But the passionate eco-workers and committed professionals associated with the Braj Rakshak Dal and Braj Foundation have done the impossible.

Today the resurrected Brahm Kund is the newest attraction for thousands of pilgrims who daily visit this temple town in Mathura district.

Callous neglect and lack of concern had reduced the water body to a heap of debris. The local residents had virtually forgotten about the existence of once great octagonal mythological ponds of the Braj mandal, the leela bhoomi of Sri Krishna-Radha revered by millions of Vaishnavites the world over.

The Brahma Kund today is a refreshing reminder of what committed conservationists can do to restore and resurrect historical sites through sustained efforts, despite cynicism and lack of cooperation from official bodies.

Situated towards the northern gate of the famous Rangji temple, the Brahm Kund finds mention in Varah Purana. It also has association with Shiva, Yog Maya and Chaitnya Maha Prabhu. Meera Bai is believed to have spent her first night in Vrindavan at the holy pond.

According to Sant Ramesh Baba, "this pond was lying in a shambles for decades, buried in heaps of garbage, till the Braj Foundation volunteers took up this mighty task." What they have done is truly laudable, adds Radha Nath Swami.

After de-silting and renovation of the pond's periphery, the stairs leading to the center, fencing and landscaping, a nine foot tall statue of four-faced Brahma was installed on a lotus flower at the centre of the well. From each petal of the lotus water springs to form streams filling the holy pond with clean water. Sprinklers have been installed to green the open spaces and plants, according to the young project director Raghav Mittal, an alumunus of IIT Kharagpur.

Raghav recalls the initial hurdles and opposition from several quarters to the project. The local politicians raised all kinds of reservations and speculations. Encroachments on all the sides had made movement of machinery very difficult but we persevered and kept our cool. Eventually with the help of all our associates and sponsors there was "lo and behold a miracle before everyone. We have done the conservation with utmost care and passion. The way we managed to preserve an old Peepal tree was really an achievement," Raghav told Agratoday.in.

The landscape designer has developed an attractive rockery at the corner. He is hopeful after the next rains the whole place would be lush green and the creepers on the eight minarets would draw automatic attention.

Vineet Narain, the chief inspiration behind the project said a proper system had been put in place to manage the affairs and keep the conservational efforts at the highest performance level. A token entrance ticket has to be bought. With the proceeds it would be possible to have a permanent staff at the Brahm Kund. Through a public address system Braj geets and music are relayed. A commentator describes the historical relevance of the holy pond.

"Truly a commendable effort with public participation," says Acharya Jaimini, the internationally renowned musician from Vrindavan. The experiment needs to be replicated in other parts of the Braj Mandal, he adds.