Where has My Mumbai disappeared

In this concrete jungle I search for my Mumbai

In this concrete jungle I search for that rainbow which was my Mumbai ;

Every time I am sad and depressed about the downfall of my city I make a plan on moving out; But how do I do this; I am Mumbai and Mumbai is me..

Where else will I feel at home?

Though my city has become a hole I continue to live here as leaving this home would mean leaving my entire life and memories behind .. I am addicted

In this concrete jungle I search for my Mumbai

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MUMBAI .. the city that once was the pride of our nation is now just a shadow which waits for death as the darkness engulfs .. what have we done to the once beautiful and green city. It took just 25/30 years to destroy that which was looked upon as a dream city

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Mumbai has become a nightmare. Having spent 54 out of my 62 years in this city I see and watch with despair the deterioration in every aspect of living..

too many people jammed in the kilometre.

Quality of air, water, food is at an ultimate low

Roads are a nightmare .. again too many cars.. too many two wheelers .. too many people jay walking

Footpaths taken over by the hawkers..roads encroached with parking cars or buses or tempos

Construction material lying around after completion of a job

No one, absolutely no one to safe guard the citizens rights; they who pay all taxes on time, and maintain every aspect of civic sense

The elected government just does not care.. the #BMC has been super negligent in their jobs

#shivsena who make several promises overlook and forget once elected in power

No parks left to have a quiet walk .. what happened?

My childhood was spent literally walking to school through green fields .. Drinking water directly from the municipal taps at school and in gardens was the done thing

TOO MUCH ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION.. too much migration of people looking for livelihoods.. development of illegal slums .. the list of destructions is endless 😠

Mumbai is the planets second most densely populated city with 31,700 people per square kilometre, as per UN habitat data

Sunrise on Giriraj Parvat

Shri Giriraj Govardhan Parvat-Vraj Mandal Jai ShreeNathji-Jai Shree RadhaKrishn

१५-०१-२०१९ का ये छोटा सा विडीओ आप के लिए 🙏

यूँ लगता है सूर्य देव बादल के माध्यम से गिरिराज जी को नमन कर रहे हैं

सुबह का यह दृश्य आलोकिक है, कुछ पल के लिए गिरिराज जी सूर्य की इस अद्भुत लालिमा में डूब जाते हैं।

चाहती तो हूँ की समय यहीं पर कुछ समय रूक जाए और यह दिव्य नज़ारा हम निहारते रहें।

किंतु प्रकृति तो किसी के लिए इंतज़ार नहीं करती, और देखते ही देखते २-५ मिनट में यह लालिमा पूर्ण हो जाती है।

Video clip shot early morning on iPhone xs

#iPhonephotography #vrajmandal #girirajgovardhan #redsunrise

Jai Ho 🙏

Giriraj Govardhan at Vraj Mandal:

Importance of Chaturmaas:(Four Monsoon months)

Giriraj Govardhan at Vraj Mandal:
बारिश का मौसम गिरिराज जी को मन मोहक बना देता है।

Importance of Chaturmaas, in ShreeNathji Yatra from Shri Govardhan to Shri Nathdwara in 1672 AD

..The journey to Mewar, as desired by Thakurjee, began in 1669 AD, on Asadh Sud Punam on Friday, during the last 3 hours of the night. ShreeNathji with all His sevaks arrived in Sinhad (Nathdwara) in 1672 AD, on Falgun Vad Satam on Saturday.

Since He began travel from Giriraj to Nathdwara, ShreeNathji spent three Chaturmaas on the way.

The first Chaturmaas was spent at Krishnpur in Dandoti Ghat, near the Chambal river.

The second Chaturmaas was in Krishnbilaas at Kota. (He halted here for four months).

The third Chaturmaas was spent in Chapaseni at Jodhpur. He also celebrated an Annakut here. Halt here was roughly for five months.

The fourth Chaturmaas ShreeNathji was at His mandir in Mewar.

For 2 years, 4 months and 7 days that ShreeNathji travelled from Vraj to Mewar, He spent living in His Rath.

The places blessed by Him along the way were, Hindmultan, Dandotighat, Bundi, Kota, Dhundhar, Marwad, Baanswaro, Dungarpur, Shahpura.

