- Phalguni Radhika
- Jun 9
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 8
Monthly Blessings -May Seva Updates from the Heart of Vrindavan
This month, seva continued under the Vrindavan sun
nourishing both the land and spirit...
This Month in Vrindavan
May in Vrindavan arrives gently, with the golden sun bringing us into the summer heat and the scent of Champa flowers floating through the dusty lanes of Radha Kunda.
The widows gather each morning in simple white, their voices softly humming the holy names as they prepare sacred meals and maintain their beloved home. While much remains the same, this rhythm is the heartbeat of Vrindavan’s sacred seva
—and of your ongoing support.
Widows gather together for a monthly feast and heartfelt celebration.
Widows Feasts
Every day, we provide hot and nourishing meals to the widowed women of Vrindavan, but our favorite prasadam offerings are widows' feasts. This month, we had a wonderful celebration of widows' feasts. The dedicated widows of Radha Kunda prepared and served nearly 200 sacred meals daily to fellow widows and local Brajavasis. For our special feast, they prepared over 10 different locally loved preparations for all the widowed women in the Radha Kunda community to enjoy. Cooked over open fires and offered to Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan through humble hands, each plate of prasadam to these ladies is a reminder that care, nourishment, and service still exist in abundance in this world.
Our cooks' day begins before sunrise. Chapatis are rolled, sabjis stirred, pakoras fried, and rice steamed as mantras echo softly from the kitchens. These offerings, woven with devotion, are the heart of our seva. This month’s feasts featured warm rice, dhal, ghee-kissed paneer, and succulent local vegetable sabjis, tangy chutneys, hearty pakoras, and sweet gulab jamun, each dish offered with loving reverence.
Sacred Cleaning Seva Around Radha Kunda
Each morning, before the first rays of sunlight shimmer across the sacred waters of Radha Kunda, a group of widows quietly begins their seva. Clothed in simple white and armed with only brooms, buckets, and devotion, they make their way to some of the most revered spiritual landmarks in all of Vraja.
This month, their focus has been on the Three Goswami Mandir, nestled just steps from the kunda. This temple is the samadhi shrine of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, and Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami—three towering saints who carried the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu into written scripture, sadhana, and pure bhajan. Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, in particular, spent decades in intense renunciation on the banks of Radha Kunda, performing Govardhan parikrama daily and sustaining himself on just a few drops of buttermilk.
Krishnadasa Kaviraja gave the world the Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, the foundational text of Mahaprabhu's life and teachings.
The widows gently cleared the stone paths leading to their samadhis, swept the layers of dust from their resting platforms, and removed the garbage that too often accumulates in sacred places unnoticed. They do not rush, and they do not speak. With each sweep of the broom, they chant quietly, offering honor not only with their hands but with their hearts.
They also offered their service at the Jihva Mandir, the miraculous stone form of Govardhan’s tongue, said to have emerged when Krishna lovingly touched the hill with His toe during Govardhan-lila. Though small and humble in size, this temple represents the intimate relationship between Krishna and Govardhan, and the living love of the dhama itself. The widows lovingly removed overgrown weeds, polished the outer edges, and ensured the pathways remained walkable for visiting pilgrims.
This work is not glamorous, and it does not bring attention. But in the sacred land of Vraja, it is among the highest forms of worship.
One widow shared:
“We may not read Sanskrit and we may not sing bhajans for the crowds. But we can keep the saints’ paths clean. We can do that much for Sri Radha.”
Thanks to your support, these women—who were once left behind by society—are now keepers of Vrindavan’s legacy. Your donations not only feed and shelter them but also empower them to serve the very heart of Radha and Krishna’s sacred pastimes.
In this land, cleaning becomes prayer, and every broomstroke echoes with the footsteps of the saints.
Land Restoration: Preserving the Footsteps of the Divine Vrindavan is no ordinary village. It is a living dham, a sacred landscape where the eternal pastimes of Radha and Krishna still echo through the dust, trees, stones, and flowers. Every corner of Radha Kunda holds these sacred pastimes.
