Thursday, July 29, 2010

BVHA Meeting at Lala Babu's temple, Aug. 1, 2010

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. - Greek proverb

Dear Friends,

Radhe Radhe! A meeting of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance is scheduled to be held at Shri Krishna Chandrama Mandir (Lala Babu temple) on 1st August 2010 at 10.30 am. The meeting will be followed by Prasadam (lunch). Please be in time to give your valuable inputs on the following agenda:

  • The construction of multi-story buildings in Vrindavan and other parts of Braj.
  • A greater role for people's representatives in the development of Vrindavan.
  • Preserving agricultural land from being used to develop new colonies.
  • How to get Braj declared an Eco Sensitive Zone.

Please bring your suggestions in writing if possible.

Pranams,

Yours in service

Jagannath Poddar

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Guru is not hungry for your money

This has been Guru Puja weekend in Mathura. Along with the huge Muriya Poona Mela in Govardhan, a major event in Mathura has been the several days of festivities at the huge 150 acre campus of the Jai Gurudev Ashram on the Agra-Delhi Highway. The newspapers carried succinct summaries of Baba Jai Gurudev's lectures and I thought that it would be interesting to translate them here as this ashram is a major presence in Mathura.

Jaigurudev Baba belongs to the a tradition of north Indian saints who are generally classified as Sant Mat. They include Kabir, Ravi Das, Nanak, Dadu and many others. In the more recent times Sant Kirpal Singh and the Radha Soami sect based in Beas, and in the West, the Eckankar sect, are all prominent representatives. Some of the their principal ideas can be found here: Surat Shabd Yoga, Sant Mat, Contemporary Sant Mat Movements, etc. This article will give some idea of what he teaches, but I make no guarantees of accuracy.


Additional notes taken from Jaigurudev Temple in Mathura (hi.brajdiscovery.org)


The Guru is not hungry for your money




Sant Baba Jaigurudev Maharaj said that there is no worship without the guru. And at the same time, if you have done puja of the guru, you can say that you have done all the necessary puja. Just like all rivers flow into the sea, all worship culminates in the worship of the guru. One who does even a moment’s devotion to the guru can easily cross over the ocean of material suffering.

Sant Baba has been lecturing over the past few days at the Jayguru Ashram on the Mathura-Agra Road in Mathura. This is the biggest annual festival of the year and many thousands of disciples and admirers come from all around the world on this occasion.

He said that the glories of the guru are unlimited and that no one can fully describe them. The guru has no need or desire for the disciple’s money. One who has proper understanding spends his money in the service of the guru and gets benefited from it in that way. When the soul rises through sadhana then one will see the guru in his own image.

The Sant said that when one gets older then he becomes like an old ox. No one binds an old ox, so similarly there are no restrictions on the old. This is the influence of time. So do everything while you are young and it will be better for you. The human body is a rare gift and it should be used for worshiping God.




Baba Jaygurudev’s real name is Tulasi Das. His guru’s name was Ghurelal Ji from Chirauli village in Aligarh district. Baba lived with him for many years. His guru then told him to establish an ashram in a secluded place in Mathura city to serve the poor.


This he did in 1953 after the death of his guru. The first ashram was in Krishnanagar called Chirauli Sant Ashram. Later on in 1962 Baba Jaigurudev he purchased the 150 acre property on which the present ashram is built. Because he remembers his gurudeva’s name with every single thing that he does, he became known as Baba Jaygurudev. Very few people know him by his original name Tulasi Das.


One of his significant ventures was the beginning of a political party, the Doordarshi Party, which contested a couple of general elections in the 1980’s on a message of social reform and social uplift, with little success.



Separation in Sadhana

Baba Jaigurudev said that the Surat or spirit is the divine realm. There are no subdivisions or ingredients there: it is pure, permanent, undivided, and single. Within it 44,000 candles burn. No one can describe its beauty, only some indication can be given. The sadhak who recognizes the signs and takes up the path can reach this supreme abode. One who does not recognize the signs will never get there.

Many pilgrims have come to the Guru’s ashram to garner merit at the time of the Guru Purnima. In his lecture, Baba Jaigurudeva said that when the Surat first comes into the world, then first it takes on the names and forms, and then slowly the veil of karma falls over it. Karma takes over the mind, intelligence, and chitta.

You should relax your materialistic activities somewhat. Whatever you do, do it with industry and honesty. This is the way to get the grace of the sadhus. Always chant japa of the Name. Keep on doing sadhana until the Holy Sound manifests itself. When the Holy Sound manifests then your mind, intelligence and chitta, and your spirit, will all be cleansed.

Baba said that the suffering of separation in sadhana makes a devotee feel as though the entire world is empty. Everything seems to be inadequate. The great souls cried and lamented and by so doing crossed into the True Land. No trace of material conditioning is left on them.

He said that the material nature merges into earth, earth into water, water into fire, fire into air, air into ether, ether into Maya, Maya into Ishwar, Ishwar into Brahma, Brahma into the Para Brahma and Para Brahma into the Mahakala Purusha or great form of time. And when he so wishes, this entire creation expands outward again.



Give the treasure trove of your breath to others, says Sant Jaigurudev


Baba Jaigurudev said in a lecture yesterday that great souls come and do their work in the world. Then when they leave, whatever breath they leave behind they pass on as a gift to others. And when the time comes that energy is activated.

On Sunday, during the Guru Puja, Baba spoke to the assembly of devotees. He said that the external worship of the guru can be seen with the two physical eyes, but the true puja is seen with the third eye. When you look toward the guru with your inner vision, then you will see that all around him there is only light. When the guru is in the assembly, you can see above and below him. But in fact, the guru is in the divine realm of Sat Loka. In fact, the genuine guru is the one who is present throughout the world as Sat Loka.

Sadhana is only the external cause. In fact, everything is being done by grace. The sadhaka can only tolerate the light of illumination when the guru reveals his form to him. Otherwise, he will close his eyes to keep from being blinded. The divine sound becomes so powerful that the sadhaka cannot tolerate it and may even die. The guru slowly gives the disciple the capacity to tolerate it.

The great saints all instruct their disciples to remain on the path of spiritual practice and truth by eating vegetarian food, keeping away from intoxication, and promising not to harm other men or animals.

On this occasion, Baba gave initiation (Nam Dan) to many people, as well as marrying a number of couples without dowry. Booths for buying tickets for travel were available on the ashram grounds, and the ashram itself had several thousand volunteers driving cars to those destinations.



