[Nectar] Jhulana Yatra in Chowpatty

[Guest guest]

As stated Jhulan-yatra is very dear to Krsna. From a cultural

perspective in India during this period, all daughters go to their

father's house to stay there for some days and enjoy the swing

festival - a custom celebrated even up to this day.

 

Every year Srimati Radharani used to go to Varshana to her parents'

house and have a very nice time there with her Gopi friends and Krsna,

whom She could freely meet (because Jotila and Kotila were not

around).

 

'One time Radharani was waiting for her brother Sridam to come and

take her to her fathers' house. She was waiting, waiting, and waiting,

but there was no sign of Sridam and She became so sad. One day a

person from Varsana was there. She asked the man to ask her father,

"Why have they have forgotten Me?" She then started to cry bitterly.

The person went to Varshana and told Vrsabhanu Maharaja about the

condition of his daughter. Hearing this news, Vrishabhanu Maharaja

immediately sent Sridam to Varshana to get Radharani.

 

Srimati Radharani's Mother Kirtida packed many presents for Jotila to

send with Sridam, knowing that if she did not do this, Jotila, being

harsh of character sometimes would not send Srimati Radharani to

Varshana.

 

Meanwhile, day and night Srimati Radharani was staring at the road

coming from Varshana. One day, She saw Sridam and when he finally

arrived at the front gate they embraced each other. She was weeping,

"Oh brother you had forgotten Me?; My father and mother too?; Everyone

forgot Me?"

 

At first Jotila refused to let Srimati Radharani go. "No no, She

cannot go. She has so much work to do here, and there is so much

danger there because of that black boy. She cannot go."

 

Then Sridam gave Jotila all the presents given by Kirtida ma. Seeing

this, she said, "Alright, she can go, but only for a few days."

 

"Then Srimati Radharani and Sridam went on a cart pulled by four

bullocks to Varshana. Seeing the palace of her parents on the hilltop,

feeling great happiness Radharani started weeping and even more

weeping when She saw Her father and mother face to face.

At that time Jhulan-yatra had already started and Srimati Radharani

started swinging with Her sakhis (friends) during periods in the day

and night, but She was not satisfied alone, without Krsna there.

Knowing this, Krsna sometimes came in disguise to the palace.

Sometimes He dressed as a Gopi selling bangles or beautiful garlands.

Or He appeared in any other form and made an appointment for Them to

meet each other somewhere in a very secret place in the forest.

 

Once, Srimati Radharani was seated on the Jhulan and Krsna was pushing

the swing very gently. Suddenly Krsna put so much force in pushing the

swing that Srimati Radharani became fearful and started crying out, "O

Krsna, save Me, save Me!" That transcendental trickster Sri Krsna

climbed on the swing and She firmly embraced Him, giving Him so much

pleasure. Why so much pleasure? Because normally He has to do so many

tricks so that Radharani will embrace Him, but in this instance She

embraced Him out of Her own will, without much effort on His part.

Therefore He is so fond of these swing pastimes.

 

ys, bhn. Sol

 

View Chowpatty's Jhulana Yatra pictures...