If there is one devotee who is Radha-crazy,  he is Srila Prabodhananda saraswati. He has proved his immense Radha-prem in pages  after pages of his exquisite jewel called Sri Sri Radha-rasa-sudha-nidhi. The same Vaishnav-chudamani has showed us  how to surely and certainly  attain Radharani’s lotus feet in his Sri Chaitanya-Chandramritam. Read more »

Mataji has yet again sent her mercy in the following article – she writes -

I would again like to share with you a nectar, which my Guru Maharaj just wrote.

I am sure, you will like it:

How to Turn Inner Pain into Great Gain:

Change Your Perspective

We have all observed, either through our own experiences or through conversations with others, that the pain arising from disappointment in interpersonal relationships distracts the mind like no other feeling.  Even the feeling of being in love does not occupy Read more »

When Yudhishthir Maharaj was ruling this planet, Bhimsen used to help in solving the problems of people; therefore whoever had any questions/problems would come to Bhimsen and ask him for help. One day, one citizen came and asked Bhimsen that he noticed a strange thing that day, that his fence was moving into other’s place and he was wondering why it happened like that. Read more »

Radhe Radhe

Holi is the most colourful festival of Braj. Krishna has a gala time with his Gop and Gopi friends during this festival. One day all the Gop sakhas got together and headed towards Nanadbhavan to play Holi, but as soon as Krishna heard all the noise, he Read more »

NEW! FILM LAUNCH

Animal Aid is proud to announce the launch of a superb new Meat-Free Monday film produced by top ethical London-based company, Taylor McKenzie.

We believe that this upbeat and highly watchable film, featuring a Moby soundtrack has the artistic merit and content to make people re-think their meat consumption and its impact on the planet.

Titled ‘What a difference a day makes’, its purpose is to encourage people to have at least one meat-free day a week and then hopefully move on to a meat-free Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well.

PLAY FILM

Please send this film to all of your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to support Meat-Free Monday.

HELP US PROMOTE THE FILM

The following web banners can be used to promote the film. Simply add them to your email signature, Myspace page, personal website and anywhere else appropriate.

www.meat-free-monday.com

Remembering Vasudev Balwant Phadke

Vasudeo Balwant Phadke (Marathi: वासुदेव बळवंत फडके) was an Indian revolutionary and is widely regarded as the father of the armed struggle for India’s independence. Phadke was moved by the plight of the farmer community during British Raj. Phadke believed that ‘Swaraj’ was the only remedy for their ills. With the help of Ramoshis, Kolis, Bhils and Dhangars communities in Maharastra, Vasudev formed a revolutionary group called as Ramoshi. The group started an armed struggle to overthrow the British Raj. The group launched raids on rich English businessmen to obtain funds for their liberation struggle. Phadke came into limelight when he got control of the city of Pune for a few days when he caught the British soldiers off guard during one of his surprise attacks.

Early Age

Vasudev was born on 1845-11-04 in Shirdhon village of Panvel taluka based in Raigad district in Maharashtra state in a Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin family. As a child Vasudev preferred learning skills like wrestling, riding over high school education and dropped out of school. Eventually he moved to Pune and took the job as a clerk with military accounts department in Pune for 15 years. Krantiveer Lahuji Vastad Salve a then prominent social figure based in Pune was the mentor of Vasudev. Lahuji Salve, an expert wrestler operated a gymnasium. Lahuji preached the importance of independence from British Raj. Lahuji belonged to Mang community an untouchable community, taught Vasudev the importance of getting backward castes into mainstream freedom movement. It was during this period that Vasudev began attending lectures by Govind Ranade which mainly focused on how the British Raj policies hurt the Indian economy. Vasudev was deeply hurt by how this was leading to widespread suffering in the society. In 1870, he joined a public agitation in Pune that was aimed at addressing people’s grievances. Vasudev founded an institution, the Aikya Vardhini Sabha, to educate the youth. While working as clerk, Vasudev was not able to see his dying mother due to the delay in approval of his leave. This incident enraged Vasudev and happened to be the turning point in his life.

