Vrindavan Introduction

Nestled on the banks of Yamuna River, the holy town of Vrindavan is situated in North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a sanctified place that jogs your memory about the mischievous tricks of Lord Krishna. It is considered that Vrindavan is dotted with 5000 shrines. Famed for an extensive array of sacred holy places, Vrindavan is a hallowed place for Hindus and a great centre of learning. It is a dusty small city that holds numerous temples and ashrams that are connected with life of Lord Krishna.

Location

Vrindavan is situated approximately 15 kms away from Mathura, the city of Krishna’s place of birth. The small town is 135 km faraway from Delhi and 55 kms from Mughal city Agra. It is settled on New Delhi-Chennai and New Delhi-Mumbai central railway line.

Vrindavan Past

The revered city derived its name from the term ‘Vrinda’ that is akin to plant of Tulsi, which grows up abundantly in the city. One can still find sporadic orchards of Tulsi plant. According to Hindu mythology, it is also believed that the city got its name from one of Krishna’s playfellow, Vrinda Devi.

Places to see in Vrindavan

The Bankey Bihari Temple is one of the most vibrant and prominent amongst the Vaishnavites of India. The temple was built by Swami Haridas in the year 1864. “Bankey” means “Bent at three places” and “Bihari” means “Supreme enjoyer”. Therefore Bankey Bihari is the benefactor of enjoyment and happiness. The shrine has many aspects, Bankey Bihari has a kind of captivating appeal in his eyes and it is said that if one watches into God’s eyes for a long time, the person would lose his unassertiveness. pitamber (yellow cloth).

The festival of Janamashtami is celebrated in the shrine with full enthusiasm and zest. The entire temple is decked with floral arrangements and lights. Special pooja is organized on this grand occasion and Darshan of the deity is allowed when the clock hits 12 in the night. Bankey Bihari temple is the most affluent shrines of India. Devotees from every corner of India and world donate good amount of money and other gifts. The temple opened at 9:00 am and closed at 1:00 pm. Again it opened for devotees at 5:00 pm and closed at 9:00 pm.

Gopishwar Mahadev Temple
Gopishwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and located in Vamsivata area. The temple embalmed the destroyer deity in the form of a gopi. According to Hindu folklore, it is believed that the Shiva-linga in the shrine was settled by Vajranabha, who was the great grandson of Krishna. The temple complex has a big peepal tree that is known as “Kalpavriksha”, which fulfill all the wishes. The main rite of shrine is devotees pour holy waters of Yamuna on Shiva-linga. The beautiful temple celebrates the festival of Shivratri with much zeal and fervor that falls in the month of February to March. Apart from Shivratri, Jhulana Purnima is other auspicious festival in the shrine.

ISKCON Temple
ISKCON temple is another prominent temple in Vrindavan that flock tourists from every part of the world. The shrine is also known as Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir. The sanctified place was built by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the year 1975. The holy edifice is stands on the bank of river Yamuna. The magnificent temple is wholly constructed with pure white marble and magnetizes visitors with its splendid architectural beauty. The picture of Krishna-Balrama, Gaura-Nitai, and Radha-Shyamsundar lures devotees from the main entry gate. All the idols look exceptionally outstanding with the ornamentation that is done to divinities. The temple is divided into many sections and every part reflects the aura of Lord Krishna. The galleries of shrine are decorated with several images of Lord Krishna that represents various gambolicking scenes of Lord Krishna’s life. Janamashtami, Rama Navami, Jhulan Yatra, Govardhan Pooja and Radhaastami are the major festivals that are celebrated with full gusto and fervor by the ardent devotees of Lord Krishna.

Gokulnanda Temple
Gokulnanda temple in Vrindavan is another place of worship that holds the statues of the bigger god’s of Vijaya Govinda of Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Radha-Gokulnanda deities of Viswanath Chakravarti and Radha-Vinoda of Lokanatha Goswami. The temple also grasps a Govardhana Shila that comprises thumbprint of Lord Chaitanya. The shrine houses the Pratibha murti of Radha Vinoda since the actual statues were sent to Jaipur in order to protect them from Muslim invaders. The small courtyard of the holy place features the samadhis of Lokanatha Goswami, Narottama Dasa and Visvanatha.

Radha Raman temple
Radha Raman temple was built by Gopala Bhatta Gosvami and considered as one of the major shrine in Vrindavan. Literally the meaning of Radha Raman is one who gives happiness to Radha that is amongst various names of Lord Krishna. The deity in the consecrated place was installed in the year 1542 and in the month of Vaishaka.

