Dear Readers,
Vrindavan is the most important place existing in the world today. Along with the rest of the Braj cultural region of which it is a part, Vrindavan is a holy land comparable only to Jerusalem and Mecca.
It must be recognized as an international place of pilgramage. It should be regonized as a World Heritage Site.
Why is anybody hesitating to support such recognition?
The reasons for recognition are obvious for those of us who live in Vrindavan as devotees, but I will list them all together here, so we can be reminded of just how much we have to be proud of and to treasure, protect and showcase to the world:
A Map of Select UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India
- Vrindavan is considered in many sacred texts as the center of Braj, a region covering over 45 square miles in which the majority of the villages, water tanks and natural landscape are connected to a longstanding living tradition of local folklore associated with the events narrated in the holy scripture called the Srimad Bhagavatam.
- Vrindavan as part of Braj is constantly filled with residents and visitors from all over the world that possess a love for the place and its heritage that is stronger than all other considerations.
- Vrindavan as part of Braj is the fountainhead of religious festivals such as Janmashtami which are lavishly celebrated all over the world including in the British Parliament.
- Vrindavan as part of Braj receives 80 crore pilgrims annually who demonstrate the living devotional heritage of Braj by engaging in various unique and heartfelt activities, including the the 21 kilometer circumambulation of Govardhan Hill in dandavats (the act of lying down, marking one’s place, and then moving one body length forward to lie down again until circumcmbulation is complete).
- Vrindavan and Braj culture influences the greater Indian culture through its traditions of holy dances; dramas; paintings; sculptures, poetry and literature.
- Lord Krishna, the hero of Braj, and his heroine Sri Radha are the famous centerpiece of the loving circle dance called the Rasa dance, which teaches the world that God loves everyone and allows all to long for Him and to enter into His abode.
- Lord Krishna of Braj is the same hero of the world famous religious text the Bhagavad Gita, a discourse that includes the delineation of fundamental moral principles: that all souls are equal, eternal and deserve to be loved and cared for.
- Vrindavan and the greater area of Braj have inspired the founding of religious and monastic communities all over the world, many of which are named after places in Braj such as Vrindavan and the events which have taken place there.
- There are not many New Yorks but many New Vrindavans, New Varsanas, New Govardhans, and New Gokulas in all countries around the world which are visited by pilgrims. These are all places created in the spirit and image of Vrindavan and greater Braj.
- All philosophical schools of India have ashrams in Vrindavan, making it home to a wider variety of Hindu philosophy than any other tirtha in India.
- Vrindavan and the greater Braj region encompass an amazingly broad range of living devotion; God can be worshiped as a child in Vatsalya Rasa, as a friend in Sakya Rasa, as a servant in Dasya Rasa and even as a sweetheart in Madhurya Rasa. These modes of devotion are unique as a broadly accepted multi-part system, and the theological concepts they embody are arguably more varied than those found in other world religions.
- Vrindavan and the greater Braj region have the most impressive architecture made entirely as works of love; slave labor was unthinkable for the Sadhus who inspired Braj’s monuments of devotion.
- Vrindavan and the greater Braj region practice vegetarianism and abstinence from the consumption of alcohol as a spiritual observance, which, even without being imposed, is followed by almost all.
- Vrindavan and the greater area of Braj have a longstanding reputation as an auspicious place to die and millions of Hindus worldwide hope to finish their lives here.
- Vrindavan and Braj has a grand history of royal patronage; it was once the place where every Indian maharajah had to have a temple, guesthouse, goshalla (cow shelter) etc.
- Today, devotees of Lord Krishna who come from distant countries often acquire and renovate these palaces, which are abandoned and neglected since the maharajahs of the past have had their government stipends and royal status taken away.
- The name of Krishna in the form of the Mahamantra, Govinda etc is the most recorded and most heard music in the world; for example, George Harrison’s song, “My Sweet Lord” , is still amongst the world’s most requested and well-known songs.
- Vrindavan has the old Yamuna ghats, which, if properly renovated with a canal, hold the potential of making the Yamuna at Vrindavan one of the world’s most beautiful landmarks; the boating experience here could be more aesthetically and spiritually enjoyable than those experienced in Venice and Varanasi combined.
Attend BVHA meetings and join us in seeking World Heritage Status for Vrindavan, or, better yet, all of Braj. Please also participate in the greater discussion as BVHA works to maintain and restore the treasures of Vrindavan and greater Braj, demanding economic growth that is pursued fairly and thoughtfully, with development that respects heritage. If you cannot attend meetings, please post your comments and suggestions on sites like bvhalliance.org or Vrindavan Today.
Dandavats,
Swami B. A. Paramadvaiti
Vrinda Kunja Vrindavan
