yamuna, Bring back Braj’s Glory

The residents of Krishna’s playground are anxious for more development. But above all they are fearful that Vrindavan is losing its religious character. They are looking for political leaders who will bring Vrindavan onto the world stage while maintaining that character.

On Friday, a round table was held at Vrindavan’s Anupayati Ashram, discussing the possibility of change coming with the state elections that will be held in Vrindavan on February 28. Here are some of their thoughts.

Civic Responsibility

The first speaker was Mahamandaleshwar Avasheshananda Maharaj who raised the issue of civic responsibility in an election. He argued that voting must be made obligatory. When 100% of eligible voters actually casts their vote, then only will we get true and proper representatives of the people. He suggested that in today’s elections, on-line voting facilities should be given in order to increase the percentage of voters.

Govinda Agrawal, businessman, said that there is a necessity for people seeing the importance of voting, and especially the middle classes need to cast their votes. Agreeing with him, Ashok Agrawal, a radio journalist for All India Radio, said that civics education should be a part of every school program so that they know the importance of participating in the electoral process.

Anurag Krishna Pathak, Bhagavata speaker, said that all benefits should be taken away from those who do not exercise their obligation to vote.

Corruption

Harimohan Malviya, former director of the Vrindavan Research Institute, said, “Politics has become a business. A person begins with a lakh and ends up with a crore. They are all busy making money and no one is really paying attention to development. And in the middle of all this, the people are being bled dry.”

Lakshmi Gautam, IOP College professor, complained that politicians forget the promises they made while campaigning.

Krishna Kali Peeth mahanta Dr. Keshavacharya said that the people themselves are responsible for corruption in politics. He said that “right to reject” and the “right to recall” representatives must be put on the books.

Speaking on development and accountability, Avasheshananda Swamiji further said that more than Rs. 250 crores (US$ 50 million) had been spent on improvements in the infrastructure in Vrindavan but its utility cannot be seen. He also brought up the issue of the Yamuna River, insisting that the people’s representatives have to get results.

Advocate Pratibha Sharma said that the length of time period for election campaigns must be limited by law. They go on too long.

Economic Development

Govinda Agrawal said, “The Braj area needs more industries that are non-polluting.” Avasheshananda Maharaj spoke about the brick-making industry. “In order to save the Taj Mahal from smoke pollution, all the brick kilns in the area were closed down in the 1990′s. This ruined the brick-making industry. It could be revived by the use of gas powered kilns.”

Environmental issues and the Yamuna

Activist in the Save Yamuna movement, Sant Jai Krishna Das, said that candidates for the election always make plenty of promises for action about the Yamuna, but go back on their word after the election is over. Accountability is also necessary on this issue. “All the parties must agree to work together on the issue of cleaning up the Yamuna,” he said. “All the candidates must make this an issue in their platform. Only then is there any possibility of a solution.”

Dr. Keshavacharya, “We must stop the filth from flowing into the Yamuna and have clean water flowing in it.” Keshavacharya further said that in order for action to be taken on the Yamuna pollution issue, some MLA is going to have to show leadership and push things forward. Otherwise nothing will happen.

Devendra Sharma of the NIPS Bank agreed that there was no meaning to Braj without the Yamuna. He spoke about beautifying the 84-kos parikrama trail and restoring the ponds and lakes of the area.

Vrindavan as a religious center of pilgrimage

IOP College professor Lakshmi Gautam said, “Besides material development, Vrindavan has to officially be declared a religious town.”

Dr. Keshavacharya, “Vrindavan is world famous as a religious and spiritual center. Eggs, meat and alcohol should be completely banned.”

AIR journalist Ashok Agrawal said, “We need to protect the Kumbha Mela grounds from development and the destruction of greenery must be stopped and a massive tree-planting effort made. People should not vote for a representative who does not take action on these fronts.”

Govinda Agrwal said that Vrindavan and Braj should be declared an official pilgrimage place. But we need to have proper parking facilities to accommodate all the incoming visitors and keeps pace with the increased development.

