One of the Greatest Archeological and Historical Atrocities (12/31/09)

One of the Greatest Archeological and Historical Atrocities (12/31/09)

Dear _______ Goswami,

Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Ramaṇa-lāla ki jaya !

I have been a regular pilgrim to Vṛndāvana since 1975 and I have had many wonderful experiences during my many visits to the holy city of Vṛndāvana, but in October of 2009, I was shocked to see that the India government had begun an ambitious project to construct a bypass bridge in the shape of a half-moon out into the Yamunā River so as to bypass the greater area of Keśī Ghāṭa.

It is indeed unfortunate that the planners of Vṛndāvana [one of the most holy pilgrim sites in India] have so little respect and concern for Vṛndāvana preservation that they would undertake the building of such a monstrosity so close to the historical and spiritual skyline of Vṛndāvana at Keśī Ghāṭa.

The bypass bridge which is now well under construction is certainly a desecration of Vṛndāvana and has no real functionality to benefit pilgrims. The bridge will however increase vehicle traffic in the Keśī Ghāṭa area which is already the cause of so much discomfort and pollution in Vṛndāvana.

I can honestly say based on my experiences as a world traveler that no government of any country in the world who had such an antiquity as Keśī Ghāṭa and Vṛndāvana under their care would dare to commit such a blunder as is being done by the authorities in India by building the bypass bridge at Keśi Ghāṭa. It is shameful for the Indian government to have done so. One can only imagine that money and corruption is at the bottom of such government decisions and not even the slightest bit of sensitivity for Vṛndāvana or even any common sense.

I, as many have done, appeal to the India government to halt construction of the Keśi Ghāṭa bypass bridge immediately and remove all pillars thus far constructed. Failure to do so will result in one of the greatest archeological and historical atrocities of all time only outdone by the Taliban who destroyed the Buddha statues at Bamyan Valley in Afghanistan in 2001. Certainly someone in a position of authority in the India government has the foresight and piety to halt the Keśi Ghāṭa bypass bridge before it is too late.

Sincerely,
Swami Narasingha