Leaving for Vraja -

So we're finally leaving... The plane is flying in nine hours. We'll reach Delhi by 1.00 AM on Wednesday.

I should be back online sometime on Thursday, if not already on Wednesday. Technically it might happen already on Wednesday, but I can't guarantee I'll be alive enough after 24 hours of traveling to make it that far.

Congratulations. I hope the both of you have a wonderful time in Vraj. I hope Lord Krishna and Radhikaa make Their presence felt for you.

With your kind wishes, I'm sure we will & they will. Your letter is printed and ready for delivery.

Dear Madhavananda & Malatilata,

You both have my best wishes!

Good luck with your trip and make sure to send me a little packet of foot-dust compiled from the dust of the lotus feet of the various rasik Vaisnavas you encounter.

jaya jaya radha nama, vrndavana yara dhama

krsna sukha vilasera nidhi

Glory, glory to the holy name of Radha that resides in Vrindavan, and that is the ocean of Krsna's blissful pastimes!
Prema Bhakti Candrika - 108

Jai Sri Radhe!

Thanks for the good wishes, all!

I was just finishing up on cleaning up my inbox folder and was at the last 40 PMs, when something happened all of a sudden and they vanished. Maybe I just filed them all to some silly place. I'm pretty sure they had all been replied to, but if anyone is missing a response, then please resend. Thanks for your patience with my sometimes slow responses.

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

Jai Radhe! Have a great trip to Vraja. I look forward to finally meeting you and your wife when we visit Vraja in two weeks! Have safe and happy travels and please pray that my family and I are given the honor of visiting the dhama as planned.

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Strange and interesting, the fact that most of us have never met in person. I hope I don't creep you out when the time comes!

I'm sure you'll be able to come as planned, give or take a bit of MVT.

Dear Malati and Madhava,

I wish you a safe journey, and have a wonderful time in Vraja in the association of your Gurudeva. Please take care of yourselves, both.

So, we are finally in and have settled somewhat. I just installed the antenna and got myself hooked up on internet. I'll post more tonight at Vraja Journal.

Here's one of the peacocks that dance around in the yard here. Gauradham colony is, environmentally speaking, the very cream of Radha Kund, an incredible place with lots of nature and animals!

Haribol!! Funny, I remember Gaur Dham colony as a pretty barren place. Great to hear that they fixed it up. Thanks for the peacock. We've been experiencing the dark side on this side.

Dandavats to all the guardians of bhakti-rasa in the Dham.

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

Radhe Radhe! I am glad to hear that you are both now settling in. I hope the trip went smooth and the your time in is both well sent and increasingly enjoyable for the two of you as you both deserve this so much. Thanks again for your service here at GD and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Hey Jagat, the word is out that you will be coming to Vraja any day now. Baba thought you were traveling with us. Everyone is asking, "so when is Jagadananada coming?" At least six devotees came to us asking about your arrival.

I think the desire of the Vaishnavas is gradually growing so great that it will be impossible for you to resist.

By their desire, nothing will be impossible. Though the example is upside down, perhaps like Nrisinghananda Brahmachari brought Mahaprabhu by his meditation, they will be able to bring me there by their blessings and meditation.

Dear Madhava,

Where are you in Gaura Dham? I didn't write back to you since my PC was being repared finally over the last days of last week.

Is Yugal in Gaura Dhama too?

If Madhava's Vraja Journal is not already in your Favorites menu, add it NOW. His first two entries are brilliant. I can see that it is going to be a wonderful, wonderful blog.

Wowwwie!

I'm right above Yugal. We're staying in the Bul Bul house. PM me if you need maps and instructions for finding us.

That rabbit is sooo sweet! Thanks for the pics and the diary.

Here's another view of our cute little friend.

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The good and the bad of internet connectivity: The good - Reliance now has a new plan, 1500 Rs per month for unlimited connectivity. So I'm basically online as much as I care to be. The bad - sometimes the network is awfully bogged down, so I only get about 1-2 KB/s, though at better times it's around 8-10 KB/s, which is pretty good.

Madhava, look out for an excellent book "Manohara-Bhajan-Dipika".

That's the book my Baba, Sri Raman Bihari Das Babaji (Sri Rasamaya Das) suggested I get cos it's got 'everythng' in it. Anyone know where I can get a copy?

I'ts available at Caklesvara by Govardhana.

Yes, I wanted to look that up last time already.

Sorry for the delays in posting to Vraja Journal, we've been out of electricity for the last day or so, just now got back online. The story we hear is that a private corporation has set out to purchase the government's electric services, and people are going for strike over that. We heard the entire U.P. was dark. It was supposed to last until Thursday evening, but fortunately they seem to have settled the matter already.

Dear Madhava!

thank you for your most wonderful entries of your diary...

i am living practically with you everyday.

no, you wont creep me out, but i will creep you out!
me so Colonel Klink.

man, i am counting the days until our flight leaves!
18 more....

see you soon!

Tarunji

Who's your Baba actually Ananga? Tinkudi Baba or above mentioned Baba? Do you have two different Babas?

You're confusing two Anangas. One is our English kirtan man from Glastonbury (the above). The other is Tin Kori's disciple who no longer posts here under that name, but as Mina, which is short for Minaketan, which is a name of Cupid, who is also known as Ananga.

Thanks Jagat. I have to say that i was confused how did Mina get so suddenly thin in face.....hahahaha

For all of you who are wondering why I'm a bit slow on responding to PMs and letters at the moment... First the electricity folks here went on strike. Then, this morning my hard drive crashed, and I spent the better part of the day fixing it, only coming online just now. Then, we are also still sorting out all kinds of stuff, but should be settled in by next week, and I'll be able to get back to the regular pace of correspondence. Thanks for your patience.

Just PM:d this to a friend, but I'll repeat it here, just for the record.

I usually go by Ramdas for short, but there are too many others around with that name, so that would be even more confusing for people.