A Local Resident Speaks
By Katie Walter
The town of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh is not so well known to many international travelers, but it receives more annual visitors than the Taj Mahal! The influx of visitors to the town, along with the rapid expansion of real estate development, has damaged the environment on several levels. The nearby Yamuna River is also a victim; not only do the bulk of the industrial effluents and sewage dumped into the river in Delhi make their way here, but sewage and waste are dumped into the river in Vrindavan itself as well.
Inspired and aided by k.d. McComb, an American with long standing ties to Vrindavan, local groups have joined together in organizing a Global Kirtan Day to generate awareness about and send a message of love and hope to Vrindavan and the Yamuna. These groups have also formed an alliance, asking supporters to sign a petition asking that Vrindvan be deemed UNESCO World Heritage Site. I took time to talk to Champakalata, who has lived in the Vrindavan for over twelve years about what makes Vrindavan special, what problems the town faces, and what the Global Kirtan Day can do to address these problems:
KW: What is it that makes Vrindavan significant to the rest of the world? What makes it worthy of consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Champakalata: Vrindavan was a very ancient village in the forests of Uttar Pradesh where Sri Krishna appeared over 5,000 years ago. Since that time, it has become a thriving town of 5,000 temples. It is situated on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River, which has been mentioned in the Puranas again and again just like the sacred Ganges. In fact, the Puranas say that the Ganges is sister to the Yamuna. This place has been called a dham, or holy place, ever since the arrival 500 years ago of pilgrims from all over India; now pilgrims and visitors come from all over the world.
KW: So what are the current challenges Vrindavan faces in maintaining the integrity of this unique heritage that attracts so many people?
Champakalata: Vrindavan stands as an example for caring for our moth earth: Bhoomi-mata. It stands as an example of preserving the sacred harmony between man; animals; land, divinity and worship Thus, we are inviting all to join the World Prayer and Kirtan Day. This is meant to bring about our human responsibility towards our very sustenance, Mother Nature. In the sense of Vrindavan, this has become our primary focus because despite so many people coming here and visiting, they don’t realize that the situation of the River Yamuna is very grim. Pollution from Delhi that is dumped in the river comes to us and locally there is a general lack of awareness about the dangers of chemical fertilizers or garbage or items dropped into the river which are not biodegradable. We should also remember that Vrindavan is a symbol of Braj Mandal – 64 square miles of holy places connected to the same history and same heritage – and that each of these places are also experiencing some kind of difficulty. This is why there is a petition to make all of Braj a World Heritage Site. However, acquiring World Heritage status for such a large area is very problematic, so the petition asks that if all of Braj cannot be protected, at least Vrindavan should be protected.
KW: Can you tell us about your personal experiences with some of these issues?
Champakalata: We have to think that our children are at stake. When I look at my three year-old daughter and think about what kind of Yamuna she will see when she grows up, I feel scared and I know I have to do something about it now. I go to the Yamuna every day and I sing at Brahma Kund, one of the sacred places that have been restored by a local organization, and I want to provide that joyful activity without environmental hazard to all of the generations to come after us. If I can help to do that then hopefully future generations will have no cause to complain that we did not take care of our heritage.
KW: What are you expecting to take place on the Global Kirtan Day on January 30th and what effects do you hope it will have?
Champakalata: We hope that all of our brothers and sisters around the world will join us in bringing more awareness about all holy rivers, all holy waters, and all holy lands and all of those with whom we are living on this earth. This special kirtan day is an invitation for us to unite our hearts’ energies as we chant our different prayers and mantras and sing our kirtans. This will create a very forceful energy that will hopefully also penetrate the minds of those who hve been somewhat careless about the situation.
KW: People who want to do more to help can first of all sign the petition online at the Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance website (www.bvhalliance.org), but what else can they do to help from outside of Vrindavan, if they are not in Vrindavan themselves?
Champakalata: I advise those not living here who want to get involved to help any organization which is doing good work in Vrindavan. This is a question of teamwork; we can only make the difference and accomplish something if we do what we can and encourage everybody who wants to do something to go further ahead with it. It is a joint effort.
KW: What would you suggest that people living here in Vrindavan or Braj Mandal do to contribute?
