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At the entrance
to Vrindavan Bhaktivedanta Swami Gate welcomes you in... |
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...and the first temple to the left is Krisna Balaram
Mandir.
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It was built in
late 70ties by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as
the Vrindavan center of International Society for Krisna
Consciousness. |
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Temple is
situated in Raman-reti area where Krisna and His brother
Balaram performed Their pastimes. |
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If one faces the entrance than Srila Prabhupada's
samadhi is to the left and his museum is on the right
side.
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There are three
altars in Krisna Balaram Mandir. Gaura-Nitai on the
left, Krisna-Balaram in the middle and Radha-Syamasundar
on the right. |
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Radha-Syamasundar
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Krisna-Balaram
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Gaura-Nitai
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Srila Prabhupada's murti in the temple.
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Temple
Schedule:
4.30 am Temple Mangala Arati
5.00 am Altar Closed
7.15 am Greeting the Deities
7.50 am Srimad Bhagavatam Class
8.30 am Puspa Arati
12.00 pm Noon Arati
12.30 pm Temple Closes
4.30 pm Temple Reopens (Arati)
7.00 pm Sandhya Arati (6.30 winter)
8.30 pm Shayan Arati (8 pm winter)
8.45 pm Temple Closes for Night
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The Deitie's doors are open from 7.15 am to 12.30 pm.
They close for a half-hour to offer food to the
Deities a half-hour before each aratik. The temple is
closed between 12.30 and 4.30 pm (4 pm in the winter).
The temple reopens at 4.30 pm (4 pm in the winter) and
stays open until 8.45 pm (8.15 pm in the winter).
Sandhya arati is at 6.30 pm in the winter.
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Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg is the name of the road coming
from Delhi-Agra crossing at Cattikara - one of the two
main roads to Vrindavan. It is also referred to by its
old name, Cattikara Road.
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Garland's are sold at the temple entrance...
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...as well as many other things. Especially in the
evening this is a very busy place.
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International Guesthouse is right next to the temple.
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Tamal tree at the courtyard in 1992.
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...and in 2003 (newly planted).
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Beautiful paintings on the walls are very similar to
those in Srila Prabhupada's books.
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By the guesthouse entrance are the actual rooms that
Srila Prabhupada lived in while in Vrindavan...
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...The bed that you see is where Srila Prabhupada passed
away in November 1977...
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...In these rooms there are many of the personal items
that he used while in Vrindavan and while traveling
around the world.
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On the backside of the Prabhupada's rooms there is a
small garden with the place where he used to sit -
Prabhupada-bhaitak.
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Srila Prabhupada spend last part of his life in
Vrindavan and he decided to leave his body here.
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After the last parikram around the Vrindavan temples...
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...his transcendental body was...
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...placed with the proper vaisnava rites...
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...into the salt to the ground.
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It is his actual samadhi "deha-samádhi", where his
body was laid to rest after he left this world and returned to
the spiritual world.
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Samadhi Mandir of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada.
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Its construction took many years to finish.
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Murti of Srila
Prabhupada in the samadhi. |
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...outfit during the disappearance day of Srila
Prabhupada in 2004.
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Gurukula
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On our way to mangala-arati at 4 o'clock in the
morning...
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... Be careful!
The cows are across the road! |
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Morning program starts at Samadhi Mandir.
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Arati for Srila Prabhupada...
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...and guruv-astaka.
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Prema-dhvani.
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The morning program continues in the main temple with
Vibhavari-Sesa.
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And all Deities have simple and extremely beautiful
night outfits.
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Sunrise during japa time.
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And Deity greeting...
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...with new outfits.
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Morning class
(Mahaniddhi Swami)
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Vaisnava meeting during Prabhupada's disappearance day
in 1992.
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Puri Maharaja (one of the remaining disciples of
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati) on the visit during
Prabhupada's disappearance in 2004.
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Darsan of the Deities.
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Samadhi at the sunset...
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...and later in the evening.
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Those three pictures of the Deities with the pink
outfits in their enlarged versions are big enough for
printing (Just for those who would like to have Them
on the altar or just on the table).
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Aindra Prabhu during his 24 hours kirtan shift.
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His half an hour before evening arati is one of the best
experiences (Karttik 2004).
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Evening arati...
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...and the gheelamp circulating to all present.
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During Damodarastaka everybody can offer a small
gheelamp.
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Namam-isvaram sad cit ananta rupam...
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VIHE Classes (Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education)
are attended by devotees from all over the world.
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Parikram of Vrindavan's main temples at Prabhupada's
disappearance day in 1992.
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Food for Life - free food distribution at Prabhupada's
museum.
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Mostly widows in white cloths are coming for a leafcup
of kitchari.
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On Ekadasi only bananas are distributed.
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Ekadasi feast (fruit salad) at Janmastami 2004.
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Indian TV had life entries from Krisna Balaram Mandir
during Janmastami 2004. "Other temples did not let us
in with the cameras," the reporter told me.
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Initiation at Prabhupada's samadhi (Karttik 1992).
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Initiation ceremony in the temple courtyard (Karttik
1992).
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Govardhana-puja (1992)
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Govardhan made from halva.
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Go-puja (worshipping of cows) at gosala (1992).
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Gosala (2004)
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Tulasi field on the way.
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Cows supplying milk to Krisna-Balaram.
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Plenty of new ashrams grew recently in near proximity of
Krisna Balaram Mandir.
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One can choose to live very simply...
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...for just a 30, 50 or 100 rupees.
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...or more luxuriously.
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MVT "Mayapur-Vrindavan Trust" is maybe the most
luxurious one...
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It is guarded 24 hours a day...
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...with nice garden.
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MVT restaurant is also a good one...
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Srila Prabhupada used to say that devotees do not miss
anything in Vrindavan - Yamuna is here, Krisna's
monkeys are here, sand of Ramana-reti is here...
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...but Vrindavan is becoming more urbanized in those
days and sand of Ramana-reti is disappearing...
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...but Krisna's monkeys remained.
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