The Path of the Kali Yuga is Service

The clear road to spiritual attainment in the Kali Yuga is service and devotion. If the jiva learns to consecrate his life then all success will be his: his life will be filled with joy. In this age people are so riddled with flaws that without the mercy of the spiritual master, no one can go through life without a struggle.

On the fourth day of the Guru Parva festival at his Mandir, Baba Jaigurudeva said to his disciples that after a disciple gets guru, then there is nothing left for him to obtain. His bondage to repeated birth and death comes to an end. The devotee no longer has to take birth or die again. If he is devoted to the guru then the mercy of the spiritual master will take him across the ocean of miseries in a single moment.

Baba said that like birth and death, the time for encountering a saintly person is fixed in one’s destiny. But this is the most wonderful opportunity in a person’s life. The moment has been decided even in a previous lifetime. Through the good deeds that lead to good fortune, one also gets the shelter of a saint. But without the mercy of Lord Hari, we do not even give any attention to the company of saints. We must never forget the Lord.

Baba blessed thousands of devotees and their families individually. He blessed them and asked that they stay on the path of truth, eat vegetarian food, and remember the name of God. Another feature of the celebrations was that many poor boys and girls were married without dowry.


A crowd gathered to get the blessings of Baba Jai Gurudev, a Hindu holy man, during the annual Hindu festival of Guru Purnima, in the northern Indian city of Mathura. (K.K. Arora/Reuters)

Sanatan Goswami's Samadhi Utsava


Yesterday was the Disappearance Day festival of Santana Goswami. The big festival of circumambulating Govardhan in honor of Sanatan Prabhu takes place over the five-day period ending on Purnima, with a major procession leaving the Chakleshwar temple in Manasa Ganga.

Festivities at the actual site of Sanatan Prabhu's samadhi in Madan Mohan is a little more subdued. Here are some pictures on Purnima, sent to us by Deena Bandhu Dasji.

Sanatan Kishore Goswami, the present sevait of Madan Mohan Mandir and Sanatan Goswami's Samadhi.



Darshan on Guru Purnima, Santana Goswami's Disappearance day 25 July 2010. Sanatana Goswami's Samadhi is at the Lotus Feet of Madan Mohan.



Front view of the restored Samadhi.

In restoring the Samadhi, we had to take down the Nat Mandir as it was just bricks and mud! So we put up a waterproof pandal for the festival. Now it's over, we will start construction. Since it is rainy season, we had to put up a waterproof pandal so they could do the ceremonies peacefully. This we volunteered to do as we had taken down the old Nat Mandir.

You can see the old Nat Mandir was just tiny bricks and mud and many cracks were seen, it was ready to cave in. So we had to take it down. We didn't want to disturb the festival, so now it's over, we will start construction.


The old Dwar, gate, of Madan Mohan Mandir.

Anyone who wants to help this restoration project should contact Deena Bandhu Dasji.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Muriya Poona Festivities in Govardhana Attract Six Million


Danghati temple in Govardhan on Muriya Purnima.
Pictures from Braj Discovery Website are of previous years' celebrations. No pictures were available this year.

Over 60 Lakhs of Pilgrims Do Govardhan Parikrama


Govardhan (Based on reports from Dainik Jagran, 2010.07.25)।

The popular festival of Muriya Purnima or Mooriya Poona ended on Sunday. This is the biggest festival in Govardhan during the year and this year official estimates state that more than six million pilgrims did the parikrama of Giriraj.

The festival commemorates Guru Purnima, which coincides with the disappearance day of Srila Sanatan Goswami, the doyen of the six Goswamis of Vrindavan. The term muriya refers to the shaving of heads that the Vaishnavas performed in mourning for Sanatan Goswami. Since Sanatan is often credited with restarting the practice of circumambulating Giriraj, this has became the principal way of commemorating him. But visiting the major temples around Govardha,including Mukharavind and Danghati, and bathing in the Manasa Ganga and other tanks around Govardhan form part of the ritual.

The last two months in Govardhan have been hectic as preparations have been made, especially road-widening and removal of encroachments. High security was everywhere, with CC cameras being used for the first time.

The festival lasts five days, but of course the largest crowds come on the full moon day itself. People came from many different states across North India. From early morning crowds flooded onto the Parikrama Marg. Caravans of pilgrims approached Govardhan, each with the cry of Jai Giriraj Maharaj ki Jai on their lips. The same cry echoed everywhere on the path.



The primary attraction at the Mela is the procession in honor of Sanatan Goswami that left the Chakleshwar Radha Shyamasundar temple at 11, headed by the picture of Sanatan Prabhu. Accompanied by sankirtan. Offered obeisance to Sanatan.

The procession goes from Chakleshwar, to Dasbisa, Bijali Ghara Tiraha, Sankh Adda, Danghati, Hati Darwaja and back. Tamal Krishna Das Baba gave a lecture.

Arrangements tested to their limits. Mathura Junction people coming back. People risking their lives by hanging to the outside and roof of trains, despite several extra trains. Not a square inch of space on the platform. People fighting to get space, even on the rooftops of buses.

Numbers down this year.

The Muriya Mela has been called a "mini Kumbha," but apparently the numbers were less this year, which is a matter of some concern in the local community.

The estimates came in at six million whereas in previous years, particularly in 2007 and 2008, the numbers were said to have passed ten million. The record was set in 2006 when an estimate 15 million people attended, but by last year, numbers had gone down to 8 million. Govardhan Development officer Hari Om Sharma said the reason numbers are going doing is the lack of facilities.

Why are the numbers going down? Certainly much less this year than predicted. Better facilities than previously. B.D. Paulson, the police superintendent says that since the road has been made wider all around Govardhan, it now looks like there are less people.

Since there were no buildings on the road, etc., people were able to walk easily. But there is some concern that attracting more people to the mela is necessary. Mathura Prasad Kaushik, the head sevayat at the Danghati temple said that it is not a good sign for Govardhan that less people are coming. Visitors have to face many difficulties. Not everyone wants to face the crowds and would rather come and do the parikrama on a regular day.



Deaths and Accidents

One pilgrimload of buses was forced to stop near Raya railway crossing. As the driver was dealing with the problem, the passengers got out. A car coming from behind ran into the bus. Several people were injured and two woman, one from Aligarh the other from Meerut, died. Several of the others are still in critical condition. Another person was killed on the road near the Jaygurudeva temple.

During the mela, three people drowned. Because of it, people in need of first aid had to wait long hourse before getting it.

