"Banshi Vat" ~ "Bhandir Van"

Flute and Banyan Tree ~ Divine Marriage Place!!

Playground of Lord Krishna!
Celebrated place of the Maha Raas, the Lords sweetest eternal pastime, performed on the lustrous night of Sharad Purnima (autumn full moon night) in Banshi Vat on the banks of Yamuna. The Lord would be between each Gopi!!

The banyan tree Banshi Vat under which Lord Krishna plays his flute! The Maha Raas Sthali or place where the Maha Raas Lila was performed!!

Lord sat on Banshi Vat and played his flute, the hypnotic, magical and melodious sound would draw the cows, cowherds, sakhas (friends), gopis, to the Lord, all would gather under the tree, and be mesmerised with the sounds of the divine flute!
Gopis became emotionally helpless and would run leaving whatever they were doing towards Banshi Vat on hearing the divine flute!
Even today if you place your ear carefully on the branches you can hear the sounds of Lord Krishna's flute!

There is a very interesting story about the Maha Raas Lila.
Lord Krishna was playing his flute, the air was full of fragrance, emanating from flowers, the entire Maha Raas Lila was so pleasurable that everyone lost track of time!
Lord Shiva, meditating on Mount Kailash, was mesmerized by the sweet sound of the flute being played by Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. His meditation was disturbed, Shiva left his abode for Banshivat in Vrindavan, where the Maha Raas Lila was going on.
Gopis standing at the entrance gate did not allow Lord Shiva to enter! They told him no male could be allowed to enter.
Lalita devi instructed Shiva to bathe in the sacred Yamuna River, and when Shiva, emerged from the purifying waters transformed into a charming young gopi, he was allowed to enter the dance!!
Lord Shiva entered the Maha Raas as a Gopi, and started enjoying the melodious flute. Watching Radha and all the Gopis dance, enjoying the enchanting tunes of the flute being played by Lord Krishna, Shiva also started dancing.
Lord Krishna smiling walked past Radha and all the Gopis who were dancing, blissfully unaware of the presence of Lord Mahadev in their midst. Lord Krishna went and held the hand of Lord Shiva, smiled, and with great respect, said "Gopeshwari", and Radha hearing this got angry with Krishna and left the place!!

The Gopeshwar Mahadev
temple located in the historic part of Vrindavan, is one of the few dedicated to Lord Shiva in a town which is closely associated with Lord Krishna.

The legend of Lord Shiva wanting to witness the raslila and being male he wasn’t allowed! He changed his form for the purpose and went in as a female.

Even today every evening, (5pm to 10 pm) the time of the Raas Leela, the Lord is dressed up like a Gopi!!

Those who value ancient tradition and cultural heritage, please do not miss visiting the Gopeshwar Mahadev Temple in Vrindavan.
It is the starting point for those on pilgrimage in Vrindavan for good reason.

When the Bengali poet - saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu first came to Vrindavan, he came to Banshi Vat!

Famous poet Soordas Ji has written a "pad" for the divine place: "kahaan sukh braj kauso sansaar ! kahaan sukhad basheebat jamuna, yah man sada vichaar.” Means "There is no happiness anywhere in the world, except in the Banshivat Vrindavan at the bank of Yamuna Ji"

Bhandir Van the place of Radha - Krishna unison! A divine place! This is the only place where you will not see a flute in Krishna's hand, but Krishna putting bethrotal sindoor in the middle line of Radha's head ,where hair is parted!

Bhandir Van is about thirty kilometres from Mathura, across the Yamuna, where Lord Brahma performed the sacred marriage ceremony ( Gandharva Vivaha) of Radha and Krishna. The Marriage is mentioned and described in Geet Govind, Garg Sahita!
No wonder people have so much reverence for Bhandir Van!
Here Krishna is addressed as Bhandir Bihariji!
A little shrine dedicated to Balram is also there!
One of the 137 sacred forests in Mathura. Sadly only 7.5 acres of this gigantic forest remains!

I feel blessed to have been able to visit these divine places!