Golden arches in Braja?

[stonehearted 0]

Please, someon tell me Tara is making a bad joke here:

 

McDonalds In Braja

 

BY TARA DEVI

 

EDITORIAL, Feb 9 (VNN) — Aunty and I had been in Shree Brindavan for about five days when we decided to visit some relatives in Agra.

 

What we saw on the way to Agra, early that January morning just eleven kilometers outside of Mathura has haunted my dreams for several weeks - McDonald's in the Braja!

 

There it was, a McDonald's family restaurant, bigger than one could imagine the infamous golden arches, a car-park for one hundred cars, a colourful deity' of Ronald McDonald, and bright advertisements for the popular Rs 51, Drooling' Berger. My heart sank and I thought that Aunty and I were back in Dallas, Texas.

 

But sadly we were not. We were in Shree Braja Dham the most Holy Abode of Shree Shree Radha Govindajiu but we had come face to face with the demon, McDonald's.

 

How has this happened and why hasn't anyone done or even said anything about or against such an evil establishment as McDonald's coming to the Braja? We learned later from devotees in Brindavan that the McDonald's has been in the Braja for about three years. Is the Holy Braja destined to become like Texas, or California due to the growing western influence in India? Isn't there any place in the world where a devotee can go and not have to witness the eating of animal flesh, and especially McDonald's?

 

Isn't it time that the devotees in India recognized that demons are currently living in Braja and that great offences are being committed in the most Holy of Holy Places? Apparently not because no Mahant, Swamiji, Guru, Goswami, Pandit, or Sadhu in Braja is doing or saying anything about it! McDonald's seems to be in the Braja to stay!

 

I am very sad to say it but all the Temples, Maths and Missions in Braja seem to be self-absorbed in their own successes and popularity and do not seem to care about what is happening in Krishna's Holy Land.

 

I have heard that a few years ago some western devotees raised a big fuss because a pop star named Madonna appeared on television wearing Gaudiya Vaishnava tilok, but no one has raised a single word of protest since McDonald's appeared in Braja three years ago. Isn't there at least one big society like ISKCON or a big guru from Gaudiya Math or a world wide preacher or a group of devotees like the WVA who is willing to use their influence, their disciples, their money, and their personal energy to save the Braja from Corporate America' (McDonald's)? Or is this simply to be accepted as another liberality of our modern' times such as women's sannyas, third gender, etc?

 

What is the difference between Braja today and the Braja of one hundred years ago? We found a stone inscription at Kusum Sarovar near Gobardhan Hill dated 1865, written in three languages: English. Urdu, and Hindi, that prohibits the shooting of a gun, or hunting in the Braja. This surely shows us the difference between the Braja then and now.

 

STATION ORDERS

 

by Col. W.T. Teey Now C'B' Commanding Mathura 7. March 1865

 

The inhabitants of Mathura and Brindavan having memoralized His Excellency the Commander-in-chief of the effect that soldiers and the country global humour deserve thatimacy bederly understood that he will not fail to very severely punish any man so doing both the bonds of the five nation or between mathura and Vrindaban and equally joinded to the Hindus its heritage positionaly forbidden to fire at or between or in the virmity of those:- Places:- Neither fernence jojolation order n'bol the February 1866 the village and Gokul and its vanity about a mile and a half from Naurangabad and on the other side of the river is to be included as a prohibit place in which the men of the regimen are not allowed shoot:-

 

BY ORDER

 

Gen. Allen Deaneleut Hation Ball Mathura"

 

Even during British Raj in India they had the sense and dignity to help preserve what which was Holy to the Hindus. But the days of the Raj are long gone and India now suffers under the rule of a secular state that turns its eye away from the sins being performed in the Braja. What are we to do?

 

What will happen next in the Braja? Will it be a McDonald's at Radha Kunda?!!! Oh Krishna please save us!

 

[Gauracandra 1]

Yes, can someone please confirm?

[livingentity 0]

I just emailed a friend who was there a couple of weeks ago. I don't always hear from him everyday but hopefully I will hear from him tonight and will have the answer to this.

 

That is a horrid offense! That is perpetuating murder of Mother Cow in the Holy Land - what to speak of the people who would actually go there.

 

I find it hard to believe that this is true. I am inclined to believe that it was a dream. Let's pray that is the case.

[livingentity 0]

This story disturbed me so I went on the web to seek the answer. Here is the link to the Mcdonald's India site: Mcdonald's Restaurants in India

[Gauracandra 1]

Good work. Here is the Mathura McDonalds:

 

[Guest guest]

Burn It Down!!!!

 

I don't think they are allowed to sell cow but they do sell other meat.Not sure. But this organization has killed billions of cows worldwide.

 

I saw a McDonalds wrapper one day right next to Krsna Balarama Mandir. More than obscene.

[livingentity 0]

I am surprised that this was allowed at all! It is a sad state of affairs that this store is patronized by anyone there.

 

Didn't anyone try to protest this?

