Visit Vrindavan on National Public Radio

stonehearted · October 29, 2005

US Radio Program to Feature Vrindavan Soundscapes

by Karnamrita Dasi

NPR Morning Edition: Monday, October 31 to Wednesday, November 2 (6 to 8 a.m.)

In collaboration with the National Geographic Society, National Public Radio (NPR) has produced three segments scheduled to air for 10 million US listeners. These broadcasts masterfully capture the glories of Vrindavan, Srimati Radharani and Her beloved Sri Krishna. Interviews feature Ranchor Prime, Padmanabha Goswami, Nandan Swami and others. The soundscapes transport listeners to early morning artik at Krishna-Balaram Mandir, bhajans at Radha-Raman Temple by Tarun Krsna Das and Karamrita dasi, darshans in Varshana, Govardhan and the Yamuna River. The sounds and feelings of Braja are expertly intact, so that the listener is drawn into the mystic mood of Braja.

During Kartik of 2003, Alex Chadwick, one of NPR's correspondents for Radio Expeditions, journeyed to Vrindavan as part of his series The Geography of Heaven. After years of hearing about Vrindavan from his friend Chris Murray of Govinda Gallery, Alex decided to venture there to experience for himself the meaning of heaven for Lord Sri Krishna's devotees. He was accompanied by his wife and NPR producer Carolyn Jensen, as well as sound engineer Flawn Williams. The team was hosted by Ramdas das (Raoul Goff) and Krishna-devata dasi (Kaitlin McComb) of Mandala Publishing, who invited devotee author Ranchor Prime and members of Gopinath Gaudiya Math to assist as guides during their stay in Braja.

Through crowded lanes and streets, they spent five days following pilgrimage paths, experiencing temple darshans and artiks, and visiting the Yamuna, Govardhan, and Varshana. Alex and Carolyn had been researching the mysteries of Braja before they arrived, but they concluded that nothing could have prepared them for the wonder of the reality of Vrindavan. They were overwhelmed by Vrindavan's magic and its atmosphere of devotion, declaring that they had never experienced anything like this in all their travels.

If you're in the US or Canada, you can locate the FM radio frequency and Morning Edition broadcast time of a nearby NPR station at Click Here (www.npr.org)

stonehearted · October 29, 2005

NPR/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S "RADIO EXPEDITIONS" VISITS HEAVEN ON EARTH - THE ANCIENT INDIAN CITY WHERE KRISHNA FOLLOWERS BELIEVED HE LIVED - IN THREE-PART SERIES AIRING ON "MORNING EDITION" OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 2

Alex Chadwick Explores Vrindavan, India, and Its Role on Hindus' Beliefs in the Afterlife

Washington, D.C. -- Is there really heaven on earth? For the latest NPR/National Geographic "Radio Expeditions" series, "Geography of Heaven," Alex Chadwick explores Vrindavan, India, an ancient town south of Delhi that is regarded by devotees of the Hindu god Krishna as the most sacred place on earth.

"Radio Expeditions: Geography of Heaven - Vrindavan" will air on Morning Edition October 31, November 1 and November 2.

Using state-of-the-art digital stereo audio equipment, "Radio Expeditions'" travels beyond the motorbikes and diesel engines of 21st century Vrindavan and ventures through the city's countless shrines celebrating Krishna and inside the temples built by maharajas to experience Krishna traditions and rituals during the Hindu New Year.

Enriching the three-part series will be an extensive Radio Expeditions section on NPR.org providing additional information, photos, soundscapes and transcripts. Chadwick also shares his Vrindavan experience in a feature in the November 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine.

"Vrindavan" kicks off a long-term "Geography of Heaven" series, airing over the coming year, that will explore the fundamental beliefs shared by billions of people in India, China, Africa, Pakistan and the United States. The series will explore what different cultures and faiths believe about the afterlife and how these beliefs drive their followers' daily existences. Among the features in production is an examination of sacred mountains, regarded as dwelling places of the divine, that will follow along on a ritual pilgrimage to Kawa Karpo mountain in eastern Tibet.

NPR/National Geographic Radio Expeditions partnership, honored with an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, brings the farthest corners of the world home to NPR listeners. The alliance combines the best resources of the two organizations to focus on programming that explores environmental, cultural, discovery and adventure themes and brings to life innovative field research underway worldwide. The Radio Expeditions team works closely with National Geographic's Committee for Research and Exploration and the Expeditions Council, and it has developed unique contacts with field scientists and explorers around the world. In April, Radio Expeditions broke one of the most significant environmental stories of the year when it reported on the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker, thought to be extinct for 60 years.

Radio Expeditions began in June 1992 and has literally traveled around the world since then, providing monthly features for NPR's Morning Edition. It has visited such locations as the North Pole, the Sahara Desert, a Nez Perce Indian trail once followed by Lewis & Clark and a forest in northern Congo, where a team of researchers studied a mysterious ape.

In addition to his role as longtime correspondent for Radio Expeditions, Chadwick hosts the NPR midday news magazine Day to Day. Executive Producer for Radio Expeditions is Carolyn Jensen. "Radio Expeditions: Geography of Heaven - Vrindavan" was recorded by Flawn Williams and produced by Jensen.

stonehearted · October 30, 2005

Those who don't get NPR because they don't live in the US or Canada can hear audio on the Web. Go to www.npr.org and pull down the "Programs and Schedules" menu at the top. Then select "Morning Edition." When the page for Monday's (and Tuesday's and Wednesday's) programs is posted, there may also be a special link for "Radio Expeditions." Can't believe I'm looking forward to Monday.