Lawyer Pratibha Sharma, a member of the Children’s Welfare Society, agreed, saying, “Vrindavan is unique in the world. All the candidates should declare their recognition of Vrindavan’s religious heritage and make it free from all kinds of pollution, environmentally healthy, and safe for those residing here.”

Harimohan Malviya said, “Vrindavan has a religious vocation. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come here every year to take darshan. It should be seen to it that the food products, especially milk products, should be free of any taint.”

Cow Protection

Vipin Agrawal, a businessman, raised the issue of cow slaughter. “It must be stopped,” he said, “Cow protection must be on all politicians’ agenda.”

Travel

Vinode Banerjee, former principal of the Hajarimal Somani Inter College, said that the main railway line has to be extended to Vrindavan station. An investigation into the irregularities in the spending of moneys for development and proper punishment of wrongdoing.

Summary

Character: Everyone agreed that someone who is reliable and hard-working is needed. He should give priority to Vrindavan’s development, listen to people, work to making an official declaration of Vrindavan as a religious town and place of pilgrimage.

Principal demands: Return the Yamuna to its ancient ghats, have clean water in the river, increase greenery everywhere in the town, enlarge the Vrindavan railroad station and connect Vrindavan to the main line, improve parking facilities in the town, and prohibit the sale of meat, eggs and alcohol in the town and cow protection.

Principal challenges: The quality of water, the lowering of the water table, inefficient drainage system, improper implementation of the Vrindavan development plan, inadequate transportation facilities, encroachment on the roads, the state of the ancient ghats, lack of proper sanitation in the city, the need to protect the Kumbha Mela grounds.

The main issue that everyone agreed with was that the Yamuna River is a priority that any candidate will need to address if they are to get support in Vrindavan.

Agra Peeth mahanta (Raiwasa) Raghwacharya Dasji and Bihari Das Bhaktamali explaining the purpose of the yatra to TV journalists in Lohavan.

Lohavan, 2012.02.11 (VT): A combined effort of several activists sadhus, sannyasis and Bhagavata pracharakas is making an emphatic statement about cow protections in Braj and India, based on the 84-kos Braj Dham Parikrama tradition. Their novel approach is this: Along with the usual features of the parikrama, nearly 6000 pilgrims are being preceded by 108 members of the bovine species.

To inaugurate the program on Wednesday, a meeting of cow protection activists from both inside and outside of Braj was held in a pandal on the Kumbha Mela grounds by the Yamuna. All glorified the initiative, which has been planned by Duttsharanananda Maharaj of Pathmeda in Rajasthan, for months. Pathmeda is the location of a major site for cow protection called Gopal Govardhan Goshala. Besides Sharanagati Ashram on Chattikara Road, Duttsharanandaji has also purchased a huge plot in Jarkhor village near Kaman for what may be the largest goshala in India, housing over 100,000 cows. This goshalla, named Braja Go Abhayaranya (“The forest of fearlessness for the cows of Braj”), will host the yatra on Feb. 28-29.

Some of the gopalas assigned to caring for the parikrama cows.

Leading the Yatra is Rajendra Dasji Maharaj, Mahant of the Maluk Peeth in Vrindavan, whose disciples are are prominent in managing the event. Other leading supporters of the Yatra are Karshni Gurusharanananda Swami of Ramanreti in Gokula, where the pilgrims will be stopping the day after tomorrow (Feb. 13), Ramesh Baba of Barsana, Bhagavata preacher Radha Krishnaji of Jodhpur, Kishore Das Mahanta of Gaurilal Kunj, Gyanananda Maharaj of Krishna Kripa Ashram, and many others. Participating in the yatra are cow-lovers from all over India, including sants and sadhus from most sampradayas.

Kirtan in front of Radha Gopala Lal deities in the pandal. Gopalji is being carried in his palanquin behind the cows in order to be sprinkled with their hoof-dust.

