- Tuesday, March 04, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
They belong to two countries that have been locked in a deadly war for more than a year now. No international initiative has been successful in finding a solution to the crisis after Russia launched its military operation in the western neighbour of Ukraine. Both sides have witnessed losses in terms of personnel but the Russian side has not called off the war despite facing sanctions from the west or getting advice from time-tested friend India.
But for ‘Aradhana Radha Dasi’ and ‘Banmali Keshav Das’, the bloodbath in Ukraine is something distant and affects them little, Bengali daily Anandabazaar Patrika reported. The former hails from Russia and the latter from Ukraine and the duo were found playing Holi or ‘Dol’, the festival of colour, with each other in Mayapur in Nadia district of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. Mayapur is also home to a world famous ISKCON Temple and birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a 15th century Indian saint who inspired Gaudiya Vaishnavism — a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement.
Neither ‘Radha’ nor ‘Keshava’ (their actual names remain unrevealed) are too worried over the situation in Ukraine. Speaking to the daily in broken Bengali, they are not affected by what is going on in Ukraine and that they were living peaceful lives in Mayapur, located thousands of kilometres away from the war zone.
Special prayers were organised in Radha Krishna temples across the state. Devotees also made a beeline to Mayapur to visit the ISKCON temple.
Meanwhile, Holi festivities took place in Kolkata, the capital of Bengal, and other districts of the state with vibrant enthusiasm. Adults and children equally enjoyed the day by playing with ‘gulal’ and colour.
(With agency inputs)