Neel Gai on Girirajji
Monsoon magic

🙏 Jai ShreeNathji
Jai Girirajji Govardhan

Complete story is on our website: http://www.shreenathjibhakti.org

Neel Gai on Girirajji 
Monsoon magic

Giriraj Govardhan-Tongue at Radha\Shyam Kund

ShreeNathji, Shree Giriraj Govardhan

जीवहा मंदिर, राधा कुंड पर: Jihva (Shri Giriraj tongue) mandir at Radha Kund

राधा कुंड के इस मंदिर को गिरिराज जी की जीवहा (जीब, tongue)मानते हैं।

यह शिला जो आप देख रहे हैं, गिरिराज जी की पवित्र शिला है।

इसके पीछे एक वार्ता है:

‘श्री रघुनाथ दास स्वामी को एक कुआँ खोदना था, तो उन्होंने काम चालू करवाया। मज़दूर जब खुदाई कर रहे थे, उनका औज़ार एक शिला पर लगा जिस के कारण उस शिला से ख़ून बहने लगा।

खुदाई तुरंत बंद कर दी गई।

उसी रात स्वप्न में श्री कृष्ण ने श्री रघुनाथ स्वामी को बताया, “मैं गोवर्धन से अलग नहीं हूँ, यह शिला गिरिराज की जीभ है, उसे निकाल कर मंदिर में बिठाओ और पूजन शुरू करो।

राधा कुंड के जल से सेवा करो”।

यह वही प्राचीन मंदिर है; गिरिराज जी की हर शिला पवित्र और दिव्य है।

गिरिराज महाराज की जय हो!

श्रीनाथजी ठाकुरजी की जय

श्री राधा कृष्ण की जय

Indr Sarovar-Udaipur

Sacred Lotus Pond – Kamal Kunj at sacred Indr Sarovar, #Eklingi, Udaipur; Near Nathdwara.

Lotus from here are used for ShreeNathji Shringar at Nathdwara mandir. #ShreeNathji Thakureje normally wears Kamal on His waist, the number depending o the type of Shringar on that particular day.

An album of 34 photos from this day; at sacred Indr Sarovar, month of June.

#Indrsarovar #ShreeNathji #Nathdwara #Eklingjimandir

 

ShreeNathji wearing four Lotus

 

Vrinda Devi at Vrinda Kund, Gupt Kund at Vraj Mandal

Vrinda Devi, Vrinda Kund and Gupt at Vraj Mandal

Vrinda Devi is an expansion of ShreeRadha; and is Tulsi Devi in Golok. Purnamasi is Vrinda Devi’s guru. Shree Vrinda Devi stays at Vrinda Kund and from here she arranges all meetings of Shree RadhaKrishn.

Vrinda Kund at Vraj Mandal

Next to Vrinda Kund is the Gupt Kund,  where Shree Radha secretly meets Shree Krishn.

नंदगांव से पश्चिम दिशा में ठीक ऐक मील दूरी पर श्री वृन्दा जी बिराजती हैं । श्री वृन्दा कुंड अति पावन और अति सुरम्य स्थल है ।यहां दो कुंड है। श्री गुप्त कुंड और श्री वृन्दा कुंड । श्री गुप्त कुंड योगपीठ स्थली है। योग (मिलन) पीठ (स्थान) यानि राधा कृष्ण मिलन स्थान ।

Gupt Kund at Vrinda Kund-Shree RadhaKrishn Yog Peeth

वृज में श्रीराधा कृष्ण की अष्ट कालीन लीलाऐं आज भी होती हैं । कहा जाता है इन अष्ट कालीन लीलाओं का समय निधाॅरित है।सर्व प्रथम गुप्त कुंड पर प्रातः कालीन लीला अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से यहां होती है।इसी कारण इस योग पीठ स्थली का नाम गुप्त कुंड है। अति शुद्ध और दिव्य भक्तों को लीला समझ आती हैं ।

Shree Vrinda Devi darshans at Vrinda Kund

Shree Vrinda Devi

Vrinda Devi mandir at Vrinda\Gupt Kund 

Few glimpses of our visit and satsang here.Thakurjee ShreeNathji is Present with us today and has enjoyed the serenity and silence of this place. Its a very special day and blessings and kripa are there for all those present today

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Beautiful Vrinda Kund at Vrinda Devi mandir

Vrinda Kund at Vrinda Devi mandir,Vraj Mandal

Vrinda Devi mandir-The koyal who waits to steal the prasad from the mandir as soon as it is offered

