Plot-owner to be refunded
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, December 15
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has asked the Indraprastha Cooperative House Building Society here to pay Rs 71,020 plus interest as compensation to a complainant and refund the amount she had paid to the society.

Delivering the judgement, Mr Jagdish Chopra, president of the forum, observed that the complainant, Ms Urmil Devi, a resident of Jhang Colony here, was allotted the said plot in an arbitrary manner. He directed the party to refund the balance amount deducting the single share price amount for the paid amount of Rs 71,020 along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent with effect from July 27, 1997.

Ms Urmil Devi said in her complaint that she had applied for a double share of 400 square yards for Rs 40,000 and a total of Rs 71,020 was paid to the society between April 1988 to September 1991. However, she was allotted only a 200 square yard plot which she refused to accept.

Meanwhile, the society claimed that the complainant had failed to deposit the last instalment in September 1991 and hence her double share was converted into a single one. Hearing the arguments of both the parties, president of the forum said the society was duty bound to serve notice to the complainant to make the payment of the balance amount within a stipulated period. But no such notice was served on the complainant and no specific mode was adopted for the allotment of plots.

CULTURE

GETTING AWAY
Land of flute, butter and embodiment of love
Tribune News Service

A trip to the land of Lord Krishna is a journey to discover many facets of a mythological Hindu figure, who epitomised the ups and downs of human relationships and the righteous path to follow. Brajbhoomi, the land where Lord Krishna was born and spent his youth, today has little towns and hamlets that are still alive with the Krishna-legend and still redolent with the music of his flute.

Mathura, a quiet town on the River Yamuna was transformed into a place of faith after Lord Krishna was born here. Vrindavan, a village – once noted for its fragrant groves, is where he spent an eventful youth. There are numerous other little spots in the area that still reverberates with the enchantment of Lord Krishna..

The city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh, the nucleus of Brajbhoomi, is located at a distance of 145-km south- east of Delhi.

Brajbhoomi can be divided into two distinct units — the eastern part in the trans-Yamuna tract with places like Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Mat and Bajna and the western side of the Yamuna covering the Mathura region that encompasses Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana and Nandgaon. The land of Braj starts from Kotban near Hodel about 95 km from Delhi and ends at Runakta, which is known specially for its association with the great poet Surdas, an ardent Krishna devotee. Revered as the most endearing of the Hindu gods, Shri Krishna is fondly remembered for his charm, mischievous pranks and extraordinary exploits.

A long line of picturesque ghats – with their steps leading to the water’s edge, arched gateways and temple spires extending along the right bank of the River Yamuna, emphasises the sacred character of Mathura. The birthplace of Lord Krishna, Mathura is today an important place of pilgrimage. The city stretches along the right bank of the Yamuna and the continuous line of ghats along the river makes a splendid spectacle when viewed from the opposite bank. Today, Mathura, a city of temples and shrines, bustle with thousands of devotees who come to visit the city of Lord Krishna. A splendid temple at the Katra Keshav Dev marks the spot that is believed to be the Shri Krishna Janmasthan - the birthplace of the Lord, by his devotees.

Another beautiful shrine, the Gita Mandir, located on the Mathura -Vrindavan Road, has a fine image of Shri Krishna in its sanctum. The whole of the Bhagwad Gita is inscribed on the walls of this temple. The most popular shrine at Mathura is the Dwarikadhish Temple to the north of the town, dedicated to Shri Krishna. A staunch and wealthy devotee, Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of the State of Gwalior, built this in 1815.

There are about 25 ghats in Mathura, of which the most important is the Vishram Ghat, where according to legend, Krishna rested after killing Kansa. The Vishram Ghat is lined with elegant temples and some of Mathura’s most important shrines are found here — the Mukut Temple, Radha-Damodar, Murli Manohar, Neelkantheshwar, Yamuna-Krishna, Langali Hanuman and Narasimha temples. The aarti held at the Vishram Ghat each evening is not to be missed. The placid water turns into a million sparkle with a myriad of flickering lights from the little oil lamps that are floated on the river. No pilgrimage to Mathura is complete without a visit to its kunds. Tradition has it that there were 159 ancient kunds in all. Of these, only four survive. As one departs from the pilgrimage to the Lord’s land, a sense of fulfilment embodies oneself and there is an overwhelming feeling of contentment, as if the sense of purpose has been achieved. The ever-lasting golden truth stated in the Bhagwat Gita and the karma theory echoes in one’s ears and the journey from the spiritual world to the realities of the time begins.