Lohavan Darshan

2 October 2009. Today the parikrama party crossed the Yamuna to go to Durvasa Ashram which is situated in Lohavan. Before reaching Durvasa Ashram, first the parikrama party took breakfast prepared by the local Vrijvasis in the village of Ishapur. That time I went ahead to visit our Durvasa Ashram Goshala and had darshan of our cows then proceeded to our Durvasa Ashram Temple and welcomed the parikrama party. Below is an excerpt about Durvasa Ashram from the Lohavan chapter in Sri Vraja mandal Parikrama book by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja:

"This place lies across the Yamuna one mile north of Vishram Ghat in Mathura. It is Maharishi Durvasas place of austerities. It was from here that Durvasa crossed the Yamuna on Dvadasi and went to the palace of Ambarish Maharaja in Mathurä just when the king was due to break his Ekadasi fast (parana). This pastime has been narrated in detail in Srimad-Bhagavatam (Ninth Canto, Fourth Chapter). Just near Durvasa Ashrama is the ashrama of Maharishi Parasara. Sri Vyasa and other rishis and munis would visit Maharishi Parasara there. Close by, on the bank of Yamunä, was the ashrama of Dattatreyaji. Satyavati, also known as Matsyagandha, the mother of Sri Vyasadeva, stayed here with her father, the boatman who had raised her. The island on which Krishna-dvaipayana Sri Vedavyasa took birth is in the Yamuna nearby. At Durväsa Ashrama, the gopis satisfied Maharishi Durväsa by offering him various kinds of delicious foodstuffs."