BIKERS CLUB FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE | Page 64

ISSUE 02 | FEBRUARY 2020 BIKERS CLUB ® MAGAZINE | PAGE 64 Vrindavan WWW.BIKERSCLUB.IN "Lord Krishna's Childhood Abode" History Vrindavan has an ancient past, associated with Hindu culture and history, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site since long. Of the contemporary times, Vallabhacharya, aged eleven visited Vrindavan. Later on, he performed three pilgrimages of India, barefoot giving discourses on Bhagavad Gita at 84 places. These 84 places are known as Chaurasi Baithak and since then are the places of pilgrimage. Yet, he stayed in Vrindavan for four months each year. Vrindavan thus heavily influenced his formation of Pushtimarg. The essence of Vrindavan was lost over time until the 16th century, when it was rediscovered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Lord Krishna's life. In the last 250 years, the extensive forests of Vrindavan have been subjected to urbanisation, first by local Rajas and in recent decades by apartment developers. The forest cover has been whittled away to only a few remaining spots, and the local wildlife, including peacocks, cows, monkeys and a variety of bird species has been virtually eliminated. Only a few peacocks are left in the city but monkeys and cows can be seen almost everywhere. B I K E R S C L U B ® | www.bikersclub.in