Vrindavan
The wondrous land of India has captured the imagination of seekers of truth and beauty the world over. Well before the birth of Greek art and philosophy and the rise of the Roman Empire, which would have a lasting influence on the development of Western civilization, the people of ancient India had already made remarkable achievements in the fields of philosophy, astronomy, medicine, and architecture.
Whereas most civilizations of the Old World have suffered decline, the culture of ancient India has survived with many of its social customs and religious practices intact. The subcontinent forms a living museum of dazzling variety in practically all spheres of life.
““The one land that all men desire to see, and having once seen, by even a glimpse, would not give up that glimpse for all of the shows of the rest of the world combined.”
”
A small town of 5,000 temples, eighty miles southeast of Delhi on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River, Vrindavan is considered one of India’s holiest places of pilgrimage. Vrindavan holds a unique position, for it is said that there heaven descended to Earth in its fullest expression and is the place where Krishna once lived. Pilgrims congregate from far and wide to worship and celebrate the beautiful tradition and wisdom of devotional yoga (bhakti) as practiced in Vrindavan.
Devotees invite all to see Vrindavan not as an unknown place in the faraway land of India, but as a doorway to the eternal land of love and beauty for which the human heart longs.
Vrindavan literally means forest (van) of tulasi (vrinda), the sacred basil plant whose leaves and blossoms are offered to Krishna by his devotees as part of their worship. Other interpretations of the name Vrindavan include “Forest of Devotion” and “Land of Community”.
The area around Vrindavan is called Braja Mandala, “The Circle of Braja,”, with a diameter of approximately 50 miles. Despite its rapidly growing population, Vrindavan still has the feel of a village. In almost every alley one is sure to find an entrance to yet another hidden temple. Vrindavan can be reached by either auto rickshaw or bus from Mathura, which lies seven kilometers downstream the Yamuna on the main train route from Delhi to Agra. Visitors may also take taxis directly from New Delhi to Vrindavan, an approximate two to three hour journey.
