Chrystal Anniversary - Chapter 1
By
Murali Murthy
As we live along, going through the life drills, we sometimes do not realize how time flies.
As me and Preeti complete 15 years of our life together, we are continuing the trend to celebrate the wedding anniversary at newer destination each year.
Due to some minor situation at home, we couldn't go ahead with our extravagant plans to celebrate this milestone year, and chose another place in our bucket list - Vrindavan and Mathura.
Despite many suggesting 2 days at Vrindavan & Mathura is too much and a day visit from Delhi was enough, but I knew what I wanted from this visit, so planned a 2 full days.
Set off to Delhi on a early morning flight, and drove to Vrindavan straight from Delhi Airport, which is a 3 hours drive.
The highway filled with Dhabhas serving some authentic, yummy North Indian food.
Neena (Mini and Jone Hospitality) had chosen beautiful Hotel for us, and assigned a very humble and nice Driver for our entire 6 days trip.
We checked into Nidhivan Sarovar Portico hotel and rested till evening.
To maneuver on the narrow and congested lanes of Vrindavan, our driver recommended to take a eRickshaw to visit places.
The city is filled with 1000s of these sleek eRikshaws.
I infact wanted to name the blog "Horny Vrindavan"...People honk endlessly here. It's maddening and chaotic, as every single vehicle user has a finger on the Horn all the time.
Apart from this one irritant, people are nice, humble and innocent. Though there are touts at all temples, they do not pester or force.
Evening was well spent at Keshi Ghat, a peaceful place to sit and consume the life of the locals along the Ghats. Many small, private groups performing Yamuna puja and Aarthi.
It is believed that lord Krishna killed Demon Keshi (sent by his uncle Kansa) here and cleansed himself in the river.
We then visited Prem Mandir, a beautiful temple dedicated to Radha Krishna and Sita Ram.
Despite being a weekday, the temple was extremely crowded. It became suffocating after few minutes and Preeti just could not take it anymore, we decided to skip the visit and headed straight to the Hotel.
Next day morning, on the D Day, Neena had arranged a surprise for us.
After finishing a tasty breakfast at the hotel, we headed out again on a eRickshaw to the main temple at Vrindavan - Banke Bihari Temple, where the deity is in the combined form of Radha and Krishna. A very pious temple, with lakhs of devotees chanting "Radhe Radhe" and pushing along to have the lord's darshan.
Preeti was better prepared today to grove along the crowd.
After starting this important day taking blessing from Radha Krishna, we headed towards a much peaceful, cleaner and more civilized crowd at Iskcon.
Wow, it's an intimate, intuitive experience. The vibrations at this temple can be felt. As one stares at the beautifully decorated idols of Radha Krishna and Krishna Balarama, with constant chants in the background, it just takes you to another plane. One can spend hours here, feeling devotion and bhakthi in the air.
The second half of the D Day was in Mathura.
If you are a Krishna lover, imagine the feeling, vibrations you will get if you can touch the exact place where Krishna was born! Krishna Janmasthan was indeed Goosebumps moment for us. We had a moment with the lord at the place. Wow, just unexplainable experience.
Since it's a communally sensitive site, there is heavy security in the entire complex. No electronic gadgets, Phones are allowed inside, couldn't take any Photo.
After a brief stop at Dwarkadish Temple, the final destination of the D Day was Vishram Ghat. It is believed Krishna took rest here after killing Kansa.
It was a much awaited moment for me to witness Yamuna Aarthi.
We took a Boat ride from Kans Qila, and waited in the middle of the river for the Aarthi to start.
Witnessing Yamuna Aarthi, touching the place of Krishna's birth, roaming on the streets where Krishna roamed 5000 years ago, are all incomprehensible, enigmatic and exotic experiences, and no amount of words can do justice of what we felt there.
It is a once in a lifetime experience. Not sure many can venture such a trip, especially for us city-bred.
The twin cities seem to be stuck in time. It's bit difficult for us, especially South Indians to digest the unhygienic, filthy and dirty environment.
People do not want to progress and are comfortable being stuck in time here.
The differences between North Indian and South Indian approach to life, discipline was loud. Even the expression of devotion was limited to Bhajans and Chants, with no importance to Madi, Mailige, Manthra, Sthothra, Vedic chants and so on.
We see equivalent crowd in Tirupati, Mantralayam, Udupi and similar places, but the crowd management, policing is in sane levels.
It is indeed an adventure, and proud that we could do this trip. I personally enjoyed consuming the vibes of the place, travelling in those unimaginably narrow lanes.
Radhe Radhe!
Chapter 2 - Delhi!
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