In the morning, we left for Vrindavan. The main objective was to find something nice for Rasaraja, Braja and their families. Not something you could just buy in the bazaar, something special, and of particular devotional significance. We figured we'd go around the temples and see if we might pick up something of particular interest on the way. We first headed for Radha Raman. However, there was no darshan at this time. About half an hour, we were told. It was already close to noon and most temples seemed to be closed down.

As we had a bit of spare time at our disposal, we figured we might go and see if we could find Shrivatsa Goswami somewhere in the neighbourhood. He had dropped me a mail a month or so back, asking me to give him a call when I come over to Vraja. Aside my getting a chance to enjoy sadhu-sanga, we would have a number of topics to cover regarding coordination of efforts in digitizing the Gaudiya canon in the context of Gaudiya Grantha Mandir, as well as some more general issues regarding Sri Chaitanya Foundation. Their website might also gain of my expertise in the realm of new media, he said. I suppose I can give it a shot, why not. For what I hear, Shrivatsa Goswami is very fluent in English, a scholar, an eloquent speaker and a friendly personality. Many academics seem to like to keep in touch with him. I have never met him in person.

We then headed for the darshan of Yamuna. We hadn't seen her yet during this visit. A bunch of boatmen tried to get us onboard, and the mynas played around with the pigs. A couple of cows grazed here and there. It was a foggy day, only the shape of the temple of Madan Mohan loomed in the horizon.



From Yamuna, we headed for Loi Bazaar, and picked up something of interest on the way. However I won't write of that until after tomorrow, we don't want to spoil the surprise.

Loi Bazaar was pretty messed up today. It was full of ditches, three meters deep. An excavator about as wide as the bazaar itself had torn the place apart. I have no idea what they might have been working on. I'm pretty sure this isn't the latest extension of the Delhi subway structure they're working on, nor do I believe they might actually be building a reasonable sewage system anytime soon. Somehow we managed to get past the ditches and moved on to Bankhandi Mahadev bazaar and our favorite cloth merchant. Giridhari wants new clothes...

Knowing that Baba's lecture was scheduled to begin in an hour, we rushed home and made it there just in time, sitting down in the middle of the mangalacharan. The same theme continues. gaurAGgo hRdaya udayan mAM madayati — This vision of Sri Gauranga arising within the inner chamber of my heart, sank as he is in the deep rapture of Radha-bhava in Gambhira, maddens me!

After the evening aratik, the kirtaniyas started the adhivas-kirtan in commemoration of Sri Kunja Bihari Das Babaji Maharaja's upcoming tirobhava-tithi. And an amazing kirtan it was! Video clips to follow as soon as I capture them and edit them a bit. Keep an eye on the media-section. Some prasad was being served after the kirtan, but we politely avoided it, as eating local cooking that late at night could not possibly make you feel too good the next morning.