Champakalata: First of all, people should not just carelessly throw garbage and should educate themselves about where plastic goes when it leaves their homes. Secondly, they, too, should give support to those who are trying to cope with Vrindavan’s pollution problems.
KW: I believe that some organizations in town carry out shram daan (voluntary service) cleanliness drives in which anyone can participate. Is that right?
Champakalata: Of course, that is also possible. As a matter of fact there are some quotations in the scriptures that say cleaning the dham is one of the most auspicious activities which one can undertake. Therefore, when you go to places like Seva Kunj, you will find people with brooms. Even though they are older saintly people, they are taking great delight in cleaning up those places.
KW: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me about this important event. I’ll see you for kirtan on January 30th!
Champakalata: Thank you! My family and I look forward to singing kirtan with you!
Showing posts with label -documents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label -documents. Show all posts
A Day of Global Awareness and Prayer for the Conservation of Vrindavan
On the full moon day of January 30, 2010, in the world-renowned town of Vrindavan, a WORLD KIRTAN will be held to send love and awareness to this holy town and its sacred river, the Yamuna. The kirtan celebration will be held at Keshi Ghat, one of the most beautiful and beloved places in Vrindavan. This location has been chosen not only because of its spectacular and deep heritage, but also because it is one of the most visited places in Vrindavan. Countless pilgrims come here each year for worship and meditation.
Let's go over some history together so you can understand the importance of this location and the need for a WORLD KIRTAN DAY: As stated above, Vrindavan is a town of world acclaim. Its temples and holy places are revered and worshiped by saints and pilgrims from both India and abroad. This holy land is where Krishna had his pastimes with his dear devotees and showered love and devotion upon all. That was 5,000 years ago.
Some 500 years ago, this holy town was worshiped by the most saintly devotees: the personality of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the incarnation of Krishna in this age. He brought with him the remedy for relieving the pains of every day stress that can be caused by a lack of spiritual focus and guidance. By the practice of this remedy, which is known as Bhakti Yoga, or love of Krishna, this town has become a pilgrimage site for devotees of the Lord from around the world.
Vrindavan’s beauty; temples; people and holy Yamuna River all give great satisfaction to pilgrim and devotee visitors to the town. Many of the pilgrims that travel long distances to come here do so simply to take a HOLY BATH in the Yanuna’s waters. It is said that if one gets the opportunity to visit Vrindavan and bathe in the waters of the Yamuna, he or she can realize spiritual concepts and release impurities from the heart that have been deeply embedded there for many lifetimes. Unfortunately, the Yamuna is currently in critical condition. In fact, it is so polluted that the energy and resources institute (TERI) and others have declared it a dead river.
Consequently, the intention of the WORLD KIRTAN DAY is to bring us all closer together as one force to focus on one topic: the conservation of the Yamuna River and the heritage of Vrindavan, the birthplace of Bhakti. It is not about raising money, it's about raising awareness and Bhakti to Vrindavan and
the River Yamuna. This event has global participation with many countries and groups that really want to make a statement about this great city and its history. History and understanding make us aware of the interconnected nature of humanity and the divine; it brings us closer to our true nature.
However, we must do something more than simply read the article and move on! Your support is critical. The Yamuna River in Vrindavan has been under attack from multiple contaminations due to Kali Yuga mentality. As devotees and supporters it is our duty to gather and participate with joint efforts that can prevent such actions from even happening!!! We can fulfill that duty by coming together for this event and other efforts for Vrindavan as brothers and sisters of all spiritual schools.
Let us use our voices to send a message loud and clear on this WORLD KIRTAN DAY that the site of Keshi Ghat is sacred and the contamination that destroys the wonderful beauty of the Yamuna River that runs beside it must be stopped. WORLD KIRTAN DAY brings us closer to each other by chanting the mantra of the Yuga Dharma, HARE KRISHNA!!!!
Our prayer is that you gather at your home, invite your friends and have prasadam. Gather at your temples with your sanga. Make it simple or make a big festival!! Either way, together throughout the world, let us make WORLD KIRTAN DAY a great success. We can't do it without you!! You may ask yourself what else you can do to stop the contamination and preserve holy rivers such as the Ganga and Yamuna. We have many programs in Vrindavan listed in the supporters section on the Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance website (bvhalliance.org). Contact any or all of them and ask how you can help! Also, please use the forum or guestbook sections to write to us with your ideas; we are eager to learn about and discuss them!