As a safety measure, the PAC had a motorboat on the Manasa Ganga and divers stood at the ready. Microphones were sending out warnings of deep water, which were also cordoned off.
Despite all these preventive actions, two accidents happened.


One woman from Agra, another from Faridabad drowned. One of the women was taken to the Govardhan general clinic, but there were no doctors available. She was taken to a private clinic and treated, and then refered to the Mathura health center, but the drive took three hours and by the time they reached, she was dead. They asked the driver to stop at some other health center on the way, but he refused. When she was dead, the family members started a riot in the hospital. 

One pilgrim died of a heart attack in a guest house at Radha Kund while resting after the parikrama.


Radhe Radhe!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Tree Planting in Vrindavan


The Forestry Department of Mathura and Friends of Vrindavan jointly begins the tree plantation drive in Vrindavan. In the first day of the drive the trees were planted in Lalita Bag, Hardeo Ji ka Bagicha, Govind Dev Temple, Tatia sthan and Porter Burchard Methodist School. The trees will be planted in different temples, ashrams, schools and community places. It was declared that the trees will be planted in the selected areas where the protection is made available by the community members and taken care by them. The fifty trees of Kadamba, Neem, Peepal and Kanji was planted on the first day. Many saints and devotees were present during the event.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Sand bath


I don't know if this picture is from this year's Dussehra, which was just a few weeks ago, or whether it is from another year. I don't see a date. The caption says, "Hindu devotees have baths with sand in protest against polluting the Yamuna river on the eve of Ganga Dussehra festival at Vrindavan, Mathura, on Sunday."

I thought it was worth posting. Taken from Udayavani, Karnataka's Daily. Found through 24dunia.com.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Truly Helping the Cause of Making Braj an Eco-Sensitive Area

Katie Jo Walter is our intrepid research scholar, whose association and assistance we are most fortunate to have. From Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, she is India on a 9-month Fulbright fellowship in communications. Her topic is "Between Religion and Economics: Establishing Ecological Development Discourse in Vrindavan," which is a most timely and related topic. This is Katie's second tour in India, the first time she helped establish a woman's collective called Vrindavan ka gaurav. She is associated in Vrindavan with the Sri Chaitanya Prema Sansthan.



Here I am, popping up on a borrowed computer to remind everyone: If something (petitioning for Braj as an Eco-Sensitive Area – or ESA) seems too good to be true (i.e. a clear, direct and relatively quick process), then it probably is!

The declaration of Braj as an Eco-sensitive area would be a great achievement. It would limit reckless development and require eco-conscious master planning. However, there are formidable hurdles to clear, namely:

1. The fact that Braj is a large (about 3800 sq. km.) and includes not only several large cities in their entirety but also spans three separate Indian states is a hindrance. Protection of such a large area containing urban centres has not been extended thus far, but this does not mean that Braj cannot be the first. It is encouraging that Mount Abu, including its town (which is a little less than half the size of Vrindavan) has recently been declared an ESA. (official notification on Mount Abu can be found here.

2. Again, the lack of a clearly delineated process for achieving the goal will serve as a frustration. The application process, grounds for advocating protection and even the official definition of an ESA are unclear. This led the Pune and Delhi based non-profit Kalpavriksh to create a report (here) detailing the history of ESA’s and how they have been acquired, including several specific case studies. According to the report’s introduction:

“…these (ESA) clauses have been used only by a few actors mainly because of the lack of knowledge about the scope of ESAs and also due to the MoEF’s ambiguity in notifying them.” and, “…due to incomplete informa¬tion, many proposals that were submitted to the MoEF are still pending or were subsequently rejected as they did not meet the MoEF’s criteria”.

Specific case studies by Kalpavriksh make two conditions for success clear:

  1. A large, cohesive and vocal group supporting ESA status. This is where we can all help. The BVHA is doing a great job of getting the ball rolling, but the organization needs to be more transparent and inclusive of all members in terms of meeting attendance, opinion/logistics sharing and fundraising (the particulars of this are for another discussion). Bringing everyone together – in body, name and spirit – will lend not only the BVHA strength but also a great deal more credibility. Past successes involve numerous NGO’s and public/political figures united for the common cause of ESA status.
  2. A well-informed, intelligent argument for the cause of protection. The religious significance of Braj is well-known and we need to go beyond this in our arguments (Please note: I am not saying that this aspect should be ignored; I am simply saying that it cannot be a stand alone argument). The Kalpavriksh report notes that success in the past has come from arguing along the lines of benchmarks made by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) itself. For example, the Kalpavriksh report cited the MoEF report from the 80’s entitled, “‘Parameters for Determining Ecological Fragility” as critical in supporting the case for Dahanu (near Mumbai). A quick search revealed a 2000 report revisiting the “‘Parameters for Determining Ecological Fragility.”
Anyone who is serious about helping the cause to make Braj an Eco-Sensitive Area should look at this MoEF report and start building arguments around that. Here is the link. One can also look at all ESA notifications by the MoEF to see what arguments made in the past can also work for Braj.

Granted, we are only beginning to embark upon this effort. However, I find it important for supporters to know exactly what we are getting into, what it entails, and how we can best help. I look forward to hearing the outcome of the BVHA delegation’s visit with Sri Jai Ram Ramesh so we can learn how best to proceed and make our every effort count as much as possible!

Vrindavan dham ki jai!

Katie

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Declaring Braj an Eco-sensitive Zone

Dear Friends,

Radhe Radhe! The Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance (BVHA) is seeking to get the whole Braj region to be declared as an Eco-Sensitive Zone.

We are in process of sending one representation to Shri Jai Ram Ramesh, Hon'ble Minister of Environment & Forest, requesting him to declare Braj, with the focus on Vrindavan, as an Eco-Sensitive Zone.

It will be very helpful if you can send some of your views to us on why Braj & Vrindavan should be declared as such.

Your valuable comments will help us immensely to draft the petition. Kindly send your suggestions as soon as possible.

Pranams,

Yours in service

Jagannath Poddar

Kirtaniya Aindra Prabhu Leaves Body in Vrindavan

Aindra leading kirtan at last year's
Global Kirtan for the Yamuna at Keshi Ghat.


Devotees from all around the world are mourning the passing of His Grace Aindra Prabhu, the leader of the 24-hour kirtan at the Iskcon Krishna Balaram temple in Vrindavan, who entered Radha and Krishna's nitya-lila this morning at 7.15 AM.

He was found in his room doing dandavat pranams in front of Goura Nitai, his personal deities. A devotee, who always helped him to serve his deity, tried to open the door this morning, but when there was no answer, he had the door broken open, and Aindra Prabhu was found lying in silent obeisances before the Lord.

