Braj News: Illegal mining threatens Braj bhoomi , Joint effort to restore Mathura kunds and invitation

[Guest guest]

Raghav Mittal <raghavmt> wrote:

 

[Following are two news reports from the Times of India regarding

Braj- the Land of Lord Krishna.

A massive restoration work is going on in Braj. 1000 historic kunds,

48 forests, dozens of Hills

and the river Yamuna are on the agenda. The unique thing is that the

Brajwasis are coming together

for this noble cause. A wider awakening in Krishna's land is

building up.

 

This is also to extend a warm invitation to visit Braj as and when

suitable. Braj Rakshak Dal

would provide you memorable hospitality and an excellent conducted

tour of the entire Krishna

Land. Come and experience the vibrancy of Braj, the Braj Vaibhav

Punarsthapan Movement aimed to

restore the rich cultural heritage of Braj region.

 

Braj Holi is world famous. Do plan a visit then.

 

best regards

raghav]

 

 

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Lucknow Edition February 4th,2004. Page 5th.

http://epaperdaily.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?

Daily=TOIL&AW=1107696473343

 

Illegal mining threatens Braj bhoomi

 

By Akhilesh Kumar Singh/TNN

 

Gahvarvan, Barsana (Mathura): Illegal mining is destroying Braj

bhoomi, threatening heritage sites

and disturbing ecological balance of the region regarded as the

mythological setting for

Krishnaleela.

 

However, the Rajasthan government remains more or less indifferent

to the crisis, despite

Rajasthan High Court's directives, pleas of the Archaeological

Survey of India (ASI) and local

NGOs. Several heritage sites have already been reduced to dust. The

ancient cave of Vyomasur is on

the verge of extinction.

 

Though epicenter of illegal quarrying is Kaman tehsil in Bharatpur

district, bordering areas of UP

and Faridabad district in Haryana are also witness to the activity.

An NGO Braj Rakshak Dal (BRD)

is protesting quarrying in the Braj bhoomi for several years. ``We

will organise people all over

the country to pressurise governments concerned to declare the Braj

region as a heritage zone and

restore its natural glory,'' national convener of BRD and journalist

Vineet Narain told TOI and

said a PIL would be filed in the Supreme Court.

 

The BRD initiative inspired a group of NRIs, led by South Carolina-

based Arunima Sinha, to meet

Rajasthan minister for forests, environment and mines Laxmi Narayan

Dave. ``I regularly travel

across the world but have never seen any government or society

destroying its own heritage as is

in Braj,'' Sinha told TOI. She said Dave assured to look into the

matter while ruling out complete

ban as mining contracts had been granted up to 2020.BRD's Raghav

Mittal said though the government

had granted contract for mining through manual means, heavy dynamite

machines were being used to

destroy hills. On February 24, 2004, the High Court appointed a two-

member committee to

investigate the matter while hearing a PIL lodged by Bolkheda

villagers in Kaman tehsil. As per

committee's findings, the High Court in its order on April 21, 2004,

expressed anguish that the

state government was allowing quarrying to continue sans requisite

consent or clearance from the

Pollution Control Board. The court pointed out that Kaman area had

five famous Jain temples, a

temple of Lord Krishna and a cave of Vyomasur, which not only have

religious significance but were

also important from the point of heritage and archaeology. They must

be protected, the court said.

Following the court directives, the state government ordered

cancellation of 19 mining leases out

of about 250 contracts.

___________________

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NOTE: Kindly sign the e-petition hosted at

www.petitiononline.com/Barsana/petition.html

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Lucknow Edition, February 6, 2005 Page 4th.

http://epaperdaily.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?

Daily=TOIL&AW=1107696473343

 

Joint effort to restore Mathura kunds

 

By Akhilesh Kumar Singh/TNN

Barsana (Mathura): In a major conservation effort, locals,

industrialists, social organisations

and US-based NRIs have joined forces to restore the world-famous

kunds (water tanks) of Braj

bhoomi.

 

With passage of time, these tanks have become a stark reminder of

the callous attitude towards

heritage and archeological sites in the country. A majority of these

kunds, numbering over 1,000,

have been converted into garbage dumps and sludge tanks. Land sharks

have grabbed many of these

ponds, while some have dried up due to silting.

 

Nevertheless, with the help of some industrialists, social

organisations and NRIs —Brajwasis are

now determined to restore these kunds, 15 of which are already being

renovated by a Vrindavan-

based NGO, Braj Rakshak Dal (BRD). Mumbai-based M R Morarka

Foundation, BAIF Development Research

Foundation, New Delhi, Times Foundation, Mumbai, Shri Krishna

Chaitanya (ISKCON, Chowpaty Mumbai),

Sri Sadguru Sewa Sangh Trust, Chitrakoot and Sri Swamy Narayan

Gurukul, Rajkot, are some of the

organisations which have extended their moral and financial support

to BRD for the cause.

 

``To restore these kunds, we need to do a lot of de-silting with the

help of earthmovers and other

machines. We dig up to 10-15 feet to get the groundwater. Then the

ghats are repaired,'' BRD

volunteer and a postgraduate from IIT Kharagpur, Raghav Mittal told

TOI on Friday. BRD, he said,

with the support of M R Morarka Foundation, has engaged architects

to conduct detailed surveys of

all the kunds in Braj.

 

BRD national convener Vineet Narain said that the cost of

restoration varies between Rs 5 lakh to

Rs 1 crore for one kund. ``We inspire people to take up this noble

service and have identified

certain trusts and organisations whose credibility is high in

dealing with such public interest

projects,'' he added.

 

 

Narain said that restoration of the kunds would enable people to

survive even during the drought

years. ``It is well known that the Rajasthan desert is fast

encroaching into the western parts of

Uttar Pradesh. The effects of this can be seen in the districts of

Agra and Mathura. It is all the

more essential that these tanks are preserved and protected,'' he

added.

 

And there is excitement about the restoration effort in the

villages. Sunil Singh, a resident of

Barsana village in Mathura, where a kund is being restored, said the

initiative would also enable

proper irrigation. ``Droughts are very common in the region and

kunds can be used for water

conservation too,'' he said.

 

 

 

 

=====

Maan Mandir, Gahvarvan

Barsana. Dist: Mathura

05662-246343

 

Bhajan Kutir

19, Sheetal Chaaya Vaatika

Raman Reti, Vrindavan

0565-2540802,2540702

Mob: 94127-27082

 

C-6/28,Safdarjang Development Area

New Delhi - 110016

011-26566800,Fax: 26519080

Mob: 9811046800

 

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