In his statement describing the program, Rajendra Dasji said, “The cow is worshipable even to the worshipable deities of Braj, Shri Shri Shyama Shyam. Krishna appeared here as a cowherd, Gopal, strengthening the Vedic culture of cow protection. But this culture is being weakened even here in Braj by the force of time. The purpose of this yatra is to spread a message of devotion to our mother the cow, whereby the culture of cow protection will be restored and expanded here and everywhere else in India.”

“The goshalla in Kaman is meant to not only protect the cows and provide them with a safe shelter, but to publicize the benefits of the five by products of the cow, pancha gavya,” writes Duttsharananda in his statement to the pilgrims. “We will demonstrate the beneficial and purifying effects of cow culture on the environment. We wish to awaken the spirit of service to our cow mother.”

“Throughout the entire country, cows are being cruelly neglected and the veneration of the cow is viewed as a testimony to the backward state of Hindu traditions,” says Rajendra Dasji. “In fact, the cow should be seen as having great economic potential. Without proper protection and veneration of the cow, India will never become great. Our politicians should be aware of this aspect of public sentiment and act accordingly.”

Jagadananda Swami, representing Duttasharanananda Swami, praised the sadhus present at Kumbha Mela, many of whom are engaged in various cow protection activities, for their efforts, but said that so much more needs to be done. “The general effects of the neglect of cows has unfortunately not left Braj itself, the center of cow culture, untouched. Even here, there has been an increase in meat eating of all kinds, even beef. The Gau Yatra will hopefully counteract this trend somewhat.”

The evening programs at each camp will include Ras Lila performances by Rasacharya Shriram Sharma.

More pictures here.

Braj Khandelwal, 2012.02.10 (IANS, Agra): The famed musical tradition of haveli sangeet, originating in western Uttar Pradesh’s Braj region, is on the verge of extinction in the place of its origin, with no patrons or followers, say musicians and aficionados.

Only a few temples in the region such as the Radha Ballabh temple at Vrindavan, the Sri Krishna temple at Nand Gaon, the Radha Rani temple at Barsana and the Nathdwara temple near Udaipur in Rajasthan are following the tradition these days.

Haveli sangeet involves the daily worship of Lord Krishna with a special kind of singing, according to a set timetable of ragas which vary according to different hours of the day.

The tradition is of specific importance to the Pushtimarg sect started by Vaishnavite saint Vallabhacharya around 945 AD.

“Haveli was actually a temple where the presiding deity was installed. Due to the intolerance of some Muslim rulers, temples were called ‘haveli’ or mansion,” explains professor Satya Bhan Sharma, a retired dean of the music department at DEI University in Agra.

The main component of haveli sangeet is the Hindustani classical singing style, dhrupad. However, dhrupad is often fused with folk music to produce songs which revolve around devotion to Sri Krishna and are rendered in ‘kirtan’ form, as ‘bhajans’ and ‘bhav nritya’.

In the Pushtimargi system of worship, four ‘darshans’ or different times of having a glimpse of the lord – Mangla, Shringar, Gwal and Raj bhog – are held in the morning and three in the evening – Utthapan, Sandhya Aarti and Shayan. Different ragas are sung before each darshan of the deity.

Instruments used in haveli sangeet are pakhawaj, tabla, harmonium, surpeti, jhanjh, majeera, sometimes a bansuri and sarangi also.

Haveli sangeet flourished in the 16th century when its exponents included the eight poets called ‘ashta chaap kavis’, and the blind bard of Braj, Sant Surdas. These exponents enriched the tradition and gave it a structure.

But now musicians say haveli sangeet is more threatened than the classical dhrupad, mainly due to lack of patronage and the dwindling number of discerning audiences because this is a highly sophisticated musical genre.

“Earlier, music was an integral part of Sri Krishna temples in Agra and the whole of the Braj region where groups of musicians sang according to the time of the year or festivals. Musical presentations preceded every darshan of the deity,” reminisces Sharma, who has authored numerous research papers and authored a monograph on the haveli music of the Pushtimarg sect.

