Sita Ram Mandir Live in Vrindavan, Ram Navami, 1976
By the time of the first major Mayapur–Vrindavan Festival in 1974, the Sita Rama Mandir had already been performing 24-hour kirtans for over sixty years. We stayed just across the street at Fogla Ashram, serenaded day and night by the sounds of peacocks, residents calling out “Jaya Radhe!”, and, of course, the melodious and enthusiastic kirtans flowing from the Sita Rama Mandir.
The temple’s kirtans ranged from simple and beautiful women’s gatherings, marked by gentle dholak rhythms, to more elaborate and outwardly expressive men’s kirtans featuring masterful dholak playing and a variety of sweet, devotional melodies. The location, just down the street toward the town of Vrindavan from the Krishna Balaram Mandir construction site, provided a constant soundtrack as we moved between Fogla Ashram and the temple.
In 1974, Fogla Ashram was central to all our activities. Each morning we gathered there for Srimad-Bhagavatam class and Guru Puja with Srila Prabhupada. When the Krishna Balaram Temple opened in 1975, most of us continued to stay at Fogla Ashram, though all of our activities shifted to the new temple compound. Even in 1976, Fogla remained home base for the majority of devotees.
That year, equipped with a better tape recorder than before, I was determined to capture the spirit of the Sita Rama Mandir’s kirtans. The open schedule on Rama Navami offered the perfect opportunity. Entering the compound, I offered my respects to the Sita Rama Deities and joined a group of six men deeply absorbed in kirtan. They greeted me warmly, then turned their full attention back to their chanting.
The result was a beautiful recording—one that captures not only their music, but the selfless devotion that sustained this sacred tradition for generations.