Authentic Indian Mela at Barsana Dham

Authentic Indian Mela at Barsana Dham

Oak Hill Gazette, 22nd April 2009

Roving Entertainer at the Barsana Dham Mela

Barsana Dham’s annual Indian Mela (Fair) is set for Saturday, April 25th, from 12 noon to 5:00 PM. This year’s event will feature Elephant rides, traditional food and snacks, shopping bazaar, live Indian dance and music performances.

Organizers say attendees will feel like they are in a real Indian fair in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Fair goers can have their hands decorated with elaborate mehndi patterns, purchase unique clothing, jewelry, artwork, and try their luck at the dunk tank. There will be favorite Indian delicacies like samosas, lassi, rasgula, bhel puri and more. Games prizes, inflatable rides, petting zoo, pony rides, trackless train, roving balloon artist Nate the Great and clown extraordinaire Bonzo Crunch will be there.

This year, the teachers of Barsana Dham will present interactive sessions: “Hinduism, Myth vs. Fact”, “Introduction to Chanting Meditation” and give a walking tour of Barsana Dham. Cultural music and dance will be performed on the outdoor stage ending with a Sarod and Tabla concert.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Mela at Barsana Dham, located at 400 Barsana Rd. on FM 1826 (Camp Ben McCullough Rd.). Admission is $5.00 per car. For more information, visit the Barsana Dham Web site at www.barsanadham.org or call (512) 288-7180.

Barsana Dham Temple Shelters Hurricane Ike Evacuees

Barsana Dham Shelters Hurricane Ike Evacuees

Subesh Mehta of Pearland, Texas is one of the evacuees finding safe shelter at Barsana Dham. “This temple is a real blessing in a situation like this,” said Mehta. “Barsana Dham is definitely the right place for all the people escaping the hurricane because the soothing environment helps us keep calm.”

Founded in 1990 by H. D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, the Barsana Dham Temple and ashram complex serves as a national center of the Hindu faith in the United States and is one of the largest Hindu temples in North America. With more than 1,200 members, Barsana Dham is active in a number of local and global charitable activities including housing rehabilitation work in Central Texas, flood relief efforts for India, and the ongoing support of hospital operations oversees.

Appeal: JKP Barsana Dham’s Bihar Relief Fund

Barsana Dham Bihar Flood Relief Campaign

Barsana Dham, the ashram founded by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, yesterday launched a campaign to raise $150,000 for victims of disaster struck Bihar, India. The campaign was initiated at the request of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj who has already given around $450,000 toward relief efforts.

The JKP Foundation, on behalf of of JKP Barsana Dham is aiming to make the goal of $150,000 a reality within the next fortnight so it can quickly go to where its needed.

The Barsana Dham website will shortly be accepting online donations toward this cause.

Donate to the Barsana Dham Bihar Flood Relief Campaign

Upcoming Barsana Dham Rath Yatra Festival October 5th

 

 

 

 Barsana Dham Rath Yatra Announcement

JKP Barsana Dham is pleased to announce that the annual Rath Yatra
Celebration will be celebrated on Sunday, October 5th 2008.

Come with family and friends and join the Grand Chariot procession of Shree
Raseshwari Radha Rani which follows a beautiful path through the grounds of
Barsana Dham. In addition to the Grand Chariot Procession, the day’s festivities
include bhajans and kirtans, an enlightening discourse, arti and homage, lunch
prasad, and a magnificent cultural program with Braj leelas.

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Rath Yatra Message:

The blessed souls. Today we are celebrating Sharat Poornima and on this celebration day we have the Radha Rani Rath Yatra in the morning. This is Barsana Dham. Radha Rani appeared 5,000 years ago in India, in Braj, and stayed in Barsana for all the time She was on the earth planet. She Graced all the devotees of the world.

When I went to Braj in 1955, I stayed in Barsana. At that time I studied all the scriptures, Vaishnav scriptures especially, and the life history of Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji. Also, I enjoyed reading the songs written by rasik Saints–songs of Krishn leelas and Radha leelas.

At that time, internally, Shree Maharajji called me. And so it happened that I met him in Allahabad. When I met him, I saw what I had read about in “Chaitanya Charitamrit.” I felt he truly was the personified descension of the Bliss of maharas which Radha and Krishn gave during Their maharas leela. I stayed with him. And with his Grace this Barsana Dham has come into being. Barsana is the eternal abode of Radha Rani. Wherever She appears on the earth planet, Barsana is there. Barsana is where She lives. No other place, just Barsana. So it’s Her eternal abode. With the Grace of Shree Maharajji I thought of developing something for Western people who cannot go to India quite so often. Something the same as in India. With his Grace, this Barsana Dham was established. And we are introducing his teachings and his message through our organization.

