As part of an ongoing effort to maintain Vraja, the holy land in India where Lord Krishna is said to have been born, the adjacent sacred lakes Radha-Kunda and Shyama Kunda are being cleaned for the first time since 1987.

ISKCON devotee Devaki Prana Dasa, who has lived and served at Radha-Kunda for many years, says, “The water is over twenty-two steps down at present, and the full cleaning will take about a month and a half to complete.”

As well as pumping the lake, the Indian government is rebuilding the steps leading down to both lakes.

“This is a rare sight to see, and if anyone wants to assist, it’s a great opportunity to serve Srimati Radharani and Lord Shyamasundara,” says Devaki Prana. “This will not only benefit you individually but also contribute positively to ISKCON’s reputation amongst the locals.”

Radha Kunda is said to have been dug by Krishna’s consort Radharani herself, and is considered by Gaudiya Vaishnavas to be the most sacred place on Earth, while Shyama Kunda is said to have been similarly created by Lord Krishna.

Both lakes were lost for many years until the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu rediscovered them in 1515. Later, Chaitanya’s followers Raghunath Dasa and Jiva Goswami supervised their renovation and expansion in 1554.