... the bank of the kunda would have eventually regained some of its early lushness. Unfortunately, owing to concerns over the trees' roots growing and damaging boundaries, they all had to be removed.

We brought a whole big load of trees and flowers from a local nursery to be planted...

Inspecting our tree planting project in 2003, two Acyutanandas: One from Hungary and the other from Bengal, both once residents of Radhakund. We all shared a desire to contribute towards bringing Radhakund closer towards the ideal nature-filled bhajan-sthali it once was in the days of yore.

A friendly old shopkeeper at Radhakund, sitting in a typical little shop by the side of the road.

From the 2003 trip, on the way from Delhi to Vrindavan. Sand on the road sent the car sliding, and it bumped hard into the mid-area of the road, breaking the front axle. A few minutes after we'd gotten out of the car, a jeep got caught the same sand and slid into our car.

And finally this truck slammed into the two cars and drove off the road... Amazingly, the driver seemed to be in a fine shape, even if pretty dizzy, when he was carried out of the truck that flipped over thrice after sliding down the road bank.

In our series on curiosities... This photo of a Delhi traffic police in his booth is the first digital photo I've ever taken in India. Imagine doing that for living!

A lonely tree at Govardhan near the village of Aniyor, 2002.

Found this gem from beyond the ages, sorting out some of my old stuff. The person pictured is, of course, Jagadananda from his visit to Vraja some years back.

Just the monthly event where oil for the kerosene lamps is sold at a local rate. It's a stampede all right, and man they make a hubbub. Ever thought about forming a line, anyone?

Pictured in this clip from a magazine that once found its way to my scanner: Prabhupada Nityananda Goswami and Srimati Mamata Rani of Bulbul Chandi, Malada, WB.

Vrindaban flowers at a nursery on the Delhi-Mathura road near Chatikara.

Pisima's Gaura-Nitai in Vrindavana, near the beginning of Loi Bazaar. And if you don't know the story, go read it now!

The folks who produced the audio for the marriage party clips featured in today's blog. The bottom vehicle is the sound system. Yes, those are loudspeakers, them trumpets. The man at top left is holding what they call a "Casio", and he leads the trumpeters and the drummers on the top right image along with the lead singer (middle in the bottom picture). Some serious musicians, these guys.

Cakleshwar Mahadeva on the banks of Manasi Ganga, right next to Sanatana Goswami's bhajan kutir. The name is actually an evolved form of cakreśvara.

From my 2002 archives, a contemplative buffalo. (I'm sorting out the archives — some older photos coming up.)

A painting of the five Prabhus — Syamananda, Narottama, Srinivasa, Ramacandra and Rasikananda. Prema-vilasa speaks of the three as the new avatars of Advaita, Nitai and Chaitanya respectively. In this popular old painting, Ramachandra is equated with Gadadhar and Rasikananda with Srivasa. A footnote mentions him as Aniruddha as well.

Sri Priyacarana Das Babaji Maharaja, one of the respected pandits and mahatmas of the past decades, who was based at Govardhan on the banks of Manasi Ganga.