In the morning, we head for Baba's ashram to pick up Rasaraja's and Braja's pancha-malas. Collecting them and speaking briefly with Babaji Maharaja, we left for Vrindavan with Yugal. Reaching Raman Reti, we first went to Keshava Dham, a suburb on the right side of Raman Reti (looking from Chatikara direction), at which there is a facility for various naturopathic treatments. Hari Charan, a gurubhai from Vrindavan, had recommended the place. It was a bit after midday, so the doctor had already left the premises. There was, however, a very friendly young man from Orissa who was studying there for three months, and who took us for the full tour of the facility. Keshava Dham is a very peaceful place, approximately a ten-fifteen minute rickshaw-ride away from the Bhaktivedanta Swami gate.

Leaving Keshava Dham, we went to MVT to meet with Tarun Kishor, who had arrived on the previous day with Monika from Germany. Meeting them for the first time, we sat down for a while and chatted, waiting for Rasaraja and Braja who were supposed to come back around two in the afternoon. They had gone for parikrama, led by Dhanurdhar Swami, with their families and some other devotees. Speaking a few words with them and handing over the pancha-malas and namavalis (harinama-chadars in English). Tarun packed up his stuff, and picking Yugal into the car on the way, we left for Radha-kunda.

Unloading Tarun's bags into his room — downstairs right next to Yugal's — we set out for a full parikrama of Radha-kunda. Since we had a lot of time at our disposal before Babaji Maharaja would be available, we went to just about each and every place, starting from Ma Jahnava and Das Goswami's samadhi-mandir, bowing down to Radha-kunda on the way. Then onwards to Radha-Govindaji and the Jihva-mandir, followed by the samadhis of the three Goswamis, and the bhajan-kutirs of Gopala Bhatta Goswami near Shyama-kunda, and of Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami, Raghunath Das Goswami and Visvanath Cakravarti, all three near Manasa-pavan-ghat, where Radharani and the sakhis take bath in the afternoon. The Pancha-Pandava tree is also located here.

Heading to my favorite mandir at Radha-kunda, and perhaps in all of Vraja — Radha-Damodara at Jiva Goswami Ghera, where Sri Jiva also sat, doing his bhajan. We both gave generous donations to the pujari for Radha-Damodara's seva, as very much like both the Thakurjis and the pujari, who takes excellent care of them. He first brought us cups of sweet rice prasad, and anxious to share some more, then brought us cups of sabji. It was basically just potatoes with some spices, but incredibly tasty. Radha-Damodara must surely have tasted of it. They are so sweet and beautiful. Damodar had a cute woolen shirt on.

Passing by Radha-Vinod and the ashram of Prana Krishna Das Baba, and walking past Gopi-kupa, we reached Tamal Tala and Sriman Mahaprabhu's sitting place. It is always quite dark here for some reason, befitting the name of the place. The next place on the way around is the temple of Radha-Madanmohan, overseen by the Goswamis of the original Madanmohan Mandir in Vrindavan. Also a very beautiful sight, and a temple well taken care of. The sitting place of Sanatan Goswami is here on the yard. Soon after Radha-Madanmohan, we have the audience of Nitai-Gaura in the Gaura-Nitai mandir — enormous and intense murtis blessing you with their kind glance.

Next darshan is at Nityananda Baithak. On one end of the yard is the place where Nitai sat, visiting Vraja in the course of his pilgrimages in search of Gaura. On the other end are the deities of Radha-Gopinath. Returning to the parikrama road and taking a right turn at the corner, we get the darshan of Kundeshvar Mahadeva. Bam Bam bole. Then, the sabji-market and Radha-kunda on your right side, soon reaching Brajananda Ghera. We are in the habit of starting and concluding our parikrama there, paying the customary obeisances also at feet of our gurudeva. Here, we of course also do parikrama of our parama-guru's samadhi.

To be continued...