Gokul

The village of Nanda Baba and Mother Yashoda, where baby Krishna was raised and stole butter from the gopis' homes.

Gokul is the village where, on the night of Krishna's birth, Vasudeva crossed the swollen Yamuna and left the newborn in the home of Nanda Baba. Here Mother Yashoda raised her beloved child. Many childhood leelas told in the Shrimad Bhagavatam belong to the Gokul–Mahavan area: the liberation of Putana, the slaying of the whirlwind demon Trinavarta, the stealing of butter, and the Damodar leela in which Yashoda tied the little Lord to a grinding mortar. When the troubles caused by Kansa's demons grew, Nanda Baba moved the whole community of Gokul to Vrindavan.

Mahavan, across the Yamuna, is known as Old Gokul. Its Nand Bhavan, also called Chaurasi Khamba (eighty-four pillars), recalls the home of Nanda Baba. Nearby is Brahmand Ghat where, according to tradition, Yashoda looked into the mouth of little Krishna after he had eaten mud and saw the entire universe. Raman Reti is a stretch of soft sand where Krishna and Balarama used to play, and devotees lovingly roll in it.

Gokul is also a very important centre of Pushtimarg. Thakurani Ghat on the Yamuna is revered in the Vallabha tradition as a sacred place connected with Shri Vallabhacharya and Shri Yamuna Maharani, and later his son Shri Gusainji (Vitthalnathji) also lived in Gokul.

Nandotsav, the day after Janmashtami, is celebrated here with great joy, with songs of congratulation and the sprinkling of milk and curd. The Chhadi Maar Holi of Gokul, played with light sticks, is also well known.

Practical note: Gokul lies about fifteen kilometres from Mathura on the far bank of the Yamuna. The nearest railway station is Mathura Junction.

State

Uttar Pradesh

Nearest City

Mathura

Main Temples

Nand Bhavan (Chaurasi Khamba), Mahavan, Brahmand Ghat, Raman Reti, Thakurani Ghat

Associated Leela

Krishna's infancy with Nanda and Yashoda