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Home » Trips » A reunion pilgrimage to Mathura

It had been years since we cousins planned a long trip together. And by cousins I don’t mean 6-7 of us going and relaxing taking some time off work to chill. Came Diwali and there were thirty-two of us from all over Maharashtra planning a trip to the land of lord Shri Krishna to revisit (literally) the stories of valor, bravery, playfulness devotion and most importantly innocent love in all forms.

The story started 6 months back, well I am talking about the trip what did you guys think? Well that story started some 500 years ago but we will get back to that later… but I jumped in 3 months back owing to the fact that you need to get your bosses permission for leaves.

Booking tickets in advance waiting for the waiting to clear if you get what I mean. Making a group on WhatsApp which is kind of mandatory in 2019 for every activity. Sending instructions on how, when and where we will all meet, what to bring, the itinerary, color coding dresses for days and setting themes we planned a week-long trip to Mathura.

Travelling at odd times half of us reached Mathura at 1 .30 am deciding whether to rest or enjoy the off hours of this faith filled town. All kids tired from the 24 hour long journey well asleep as soon as they hit bed and some of us chatted till 5 in the morning getting back together after so long we visited the nearby lanes of the river banks, drank some local tea eagerly waited for the sun to shine and still wishing the night to not end.

While we were bonding over tea my mothers and aunts got ready and moved out by 4 from our dharmsala to participate in the morning aarti the tunes of which could be heard through-out the ghats.

Our first day passed away in temple hopping strolling on ghats meeting everyone after so long and enjoying hot kachoris with pumpkin stew served on a dona and asafetida pani puris throughout the day and garam dudh rabdi in the chill of the night.  But my mom and aunts were all busy throughout the night straining their hands to sew saarees in a big roll of 51 in total which would then be worshipped and taken on boats on rounds the next day so as Yamuna maharani can adorn it. Which are eventually donated to the priest so that less wealthy families can also fulfil their wish of adorning the deity.

Mathura is different then most holy places I have visited yes, a little bit of commercialization but it has not lost the old-world charm. Young boys and girls dressed as Radha and Krishna roaming around basically begging but urging you to see the god in them, Monkeys jumping over terraces, electric poles and open windows instead of encroached fruit laden trees-and yes don’t worry you get accustomed to their tricks.

 Tiny shops with platforms and diwans and rolling pillows protruding out where men with gutka filled mouth serve you food to tea to sweets to pan to even temple things side by side built over a yesteryear sewage system. Its horrible how all waste just passes by you in the holy river Yamuna but its also innocence of faith which lets you understand and just asks you spread awareness and do your bit.

The land of lord Krishna. Surrounded by Gokul, Jatipura and Vrindawan is a whole saga that many vaishnavas or generally speaking Hindus have heard throughout their childhood.

But a visit to Mathura and you get to see it all-the Govardhan parvat in jatipura that lord Krishna picked up on his pinky to protect his villagers from Indra’s wrath. Or the boat filled rivers sparkling with diyas at vishram ghat as devotees observe the huge aarti on Yamuna banks being performed with awestruck eye. Or the raman ret in Vrindavan where it is believed Krishna played in his childhood with his cowherd friends and gopis. Well, true or not we definitely rolled around and played to our hearts content.

Such sweet days were those right? Childhood, playfulness and innocence and we got to taste it in a weeks’ time.

And what better way to end your day trip with a plate full of rabdi or a glass of garam kesar dudh. What would you opt for?

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