BVHA Meeting at Vamsi Vat, May 12, 2010

Minutes of the meeting of Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance (BVHA)

Place: Vanshi Vat; 12th May 2010

Those present: Shri Bhagawat Sharan Goutam, Shri Bal Krishna Goutam, Shri Govind Kishor Goswami, Dr. Devendra Chaitanya Brahmachari, Shri Jagadananda Das, Ms. Katie Walter, Acharya Naresh Narain, Shri Krishna Gopal Gupta, Jagannath Poddar, Ms. Pratibha Sharma, Dr. Chandra Prakash Sharma, Shri Suresh Vedpathi, Shri Gopal Ji, Shri Jagadananda Das, Shri Madhumangal Shukla, Shri Ravindra Kulshreshtha, Shri Satyamurti Saraswat, Shri Anand Bihari Sharma, Shri Gour Gopal Bharadwaj, Shri Pradyumna Pratap Singh, Shri Kanhaiya Gupta, Shri Govind Sharan, Shri Manatosh Pahari

Chair: Thakur Shri Vanshivat Bihari through His servant Shri Govind Sharan.

The following topics were discussed in the meeting & unanimously resolved:

The meeting began with the issue of the Kesi-Ghat proposed bridge. Some newcomers argued about this issue, saying that they agree with all the other issues of the BVHA to protect the swarup (original form) of the holy town of Vrindavan. But their opinion differs on the issue of the Kesi Ghat Bridge. They thought that the bridge was essential keeping in mind the traffic congestion, parikrama and the growing number of tourists coming to Vrindavan.

It was clarified to the newcomers by the senior members of the BVHA that Kesi Ghat is the only ghat left where the Yamuna touches (even if it is sewer water) the ghat. Under no circumstances the construction of bridge is acceptable. The bridge will only help to deteriorate the swarup of Vrindavan. The actual Parikrama marg was inside the town where the devotees used to visit the temples while doing Parikrama and then coming out to the ghats by the side of Yamuna. Moreover twenty six pillars on Yamuna is not acceptable.

The bridge should be built across the river in Sunrakh or near Kalidah keeping the growing population in mind. Vrindavan should be kept in the form of a peninsula.

It was also decided that a form containing the issues of BVHA be signed by those who are interested to be a member of the alliance. Those who support the bridge are not welcome in the BVHA meetings.

It was also decided to make a Tulsi Van in Vanshi Vat. Some typical Braj trees will also be planted where ever there is a scope to plant in the Vanshi Vat temple campus.

Some scenes from the Vanshi Vat temple:


Acharya Naresh Narain before the deities.

The current incarnation of the tree under which Krishna sent out the call for the gopis to come and dance the Rasa dance. The walls have Krishna and the gopis dancing all around the temple quadrangle, as you can see from the above photo and below.

This altar, in front of which the meeting was held, commemorates the Rasa dance itself. That is Ms. Pratibha Sharma sitting in front of it.

This picture shows "Kali Baba's ghar," which is right behind Vanshi Vat. A lot of Vrindavan looked like this 30-40 years ago--crumbling walls. Something charming about it though. Everything the color of govar.

It was dusk, so the picture is not altogether clear.