Temple Report - Vrindavan Management's Side

[Guest guest]

November 21st, 1999

 

It was a management issue and not man/woman conflict.

 

This is to humbly submit to the community of Vaishnavas all over the world that what happened in Vrindavan between the Vrindavan Management and some matajis headed by Parvati was purely an administrative and managerial issue. It had nothing to do with undermining the position of women devotees. The following detailed account should make everything clear. About three weeks ago, just after the curtains opened for mangala aratik at 4:30 am. HH Giriraj swami approached me and complained to me that he could not even have darshan of the Radha Syamsundar altar or offer his obeisances because the whole altar was taken over by the ladies even before the curtains were opened.

 

Previous to this, several other sannyasis and other devotees including HH Lokanath Swami and HH Radha Govinda Maharaj had also complained that they were experiencing difficulties in offering obeisances in front of the Radha Syamsundar altar. The management committee discussed this issue and resolved that sannyasis and men be allowed to take darshan and offer obeisances to Radha Syamsundar until the passing of the ghee wick lamp. The men would then move towards the Krsna Balaram altar leaving Radha Syamsundar altar free for the women till the end of mangala aratik. This system for darshan was suggested by the ladies themselves. The next morning a clear announcement was made about this decision.

 

On the day when this arrangement was to begin, I was personally present early in the temple room and was surprised to see that some ladies were already holding tightly to the railings infront of the altar. I requested some of the matajis to please move back and let the men offer their obeisances and after the ghee wick lamp is passed they could come forward. Some of these ladies followed my instructions gracefully but some others like Anada and Parvati flagrantly refused. Parvati started pushing even the innocent and obedient ladies to the front. This created an embarassing sitution for the men who were surrounded by the ladies. The management and other devotees were naturally very upset by this unruly and defiant behavior. As a solution to this problem the management team decided to go back to the system that has been existing since the time of Srila Prabhupada, i.e. the men stand in front and the ladies at the back. So Aindra Prabhu moved his 24 hour kirtan party in front of Radhe Shyam's altar and many other brahmacaris joined him. Angered that her plan was not successful Parvati started to push around the men on the Krsna Balaram and Gaur Nitai altars. She started elbowing everybody out, pushing them and shoving them. Because she pushed the brahmacaris first, the brahmacaris who were already alarmed by her previous day's misbehavior pushed back in self defense.

 

This is what Parvati calls gang rape, hugging, molestation etc. When she got what she was giving to others she started fabricating all kinds of lies and stories such as that women were gang raped, hugged, molested etc. in front of the deities. We have rarely seen a more deceitful and shameless attempt to lie and make up a story. Look at the travesity of justice! Here is the person who acts in the most uncivilized, uncultured and uncooperative manner and she uses the words gang raped, hugged etc. and the whole ISKCON world without asking us starts believing her and passes judgement on us. Perhaps because we are too soft and too gentle and too easy a target.

 

It is surprising that Braj Bihari Prabhu without verifying the story from both sides supports Parvati's version. As a matter of fact Braj Bihari prabhu admitted to me that he was not present in the temple room on the day these incidents are alleged to have taken place. So much for his assessment of the events ! "It was awful." BY this statement he has misled a large section of readers on this website. Braj Bihari's opinion in the form of several points is refuted as follows.

 

1) It is not true that the ladies unknowingly or unintentionally entered the men's space. I personally and our temple commander pleaded with the ladies to gracefully move back. Some complied, others blatantly defied. I found out later that as soon as the announcement regarding darshan had been made, Parvati began insulting me and instigating the women to defy the management. This defiance of the management by the ladies headed by Parvati was preplanned and executed in full force.

 

2) Mediation with a person of an uncontrollable temperament like Parvati's is impossible especially under the intense situation during the festival. As a matter of fact, even after some reconciliatory steps have been taken, she still keeps pushing her weight around without any respect for the management.

 

3) Indeed the management has its take on what happened.

 

4) Parvati's statements are complete lies.

 

Just look at the extent to which Parvati and some other women stooped when they instigated a potential donor to allegedly cancel a check for a $100,000 to ISKCON!

 

Srila Prabhupada instructed us to observe proper ettiquette in Vrindavan. Unfortunately, however, our attempt to promote this is taken as exploitation, and we are blamed, even by some persons who have contributed to the correspondence in this matter and are known to be scandalous. Leaders and devotees in general should take note that the Vrindavan temple arranges the Kartik Festival with great dexterity even though every year we run into a loss of Rs. 200,000.00. We feel privilleged to render this service to all Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis. In order to enable us to do this service year after year, we request all the guests to please cooperate with the temple management and follow the ettiquette that is expected of guests. This will insure that the mood of the festival is not spolied as it was during this Kartik by a small group of women. The management of ISKCON Vrindavan is committed to, amongst other things, holding festivals for the benefit of Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis. We shall not tolerate the disturbances created by the likes of Parvati in the future. Further, the management of ISKCON Vrindavan has always engaged women in responsible services and have taken great care to meet their needs. Up until three weeks ago there were no complaints about disharmony between men and women. We assure you that to keep harmony between men and women is one of our goals.

 

Thank you. compiled by Your Servant, Mahaman Das. And supported by

 

Lokanath Swami

Radha Govinda Swami

Deena Bandhu Das

Pancagauda Das

Prem Kishore Das

Mukunda Datta Das

Vaishnava Das

Ganapati Das

Gaur Narayan Das

Iswar Das

Laxman Das

Devarata Dasa

Aindra Das

Sarvabhauma Das

Braj Bhumi Das

Radha Kunda dd.

Brijbasi dd.

Paramhamsa dd.

Guruprasad dd.