Revolt with the help of the Ramoshi’s

In 1875, after the then Gaikwad ruler of Baroda was deposed by the British, Phadke launched protest speeches against the government. Severe famine coupled with the evident apathy of the British administration propelled him to tour the Deccan region, urging people to strive for a free republic. Unable to get support from the educated classes, he gathered a band of people from the Ramoshi caste. People from the Kolis, Bhils and Dhangars were also included later. He taught himself to shoot, ride and fence. He organised around 300 men into an insurgent group that aimed at liberating India from British rule. Vasudev intended to build an army of own but lacking funds they decided to break into government treasuries. The first raid was done in a village called Dhamari in Shirur taluka in Pune district. The income tax which was collected for British Raj was kept in the house of local business man Mr. Balchand Fojmal Sankla. They attacked the house and took the money for the benefit of famine stricken villagers. There they collected about four hundred rupees but this led to his being branded as a dacoit. To save himself Vasudev had to flee from village to village, sheltered by his sympathisers and well-wishers, mostly the lower class of the society. Impressed by his zeal and determination, the villagers of Nanagaum offered him protection and cover in the local forest. The general plot would be to cut off all the communications of British forces and then raid the treasury. The main purpose of these raids was to feed famine-affected farmer communities. Vasudev performed many such raids in areas near Shirur and Khed talukas in Pune.

Meanwhile, Vasudev continued his raids and increased his follower-base. The monetary situation of the movement improved. But then Vasudev had a realization the people around him were more interested in his loot, or wealth, than in the ideals that he wanted to fight for. Vasudev decided it was time for him to find a new place. He decided to move to south, and headed for Shri Shaila Mallikarjun shrine. After overcoming the moral defeat, Vasudev again recruited about 500 Rohilas to form strong army to start a fresh fight against the British Raj.

Capture and death

Vasudev’s plans to organize several simultaneously attacks against the British Raj nation wide were met with very limited success. He once had a direct engagement with the British army in the village of Ghanur, whereafter the government offered a bounty for his capture. Not to be outdone, Phadke in turned offered a bounty for the capture of the Governor of Bombay, announced a reward for the killing of each European, and issued other threats to the government. He then fled to Hyderabad State to recruit Rohilla and Arabs into his organisation. A British Major, Henry William Daniell and Abdul Haque, Police Commissioner to the Nizam of Hyderabad, pursued the fleeing Vasudev day and night. The British move to offer a bounty for his capture met with success: someone betrayed Phadke, and he was captured in a temple after a fierce fight at the district of Kaladgi on 20 July 1879 while he was on his way to Pandharpur. From here he was taken to Pune for trial. Vasudev and his comrades were housed in the district session court jail building, near Sangam bridge, which now happens to be the state C.I.D. building. His own diary provided evidence to have him sentenced for life. Vasudev was transported to jail at Aden, but escaped from the prison by taking the door off from its hinges on 13 February 1883. But his escape was too short lived: he was recaptured and put back in prison. Vasudev then went on a hunger strike to death. On 17 February 1883 Vasudev breathed his last breath as a result of his protest hunger strike.

Inspirational figure

One of the reasons for Vasudev to known as the father of the Indian armed rebellion was the fact that he was the source of inspiration for couple of fellow freedom fighters. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s famous patriotic novel Anand Math incorporated various contemporary acts of patriotism performed by Vasudev during his freedom struggle. As the British government didnt like this, Bankim had to print upto 5 editions of the book to tone down these stories.

As Nandalala goes with his friends with the cows for cattle-grazing, mother Yashoda is always worried for her son’s welfare. You cannot blame her as trouble befalls him  Read more »

 Radhe Radhe

CHANT & BE HAPPY

    
“I can do all things through KRISHNA which strengthens me.”  
 

The road To success is not straight. 
There is a curve called Failure,
a loop called Confusion,
speed bumps called Friends,
red lights called Graves,
Caution lights called Family.   
You will have flats called Jobs.

But, if you have a spare called Determination, an engine called Perseverance, insurance called Faith, a driver called Lord Krishna, you will make it to a place called Success.    

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA   KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Courtsey : Vijay Dada

This is a beautiful poem by H.H. Shachinandan Swami. It never appeared to me that even death would feel grateful to touch the one who chants the Holy Name. He too would be awe-inspired, and thankful to be aloowed to come in contact with a devotee. This is such a sweet, relieving, profound realization.  And of course ingenious.

All right death, here I am
come take me in your arms.

I have drawn
a luminous circle
with Krishna’s holy names
around me.

When you hold me
you will feel the ecstatic touch
of my Lord’s lotus feet on your heart
and you will tremble
with divine love.

Remembering that Krishna’s names
give auspicious benedictions to all,
who needs to fear
anything or anyone?

Radhe Radhe.

This is an input from Vijay dada.

The Story of Doobdi Bhatt

Radhe Radhe

My mother is a devotee of Swami Narayan Bhagwan and she always tells me a pastime of Sriji Maharaj till this date and Sriji maharaj pastime is very enchanting to hear and many times I read and I can not put away book. I would like to share one of the pastimes with the devotees.

One day Sriji maharaj was sitting along with his devotees in Gadhda town which was very dear to him, and they were planning to open a temple of sri Radha Gopinath Read more »