Both lakes were long forgotten until the time of Lord Caitanya, 500 years ago.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Rupa, Sanatana and other Goswamis to excavate places of Krishna’s pastimes in Vraja, but He has rediscovered Radhakunda Personally (1514), as documented in Sri Caitanya-caritamrita. When Lord Caitanya came there, Radhakunda and Syamakunda were just small lakes few meters wide among forests and fields.
Raguhunatha dasa Goswami came to Radhakunda few years after that. He began the reconstruction of sacred lakes around 1554.
Long after Mahaprabhu’s departure from this world, Raghunatha dasa Goswami wanted to restore the whole area of Radhakunda, understanding that in the future many pilgrims will want to see this holy place..
…At that time a wealthy merchant Sampanna went to Badarikasram, high in Himalayas, to take darsan of the local Deity. Krishna appeared to him in a dream and told him to go to Raghunatha dasa Goswami and help him retrieve the Radhakunda. Sampanna did as Krishna told him and reconstruction could start.
With his financial help Radhakunda was completed first (the closer lake on the picture) and thereafter the work started on Syamakunda (further away).
One day Maharaja Yudhisthira appeared in the dream to Raghunatha dasa Goswami and asked him not to cut the trees on the banks of Syamakunda, since he and his brothers are in the form of trees performing their bhajan (worship). Raghunatha of course didn’t cut the trees and in this way Syamakunda got its irregular shape.
#radha kunda, #radhakunda. #map
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