QUAINT STORY OF A RARE HOLY SPOT

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MAYUR KUTIR, GAVARAVAN, VARSHANA, U.P., INDIA

 

Mayur-kutir

Opposite Man-mandira on the other hillside of Gavarvan stands Mayur-kutir, a

small

temple housing a famous painting of Radha & Krishna's peacock dance, or

Mayur-nitya-

lila. After the pastime of being angry with Krishna, described above, Radharani

retired to

this place with Her friends, meditating on how to obtain Krishna's forgiveness

and to

dance with Him like a peacock and a peahen. Happy to satisfy Her desires,

Krishna flew to

Her (or She flew to Him) in the form of a beautiful transcendental peacock, and

it was at

this site that They performed Their enchanting Mayur-lila.

 

This temple houses a painting done by a self-realized saint who was specifically

empowered to do so. He had been meditating very intensely on this peacock

pastime, and

one day in old age Radharani gave him a glimpse of this sacred lila. He was

overwhelmed

with ecstasy, but the divine vision was suddenly taken away and he was plunged

into

despair. He prayed fervently, and one night Radharani appeared to him in a dream

and

told him, "I have shown you this wonderful pastime, but I shall not display it

to you again

unless you paint it." The sadhu said that he knew nothing about the art of

painting, but

Radharani assured him that She would give him all the artistic ability that he

needed. So in

the morning he prepared some paints from various minerals and oils and herbs,

and

fashioned a brush from a squirrel's tail. Seeing that he was faithful to Her

request,

Radharani displayed once more the transcendental pastime of the peacock dance,

Mayura-

lila. Once more elevated to divine ecstasy, the sadhu began to paint this

wonderful

pastime. This eyewitness account of a loving pastime enjoyed by Radha and

Krishna can

be seen to this day.