His Grace Aindra Prabhu, a direct disciple of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was in charge of the 24-hour kirtan at ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir as ordained by Srila Prabhupada. His sincere devotion and commitment generated a pure spiritual atmosphere in the temple and strengthened perfect devotion in the minds of all visitors to the holy abode.

Aindra Prabhu received Harinama diksha in 1973 in Washington D.C. For many years he served as a pujari at the temple and regularly engaged in Harinama sankirtan and book distribution. After several visits to Vrindavan Dham, he was inspired to revitalize the 24-hour kirtan which had originally been started at the Krishna Balaram Mandir in 1975.

In 1986, Aindra Prabhu came to establish himself permanently in the Holy Dham, from which time he fully committed himself to the service of the Holy Name in the form of Maha Mantra kirtan, inspiring thousands of devotees from India and around the world with his great enthusiasm and melodious chanting. His wonderful devotional recordings have spread far and wide, bringing joy to the hearts of thousands of devotees.

May your chants remind you of Vrindavan and the blessings of Radharani and Shyamasundar be with you forever. We cherish your glories always in Vrindavan and may you live forever in the memories of all the devotees of Vrindavan. May you be ever absorbed in the glorious pastimes of Radha Krishna, always singing their holy names for their pleasure in the nitya lila.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

(From Lakshman Poddar, Facebook) --
More.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

BVHA Meeting at Kishore Van, July 14, 2010



July 14th 2010. A meeting of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance was organized at Kishore Van. The meeting was chaired by Dr. K.L. Meena, Divisional Director of Uttar Pradesh Forestry.

It was resolved that the BVHA is very serious about getting the entire Braj be declared as the Eco Sensitive Zone, focusing on Vrindavan. They said if Braj is declared an eco-sensitive zone, then the hills, trees and water bodies can be saved from the greed of the developers. Moreover, the agricultural land around Vrindavan and Govardhan would not be used for the construction new colonies.

The Braj heritage has to be conserved at any cost and, if needed, people are ready to give their lives for it. A delegation of the BVHA will meet the Union Environment Minister for this cause.

Shri Govind Kishor Goswami, Sevait of Kishor Van, said that the celebration of 500th birth anniversary of Shri Hari Ram Ji Vyas will begin from 26th November, 2010. He asked that the BVHA be fully involved and participate in this event and help him to bring celebrity singers from Mumbai who can sing the Sakis and Pads Shri Hari Ram Ji Vyas. The alliance members unanimously approved his request.

Shri Goswami also said that he welcomes everyone to support the joint initiative of Friends of Vrindavan and BVHA to restore the Sacred Grove of Kishor Van. He said though he is the Sevait of Kishor Van but worshipping and adoring the Lord is everyone’s right. There is no restriction entering the temple and the grove. Any devotee who respects the rules of the sacred grove of Kishor Van is welcome to visit and practice his rituals here. He is ready to enter into an agreement with anyone whoever helps him to restore Kishor Van.

Shri Ghanshyam Kishor Goswami, son of Shri Govind Kishor Goswami also agreed with this arrangement.

Shri Govind Sharma, Sevait of Vanshi Vat said that he was also willing to restore the sacred grove of Vanshi Vat. The BVHA may adopt Vanshi Vat once the project of Kishor Van accomplished. He said that all the temples should be encouraged to restore their gardens and water bodies.

Dr. K.L. Meena in his presidential address said that he will save the biggest plants of Kadamba, Tamal and other typical trees from his nurseries to be planted in the BVHA projects. He also declared that all sort of technical support will be given by the U.P. Forestry to restore Kishor Van. He took away a sample of the soil from Kishor Van to be tested in the laboratory of the Forestry Department.

He said that it is the responsibility of the local bodies to relocate the stray animals. If the municipality or any one takes the responsibility of relocation of the monkeys he can give the NOC (no objection certificate). He said that the first step to restore Kishor Van is to cover it with iron nets only. This area is dominated by the monkeys, thus no fencing can stop them from coming inside the grove.

Present in the meeting were: Govind Kishor Goswami, Naresh Narain, Ghanshyam Kishor Goswami, Madhumangal Shukla, Kanhaiya Gupta, Sushil Chandra Sharma, Dr. Chandra Prakash Sharma, Ram Narin Brajwasi, Govind Mahant, Pratibha Sharma, Manju Sharma, Bal Krishna Goutam, Shyam Lal Sharma, Indra Prakash Pahuja, Ankit Agrawal, Braj Mohan Khandal, Krishna Gopal Gupta, Ravindra Kulshreshtha, Jagannath Poddar, Avishek Shrivastava.

Radhe Radhe !

ASI responds to questions from BVHA

In the recent meeting with A.R. Siddiqui at Jugal Kishor temple in Keshi Ghat, BVHA delegates asked that the right to information requests sent to the Agra office of the ASI be responded to. Today, after a long wait, the following answers were given in a letter received today:

Reply from the Archeological Survey of India, Agra under the Right to Information for the construction of the half circular flyover in front of the Kesi Ghat.

(1) Was the No Objection certificate sought from the ASI before starting the construction of the bridge?

Ans. The NOC was not taken from the Archaeological Survey of India before constructing the bridge.

(2) How far is the bridge from the ASI protected Jugal Kishor Temple?

Ans. It is within the 300 meter area from the ASI protected monument.

(3) What actions did the ASI take when the information on construction of the bridge came to its notice?

Ans. We asked the concerned department to stop the construction of the bridge as soon as it came to our notice and we wrote letter to the local administration requesting them to stop the illegal construction.

(4) Is the construction permissible under the new law of the regulated area of ASI?

Ans. As per the law there can’t be any construction with the Ariel distance of 100 meters. The construction can be permitted within the regulated area with some conditions if the concerned person or agency applies in the prescribed format.

Sd/- Anil (Central Public Information Officer)

Also, it should be noted that in PIL 36311, stopping the cutting of trees, the Court extended the time for filing a counter affidavit by a further period of four weeks from July 13. The interim order shall remain in effect till further orders.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

BVHA Meeting, July 14, 2010.

Dear Friends,

Radhe Radhe! The BVHA will meet in Kishor Van on July 14th 2010. The District Forest Officer, Dr. K.L. Meena is expected to participate in the meeting. The agenda of the meeting will be:

1. To finalise the agreement of the Kishor Van Restoration between Friends of Vrindavan, Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance (BVHA), Kishor Van authorities and the U.P. Forestry Department.