Vrinda Kund at Vrinda Devi mandir,Vraj Mandal

There is an ancient Shree RadhaKrishn murti here, carved out of stone, that is said to have been established by Raja Vajranabh, the great grandson of Shree Krishn. This murti has been desecrated by the Muslims, so worship is no longer done to this murti. Every Monday the local villagers come and pour milk over this murti of Shree RadhaKrishn are kept in a small kuti for darshans, adjacent to the mandir under a chokar tree

The disfigured ancient murtis at Vrinda Kund

Vrinda Devi mandir-The small Kuti under the Chokar tree where the ancient murtis are kept

The disfigured deities murti under the chokar tree had been worshiped as Shree Vrinda Devi for a very long time before Baba Madhava’s arrival. According to the villagers, some thieves had come fifty years before, stolen the sculpture and stored it near Charan Pahari, along with some other stolen sculptures. But when they brought a small truck to carry them away one night, even six or seven of them together could not lift the sculpture of Vrinda Devi. So they left it there. In the morning one villager saw the murti lying by the side of the hill and carried it back to Vrinda Kund(Story as told to us by the family who owns the place)

The fog was very deep as we entered Vrinda Kund

The family who owns this divine Vrinda Kund and Vrinda Devi mandir, are very hospitable and cook excellent sattwik meals if told in advance. The father has seven sons and all the family is involved in seva of the Vrinda Devi mandir and Kund. We had breakfast and lunch at the mandir freshly cooked and served outdoors.

Vrinda kund-Divine anubhuties @ Vrinda Kund

@ Vrinda Kund has been in the memory of all the participants lucky enough to be there that day

Prasad at Vrinda Kund

A Tulsi kyara at Vrinda Kund

Madhav Baba managed to get a Government grant to help him excavate the two sacred kunds; Vrinda Kund and Gupt Kund. Madhav Baba built a small temple and installed a Deity of Vrinda-devi on Jahnava Mata’s Appearance Day in the early 1980s

Madhav Baba

Vrinda Kund-Amid the dense fog is a surreal experience

Vrinda Kund-Presence of ShreeNathji Thakurjee is very strong with us-Satsang in the misty weather

Divine Vrinda Devi mandir at Vrinda Kund

Paradise in the mist @ Vrinda Devi mandir

Vrinda\Gupt Kund-A Koel which is native to all of Vraj. I see it every time I am here

Vrinda Kund-Owl like birds has a full family living on the ancient Chokar tree

View of Nandgaon mandir from Vrinda Kund

Darshans at Nandgaon mandir

 

Two video explaining details of the mahima of Shri Vrinda Devi, as told by the mahant of the mandir

Glimpses of darshans on various days. Photos sent to me by the mahant who does seva regularly

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Jai ShreeNathji Thakurjee

Jai Shree RadhaKrishn

Vraj Mandal-Vishram Ghat

Sandhya arti darshans at Vishram Ghat:

Vishram Ghat is the place where Shree Krishn rested after killing His mama Kans.

 

 

Visharam Ghat, Mathura, द्वारका दीश मंदिर से 30 मीटर की दूरी पर, नया बाज़ार में स्थित है। यह मथुरा के 25 घाटों में से एक प्रमुख घाट है। विश्राम घाट के उत्तर में 12 और दक्षिण में 12 घाट है। यहाँ अनेक सन्तों ने तपस्या की एवं अपना विश्राम स्थल बनाया। विश्राम घाट पर यमुना महारानी का अति सुंदर मंदिर स्थित है। यमुना महारानी जी की आरती विश्राम घाट से ही की जाती है। विश्राम घाट पर संध्या का समय और भी आध्यात्मिक होता है।

धार्मिक मान्यता

भगवान श्री कृष्ण ने कंस का वध कर इस स्थान पर विश्राम किया था इसलिये यहाँ की महिमा अपरम्पार है। कहा जाता है कि भगवान श्रीकृष्ण ने महाबलशाली कंस को मारकर ध्रुव घाट पर उसकी अन्त्येष्टि संस्कार करवाकर बन्धु−बान्धवों के साथ यमुना के इस पवित्र घाट पर स्नान कर विश्राम किया था। श्रीकृष्ण की नरलीला में ऐसा सम्भव है; परन्तु सर्वशक्तियों से सम्पन्न सच्चिदानन्द स्वयं भगवान श्रीकृष्ण को विश्राम की आवश्यकता नहीं होती है। किन्तु भगवान से भूले–भटके जन्म मृत्यु के अनन्त, अथाह सागर में डूबते–उबरते हुए क्लान्त जीवों के लिए यह आवश्यक ही विश्राम का स्थान है।

