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Trulys in Vrindavan
Srila Prabhupada had said to his disciples, that they should help to clean up in Vrindavan, restore the old temples and establish a glorious adoration of the Deities.

By Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti
Translation: Manahsiksa Devi Dasi
December 13, 2002
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In 1967, when Srila Prabhupada returned from the West to Vrindavan for the first time, the chairman of Vrindavan received him and his disciples with all honour in his dwelling in the Gandhi park in the very centre of Vrindavan. Later, after some time, they named the road that enter to Vrindavan, and that also was known as Catikara Road, the Bhaktivedanta Swami Road, in honour to this great ambassador of Vrindavan in this world.

They also constructed an arcade at the same entrance to Vrindavan, called the Bhaktivedanta Gate. As the time passed, Vrindavan saw many temples come, luxury buildings came up, especially in the Raman Reti area, where Srila Prabhupada established the Krishna-Balaram Mandir. The increasing amount of visitors to Vrindavan, and the lack of a sanitary system to take care of the increasing of garbage and black water, put the authorities of Vrindavan in difficulties, especially for the bad handling of the plastic that in the time of Srila Prabhupada not even had come to Vrindavan, and that caused many disasters on the environment.

Srila Prabhupada had said to his disciples, that they should help to clean up in Vrindavan, restore the old temples and establish a glorious adoration of the Deities. In this spirit, the VRINDA family, founded by Srila Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Swami, disciple of Srila Prabhupada, realised several efforts to acquire old temples and restore them to their original beauty. This is one of the activities of the VRINDA mission in Vrindavan, like leading the activities for consciousness for the care of the environment.

Considering that kings from different parts in India and the neighbour countries financed the glorious past of Vrindavan, so when finishing with the monarch system, the beautiful architectonic jewels lost their revenues for their maintenance. In 2002 the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), invited the representatives from the holy places in India, to consolidate as eco-cities and they offered financial support for those who could present a feasible way and were capable to develop the project and fight against the disasters that were caused to the environment.

The responsible of the project of the Vrindavan municipality, Mr. Gupta, who knew Sripad Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Maharaj, who is the coordinator of the committee for preservation of Vrindavan in part of WVA (World Vaishnava Association). Mr. Gupta was brought to Vrinda Kunja to learn about the work done by VRINDA, and to know its founder.

In the conversations with the founder of the VRINDA mission, Mr Gupta expressed his desire to make an amusement park in the centre of the city, like a part of the eco-city project. Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti showed him examples of the village ashrams of VRINDA in the world, where it is about creating small Vrindavans, focused in the art that represents the beauty of the lilas of Krishna and His teachings. Inspired by these examples, especially by the Eco-Truly Ashram in Peru, arose the idea of making a park of the lilas of Krishna and a restoration without precedent of the historical lake Brahma Kunda, as part of the eco-city project. In Brahma Kunda, the deity of Vrinda Devi was found by Srila Rupa Goswami, and is the only central lake in Vrindavan, that does for bath for pilgrims. The little temple of Lord Brahma had already fallen into pieces by negligence, and Brahma Kunda was found in complete stage of being abandoned. Mr Gupta was very enthusiastic and brought the Chariman of Vrindavan together with some advisers so they all could see the photos of the project in Peru and listen to the ideas that Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti had in this respect.

It was all an arrangement by Srimati Radhika. The following day there was a reunion in New Delhi to present the project Eco-city on part of all holy cities of India, and the Chairman of Vrindavan asked Swamin B.A. Paramadvaiti to come with him to present the project for the directive group. In less than twenty four hours, a multimedia presentation was prepared with drawings to transmit the idea of what could be done. The last drawing of Brahma Kunda inclusive, was prepared in the car on the way from Vrindavan to Delhi.

With the computer from VRINDA, all this material was prepared and presented. The focus consisted in that Krishna is the Original Ecologist and Supreme. Well, when the river Yamuna was contaminated by the poison of the snake Kaliya, to the point that not even a bird could fly over its water without falling dead to the ground, because of the poisoned gases emanating from the water. Krishna, yet a child, jumped into the water of Yamuna and challenged the snake Kaliya, and then He hit him with the dance of His divine feet in its multiple heads, and then he expelled him not only from Yamuna, but from India, sending him to the Fiji Islands, and purified the river Yamuna.

It was obvious and recognized by all, that the presentation of Vrindavan was the best of all presentations, and they accorded the start of the Eco-city project for Vrindavan with a support of 200.000 dollars.

A part of the requests to approve the financial support to the project, was the formation of a work group for the project Eco-city, including private sectors in develop. The formation of a similar group had failed many times in the past. Despite of that, VRINDA was always the vanguard, participating in all tries, with D.M (District Magistral) as well as with the representative form the state of Uttar Pradesh of Luknow.

The reunion in Delhi were present the Chairmen or their representatives from Vrindavan, Mathura, Hrisikes, Jagannath Puri, Tirupati and many more. The Chariman of Vrindavan and his group went very happy from the reunion, just like Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti, to having been able to present his spiritual master and Srimati Radharani with this service.

For this project, all interested vaishnavas are invited, especially artists and those who are interested in improving the environment, to offer their active or financial contribution to realize this dream, in order to make Vrindavan an ecological place. Obviously the initial founds is not much for making a project of such magnitude, but by showing a beautiful result, surely one can obtain more support. And with the help from the private sector, especially in relation with the management of the garbage and to not contaminate the atmosphere with excessive sounds, one can serve the glory of Sri Vrindavan Dham.

The first chosen ecological zone begins in Cir Ghat in Yamuna, and down towards the municipality and Krishna lila Park, and extends beyond Jñanbudabe. Vrinda Kunja, the principal temple of the VRINDA mission in Vrindavan, is situated in the heart of Vrindavan Eco-city, as well as Radha Mahadev, Lala Babu, Jagannath Gath, and other important places, as it is the oldest zone of Vrindavan.

Photo credit: Panca Tattwa Das - Prakasananda Das
Copyright 2003 VNS. This material may be published or redistributed.
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