Haribol!
We're in S. Korea @ the airport...thankfully, there's a fast internet connection here, so I'll get the last of our Indian posts up...we have a 5 hour lay-over...
Some of you may be familiar with Ghanashyam Baba. For those of you who aren't, it will be difficult to explain all of his glories in this blog. Here are a tidbits of his exemplary life: He was born the son of a rich Indian family. They all went to Vrindavan on pilgrimage when Ghanashyam was a teenager. He fell in love with Vraj so much that he refused to leave. His parents threatened to cut him off from the family inheritance, but he didn't mind and wouldn't change his mind. The rest of his family went home and he never heard from them again.
Ghanashyam contentedly spent his days worshiping Radha & Krsna in Their playground of Vrindavan dham. He used to sit on the road side, write Radha's name in the dust and worship Her all day. In the evening, he'd brush away the name so no one would step on it. One day, as he was wiping Her name from the ground, his hand hit something hard. He looked and noticed something shiny under the dust. He decided to come back in the cover of night and find out what it was.
When he returned, he began to brush away more of the dirt. The shiny object turned out to be a beautiful golden deity of Radharani! As he dug more, he found Krsna next to Her. Thus, Gopijanavalabha manifested for Ghanashyam prabhu, drawn by his devout love.
HH Radhanatha Swami, when he was on his spiritual quest in the land of Vraj, met Ghanashyam Baba. He shares many pastimes and glories of this amazing Vrajvasi in his book, The Journey Home. In summary of the character of Ghanashyama Baba, he really lived as a servant of the servant of the servant. He never, ever left the care of his Deities. Even in his old age, he would devoutly worship Them with so much love. He had nothing except for the service of Radha-Gopijanavalabha and he was so so happy.
These are the beloved Deities of Ghanashyam Baba, Sri Sri Radha-Gopijanavalabha...
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| Ghanashyam's picture is the black and white photo under and to the right of the Deities. |
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| There isn't even a sign in English to find this temple. Thankfully, HHRNS has spoken of Ghanashyam many times and we had directions from a godsister. Actually, we wanted to visit Them in 2007, the last time we were in Vraj. That's when we got the directions...I saved them and brought them with us this time because we weren't able to make the pilgrimage previously. Thankfully, Sri Sri Radha-Gopijanavalbha brought us to Them this time. |
Sri Sri Radha-Gopinatha
one of the Deities installed by Vajranabha, Lord Krsna's great-grandson
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| when we came into the temple room, these little old Vrajvasi ladies were banging away on these instruments for arotik |
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| temple room |
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temple courtyard |
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| the old temple room, used prior to the invasion and desecration of the temple |
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| backyard with Madan-Mohan in the background |
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| we were exploring all the stone stairways half hidden around the temple...they usually ended in locked doors or living spaces or roofs |
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| a Vraj cow |
4 comments:
Hare Krishna.
pamho. AGTSP.
Thanks for sharing the photos Sri Sri Radha Gopijanavallabha and Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Deities. While seeing the photos, I remembered the pastimes of Sri Ghanasyam das babaji... about the blanket that he would put on Maharaj and then Maharaj would would give it back in the midst of the freezing cold in the night, and both of these great personalities wanted to just remain in the humble mood of service and offer the blanket to each other instead of taking it for themselves. Also, we recollected how Ghanashyam das babaji would cry and give all the prasadam to Maharaj and would not eat because he wanted the guest of Sri Sri Gopijanavallabah to be fed nicely...and Maharaj wanted babaji to have the Mahaprasadam....."The Journey Home" is truly an amazing book that takes our consciousness to the heights of devotional service, just in simple words.All glories to the Vaisnavas. All glories to the Supreme Lord !!
Your servants,
Rohinikishor das, Shyamaraas dasi, Hari Bhakti dasi and Radhika Priya
Hare Krishna.
pamho. AGTSP.
Thanks for this posting. It took us into the wonderful pastimes of the great Vrajvasi Vaisnava babji, Sriman Ghanashyam das babaji Maharaj for whom the Supreme Lord decided to manifest as Sri Sri Radha Gopijanavallabha deities. Babaji's great love for Vrindaban, determination and sincerity to serve the Lordships and humbly do bhajana with such a simplicity of heart is indeed very inspiring to read in "The Journey Home". I am touched to see these photos.
We pray to the lotus feet of such exalted Vaisnavas to give us a drop from the ocean of merci of love of Godhead so that we can please Sri Sri Radha Krishna in this lifetime through execution of pure devotional service.
Your servants,
Rohinikishor das and family
Haribol!!!! Can you please let me know directions to Sri Radha Gopijan Vallabh temple. I will be grateful to you. Sushant
प्रकट श्री राधा गोपीजन वल्लभ लाल जी श्री
द्वारकेशवर आश्रम कैमार वन ज्ञान बाग़ मोती झील वृन्दावन जिला मथुरा राज्य उत्तर प्रदेश भारत में विराजमान हैं। इन के संग सत सति बाबा सिमरन दास जी महाराज एवम् सत सति बाबा द्वारका दास जी महाराज भी विराजमान हैं।
उपरोक्त आश्रम का संचालक, संस्थापक -
गोस्वामी द्वारका दास सेवक समाज ट्रस्ट दिल्ली है।
उपरोक्त आश्रम का मन्दिर तथा समस्त चल तथा
अचल का स्वामित्व, अधिकार, उपरोक्त ट्रस्ट के
आधिन है।
अधिक जानकारी हेतु केवल उपरोक्त ट्रस्ट के
पदाधिकारियों से ही सम्पर्क करें।
जय जय श्री राधे श्याम जी।
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