2. To discuss the future action plan on how to restore the Forest Heritage of Vrindavan when the Hon'ble High Court of Allahabad has extended the stay order till further order on cutting of the tree in Vrindavan.

Pranams,

Jagannath Poddar

Siddiqui from ASI visits Vrindavan


July 12th 2010 (BVHA): Dr. Atique R. Siddiquie, Superintending Archaeologist of Agra Circle visited the ASI protected monuments of Govind Dev and Yugal Kishor in Vrindavan.

On Sunday last some pieces of the roof fell into the temple compound at the Govinda Deva temple. Luckily no one was present at the time and so there was no injury. Still the matter was one of concern to the ASI and occasioned the visit. He gave some instructions to the local caretakers and then went to the Yugal Kishor temple, where he also inspected the location where the half-moon bridge was being built near Kesi Ghat. javascript:void(0)

A delegation of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance comprised of Acharya Naresh Narain, Madhumangal Shukla, Ram Narain Brajwasi, Ravindra Kulshreshtha, Manmohan Pareekh and Jagannath Poddar met the Superintending Archaeologist at the Yugal Kishor Temple.

The delegation demanded that the ASI protected monuments be properly taken care of and that no construction should be allowed around them as per the law. Mr. Siddiqui asked for all concerned with the protection of these monuments to report to him if there is any construction around them and that he will take immediate action against it.

When people asked him if the ASI supports the construction of the bridge he replied in the negative.

The Alliance members requested him to make a reply of the Right to Information letter sent to him one month back.

The BVHA members also demanded that the historical Kesi Ghat be protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. Mr. Siddiqui said that the Alliance should ask the District Magistrate to write a letter to the Director General of the ASI about the protection of this ghat of religious importance.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Lakhs of Pilgrims at Kokilavan Shani temple


Lakhs of pilgrims bathe in Suraj Kund.

In the midst of tight security, thousands of pilgrims bathed in Suraj Kund Saturday. Recent events on July 3, when a group of miscreants harassed women bathers and then got into a fight with the police, did not dampen the enthusiasm of the devotees.

Despite the heavy security arrangements, the devotees gathered in large numbers. The Bihariji temple was especially nicely arranged with flower decorations (phul bangalo)

The Kokilavan temple is an important center for pilgrimage with thousands coming on Saturdays for darshan of the deity. A major festival takes place when Saturday coincides with Amavashya. This temple is said to be the place where Krishna gave darshan of Shanideva (Saturn).

People come to this temple from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and further afield. Amongst the dignitaries who visited Saturday and bathed in the Suraj Kund were Rajasthan High Court judge Madan Mohan Sharma and the DM Dinesh Kumar. Mahanta Prema Das Maharaj welcomed the honoured guests.

Crowds were so thick that darshan and puja were conducted with difficulty.

Mathura DM inspects work on Govardhan Parikrama Marg

Govardhan, 2010.07.11 (Amar Ujala):

Mathura District Magistrate D.C. Shukla inspected work on the Govardhan Parikrama Marg yesterday to see what progress is being made in preparations for the upcoming Muriya Purnima festival, which takes place on July 25.

In several places he came across flooding drains and accumulations of filth, damaged roads, and other problems. He scolded the officers accompanying him and told them to have a plan ready by July 15 to deal with them.

The DM first visited Anyaur and saw accumulations of waste water outside the village due to improper drainage. He instructed PWD officers to solve the drainage problem and to barricade the swamp caused by it within two days.

He ordered the road to be smoothed at Puchari, where there are large pieces of rubble and for all electricity poles to be removed from the road to the sides.

He chastised the EO of the Govardhan Panchayat for the accumulations of water near the Panchayat offices.

He also came to take a look at Manasi Ganga where he expressed displeasure on seeing the dirty water draining into the kund. He chastised the Waterworks officers and told them to have this problem taken care of by the 15th of July so that only clean water is filling Manasi Ganga.

He was accompanied by SSP B.D. Paulson, ADME Rakesh Malpani, CO Sadar Kayam Singh and other officers.


U.P. Tourism to Invest in Ashta Sakhis’ Villages

Barsana 2010.07.11 (Amar Ujala). The Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Tourism, Vinod Kumar Singh, has announced a Rs. 2.4 crore investment for restoring, beautifying and improving facilities in the villages of Radharani’s ashta sakhis. The purpose is to increase tourism in these areas.

Chaudhari Laxhmi Narayan, Minister for Vocational Education, has offered 90 lakhs of his personal wealth towards the project.

The Minister will announce details of the plan at Brajeshwari Inter College, Barsana, on July 12, when the project will be officially launched.

Barsana, Sanket Bat, Chiksauli and other villages are being targeted for the development. Elements of the project will include restoring kunds and sarovars, Radha and Krishna’s lila places, as well as road construction.


Friday, July 9, 2010

Manasa Ganga Cleaning Rushed, Botched

Govardhan (based on report in Dainik Jagran, 2010.07.07): Nobody would have dreamed that the cleaning of the Manasa Ganga would end up this way. After so many difficulties and an expenditure of more than 22 crores of rupees, the tank is being refilled with dirty water. The very limits of carelessness have been exceeded by allowing dirty water from the surrounding drains to empty into the tank.

This coming full moon is Muriya Purnima, on which day millions of people come to Govardhan to do parikrama and to bathe in the Manasa Ganga. The festival commemorates Guru Purnima and the disappearance of Sanatan Goswami. The expected influx of pilgrims into the area may exceed 10 million. It is the biggest such event of the year in the Govardhan area.

The government authorities in charge of development were pushing to have the samskar of the the tank ready by this date, and so they pushed forward with refilling before the sewage treatment facilities had been completed.

Work on cleaning and restoring Manasa Ganga has been going on for nearly a year now. The entire purpose of the effort was to get rid of the polluted waters by draining the reservoir, excavating the bed, and then refilling it with clean water. Now it seems that they due to mismanagement, they are simply reverting to the original situation, proving that the entire expenditure has been a waste.

A pumping station was being built on the Radha Kund Road at a cost of several crores, but it has not been completed. It does not seem that it will be ready for some time yet, and the machinery to do the water purification is not yet in place.

Several of the ghats that were to be repaired are as yet incomplete. Throughout this all, a great deal of noise is being made about the Muriya Purnima preparations. Fearful that the Manasa Ganga would still be empty when the influx of pilgrims came, it was decided to start filling it now, even though by any standards it would have been premature.

