Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Sorry for the long silence. We were experiencing great difficulty
to get on line and we were busy with Mathura Ratha Yatra one day,
and also Prabhupada's Disappearence Day Festival, etc.
There have been a lot of festivities like ISKCON Vrndavana
sponsored Ratha Yatra in Mathura. There were over 2000
ISKCON devotees and congregation took part including many
of our Vraja Mandala Parikrama devotees. The next day was
Prabhupada's disappearence festival which had the biggest
attendence ever including 750 devotees mainly brought from
Bombay and other parts of India by H.H. Radhanatha
Maharaja to perform an 8 day Vraja Mandala Parikrama.
We stopped Parikrama and we bused all the parikrama
devotees to participate. On the the way to Krishna Balarama
temple, Parikrama devotees visited Khadirvana where we
visited Lokanath Goswami's Bajan Kutir. This is the forest
where Bakasura, the dear brother of Putana was killed.
Of course, just before Mathura Ratha Yatra and Prabhupada's
Festival, the Parikrama party celebrated the Govardhana Puja
festival in Varsana. The party was situated in a big Dharamsalla
with a large courtyard. This day, also being the Go puja day,
we worshipped the cow. A Varsana farmer personally brought
the cow and calf over to our Dharamsalla. Bhadra prabhu offered
a full arotika to the cow, while devotees were decorating the
cow, with pink hand prints. Soon, the whole body, from nose to
tail had handprints from all the Parikrama devotees including
children's small handprints. All the devotees fed her gaur and
bananas. As we started circumambulating the cow, the calf of
the cow rushed to the cow's udder and started greedily sucking
at her nipples to get the milk. At that, a big roar of "Go Mata ki
jaya!!!" went up as all the devotees glorified her. At noon, while
devotees were giving the final touches to the hill and cow dung
Krishna, our Kirtan Party sat down and led some beautiful and
melodies Kirtans. Shyamakunda, Radhakunda, Girigovardhaaaaaaaana, etc.
One of the parikrama devotees had a Govardhana Sila so all the
men and women lined up on either side of the Sila and we had a
maha abiseka of the Sila. Then I spoke about the glories of
Govardhana Hill. In the midst of shouts of "Giriraja Maharaja
ki jaya!", the curtain was drawn aside to reveal a splendid
Govardhana Hill made of Hallava and giving the same shape
and proportions as the actual Govardhana Hill. Complete with
parikrama path, Shyamakunda, Radhakunda, Manasi Ganga,
Apsara Kund, Govinda Kunda filled with different color waters
and beverages in different kundas. There were trees, peacocks,
monkeys and cows all over the top of the hill. Devotees had
just gone on parikrama a week before at Govardhana, so keeping
all the details in mind, they tried to depict all the features.
There was a big labor of love to build this Govardhana Hill.
Devotees were circumambuting and taking a close look at the features.
Some said that this was the best Govardhana Hill that they had ever
seen. There was a full arotik offered and kirtan. There was the
circumambulation. There is a tradition of making Krishna out of
cow dung. For the past 10 years or so, our Parikrama ladies had
perfected the art of making a very sweet Krishna with yellow
garments and flute and peacock feather, and other ornaments.
They lay him on a hard cardboard base or foundation for support.
Then they prop Him up and it appears that Krishna is lifting the
whole hill witht the little finger of His left hand. Then we enjoyed
a sumptuous feast. Parasurama's team loaded the cart with the
Govardhana Hill Halava. Then with the kirtan party, he went
through the streets of Varshana spreading Govardhan's mercy
and people appreciated it and spontainiously and with great
satisfaction loudly cried "Govardhana ki jaya! Govardhana ki jaya!"
In the evening, after Damodhara Astikam, we had a Govardhana
Lila Drama directed by Hanumat Prasak Maharaja. Hari Sauri was
Indra. Bhadra was Nanda Maharaja, and his own son, Visvambara
played the role of Krishna. One of the devotees' dome camping tents
was the hill. This was lifted and held by our Krishna as Govardhana hill.
The finale of the day was a firework display (it was also Diwali Day).
Always hoping to remain your servant,

Lokanath Swami