New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 09/18/14
This week’s challenge: Who are the two main people and what are they doing?
Extra credit: Can you name the other five people?
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.
Here’s the info we have:
Who (from left to right): Sankirtan, Sesa, Vrindavan Chandra, Ramanuja, unknown, Siddhanta, Sanatana dasi.
What: A performance of the play called “Nandulal.”
Sankirtan prabhu recalls:
“I wrote and developed the Nandulal play shortly after the present [New Vrindaban] temple opened (about 1983). We [Seth/Sesa and I] performed the play for about two years. We rehearsed for about two months. Mother Jayasri offered to help with Sesa/Seth’s makeup and costume. We performed for two years for guests coming to the community as well as taking it to several colleges and temples.”
Sankirtan summarizes the plot:
“Nandulal unfolded in four scenes. Blind Bilvamangala comes to Vrindavan where he is greeted by Krishna who brings him a jug of hot milk each day. Bilvamangala befriends the Boy not knowing that He’s Krishna. At Krishna’s urging, the blind sage tells his story. In the last scene he is near death. Krishna’s touch restores his well being and he realizes who this Boy actually is. In the end Bilvamangala tries to catch Krishna but He keeps evading him.”
When: Circa 1983 & 1984.
Where: Radha Vrindaban Chandra Temple of Understanding. New Vrindaban, West Virginia.