Vrindavan

The forest of Braj where Shri Krishna herded cows, played his flute and performed the Raas Leela with Radha and the gopis.

Vrindavan is the forest land of Braj where Shri Krishna spent his childhood and youth among the cowherd boys. Here he grazed the cows, played his enchanting flute and, on the moonlit nights of autumn, performed the Maha Raas with Shri Radha and the gopis. Many leelas described in the Shrimad Bhagavatam belong to this land, such as the subduing of the serpent Kaliya in the Yamuna. For devotees Vrindavan is the dham where the Lord's sweetest and most intimate form of love is revealed, and even the dust of its lanes is held sacred.

The Banke Bihari temple houses the deity revealed in Nidhivan by the saint-musician Swami Haridas. During darshan a curtain is drawn again and again; it is said that devotees cannot bear the radiance of the Lord's gaze for long. The deity of the Radha Raman temple, according to tradition, manifested by itself from the shaligram of Shri Gopal Bhatta Goswami. The grand red sandstone Govind Dev temple was built in the sixteenth century under Raja Man Singh of Amber; its original deity is now worshipped in Jaipur. The ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir, founded by Srila Prabhupada, welcomes pilgrims from all over the world. Nidhivan and Seva Kunj are sacred groves where, devotees believe, the Raas still takes place at night, so they are closed after evening. Pilgrims also walk the Vrindavan parikrama around the town, often barefoot, chanting the holy names.

The main festivals are Janmashtami, Holi (including the flower Holi at Banke Bihari), Sharad Purnima in memory of the Raas, and the Jhulan swing festival of Shravan.

Practical note: Vrindavan is about twelve kilometres from Mathura. The nearest major railway station is Mathura Junction, from where it is an easy road journey.

State

Uttar Pradesh

Nearest City

Mathura

Main Temples

Banke Bihari Temple, Radha Raman Temple, Govind Dev Temple, ISKCON Krishna Balaram Mandir, Nidhivan, Seva Kunj

Associated Leela

Childhood leelas, cow-herding and the Raas Leela