New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 08/28/14
New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 08/28/14.
Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban.
This week’s challenge: In addition to Srila Prabhupada, there are at least seventeen recognizable faces in this photo. How many can you identify?
Extra credit: What’s the cow’s name and do you know the special relationship between Srila Prabhupada and the cow?
Extra, extra credit: When and where was this photo taken?
What to do: Post your guesses on the “who, what, when, where & why” in the comment section at the New Vrindaban Facebook Page.
Technical stuff: We share a photo Thursday and confirm known details Sunday. Let’s keep it light and have a bit of fun!
Special request: If you have a photo showing New Vrindaban devotees in action, share it with us and we’ll use it in a future posting.
Here’s the info we have:
Who:
From left to right (starting fourth from left): Sudhanu (wearing light colored kurta), Gargarsi (only his head is visible), Hari Sauri (yellow Hari Nam chaddar & yellow & red hat), Hari Dham (wearing a saffron hood and glasses), Nityo Dita (wearing saffron Prabhupada Shirt), Soma (face partially visible, wearing a light green chaddar), Srila Prabhupada (center of photo), Pusta Krishna (wearing a Prabhupada hat), Advaita (wearing blue striped Mexican blanket), Narada Muni (wearing a white sleeveless shirt & glasses), Aniruddha (child, wearing saffron, with back to camera).
There are a number of devotees in the group but they are not easily identifiable like Ganendra, Arjit, and others.
The cow’s name: Kaliya. She was the very first cow in all of ISKCON.
Kaliya’s special relationship with Srila Prabhupada: In May 1969, Srila Prabhupada visited New Vrindaban for the first time, and met its only cow at the time – a black Jersey named Kaliya. During his stay Prabhupada would drink a little of her milk morning, noon, and night. At the time he said, “I haven’t tasted milk like this in over 50 years.”
What:
Srila Prabhupada and a group of devotees are on a morning walk along the “Aghasura Road” going to the original New Vrindaban farmhouse in order to take darshan of Sri Radha Vrindaban Nath and Kaliya (the cow) decided to accompany them.
Advaita recalls:
“The story behind this picture is one of my favorites. We were walking along the Old Vrindaban road toward the temple. Up above us to our left there were a group of cows grazing. It was not a small rise. It was a large hill. It was the hill Srila Prabhupada himself referred to as, Govardhan Hill. The group of cows was not close to us. It was way up the hill. Knowing that Srila Prabhupada had loved the milk of New Vrindavan’s first cow, Kaliya when he had spent time there years earlier I pointed up the hill and said, “Srila Prabhupada look up the hill, there is Kaliya.” A minute later Kaliya came walking all the way down the hill and began walking right in front of Srila Prabhupada as can be seen in this picture. I don’t know what the chances of a single cow coming down out of a group of cows and walking with a group of devotees is but I would imagine slim to none. In addition that it would be the one cow that fed His Divine Grace years before. One might even suggest it was a mystical moment.”
When: June 28th, 1976.
Where: New Vrindaban, West Virginia.