And yet, like any sacred place in this modern world, Vrindavan needs protection. It needs care. It needs guardians.
This month, with your support, RadhaSeva’s restoration team—including our group of widows and local Brajavasis—continued the tireless work of cleaning and maintaining key areas of the parikrama paths, temple entryways, and kundas around Radha Kunda.
Tractor loads of debris were removed this month—plastic waste, broken glass, discarded clothing, wrappers, and other pollutants that quietly accumulate but tarnish the sacredness of these places.
Particular attention was given to:
The inner parikrama path around Radha Kunda, used by millions of barefoot pilgrims
The banks of Apsara and Navala Kunda, where Krishna performed His playful lilas
The periphery of Kusuma Sarovara, where Radharani’s sakhis once gathered flowers for Her divine service
The area surrounding Govinda Kunda, where pastimes with Lord Indra have taken place.
Armed with brooms, buckets, bins, and deep faith, these women and men take up their service as keepers of sanctity. They sweep with intention, move gently among the cows, and pause at mandirs for prayer. It is not merely their job, but rather it's their heartfelt seva—a labor of love that upholds centuries of devotion.
This sacred land restoration work may go unseen by tourists, but it is deeply seen by those who walk these paths barefoot in longing. It is seen by Radha and Krishna, who do not measure greatness by noise or status, but by the sincerity and sacrifice of the sevaka.
Because of you, the dhama breathes a little easier this month. Because of you, the holy places remain alive and honored. Because of you, those who were once forgotten now protect what is most sacred.
Protecting the Sacred Waters of Govardhan
This month, our RadhaSeva team has continued our delicate and essential work of caring for the sacred waters surrounding Govardhan Hill. With the help of our Brajavasi community and the quiet labor of widowed women, we focused on cleaning, restoring, and protecting the integrity of several historically rich and spiritually vital kundas.
Among the sites served this month were:
Govinda Kunda, where Sri Krishna bathed after lifting Govardhan Hill to protect the villagers from Indra’s wrath. It is said that Govinda Kunda holds the essence of Krishna’s compassion.
Brahma Kunda, associated with Lord Brahma’s prayers of surrender after witnessing Krishna’s transcendental glories.
Surabhi Kunda, where the celestial cow Surabhi performed abhisheka (sacred bathing) for Krishna, proclaiming Him the true Indra of Vraja.
Apsara Kunda and Navala Kunda, sacred bathing sites linked with Krishna’s pastimes and the joyful play of the gopis.
These kundas are not only pilgrimage destinations but are also active spiritual bodies of water. And like all living things, they require ongoing care.
This month’s seva included:
Removal of harmful algae that choke aquatic life and dim the clarity of the water
Cultivation of healthy duckweed, which helps oxygenate the water naturally and provides shelter for birds and aquatic insects
Daily collection of trash and plastic from the banks before it can fall into these sacred kundas
Sweeping the perimeters of each kunda to ensure clean access for pilgrims, sadhus, and locals who bathe and offer prayers
This is meticulous, by-hand work often involving walking waist-deep in the water, pulling weeds, untangling discarded cloth, and ensuring that organic and inorganic debris doesn’t remain long enough to damage the environment.
One team member shared:
“We don’t just see the water, we see mercy. We see where Krishna’s lotus feet have touched. To clean here is to touch that mercy with our own hands.”
Thanks to your continued support, we are able to preserve these divine reservoirs, ensuring that they remain vibrant, accessible, and spiritually potent—not only for today’s pilgrims, but for generations to come.
Month after month, your support brings light into the lives of those who have often been forgotten. You help ensure that the widows of Radha Kunda are not only fed and clothed, but also honored. That the land of Vrindavan is not only walked upon, but cherished. Thank you.
RadhaSeva Team.
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