5th Annual Vrinda Kunda Festival

Jan 21, 2008

Take advantage of the fact that Gaura Purnima is late this year come and early to Vrindavan for parikramas of the Holy Dhama and join the annual Vrinda Kunda Festival. This year Gaura Purnima is March 21, which means that the Vrindavan Festival afterwards will be in April, which is very hot and due to health reasons I will not be doing parikramas at that time. But February is the time of perfect weather for Vrindavan, even nicer than Kartika. So we are organizing an ecstatic festival before the Mayapur Festival from February 18 to March 2nd. This leaves you plenty of time to reach the Gaura Purnima Festival in Mayapur which begins on 6th March.

Five years ago on Varaha Dwadasi, we opened the Vrinda Kunda Temple. To celebrate we had a special program of parikramas to the Holy Places of Radha and Krishna’s divine pastimes. One of the main events was the Kalash Yatra, an unforgettable experience for all who participated. We had a Sankirtan Procession around Nandagram with all the ladies carrying waterpots with colorful cloth and coconuts on top out to Vrinda Kunda.

Since then, Vrinda Kunda has fast become a favorite place of pilgrimage for all devotees, situated off in the quiet fields near Nandagram, the place where Krishna and Balaram lived with Nanda Baba and Yashoda Maiya. Everyone is always impressed with the beauty of the carved sandstone temple, the exquisite deity of Vrinda Devi, and the wonderful trees and flowers growing there. Especially notable is the peaceful hassle-free atmosphere. Many devotees have been very pleasantly surprised by the warm hospitality of our Pujari, Bhagway Prasad and his wife, often enjoying a delicious lunch at Vrinda Kunda, with practically no advance notice.

For this year’s festival almost every morning we will leave from Krishna Balaram Mandir, to go on parikramas to different pastime places of Vraja. There will be lively narrations of the different pastimes that happened in each place. Then we will return in time for prasadam at 2pm in the temple. And on all bus parikramas, Sannyasis and Prabhupada Disciples and their families will go free of charge.

Then on Sunday 2 March we will be having the super ecstatic Kalash Yatra and sankirtan procession around Nandagrama. Kalash means water pot. All the ladies will carry water pots of water from the sacred Pavana Sarovara with colorful cloth and coconuts on top. We’ll have 108 pots and the Brijbasi ladies will train our foreign lady devotees how to carry them. The Brijbasinis even dance with no hands with their pots on their heads! All the ladies who have participated told me it was the highlight of their Vrindavan experience.

After arriving at Vrinda Kunda, there will be Krishna Katha, butter churning festival, artika and then feast for one and all. Then everyone can help feed all the Nandagram Brijbasis. That day all transportation and prasad will be free for all who come.

So start planning now to come relish wonderful Vaisnava association in the Holy Dhama. Especially for those who are going to the 2nd Anniversary Festivals at Tirupati and Ujjain on Nityananda Trayodasi and are wondering what to do till Mayapur Festival starts, most of our parikramas will take place in the in between time.

For those who want to make arrangements to go from Vrindavan to Mayapur, these days you can book your train reservations on line at < www.indianrail.gov.in :>

Otherwise you can contact our Information Center at
9897020343. They can also arrange a taxi to pick you up from the airport or train station. For booking in the Krishna Balaram Guesthouse, you can contact

I'm anxiously waiting to serve all the Vaisnavas coming here to Braja.

Jaya Radhe Jaya Krishna Jaya Vrindavan! Jaya Jaya Sri Radheeee Shyam!

In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi, Deena Bandhu dasa

Vrinda Kunda Festival Schedule

In Celebration of the 5th Anniversary of Vrinda Kunda Temple Opening, we have made an ecstatic schedule of parikramas and festivals from Feb. 18 to Mar. 2. This is one of the best times of the year as the weather is very pleasant and it is not so hot like after Mayapur Festival especially this year as it will be late. Our festival ends on March 2nd so you have time to get to Mayapur Festival which begins on March 6th.

Most of the parikramas are from 21st onwards. Those who are going to the festivals in Tirupati or Anantapur Temple Opening on Nityananda Trayodasi and were wandering what to do until Mayapur Festival can take advantage of our festival Program.

Almost everyday we will be leaving in the morning from Krishna Balaram Mandir and visiting different places of the Divine Pastimes of Radha and Krishna and then returning for lunch, unless otherwise noted. The grand finale, our famous Sankirtan Procession around Nandagram with the ladies in front carrying waterpots with coconuts on top, Kalash Yatra, will be on Sunday March 2nd. And that day will be totally free for everyone!

• 18th Nandagram - Vrinda Kunda (lunch at Vrinda Kunda)
• 19th Nityananda Trayodasi Festival in the Temple
• 20th Harer Nama Procession around Vrindavan
• 21st Narottama’s App. Feast at Radha Vraja Mohan Mandir
• 22nd Gokula
• 23rd Madhuvan - Talavan
• 24th Javat - Ter Kadamba - Vrinda Kunda (lunch at Vrinda kUnda)
• 26th Govardhana Parikrama (lunch at Uddhava Kunda)
• 28th Radha Kunda - Kusuma Sarovara
• 29th Barsana
• 2nd Vrinda Kunda Festival

So mark it on your calendars and come join the festivities! All bus parikramas will be free for Srila Prabhupada’s disciples and accompanying family members.

For further assistance you may contact the Information Center for taxi pickup or dropping at all railway stations or Delhi Aiports, railway reservations, or accomodation at [email protected] or 09897020343 (Sanjaya).

In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,
Deena Bandhu dasa