 

Litter from this by the temple! /images/graemlins/mad.gif arrrrrrgh!!!! /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[livingentity 0]

I heard the other day that the McDonald's corporation reported a first time loss in profits and were shutting down a great number (forgot how many) of their stores! /images/graemlins/smirk.gifheh heh heh /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Guest guest]

I have a hard spot in my heart for all such places. Recently a Burger King went out of business here in downtown Berkeley. It was replaced with a fast food Indian resteraunt. Problem is they sell meat also, but no cow at least. Slaughtering billions of chickens and lambs is also demonic.

 

Still I was happy to a BK close.

 

And a half mile up the street I just saw where a Kentucky Fried Chicken closed. The building is for lease. That is also a good sign.

 

Its all about demand. As people become more aware of the evils of animal slaughter these places will close.

[theist 1]

We could put out a reward for the head of Ronald McDonald, decapitated. What a target.

[livingentity 0]

People need to be educated about these matters. Explain to people the reasons to be vegetarian. People hate to hear the details of animal slaughter yet they will chow down greedily on that flesh every chance they get. But if gory details is what it takes then that is how to do it.

 

One of my past co-workers used to hate it when I called her yearly hunting expeditions - her annual murder sprees! Never get through to some people!

[livingentity 0]

That flesh eating clown would be easy target! Look at him sitting there with that bloody smile!

 

Com'n clowny!! Let's rumble!! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

Did I say that out loud? /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[theist 1]

3,000 rupees to whoever brings this demon murtis head in.

[livingentity 0]

I dunno! How about airfare to India?

 

Tarun'll probably do it for some lemon pickle.

[theist 1]

Yeah I'm a big spender. But 3,000 rupees can go along way there.

 

OK 3,000 rupees to the one that can break its head first with a stone. But it must be completely broken.

 

You know McDonalds is just waiting and positioning themselves for the day when they can legally kill and sell cow meat in India. Probaly campaigning for it in some backroom with big bribes as we speak. Little by little breaking down the mind set there with words like "progressive" and "modern" and such.

[livingentity 0]

You are probably right!

[livingentity 0]

My friend wrote back and told me that mainly westerners and rich Indians go to the McDonald's; that it is not frequented by most people there.

 

Sad, travel all the way to the Holy Lands and then total your karma by eating flesh!

[stonehearted 0]

McDonald's is a center of evil. Even if they have veggie burgers, to travel all that way and have a veggie burger and fries seems a damned shame.

[theist 1]

I await the day when a picture will be posted of Ronald with out his head or better yet that very place taken over by some local Indians and selling Indian fast food.

 

Indians have the gretest cuisines on the planet. They don't need this . in their land. They do need laxsmi so why let this company come in and siphon money off?

 

I am also embarassed that this is America's cultural export along with degrading cinema's.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

I'm not sure of the location of this particular restaraunt, but my guess is it would probably be on the Delhi/Agra highway, as opposed to directly in Mathura. Agra is a popular tourist center, so it is probably targeting tourists (many foreign) who would be traveling from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

 

Another thing is I'm not sure how the author is defining "braja". There are descriptions of each dhama extending for hundreds of kilometers in lotus patterns. Thus one could very loosely say Delhi, Calcutta, and Bubhaneswara were all part of Braja, Navadvipa, and Jagannatha Puri. Without seeing the exact location of this building, I would assume it is not actually situated directly in one of the main holy cities as we commonly perceive them. Though it is very likely that in this case, it is just outside of Mathura on the Delhi/Agra highway.

 

Whatever the case, it is terrible for McDonalds to be allowed to operate within India.

[theist 1]

Yes Tara mentioned it was 11 kilometers outside Mathura. I took that as to the direction of Agra. In any case they should just be run out of India all together.

[stonehearted 0]

I think it's terrible McDonald's is operating in the US or anywhere else.

[theist 1]

but they are so entrenched here. It will take a long time, long enough to reeducate hundreds of millions. In India people know these things naturally. Relatively this is a new phenomonen there and there exists a shot at stopping it before it becomes too deeply rooted.

[gHari 0]

From Hindustan Times: PM promises nationwide cow slaughter ban

<blockquote>In his first public reaction to the posters in Madhya Pradesh that alleged he ate beef, Prime Minister AB Vajpayee said the Congress was taking public debate to abysmal depths to win elections.

 

"They are indulging in blatant falsehood when they say I eat beef. Such malicious, baseless propaganda can arouse (public) sentiments," he cautioned.

 

This was in response to posters in Madhya Pradesh that said "gai hamara mata hai, Atal Bihari khata hai".

 

Vajpayee announced at a rally in Himachal Pradesh that his government would soon completely ban cow slaughter in the country.

 

Clearly upset by the attacks against him and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, whom the Congress has accused of graft, Vajpayee said he had taken up the matter with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but she had not yet replied.

 

Vajpayee defended Dhumal, saying Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had played down the raids on Dhumal's premises when confronted by the Prime Minister.

 

(With inputs from Navneet Sharma and D.P. Gupta in Mandi)

</blockquote>

[theist 1]

>>Vajpayee announced at a rally in Himachal Pradesh that his government would soon completely ban cow slaughter in the country.<<

 

gHari the bearer of glad tidings!!

 

I'm so happy to hear this being brought up. Everyone in India should push for it hard and loud. I sense a lot may turn on this issue beyond cow slaughter.

 

If the Muslims or anybody else wants to eat cow flesh let them remove themselves from India to do it.