सौर पुराण के अनुसार विश्रान्ति तीर्थ नामकरण का कारण बतलाया गया है−

ततो विश्रान्ति तीर्थाख्यं तीर्थमहो विनाशनम्।

संसारमरू संचार क्लेश विश्रान्तिदं नृणाम।।संसार रूपी मरूभूमि में भटकते हुए, त्रितापों से प्रपीड़ित, सब प्रकार से निराश्रित, नाना प्रकार के क्लेशों से क्लान्त होकर जीव श्रीकृष्ण के पादपद्म धौत इस महातीर्थ में स्नान कर विश्राम अनुभव करते हैं। इसलिए इस महातीर्थ का नाम विश्रान्ति या विश्राम घाट है। इस महातीर्थ में स्नान एवं आचमन के पश्चात् प्रतिवर्ष लाखों श्रद्धालु लोग व्रज मण्डल की परिक्रमा का संकल्प लेते हैं और पुन: यहीं पर परिक्रमा का समापन करते हैं।

http://bharatdiscovery.org/india/विश्राम_घाट_मथुरा

Vraj Mandal-Hot tea in Bel Van

Vraj Mandal special.

Hot ginger chai! At one of the sacred Van (woods) #belvan in Vraj Mandal.
With the peacocks, parrots, cows, the squirrels and the snake!!

This particular video is from a very sacred spot in Vraj. Entire 84 kos of this land is divine and home to several sacred divine leela of Shree RadhaKrishn or ShreeNathji
Tea is made outdoors in the choolah. The sadhu babaji who lives here is very friendly.

He always offers me tea and we spend at least a couple of hours watching the peacocks, parrots, squirrels running around.

Preparing to light the outdoor chullah he continues talking all the time.

As he has no ginger I offer him some from my little bag. I have learnt from my innumerable visits to Vraj; to always carry some ginger with me, as many of the chai places(outdoor tea making spots) do not use it when it gets a bit expensive. And I love to have some ginger in my tea!! This tea has no added water and milk used is fresh from his Gaushala.

This is a step by step video of this exciting tea making ritual.

As he brews my #tea sadhu babaji continues to give me a lecture on the adulterated milk that we must be using in Mumbai.

Watch how babaji makes tea and also describes how three snakes came in his hut the other day to eat the rats. (In fact we actually see a snake crawl in the bush as we sat sipping on our tea).

Maybe you will notice the helper who picks up the ready tea from fire, removes his slippers before nearing the chullah. As cooking is considered a sacred ritual.

Listening to the peacocks meow in the background as tea is brewed makes for a very mesmerising experience as also keeping a watch on my tea, and filming this process.

In between I manage to photograph the two parrots who come in search of water at the tap. And the few squirrels who drink from the nullah. The new born calves hide in fear and are shy.

I’ve taken several pictures in my camera which will upload some day.

(This particular way of making tea outdoors is very ancient and not many places do it any more. Also I would not accept openly made tea if this place wasn’t a sacred spot and also clean enough).

#teaoutdoors #belvan #vrajmandal ​

​
How I love this divine place!!

 

Jai Shree RadhaKrishn!

Jai ShreeNathji

Kusum Sarovar,Shri Govardhan

 

Kusum Sarovar, a beautiful sandstone monument, is a 25-minute walk from Radha Kund. Kusum means “flower,” and here the gopis would pick flowers for Shree Krishn.

 

The ghats at this kund and the buildings above the kund were built by Jawahir Singh, the king of Bharatpur around 1764, in honor of his father Raja Surajmul.

Surajmul attacked the Mughal King of Delhi and was killed in the battle.

His son Jawahir Singh then attacked Delhi and killed the Mughal king.

On the upper level are three tombs.

The main tomb of Raja Surajmul  has beautiful paintings on its ceiling depicting the pastimes of Shri Krishn and the lotus feet of Shri Krishn engraved on the floor.

There are also some paintings of Raja Surajmal in his court.

The other tombs are those of his two queens, Kishori and Hansiya.

There are beautiful paintings on the ceiling of these two tombs.

 

There is also a Giriraj Temple here.