Today is very auspicious, very important! It is such an important day, you cannot imagine. Suppose there is a beggar. He is begging for his whole life, hoping for pennies or dollars, half-starving his whole life. Suddenly, suppose he receives a lottery of twenty, thirty million dollars. Oh! he faints in that joy. That is nothing as compared with the Divine Bliss which Radha Rani gives to the souls of this world.

We know what we are. We are attached in the world. In our worldly attachments we live. Family attachment, job attachment, house attachment, attachment to things. We devote some time, just some time for God. In that ‘some time’ we have lots of demands from God. How many of us love God selflessly? There are some who do… But then again how long do they do devotion selflessly? These are all the limitations.

So, for such souls, if Radha Rani gives Her own kingdom, Her own Self, Her own abode, Barsana and Divine Vrindaban…there are no words to explain the greatness of Her love and kindness! But we can experience that, definitely, in this lifetime, if you are determined. That’s it. No other requirement. How fallen a soul is makes no difference. It makes no difference. Every soul is fallen. That’s why he’s in the world.

Suppose somebody says that he has not done any big crime in this lifetime. In past lifetimes, he would have done so. His remote past, he would have done so. And we have all the karmas of all the past accumulated lifetimes with us all the time in the mind. We have uncountable good and bad deeds contained in our sanskars. Some people are doing very good, some less good, some are doing devotions, some are great devotees. Those who are great devotees if they look to their past, were they the same in childhood? No, they developed.

What I mean to say is that a soul may change anytime. It is a matter of understanding. When you understand, “Oh, Radha and Krishn are my supreme Divine Beloved.” One sentence. They are your supreme Divine Beloved. Beloved of your heart, mind, soul, body, everything. Only supreme Divine Beloved, only Beloved. That’s all you have to understand. That’s it, and you are on the path to God realization.

This may take time. It’s up to you to determine. Whenever you decide, you are on the path. Then, what you were in the past, Radha Rani never cares to know…just forget it. Past is past. Present, presently what you are, that’s what counts.

So, any soul, of any class and kind and profession, of any age, from a child to grown-up or old, it makes no difference, if you decide, then, instantly you receive the Grace of Radha Rani. The decision is yours. And Gracing is on Her part. She is always open and ready to Grace any soul. Only you have to look to Her, “O Radhey! I am Yours. You are only mine. You only were mine, I realize now. Please help me, Grace me.” This feeling should come from the bottom of your heart. That’s all you have to do. All the rest, Radha Rani will do. Krishn will do. It’s in Their hands.

So that’s the message we give every year. Every day when we do chanting, and have satsang, and have darshan, we give the same message to all the souls all the time, but this particular occasion reminds us that on this particular night, Sharat Poornima night, Radha and Krishn gave maharas ras to uncountable Gopis—not millions or billions or trillions, but uncountable Gopis. In Vrindaban. In India. So one might think that Vrindaban is a limited place, and how could uncountable Gopis have come? Yes, it was made Divine at that time. The location was Vrindaban, but the space was made Divine. Divine has no limitation. So uncountable Gopis joined, did maharas with Radha and Krishn and enjoyed the Bliss. The same can be given to you. You can receive that, if you decide. This is the message which we give every year to all the souls who come. And my Grace and my blessings are on all the souls. We wish every soul to realize the importance of God realization and come to this path.

Bolo Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani ki, jai!
Barsana Dham ki, jai!
Shree Kripaluji Maharaj ki, jai!
Jai Shree Radhey!

Prabhakari Devi – Family Camps

With the Blessings of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, Prabhakari Devi helps to coordinate family camps at her ashram. The camps have become very popular and deepen family understanding and experience of Sanatan Dharm. Prabhakari Devi gives knowledge sessions for youth, music lessons, Hindi classes guided tours of the Holy places and alot more. Prabhakari Devi has alot of experience with youth. Prabhakari Devi has managed camps for many groups such as the ‘Hindu Students Counsil’.

Sushree Prabhakari Didi (Devi) – A Biography

Sushree Prabhakari Didi, vice president of JKP Barsana Dham has many achievements to her name. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, Prabhakari Devi’s Guru, tutored her in the ways of spiritual philosophy when she was in her late teens. She intensly learned the vedic scriptures in their original form, devotional music and the deepest philosophy of raganuga bhakti. At the end of her study period, she entered into the renounced order and became a sanyasi. Today, Prabhakari Devi (Didi), a resident of JKP-Barsana Dham, is a much loved personality in the field of spiritual philosophy. Prabhakari Devi explains the most profound axioms in a way that could be understand by all, young and old. Her particular interest is in youth outreach and she conducts youth classes and family camps throughout the U.S.

Prabhakari Devi – Senate

Sushree Prabhakari Devi (Prabhakari Didi), Vice president of JKP Barsana Dham, has delivered the first ever Hindu prayer in the Texas Senate. She is a disciple of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati.