In Vrindavan - Kirtaniyas feat Sandipani Muni school
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“In Vrindavan” is a new Music Video and Single by the Kirtaniyas featuring children from Food for Life Vrindavan, an all girl’s charity school run on donation basis in Vrindavan, India.
This release is part of a fundraising effort to bring support and attention to the school’s projects and to encourage learning of Kirtan, sacred mantra singing.
Children that attend the school are from labour worker family backgrounds who come to Vrindavan for its various employment opportunities, such as construction work, rickshaw driving (man powered bicycle taxis), street sweeping etc. The children’s families earn less than the equivalent of 1 USD per day (65 rupees approx). The school offers an education to over 1500 girls from kindergarten to the end of school. Girls attending the school are saved from child labor, underage marriage and other forms of abuse.
The song/video, “In Vrindavan”, is in both Hindi (the native language of the children) and English. The video takes place in Vrindavan, India's most sacred pilgrimage site, and features the children singing kirtan throughout. The video presents children in the classroom singing with the Kirtaniyas, preparing for school in the morning, dance performances by children from the school, a colorful, fun boat ride on the sacred Yamuna river and scenes of over 400 of the children dancing in the playground with the Kirtaniyas during recess.
When: The project was recorded in the spring of 2014 at the school and sites nearby in the rural Vrindavan area.
Where: Vrindavan, India.
Why: The Food for Life school not only offers girls an education and opportunities beyond school, but also teaches the values rooted in Vrindavan's indigenous culture. These include values such as nonviolence, truthfulness, compassion, environmental projects and the propagation of the principles of Bhakti Yoga, which serve to benefit the world at large. Here, food distribution and an expression of devotion to God through music and celebration are a way of creating peace and harmony.
*Personal statement from Vijay Krsna, band and project leader, founder of Sriyam Records:
"I've visited India over 14 times and spent a total of three years of my life in this sacred land of Vrindavan. Its culture offers so much to the world from agriculture, Dharma, community and music amongst other things, all in their most essential forms - Bhakti Yoga. This song was inspired by folk songs of the land, which speak about walking through Vrindavan’s flower groves and forests in fellowship, singing to its Divine couple - Radha and Syama (a name of Krishna), who are the epitome of pure love and beauty, the sacred river Yamuna that provided water to the land and its people. This way of life has been kept alive through the hearts of the people in the community who have imbibed its moods of pure love and devotion (Bhakti) and carry it with them, sharing Bhakti through their acts of selfless service but the benefit of One and all.
Each time I visit the Food for Life school in Vrindavan, I am a witness to the impressive development of its projects and values. I see how their schooling has cultivated love and compassion in the hearts of these children. Their school day starts in a way that I could only have dreamed about when I was a child : a good kirtan with cheerful, inspirational singing and dancing. This is a place where children are taught to honor their elders and have respect for one another, where folding hands in a prayer is a beautiful thing, rather than something to be ashamed of… We can certainly learn a thing or two in our Western society from such an establishment. Whilst this school might not be comparable to most Western schools with regards to facilities, what these children have taught me is that their education and upbringing can certainly offer us lessons in gratitude. “In Vrindavan” is me giving something back in return and I give thanks for the opportunity to serve in this way.”
Released through Sriyam Records
www.facebook.com/sriyamrecords
Produced by: Vijay Krsna & Sarasvati Dasi
Composed by Vijay Krsna
Mixed by Rob Cummings - Hot Milk studio - Berlin, Germany
Lyrics by Vijay Krsna
Mastered by Louis Henry Sarmiento @ Sonic Vista Studios
Directed by Andre Wagner photography
Produced by Vijay Krsna & Sarasvati dasi
Director of Photography: Andre Wagner
B camera: Bahurupa dasi
Edited by Nila Vanwolf
Shot in Vrindavan, India.
Special thanks to: Food for life Vrindavan, Rupa Raghunath, Charles Visvambara Towle.