Water coming into the reservoir from the Chakleshwar side on Wednesday was observed to be mixed with filthy mud, causing great concern to everyone. Local people are saying that they could not imagine that this would be the end result of a project in which so much money had been invested. They are asking what was the point of doing all the excavation and filling up the Manasa Ganga if pilgrims and local people are once again going to have to bathe in dirty water.

The assistant District Magistrate, Rakesh Malpani, has been informed of the situation and is looking into the matter.



Drownings at Braj's ghats


In related news, on June 29, Dainik Jagran reported the drowning of a 5-year-old child in the Manasa Ganga. The reason seems to be that she lost her footing on the steps and slipped into the water. She was there with friends, but by the time they noticed she had fallen into the water and people had jumped into the water to pull her out, she had lost her life.

There are a great number of drowning reported on a nearly daily basis, whether in the Yamuna or the various kunds and tanks in the Braj area. Yesterday also, newspapers reported two drownings in Kusum Sarovar. The other day, someone also drowned in Radha Kund. This may be an auspicious way to end one’s life on earth, but authorities should be taking safety matters into consideration when they plan the upgrade and improvement of these holy water tanks.

It seems that with all the work that is being done on restoring kunds in the Braj area by various government and non-government agencies, some thought might be put into devising a safety system whereby the sudden steep descent of steps is reduced, at least in some of the ghats.

Child safety zones could be created where the water is shallower. At the very least, chains could be installed as in many bathing places so that older persons and invalids can bathe with a bit more security.

Unfortunately, Indian children are not given swimming lessons and it seems that they panic easily in the water. And of course, there are no lifeguards.


Yamuna One of 15 Most Toxic Places on the Planet

The Mother Nature Network has published a photo essay of the 15 most polluted places on earth. The Yamuna has the dubious distinction of being 6th on their list. It comes accompanied by the following telling photograph:


Apocalypse now?


As the world's population balloons to almost 7 billion, it's become more and more difficult to find anywhere on Earth unaffected by man-made pollution and development, and far too often it takes things going really wrong before people take action to keep our planet clean. So here's a list that might help to motivate: The 15 most polluted places in the world.

Yamuna River, India


The Yamuna is the largest tributary of the Ganges River. Where it flows through Delhi, it's estimated that 58 percent of the city's waste gets dumped straight into the river. Millions of Indians still rely on these murky, sewage-filled waters for washing, waste disposal and drinking water.

Hindu Holy Place Altered by Technology, Development, Pollution

Author: Joshua M. Greene, Religion News Service
Publication: Beliefnet



Who will protect the holy sites in the sacred town of Vrindavan, India, where Krishna first appreared?

For centuries, this 27-square-mile town on the road from Delhi to Agra has been the holiest of holy places for devotional Hindus. Drums, brass hand cymbals, and the chanting of ancient prayers echo out each morning from Vrindavan's 5,000 temples.

Yet recent changes such as satellite television, digital phone service, and real estate development have brought this medieval site on the banks of the Yamuna River into the 21st century. Not everyone is happy with the transition.

"It is a painful subject," says Shrivatsa Goswami, whose family traces its roots to Vrindavan's 16th-century restorers. "In those days, this place had the most beautiful riverside architecture in India's history. It was like a miniature painting come alive."

Goswami notes that previous generations of temple authorities understood the importance of holy places and took responsibility for their maintenance. Today, he says, that sense of stewardship is absent.

"Many religious leaders here have a narrow view," Goswami says. "They don't see the universality of their own message. They don't see how a sacred site such as this can inspire people of all faiths. What they see is commercial opportunities, and the result is garbage and sewage backing up. In a few more years, my own children will not want to come here."

Beginning in the 17th century, Moguls and other invading forces razed Vrindavan's temple domes and left the town in architectural ruin. But according to Goswami, the real damage began with India's independence in 1947. Rather than return to its spiritual roots, the nation became a secular industrial power. India's cultural heritage in general, and holy places in particular, suffered.

"We are only two hours from Delhi," says Goswami, "and people are feverishly spending millions to turn Vrindavan into a suburb. Because there is so little appreciation for holy places, developers get away with using the Yamuna as a dump for their construction. Instead of dredging to restore the river's natural beauty, they have laid a tar road along its banks and in the riverbed to facilitate more traffic. I refuse to walk on it."

Indic scriptures identify Vrindavan as the place where Krishna, the Sanskrit name for God in personal form, appeared 5,000 years ago. Followers consider Vrindavan as having its genesis in the spiritual world. Devotees consequently worshipped the town as fervently as Krishna himself.

Yet with modernization, the nature of pilgrimage to this holy spot has shifted dramatically. As recently as the 1980s, hardly one car a day arrived here, and there was little to distract from an all-day walking tour of medieval sites. Today, traffic backs up along the newly completed six-lane National Highway. A water park has opened less than seven miles from Govardhan, a hill that is among Vrindavan's most sacred spots. Near the actual site of Krishna's appearance in nearby Mathura, Pepsi-Cola has constructed a production plant. Cell phone towers loom up into the sky over temple domes.

"There is a risk of the spiritual experience becoming diluted," says Braja Bihari, an American scholar who has lived in Vrindavan for 27 years. "Previously, you never saw people playing boomboxes or contaminating the roads with plastic bags. They came here to get away from those influences. The deep, contemplative experience is still available, but you have to work a little harder to find it now."

Some environmental organizations such as the World Wide Fund for Nature are working to restore Vrindavan through programs of reforestation. Ranchor Prime, the project's India liaison, notes that ecological values have always played an important role in Hinduism but have suffered in the rush of modernization.

"If the faith leaders brought back their own tradition of cleanliness and respect for nature here, in one of the greatest holy places of India," says Prime, "it could have a dramatic impact nationwide. Environmental awareness is not a hollow religious sentiment. It makes practical sense."

Not everyone sees the changes in dire terms. Lokanath Swami, a religious leader from South India, sees an upside to modernization: comfortable facilities attract clients.

"First, people have to want to come to a holy place," he says. "Then the inner experience can occur."

Still, he agrees with Goswami's assessment that leadership must take an active role in protecting the site's integrity.

"The scriptures tell us that the real pilgrimage is not bathing in a river," he says, "but taking instruction from the saintly people who make such places their home. And certainly they have an added degree of responsibility."

Historically, holy places have been the refuge of ascetics seeking escape from the material world. It would take days or weeks to arrive at a holy place. Once there, pilgrims confronted austere conditions that quickly separated spiritual dabblers from the truly devout. Today, the opposite holds true as developers encourage tourism and Vrindavan struggles to adjust, for the first time in history, to market economics. Like many other places of pilgrimage in India, this is a town faced with reconciling its cultural and spiritual purposes with its need for a stronger economic infrastructure.

