On Shri Krishna Janmashtami, the devotion in every particle of Shri Vrindavan Dham is at its peak. Although the festival of Janmashtami is celebrated all over the country as well as abroad, when it comes to Vrindavan, the ocean of devotion to Shri Krishna overflows here. The number of devotees from the country and abroad is increasing every moment. In the streets of Vrindavan, the voice of Radhe-Radhe rising from the hearts of children, youth and elders is taking the form of a sound. In the preparations for Kanha's birth anniversary, the dust, flags, and winds of Vrindavan are giving new heights to the devotion of Lord Shri Krishna every day. We are introducing you to the birthplace of Kanha and the grandeur of the temples here.
Banke Bihariji: Mangala Aarti is performed once a year so that there is no hindrance in the Raasleela. The religious city of Vrindavan and Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple are synonymous with each other. The most special thing is that Mangala Aarti (Aarti performed after 4 am) is mandatory in every temple, but Mangala Aarti is performed only once a year in Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple, that too on Shri Krishna Janmashtami. According to Shrinath Goswami, spokesperson of Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple, Mangala Aarti was performed here till five decades ago, but his ancestors decided that the Lord has appeared based on music and Lord Krishna regularly performs Raas with Radha Rani and Sakhis in Nidhi Van. In such a situation, due to Mangala Aarti, the Lord has trouble leaving the Raas Leela and coming to the temple in the middle. That is why the Mangala Aarti performed every day in the temple was stopped.
Spokesperson Goswami said that Swami Haridasji of Shri Vishnu Swami sect (Sakhi) experienced this image of Lord Krishna in Nidhi Van. Swami Haridasji, who was a dedicated devotee of Lord Krishna and the Guru of Tansen and Baiju Bawra, revealed his idol based on musical notes. A grand temple was built in the year 1860. Swami Haridasji of the Nimbarka sect adopted music in the path of devotion and attained God. After this, the followers of Swami Haridasji rebuilt the Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple in the year 1921. Currently, the 18th, 19th, and 20th generations of the family members are serving here as per the family tradition.
Banke Bihari and Nidhi Van complement each other
According to the spokesperson of Banke Bihari Ji temple, the effect of modernity is visible in the entire Vrindavan, but only Nidhi Van is in its original form, which used to be there five and a half thousand years ago in the Dwapar era. This is a very sacred and mysterious religious place. It is believed that Lord Krishna and Radha Rani still perform Raas after midnight in Nidhi Van. The creepers and leaves here also take the form of gopis and participate in the Maharas. After the Raas, the Lord sleeps in the Rang Mahal situated in the Nidhi Van premises. Even today, Prasad (Makhan Mishri) is kept in the Rang Mahal every day, which is found scattered every morning.
Creepers and leaves awaken as gopis during the Maharas
The height of the creepers and leaves present in the Nidhi Van is only four to four and a half feet. The belief behind this is that when Lord Krishna and Radharani perform the Maharas here, these creepers and leaves awaken as gopis. Their height is smaller than that of the huge trees because they completely immerse themselves in the dust particles flying from the Lord's feet.
Now let's go to Kanha's birthplace...
Even today, outside the prison of Mathura, located just nine km from Vrindavan, effigies of Kansa can be seen standing as gatekeepers, and soldiers deployed for tight security at the main entrance can be seen thoroughly checking every devotee. Carrying all types of electronic devices, mobiles, and cameras to the birthplace is prohibited. Therefore, there is a facility of private lockers just outside the entrance, where devotees can keep all their devices safe by paying a fee of just two rupees per piece.
The fatigue and other obstacles after the parikrama in front of the wave of curiosity and devotion of the devotees reaching the birthplace of Shri Krishna encourage them even more. Their steps automatically move towards that cell of the prison, where Lord Krishna was born as the eighth child of mother Devaki and father Vasudev at noon in the night in the Rohini constellation on the Ashtami date of Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month.
Janmotsav is celebrated during the day so that the child form of Kanha does not get hurt. The ancient Shri Radha Damodar temple located at 84 Khamma Gokul in Vrindavan has special significance because here Janmashtami is not celebrated at night but between 10 am to 12:30 pm. The argument is that the child form of Shri Krishna is in the temple and he would get hurt if the festival is celebrated by waking him up at night. On Janmashtami, Nandotsav is celebrated here by doing a supernatural decoration of the Lord for two days. There is a special tableau of Chhappanbhoga along with congratulatory songs.
Krishna Goswami, the head servant of Shri Radha-Damodara temple, while telling the incident of naming Kanha as Damodar, said that when mother Yashoda was churning curd, Kanha reached there and started insisting on eating butter. When their mother refused, naughty Kanha showed his tricks and stole butter by diverting his mother's attention. When Mother returned, neither butter nor Kanha was found. When their mother searched, he was seen eating butter secretly with his friends and monkeys. Angry mother caught him and tried to tie him to the mortar, but every time the rope kept getting shorter. Finally, to keep Mother happy, Kanha himself got tied to the mortar. Due to the rope tied around his stomach, he was also called Damodar.
On Magh Shukla Dashmi of Samvat 1599, Shrirup Goswami of the Shri Gaudayavaishnav sect, which was founded by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji, established the idols of Radha-Damodaraji and handed over the responsibility of service to Jeev Goswami. The idol of Shri Radha Chail Chikaniyanji, served by Shrikrishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, is also present in the temple.
Four circumambulations equal Govardhan circumambulation
According to Pradhan Sevak Goswami, there is a legend that Sanatan Goswami used to circumambulate Giriraj daily. Seeing his inability in old age, God appeared in the form of a child and gave him a black colored Giriraj stone, one and a half feet long, Banyan leaf-shaped. On it, along with the footprints of God, there is also the mark of a cow's hoof. God ordered Goswamiji to circumambulate this rock instead of Giriraj mountain. After Goswamiji departed for heaven, the stone was installed in this temple, and since then the tradition of devotees doing four parikramas of the temple started. It is said that by doing four parikramas of less than a kilometer, devotees earn the merit of a seven kos (25 km) long parikrama of Govardhan.
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