In many temples of Gujarat, haveli sangeet is still practised, particularly those that follow the Pushtimarg tradition of worship.

Among contemporary musicians, Pandit Jasraj is one of the main exponents.

But now youngsters are being lured by contemporary fusion music with a predominantly Western orientation. “If the rich tradition of haveli sangeet is not promoted and patronised, nobody would be able to prevent its extinction. And we would have lost a glorious heritage of music,” warns Satya Bhan Sharma.

Vrindavan, 2012.02.09 (VT): Expect to see thousands of followers of Jagat Guru Kripaluji Maharaj with their distinctive yellow chaddars thronging the streets of Vrindavan in the next few days. After more than ten years in the making and several delays, the long awaited opening of Prem Mandir will finally take place on February 15-17, 2012.

The magnificent building, constructed entirely of pristine Italian marble, built at a cost, it is said, of over a billion dollars, promises to be a major tourist attraction for a long time to come.

Artisans from Rajasthan are still working day and night carving designs in the main gate and on the various buildings in the complex to make things ready. The main tower is 125 feet high.

A huge chandelier under the main dome.

Inauguration festivities will include a procession (kalash yatra) from the Yamuna bringing water from the holy river to cleanse and sanctify the temple. Thousands of devotees from around the world are expected to participate in this procession. Fire ceremonies and rituals (Vedic havan) will be held, and the pran pratishtha, whereby life life is instilled into the Deities, will be personally performed by Kripaluji Maharaj. There are two shrines with Radha Krishna deities on the ground floor and Sita Ram on the first floor.

The festival program, the famous Ras Mandalis of Vrindaban will enact Braj leelas each evening.

Some of the Radha-Krishna lila depictions on the outside wall.

Special features of the temple include 84 scenes of Radha Krishna lila that are carved into the its outer walls, various depictions of the bhakti-yoga philosophy as revealed by Kripaluji, inlaid with semi-precious stones, as well as depictions of events in the life of Kripalu himself along with images of great saints and jagadgurus of Indian history. The devotees of the Jagad Guru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) consider their guru to be a reincarnation of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Painted bas-relief showing Kripaluji leading a kirtan of his disciples.

Kripalu Trayodashi, the famous concise overview of all Hindu philosophy in only thirteen verses, composed by Kripaluji Maharaj, is displayed just next to the main shrine.

The Prem Mandir is situated on a 50-acre site on the outskirts of the holy city of Vrindavan, on the Chattikara Road 500 meters west of the ISKCON temple. The surrounding area is the hotbed of development in Vrindavan, with many high rise apartment buildings and residential colonies going up everywhere. Just as the ISKCON temple’s inauguration nearly 40 years ago has been a great impetus for construction in this entire area, so the opening of this temple is expected to drive land and residential prices skyrocketing in the area.

When completed, the center will include a fully charitable hospital, the Jagad Guru Kripalu Chikitsalaya, a huge pillarless satsang bhavan that will seat 10,000 without, dining and residential facilities, a museum containing exhibits depicting the creation of the universe and a spiritual history of India based on the Puranas and epics. The temple complex is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains.

For more see Radha Madhava Dham.

2012.02.08 Anuradha Goyal, from her blog.

Soaked in Radha’s mystery and glory, we roamed around in her village and discovered another new but beautiful palace-like temple called Rangili Mahal. This is being built by a recent cult that follows Kripalu Ji Maharaj. This huge structure at first confuses you and you wonder if it is a well-guarded palace or actually a temple as the people tell you. The name Rangili Mahal also does not help. We were then told that Radha here is referred as Rangili Rani because she embodies all that is fine. She also called “Kishori” meaning ever youthful, the one who never ages. Of course nowhere is she referred as aged or old, neither visually nor literally.

This temple is still under construction but a huge congregation hall is ready with exquisite paintings and murtis. A model of temple under construction suggested that the temple was being built according to the principles of temple architecture, with carved stones adorning all the walls, ceilings, arches and pillars.