Links that provide more information about our efforts are listed below. Included in these is a petition we encourage you to sign that seeks UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Vrindavan or Braj Mandal. Remember, each person has a voice; use that voice to help. Don't let this chance go by because there might come a day when you wish that you had made your voice heard. We thank you for your time and efforts. WORLD KIRTAN DAY KI JAI!!!!
YOURS IN THE SERVICE OF all Vrindavan lovers.
Swami Bhakti Parvat Muni
www.worldheritagestatusforvrindavan.org
www.worldprayerand kirtanday.com
Let's go over some history together so you can understand the importance of this location and the need for a WORLD KIRTAN DAY: As stated above, Vrindavan is a town of world acclaim. Its temples and holy places are revered and worshiped by saints and pilgrims from both India and abroad. This holy land is where Krishna had his pastimes with his dear devotees and showered love and devotion upon all. That was 5,000 years ago.
Some 500 years ago, this holy town was worshiped by the most saintly devotees: the personality of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the incarnation of Krishna in this age. He brought with him the remedy for relieving the pains of every day stress that can be caused by a lack of spiritual focus and guidance. By the practice of this remedy, which is known as Bhakti Yoga, or love of Krishna, this town has become a pilgrimage site for devotees of the Lord from around the world.
Vrindavan’s beauty; temples; people and holy Yamuna River all give great satisfaction to pilgrim and devotee visitors to the town. Many of the pilgrims that travel long distances to come here do so simply to take a HOLY BATH in the Yanuna’s waters. It is said that if one gets the opportunity to visit Vrindavan and bathe in the waters of the Yamuna, he or she can realize spiritual concepts and release impurities from the heart that have been deeply embedded there for many lifetimes. Unfortunately, the Yamuna is currently in critical condition. In fact, it is so polluted that the energy and resources institute (TERI) and others have declared it a dead river.
Consequently, the intention of the WORLD KIRTAN DAY is to bring us all closer together as one force to focus on one topic: the conservation of the Yamuna River and the heritage of Vrindavan, the birthplace of Bhakti. It is not about raising money, it's about raising awareness and Bhakti to Vrindavan and
the River Yamuna. This event has global participation with many countries and groups that really want to make a statement about this great city and its history. History and understanding make us aware of the interconnected nature of humanity and the divine; it brings us closer to our true nature.
However, we must do something more than simply read the article and move on! Your support is critical. The Yamuna River in Vrindavan has been under attack from multiple contaminations due to Kali Yuga mentality. As devotees and supporters it is our duty to gather and participate with joint efforts that can prevent such actions from even happening!!! We can fulfill that duty by coming together for this event and other efforts for Vrindavan as brothers and sisters of all spiritual schools.
Let us use our voices to send a message loud and clear on this WORLD KIRTAN DAY that the site of Keshi Ghat is sacred and the contamination that destroys the wonderful beauty of the Yamuna River that runs beside it must be stopped. WORLD KIRTAN DAY brings us closer to each other by chanting the mantra of the Yuga Dharma, HARE KRISHNA!!!!
Our prayer is that you gather at your home, invite your friends and have prasadam. Gather at your temples with your sanga. Make it simple or make a big festival!! Either way, together throughout the world, let us make WORLD KIRTAN DAY a great success. We can't do it without you!! You may ask yourself what else you can do to stop the contamination and preserve holy rivers such as the Ganga and Yamuna. We have many programs in Vrindavan listed in the supporters section on the Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance website (bvhalliance.org). Contact any or all of them and ask how you can help! Also, please use the forum or guestbook sections to write to us with your ideas; we are eager to learn about and discuss them!
Links that provide more information about our efforts are listed below. Included in these is a petition we encourage you to sign that seeks UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Vrindavan or Braj Mandal. Remember, each person has a voice; use that voice to help. Don't let this chance go by because there might come a day when you wish that you had made your voice heard. We thank you for your time and efforts. WORLD KIRTAN DAY KI JAI!!!!
YOURS IN THE SERVICE OF all Vrindavan lovers.
Swami Bhakti Parvat Muni
www.worldheritagestatusforvrindavan.org
www.worldprayerand kirtanday.com
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