Imli-Tala Tentuli Tala

Hare Krsna. All glories to Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu on His appearance day! During Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s stay in Sri Vrindaban dhama, the Lord would chant japa near the Yamuna River beneath the spreading branches of the tamarind tree known as tentuli-tala, or Amli tala.

Krsna Himself is known to have sat beneath this old tree and lamented in separation from Srimati Radharani.

The tree departed from this world within the past 15 or 20 years, and the Gaudiya Math temple spires in the photograph’s background mark the place where the tree previously grew. Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta describes Mahaprabhu’s pastimes at Imli Tala as follows: “The next morning Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Vrndavana and took His bath at Cira-ghata. He then went to Tentuli-tala, where He took The tamarind tree named Tentuli-tala was very old, having been there since the time of Lord Krsna’s pastimes. Beneath the tree was a very shiny platform. Since the river Yamuna flowed near Tentuli-tala, a very cool breeze blew there. While there, the Lord saw the beauty of Vrndavana and the water of the river Yamuna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to sit beneath the old tamarind tree and chant the holy name of the Lord. At noon He would return to Akrura-tirtha to take lunch. All the people who lived near Akrura-tirtha came to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and due to the large crowds, the Lord could not peacefully chant the holy name. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go to Vrndavana and sit in a solitary place, where He would chant the holy name until noon. In the afternoon, people were able to speak to Him. The Lord told everyone of the importance of chanting the holy name. (CC Madhya 18.75-81)