Even staunch defenders of Vrindavan's innate sanctity acknowledge the inevitability of modernization and accept, as well, its potential value. From the roof of his art institute, called Sri Caitanya Prema Samsthana, Goswami can see solar panels on buildings in surrounding villages. The panels feed energy to satellite dishes that connect farmers to Hindi-language Internet Web sites, which provide district-specific weather reports, current market prices and tips on modern growing methods.

More than half the residents in the Vrindavan area live off the land, and Goswami acknowledges that the technology could lead to improved quality of life and possibilities for saving Vrindavan from urban blight.

"Spirituality has never been an enemy of science and technology," he says. "Devotion and knowledge have always gone together. That is the Indian approach. I'm not afraid of laptops and satellites. It is losing the spiritual content of Vrindavan that has me concerned. That cannot be stopped by better technology alone. That can only be stopped if the religious leaders come out of their shells and renew their emotional bond with their own culture and history."

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Empathizing with Joel Stein : His Edison, My Barsana

A controversial article appeared in the July 5 edition of Time magazine, in which Joel Stein laments about the influx of Indian immigrants to his hometown of Edison, New Jersey. The story touched a lot of sensitive nerves and has even resulted in an apology from Time.

Environmental activist
Raghav Mittalji of the Braj Foundation has written a riposte, which we publish here. The opinions expressed are his alone and do not necessarily represent those of the BVHA. --- Jagat




Despite the harsh and uncomfortable comments made by Joel Stein on the changing landscape of his hometown Edison, NJ, due to the influx of Indian immigrants, I do find a strong reasons to empathize with him.

We all possess a sense of belongingness to our native places - whether we are Indians, Americans, Europeans, or Australians. Every culture, tradition and lifestyle has its own innate strengths as well as its share of weaknesses. We all like to live in our own peculiar manner and cherish our own customs and traditions. It is therefore legitimate for Stein to duly express feelings.

Just as Stein is disturbed or concerned or astonished over the transformation of his American hometown, I too am concerned and disgusted over a similar transformation of one of the most venerated spiritual places in India, which has been brought about by the mindless influx of an insensitive band of American NRIs and the accompanying flood of dollars.

Chiksoli and Manpur are twin villages near the town of Barsana (located in District Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh), which happens to be the birthplace of Srimati Radharani, the eternal consort of Sri Krishna, the propounder of the world famous Srimad Bhagvad Gita.

Everything was going on well in these twin villages till about a decade ago. The serene rural settings compounded by the ecological grandeur of Gahvarvan, one of the finest sacred groves of Braj, Dohini Kund, Vihar Kund, Maangarh, Vilasgarh, Ashtasakhi hills, Radha Sarovar, Mor Kuti, Kadamb Khandi and the surrounding expanses of fertile agricultural land, gave an internalizing experience to one and all who dared to visit these spiritual hamlets.

The experience was further amplified by the musical renditions of Sri Ramesh Baba, the revolutionary saint of Braj, performed in honor of the Divine Couple Sri Radha Krishna, every evening. The warm hospitality offered by the local people at Ras Mandir made one forget the comforts of the finest hospitable destinations.

A community-led movement aimed at reviving the lost heritage of the region comprising of ancient water bodies, sacred groves, degraded pasture lands and hill slopes was going on, silently inspired by Sri Ramesh Baba. It reinstilled the confidence in the local youth to take charge of their ecological infrastructure and build upon their prosperous socio-economic enterprises on the innate strength of Braj.

To attract further support, a team of locals went to the US to seek the support of the American NRI (non-resident Indian) community there. This proved to be a 'turning point' in the destiny of the twin hamlets of Chiksoli and Manpur, as the Lyndon Johnson's 1965 decision to open America's gates to Asian immigrants resulted in such drastic changes to Stein's Edison.

Hordes of Non Resident Indians were attracted to the charismatic Sri Ramesh Baba and started, in their own characteristically pompous style, to influence the entire state of affairs. The simple rural folk were swayed by their economic might and started selling off their prized lands for the invaders' palatial spiritual retreats.

The place's austerity and simplicity took less than a decade to get lost. The way that Edison was overrun by alien and unadapting South Asians, Chiksoli and Maanpur were encroached on by materialistic spiritualists.

Now there are multi-story towers in these small villages with shoddy drainage and sewerage disposal systems. The ostentatious display of money is clearly visible everywhere. To house cattle, fortresses have been built as if they are real endangered species.

Instead of upgrading the local school Sri Raseshwary Vidya Mandir, which was to be turned into a rural university, the entire focus has shifted on building residential apartments for the overseas clients. Due to the lack of building regulations in these rural areas and the absence of adequate local government or infrastructure, havoc is being created. Effluent from these gushing buildings is despoiling the local habitat at a pace that far exceeds its ability to cope.

Cultural invasions are happening all across the globe. Whether it is Edison, New Jersey, or Chiksoli-Manpur near Barsana. In both cases, local communities are at peril and at a disadvantage as their independence and liberty is encroached upon.

I would certainly empathize with Stein as I too feel I have lost the very place that was the source of my inspiration and instruction while I was a little kid, which is no longer holds the same charm and attraction for me and I now rarely visit.

Stein has simply been vocally condemned and publicly chastized by the Indian-American Community. My own criticism of the NRI invasion in Barsana has resulted in threats from goons flourishing on their financial support, so that I have practically speaking been exiled from there.

Cultural invasions of such insensitivity should not and just cannot be tolerated or patronized.

BVHA and FOV: Seminar on 'Forest Conservation'

A seminar on 'Forest Conservation' was organized by Friends of Vrindavan under aegis of Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance in the Rangi ka Bara Bagicha. Dr. K.L.Meena, the District Forest Officer attended the seminar as the Chief Guest.


Dr. Meena said that the seminar was organized in a place where the glimpse of original swaroop of Vrindavan can be seen. He said the venue, weather and the flora fauna perfectly matched the cause of organizing the seminar. The peacock dancing, parrots and other birds tweeting reminded him of the actual duty of the Forestry Department.

The seminar formally began with reading the message sent by His Holiness Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami who is currently traveling on a spiritual tour in Europe.

The speakers said that Vrindavan should be declared a pilgrimage town as well as an Environment Sensitive Zone. Though it has already been transformed into a concrete jungle, there is still hope that some certain areas can be made completely green.