After attempting to persuade us to listen to their Guruji every day on TV and to convince us that he is the only one who can be a link between us and God, the staff here were kind enough to take us to the workshop where the stones were being carved. This was the most delightful experience of this whole trip. We were told that the marble has all been imported from Italy.

We saw the stones being cut by huge machines and then carved manually using computerized stencils. Those sculpting the stone can not be called artists as they were merely making the precise incisions as directed by the design, but it still involves a lot of skill as a small mistake can render the whole stone useless. There were geometric and floral designs being carved out in various shapes and sizes. The management of stone piece is all by detailed computer design. You see the coming together of an old art form and new age technology.

The only thing that I missed in the designs was the art of story telling. If you see the sculptures at our old temples, they all are telling stories, each stone is telling a story. The symmetric geometric designs look good to the eye but do not set you thinking, do not evoke all the senses.

The same cult is also building a temple in Vrindavan, which is almost nearing completion and is beautiful to say the least. The central hall gives a feeling of being in a mythical sabha or hall from a folk tale. The carvings on sheer white stone, the scenes from the life of Radha Krishna and everything enthrall you. The whole plan involves a house for the Guruji called Sheesh Mahal, a park and hotel like place to live, all in all a huge lavish campus.

It is ironic that a country where so many people starve can fund such lavish buildings all through voluntary donations, more often than not collected from the general public, including the poorest of the poor. Religious or spiritual leaders who once used to stand for austerity are now redefining the standards of luxury.

After Barsana, our next stop was Govardhan, the hill that Lord Krishna lifted on his little finger to protect people from torrential rains. Now the hill is reduced to a small pile, but the nonetheless symbolically very important for the Krishna devotees. On the main road, there is a temple that recreates the Govardhan parvat for you, brightly lit at night and crowded with people. Outside this temple there are rows of sweet shops and you start getting the famous Mathura peda, you are not too far from Mathura now. But it was the kachori and chaat that caught my eye and I had them as soon I could. A narrow lane from here takes you to the actual Govardhan parvat.

A small part of the hill is now treated as a temple and you can touch the stone here and bow your head to the stone that was touched by Lord Krishna.

From here, we headed to the last spot on our yatra, which was Radha Kund. The name may not mean that the kund belonged to Radha, she may have used it sometime, but the fact is everything here belongs to her including the beloved Krishna and so does the kund. It is a beautiful pond surrounded by temples and bathing ghats and this is here that people complete their Yatra with a bath. As you drive past the last leg of the Yatra, you see a lot of stalls selling pain relieving oils, and you cannot find a better example of perfectly located business. When people are tired after walking around for miles and miles, you sell them the pain relieving oils and massages.

You get another glimpse of devotion when you see the enthusiastic devotees singing and walking from Govardhan to Radha Kund. There are people of all ages, they are tired but they do not stop until they reach Radha Kund. There are many big and small ponds here and you can get lost in them if you do not follow the yatris on foot.

The last stop for us in this yatra was Vrindavan, the small town on the other side of river Yamuna from Mathura. Vrindavan is full of temples but the most famous and ancient temple is that of Banke Bihari. Located at the intersection of narrow lanes, flooded with the Pandas who would use every trick of the trade to pursue you to do some pooja, this temple with a courtyard was also full of people singing and dancing in praise of their favorite God. The temple was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and the devotion was similar to Ladliji temple of Barsana. You have to be there in that air to feel the devotion. I do not think words will ever be able to define what devotion means, unless you see it as a tear falling down a devotee looking at the image of his deity, unless you see them dancing with sheer joy with no regard to who is watching them and the sheer belief that it is Krishna whom they are dancing for.

As you go through the streets of Vrindavan, you would hear the bhajans playing everywhere, but nothing touches you like the live music paying in the temples. It may not be as refined and singers may be ordinary folks, but still the energy they emit is so live that it brings you alive.

Unknowlingly, without plan, we finished our Chaurasi Kos Yatra at Vrindavan and here is what a board in Vrindavan said: