Barsana

The village of Shri Radha, crowned by the Ladli ji temple on Bhanugarh hill and famous for its Lathmar Holi.

Barsana is the village of Shri Radha, where her father Vrishabhanu lived. For the devotees of Braj it is the dham of Radha's love, the blissful inner energy of Shri Krishna. Many sweet leelas of Radha and Krishna are connected with its lanes, groves and hills. Even today people in Braj greet one another with "Radhe Radhe", and nowhere is this feeling stronger than in Barsana.

Above the village, on Bhanugarh hill, stands the temple of Shriji, also called the Ladli ji temple. Pilgrims climb a long flight of steps to reach it, and from the top they see all of Barsana and the surrounding countryside of Braj. Close to Barsana lies Nandgaon, where the Nand Bhavan temple stands on Nandishwar hill; tradition holds that Nanda Baba's family also lived here after leaving Gokul. The affectionate, teasing bond between the two villages is a living part of the folk culture of Braj.

Barsana's Lathmar Holi is famous across the world. The young men of Nandgaon come to Barsana, and the women of Barsana playfully rain blows on them with long sticks while the men shield themselves. The next day the same celebration takes place in Nandgaon. Radhashtami, Radha's appearance day on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, is also celebrated here with great splendour.

Practical note: Barsana is roughly forty-five to fifty kilometres from Mathura, and Nandgaon is only a few kilometres away. The nearest major railway station is Mathura Junction. During Holi the crowds are very large, so it is wise to plan ahead.

State

Uttar Pradesh

Nearest City

Mathura

Main Temples

Shriji (Ladli ji) Temple, Bhanugarh hill, Nand Bhavan, Nandgaon

Associated Leela

Home of Shri Radha and the loving leelas of Radha-Krishna