It was stressed that whatever injury is caused to the swaroop and environment of Vrindavan by cutting down trees is unforgettable and unforgivable, and can only be remedied if the Forestry Department plants ten times more trees in and around Vrindavan. The Department should frequently organize Van Mahotsavas.

It was decided that a committee should be formed which will suggest where trees can be planted under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The speakers said that the Forestry Department should try to acquire the whole Yamuna Khadar (front) area and do massive plantation there.

It was also decided that the Honorable High Court which is hearing the case of tree cutting in Vrindavan would be requested to order the acquisition of land for the Forest Department so that tree planting can be done there on a massive scale.

The PPP programme can only be carried out on roadsides and within private lands. But when we talk about the massive tree plantation it should be done purely by the government as it involves problems of encroachment and land grabbing, etc.

The restoration of the sacred groves and containing the monkey population was also discussed in the seminar.


The seminar was presided by Shri Bal Krishna Goutam. Dr. Chandra Prakash Sharma, Shri Govind Kishor Goswami, Acharya Naresh Narain, K.G. Gupta, Kanhaiya Gupta, Chandra Lal Sharma, Suresh Chandra Sharma, Rajendra Agrawal, Jagannath Poddar, Totaram Upadhyay, Girdhari Brajwasi, Ram Narayan Brajwasi, R.D. Singh (Forest Ranger), C.B. Singh (Deputy Forest Ranger), O.P. Sharma (Forest Guard), Braj Mohan Khandal, Puran Kishor Sharma, Govind Mahant, Ankit Agrawal, Jagdish, Vishnu Pada Das, Madhu Mangal Shukla (petitioner) and many others participated in the seminar.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Trees saved from the ax

30th June 2010: Some trees were being cut in the Raman Reti area by the Electricity Department. People tried to stop them from cutting the trees, informing them of the High Court's order, which appeared in the newspaper on that day. But instead of stopping their action, the workers threatened the people who tried to stop them.

The people then informed petitioner Madhumangal Shukla and the Friends of Vrindavan office about the Electricity Department's action. Several activists immediately informed the District Forest Officer, D.L.Meena, about it and then went to the spot accompanied by the media. The D.F.O. sent their team to stop the cutting and took legal action against the workers.

So that one tree was saved. It is noteworthy, however, that hundreds of trees have already been cut in the name of road broadening and sewer laying. The High Court of Allahabad has put an injunction on cutting the trees after a PIL was filed by the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance.

Radhe Radhe!

BVHA Meeting at Rangaji, July 6, 2010.

Dear Friends,

Radhe Radhe! A meeting of the Braj Vrindavan Heritage Alliance is scheduled to be organised at the Bara Bagicha of Rangji Temple near Katyayani Mandir on Tuesday, 6th July 2010 at 5 p.m. The Divisional Director of the Uttar Pradesh Forestry (District Forest Officer) Dr. K.L. Meena has given his consent to participate in the meeting. He wishes to discuss about the massive tree plantation as compensation of the trees cut in Vrindavan. This is very important and crucial meeting about the future of Vrindavan's ecology. So, kindly take out your valuable time for this imprortant event if you are in the town.

Pranams,

Yours in service,

Jagannath Poddar

Help the court battles with a donation

Dear Friends,

Radhe Radhe! As you may know that the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance has filed a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court of Allahabad through Madhu Mangal Shukla to protect the trees and do the massive forestation in the Yamuna Bank. The first order of the High Court is attached with this mail.

Madhumangal Shukla has asked me to request all the well wishers of Vrindavan and the BVHA members to generously donate to sustain the legal battle to protect the identity of Vrindavan's ecology. You may donate any amount of money for this cause. It is up to you how you wish to support this mission.

Pranams,

Yours in service,

Jagannath Poddar

Next BVHA Meeting

The next BVHA meeting will be held at Rangaji ka bara bagicha on July 6 at 5 p.m. The District Forest Officer will be present.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

High Court: Kumbha Mela land in Vrindavan must be protected

Chief Justice's Court

Case :- PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 35711 of 2010

Petitioner :- Acharya Atul Krishna Goswami And 14 Others

Respondent :- State Of U.P. Thru Chief Sec. Lko. And Others

Petitioner Counsel :- R.K. Srivastava

Respondent Counsel :- C.S.C.,D.S. Chaudhary

Hon'ble Ferdino Inacio Rebello, Chief Justice

Hon'ble Amreshwar Pratap Sahi, J.

The petitioners contend that a land was acquired for the KUMBH MELA and now the land should be preserved as MELA KSHETRA. It is also contended that there are encroachments on the said land.

The land vests in the State Government. It is for the State Government to take such steps to which it is entitled to do for the use of the land. At the same time, the State Government is duty bound, in the event, there is any encroachment to take steps to remove the encroachment.

With the above observation, the petition is disposed of.

(F.I. Rebello,CJ)

(A.P. Sahi,J)

Order Date :- 1.7.2010

Friday, July 2, 2010

PIL stops cutting of trees. High Court Decison

Court No. - 29

Case: - PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 36311 of 2010

Petitioner: - Madhu Mangal Shukla
Respondent: - Union Of India Thrugh Secy. Min. Of Environment And Others
Petitioner Counsel :- Amit Verma,A. Chaturvedi
Respondent Counsel :- C.S.C.,Asgi 2010/1261

Hon'ble Arun Tandon,J.
Hon'ble Rajesh Chandra,J.

Let counter affidavit be filed by respondents.

In the Counter affidavit to be filed by respondent Nos. 1 and 2 it shall specifically be stated as to whether the proposal required environmental clearance under the provision of Demolition Act with reference to the notification or not and whether it is only after such clearance from the environmental impact Assessment Committee the 369 green trees standing on the land could be cut for the purposes of widening of the road (Vrindavan Chattikara Road) (Mathura Vrindavan Road)

Prima facie, we find that it would not in the interest of justice to restrain the respondents from cutting the green trees till the matter was examined after affidavits are filed by the respondents.

We direct that till the next date of listing tree standing on the land in dispute shall not be cut by the respondents without leaving of the court.

Affidavit may be filed by the State authorities by the next date of listing enclosing the documents referable to Sections 2 and 3 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.

The Divisional Forest Officer/ Regional Director Social Forestry Forest Division, Mathura is present in the Court. Personal appearance is exempted unless directed otherwise.

Let the case be listed before appropriate Bench on 13.06.2010.

Order Date: - 25.6.2010
Pr/-