Red
Srila Sanatana Goswami
Lavanga ManjariMandara, palash, krishnachuda, red kovidara, semal, pomegranate
Ashram · the secluded grove
The Kunj
Kunjas are secret forest groves where Sri Sri Radha and Govinda enjoy Their pastimes. Our Kunj is a place to meditate on the lilas of the Lord and His eternal associates.
- 10,000+trees planted at the ashram so far
- 6 kutirsbhajan kutirs of the Goswamis of Vrindavan
- 2 kundasRadha and Shyama, plus a fish pond and a waterfall
- ≈100Vaishnavas can study scripture here at the same time
Before and after
The forest
we planted
So far we have planted more than 10,000 trees, and we have no intention of stopping!
The Kunj is enclosed by a dense green “wall” of plants native to Vraja. Step through the stone gateway and you find yourself in a true Vrinda-van — the forest of Vrindadevi.
A walk
Along the paths
of the Kunj
Six stops from the gateway to the kutirs. Press “Walk on” to continue.
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The stone gateway
The stone gateway marks the entrance to the Kunj. Pass through it and you enter the forest of Vrindadevi. A small temple of Kunjeshvara Mahadeva will be built beside the entrance.
02 / 06
The green wall
The Kunj is encircled by a dense wall of more than 8,000 plants native to Vraja. Green tunnels lead you deeper in.
03 / 06
The Giriraj temple
At the heart of the Kunj stands the temple of Giriraj. The story of how He came to us deserves a page of its own.
04 / 06
Kundas, pond and waterfall
We have our own small Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda, as well as a fish pond. For Giriraj’s pleasure, a little waterfall graces the bank of Shyama-kunda just opposite the temple — a delight to the eye that also keeps the water oxygenated.
05 / 06
Bhajan kutirs
Narrow stone paths lead to traditional Vrindavan mud kutirs with thatched roofs. Their walls are about 80 cm thick, so the kutirs stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
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The discussion circle
People come to the kutirs to chant japa, sing kirtan and study the scriptures together. Lectures achieve little without discussion in small groups, and the six kutirs allow around a hundred Vaishnavas to gather for this kind of study. Read about the murtis of the Goswamis in the kutirs.
Kutir gardens
Each kutir has
its own color
Each kutir is surrounded by carefully chosen plants that match the color of its Goswami’s siddha-svarupa.
White
Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami
Rati ManjariSurrounded by white-flowering trees and shrubs
Yellow
Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami
Guna ManjariSurrounded by yellow-flowering trees and shrubs
Plants from the shastras
A forest you
can learn from
More than 80 species of trees and shrubs growing in our Kunj are mentioned in the shastras.
The trees already carry QR codes that link to Vrajapedia.com, our project on the plants of Vraja, where you’ll find photos of their flowers and fruit, their properties and quotations from the shastras. In this way the forest itself becomes a place of learning.
Visit Vrajapedia- 280+species of trees
and shrubs - 80+of them
mentioned in the shastras - 15+varieties
of mango - 8,000+plants
in the “green wall”
Point your camera to openvrajapedia.com
- Name and description
- Photos of flowers and fruit
- Properties
- Quotations from the shastras
The Kunj is alive
Butterflies, bees
and flowers all year round
Where there was bare ground not long ago, everything now blooms, buzzes and bears fruit, and fish swim in the pond.
nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaṁ
dehi govardhana tvam
“O Govardhan, please grant me a home close to You…”