ShahJi Temple Shahiji temple is another holy place visited by devotees of Lord Krishna. The temple was built in the year 1860 by Shah Kundal Lal of Lucknow and flocks numerous visitors every year. The deities of this holy place are popularly known as Chhote Radha Raman. The shrine is widely known as Tede Khambe wala Mandir that means shrine with spiral columns. The architecture of the temple is an amalgamation of Hindu, Mughal and Greek architecture. The entire shrine is wrapped in Italian marble and gives a mesmerizing look to viewers. The widespread verandas of the temple are hold up by spiral columns. Every column is 35 inches in diameter and 13 feet in height. These stunning pillars are the major piece of attraction and grabbing attention from the last 135 years. One can also have a glance of impressive Belgian Glass Chandeliers at the Basanti Kamra, which is the Darbar Hall of the shrine. The temple glows with the vibrations of Braj Rasa or the essence of Braj.

Madana Mohana Temple
The Madana Mohana Temple is situated nearby Kali Ghat and envisaged as one of the oldest temple in Vrindavan. The temple is settled on top of a 50 feet hill named as Aditya Tila. The deities of the shrine is not original one, it is just a duplication of the original that was sent to Rajasthan. The fine and ancient temple offers you an impressive look as it stands at a height of 60 feet. Behind the sanctified place, visitors can see the Samadhi of Sanatana Goswami and Bhajan Kuthir.

Kesari Ghat
Kesari Ghat is the most sanctified ghat and it is believed that Lord Krishna killed the Kesi demon at this place. The ritual of aarti is performed at the ghat at the time of sundown that gives a captivating look to visitors.

Radha Gopinath Temple
The ancient temple is approximately 450 years old and famous for its fascinating construction, Radha Gopinath temple is named after the prime deities Gopinath and Radha (another name of Lord Krishna). The shrine was despoiled by Aurangzeb in 1670; the original deities were transferred to Jaipur for safety reasons. A new shrine was constructed just at the rear of original one and Pratibhu (duplication) deities were installed in that temple.

Radha Damodar Temple
The Radha Damodar temple is located in the sacred dham of Vrindavan. It was set up in 1542 by Srila Jiva Goswami. It is said that the real deities of Sri Sri Radha Damodar were handed to Srila Jiva Goswami by his guru, Srila Rupa Goswami Parabhupada. Currently, the statues established in the sanctum of the shrine are the duplication of the real idols and known as Pratbiha-Murti.

Sewa Kunj
Sewa Kunj is also known as Nikunj Van (forest), the forest has a shrine of Shri RadhaKrishn and it is said that every night Radha-Krishna used to meet here. The nij mandir is decked small paintings on the walls of temple that looks very pretty. This hallowed place is known as Sewa Kunj because it is believed that Lord Shri Krishna did sewa for Shreemati Radhrani here. This leela is represented in paintings what show Shri Krishna combing hair of Radha rani and helping her in getting ready for Raas Leela. The consecrated place is must visit for every follower of Lord Krishna.

Imli Tala
This is another place to see in Vrindavan. Imli Tala, in brief is the place that symbolizes the deep love and separation between Lord Krishna and Radha. Imli means tamarind and Tala means the shade of Tamarind tree.

Vrindavan Parikrama
Parikrama (revolution) means to take a walk around an auspicious spot that starts and ends with the same point. Usually, it takes two to three hours to end a single round of Parikrama around the town of Mathura. A good number of people from several corners of India come every year to Vrindavan just for performing this Parikrama. When you visit Vrindavan, make sure that you perform this Parikrama to see the true colors of Lord Krishna’s’ life.

A glance over some important facts of Vrindavan

• Location- Uttar Pradesh
• District- Mathura
• Area covered- 3,800 sq km
• Famous for/as: Pilgrim
• Languages- Hindi
• Altitude: 170 m
• Best time to visit- September to March
• Weather- Summer 22°C to 45Winter 6°C to

How to get in Vrindavan

By air- Agra is the closest airport that is 67 kms from Vrindavan. Daily flights link Agra to major cities in India like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.

By railway- Vrindavan has the facility of its own railway station, Mathura. Various express trains link Mathura to other major destinations of India.

By bus- Vrindavan is well-linked to Mathura and other major tourist destinations by bus services. Reaching to Vrindavan from Mathura is very simple with the alternative of taking shared autos, buses and taxis.

Vrindavan is a very famous pilgrimage place in India, a land of kadamb groves, sacred temples and imbibed with various stories of Lord Krishna. Plan a tour to this small town and explore various phases of Lord Krishna’s life.

 

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