On the way to the Taj Mahal our driver thought he was funny by telling us this was the "mini Taj Mahal."
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Mini Taj Mahal
On the way to the Taj Mahal our driver thought he was funny by telling us this was the "mini Taj Mahal."
Friday, February 11, 2011
Loi Bazaar
I said it already, but I'll say it again - I love shopping in India. The shopping area in Vrindavan is called Loi Bazaar.
En route to Loi Bazaar via a cycle rickshaw...
En route to Loi Bazaar via a cycle rickshaw...
When the street starts to narrow, you know you're getting closer.
Our first stop was Ganga Prasad, as we were told by several people that was the best place to go. We spent at least an hour in there. While I picked out a few salwar kameez for a friend back home, Lila Katha, G stayed entertained by helping Lila pick out a sari for herself.
We walked out of there with about a dozen shawls and scarfs, several dhotis, a few salwar kameez, and a couple of kurtas. Then we walked a few stalls down to another clothing shop, where we bought several ghagra choli's for G and her friends and a spare choli for me. All the while the electricity kept going on and off. We hit up a bunch of smaller stalls for beads and bangles. And then Chris fell in love with stainless steel plates and mini bowls.
It was exhausting, but I wish I could have gone back another day. Although, for my wallet's sake, it's probably for the best that I didn't!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Madan Mohan Temple
Our lovely and knowledgeable tour guide, Lila, took us to Madan Mohan Temple. Lila can easily recall the history behind almost everything in Vrindavan. It's quite amazing, which makes her an excellent guide.
A ship filled with merchandise and owned by Ram Das Kapoor went aground in the Yamuna. A Goswami told him to pray to Madan Mohan for help. When his ship was freed he took the money he made from selling the merchandise to build the Madan Mohan Temple, which then became home to the Madan Mohan deity.
The original deity of Madan Mohan was discovered at the base of a tree by Advaita Acharya, when he visited Vrindavan. He entrusted the worship of Madan Mohan to his disciple, Purusottama Chaube, who then gave the deity to Sanatana Goswami. (The same Goswami who told the ship merchant to pray to the deity.) The original Madan Mohan deity was moved from Vrindavan to Jaipur when the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb attacked Vrindavan in 1670. Today a replica of the original deity is worshiped at the temple, which is also the oldest temple in Vrindavan.
No photography of deities allowed here.
There were quite a few stairs to get to the top!
But the view from the top is worth the stair workout. You can see the Yamuna:
A ship filled with merchandise and owned by Ram Das Kapoor went aground in the Yamuna. A Goswami told him to pray to Madan Mohan for help. When his ship was freed he took the money he made from selling the merchandise to build the Madan Mohan Temple, which then became home to the Madan Mohan deity.
The original deity of Madan Mohan was discovered at the base of a tree by Advaita Acharya, when he visited Vrindavan. He entrusted the worship of Madan Mohan to his disciple, Purusottama Chaube, who then gave the deity to Sanatana Goswami. (The same Goswami who told the ship merchant to pray to the deity.) The original Madan Mohan deity was moved from Vrindavan to Jaipur when the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb attacked Vrindavan in 1670. Today a replica of the original deity is worshiped at the temple, which is also the oldest temple in Vrindavan.
No photography of deities allowed here.
There were quite a few stairs to get to the top!
But the view from the top is worth the stair workout. You can see the Yamuna:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)