1. Sri Radha Madan Mohan Temple
When my daughter Lalita Manjari came to Vrindavana last December, she was very anxious. Like most people, she works a full time job. Living and working in Melbourne as an accountant, she insisted upon four weeks holiday leave and her boss reluctantly agreed.
Then she immediately bought a ticket to Vrindavana. Now her concern was how to get maximum benefit from her short stay?
In Vrindavan there are thousands of temples and there are always new ones being built and added to the lis There are nine or ten temples which are very well known. Seven of these temples are of particular significance.
Lalita wanted to visit those seven temples.Together we set out.
Our first stop was the well known Madan Mohan temple. Nearby is the Samadhi of Srila Sanatana Goswami.
We went together via the parikrama path encircling Vrindavana which allows pilgrims to circumnambulate all the temples and sacred sites. This pathway goes right past this old temple up on a hill.
We walked there and climbed the long stairway up to the top of the hill.
I noticed the repairwork going on and how well kept the grounds surrounding the temple have become.
Here is a painting from the 1800s showing this temple as seen through the artist's eyes of that day.
It was here that the worship of Sri Madan Mohan was established by Sanatana Goswami.This was the first temple built in Vrindavana, and for centuries Vaisnavas have come here to pray to Madan Mohanji for His blessings. He is the Sambandha vigraha so we pray that He may attract our hearts [which are now drawn towards this world] towards Himself.
This famous temple was functioning until 1670,when the Mogul ruler Auranzeb enviously sent his men to desecrate all the Hindu temples inVrindavana.At that time the deities were secretly removed and taken to Rajastan where They have been worshipped ever since.Later Madan Mohanji were moved to their present temple in Karouli.
Beside the temple is the bhajan kutir of Srila Sanatana Gowsami or the place where he lives when taking care of Madan Mohanji.The well there has very sweet water which was once drawn up by Krishna himself in the form of a small boy.
Lalita took photos to remember this temple of Madan Mohan when she returns to the West. The resident babajis humorously took interest in the "miracles of modern technology"
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Here is a photograph of Madan Mohanji as He can be seen in the New temple built nearby after the moguls destroyed the original one seen above
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Srila Sanatana Goswami's Samadhi
Then we visited Srila Sanatana Goswami's samadhi
This courtyard is adjacent to the old temple.A quiet place for meditation.
Srila Sanatana Goswami was taught and empowered by Lord Caitanya, then instructed by Him to remain in Vrindavana and excavate the various places of Krishna's pastimes. He and his brother Rupa Goswami wandered around, sleeping under different trees and eating very little. They wrote many well known books and poems. Before their retirement to Vrindavan they were both highly placed political figures in Bengal, but they happily gave up their life of opulence to live austerely, immersed in the deepest mellows of devotion.
Sitting before this samadhi we beg for just a drop of his kindness to fall upon our hearts.
A good beginning to a short stay in Vrindavana.
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