Mathura: A woman from Kyrgyzstan runs a tea-stall in Vrindavan to earn money in order to acquire a passport and visa, which she lost during her trip to Bihar. Foreigners thronging the holy city of Vrindavan is not an uncommon view, but a white-skinned woman running a tea stall is definitely a rare sight. Takiyana, from Kyrgyzstan, fondly called Tanya, has been living in Vrindavan since past one and a half years. The town is associated with Lord Krishna and known for its myriad of temples.

      "I was in great problem. I had lost everything in the theft. I was a lonely woman. I had no money, no clothes and no friend. So I thought of coming to Vrindavan," said Takiyana in her broken Hindi. But her misery knew no bounds when she was picked up by the local police in the town and imprisoned for 3 months for her illegal stay. She was released only after the intervention of the ISKCON Temple Society of Vrindavan. A family helped her to regain her confidence and provided her with all the basic necessities. It was only due to the efforts of this family that she is running a tea stall to earn money to acquire a new passport and visa.

     The tea stall belongs to Rajkumari who lent her support in the time of crisis. The kind and benevolent attitude of people of Vrindavan has moved Takiyana who associates the town with divinity. "Vrindavan is lovely. It's the land of Shyam, Lord Krishna, full of devotion and love. I really like it," she adds. Though she wants to visit Kyrgyzstan once, she would return to Vrindavan soon, claim her friends. "She wants to stay over here. She says that she would visit her homeland once only to return to Vrindavan. She considers us her family," says Bittu, Rajkumari's son and owner of the tea stall. Vrindavan, an abode of love and devotion, has stood up to its name by providing shelter to this lonely and helpless woman from a faraway land and bestowing upon her loads of love and affection.
Mar 30, 2005