US Radio to Feature Vrindavan Soundscapes

[Guest guest]

US Radio Program to Feature Vrindavan Soundscapes

by Karnamrita Dasi

Posted October 29, 2005

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)