Vrindavan - A place which is more than just a holy land

Being my hometown and a place of sacred importance, Vrindavan, just 15 km from Mathura is one of the major pilgrims and situated in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh around 151 km south of Delhi. This holy land is the site of thousands of temples and religious buildings. The name ‘Vrindavan’ is said to have been derived from ‘Vrinda’, another name for the sacred tulsi (basil) plant. A legend has it that the entire place was a tulsi grove at one time.

I just love this destinations however it includes my personal interest to meet my maternal relatives, but indeed the place also hold a divine and spiritual importance, there is something special in the air and the soil that attracts a huge number of tourists both local and Foreign.

For some it is a holy place for performing all the rituals or visiting temples to seek blessings of Lord Krishna, on the other hand for travel freaks it’s a place of a unique importance with a different culture, society and lifestyle, full of temples holding archeological significance and interesting Vedic and historic facts about Hinduism.

This land of Lord Krishna’s childhood had many interesting things to offer what you need is just a weekend and if you want to explore the area including the villages like Nandgaon, Barsana, Goverdhan e.t.c then you can divide your trip to number of weekends as it is only a 3 hour drive from Delhi. Please note, its not just the religious significance that draws travelers, but the heritage, the food, the culture the fest all make it a complete happy destination to visit. In this blog, I would disclose some of the amazing sites which are not known to travellers and are offbeat.

Fairs and Festivals

Celebrations are, in fact, a way of life in Vrindavan. Any occasion is a time to celebrate and remember the name of God. Chanting of the names of Radha and Krishna, dancing, singing, etc., are the ways that are considered to take a devotee from this physical world to the heavenly abode. Janmashtami in the months of July/August is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna and thousands of devotees throng the place from all over the country.

Holi is also celebrated with as much enthusiasm. Almost every day there is a festival in Vrindavan, but the major ones include Govardhan Puja, Guru Poornima, Holi, Govardhan Puja, Jhulan Yatra (swing festival), Radhashtami, and Basant Panchami along with this ardh kumbh (half a kumbh) and rath yatra from Rangjee are some other occasions to visit this place and soak the culture.

Please note - Raasleela at Vrindavan which is a theatrical performance of Krishna and his Gopis stories and dance is a must see thing, it helps visualise the times and culture with a great punch of comedy, served in local language. You wouldn't know the beauty until you see it with your own eyes. Its the only place where cultural dramas and dances are being preserved and maintained.

Sites to Visit

Bankey Bihari Temple

One of the most important and vibrant temples is the Bankey Bihari Temple, The Bankey Bihari Temple houses a sacred image of Krishna known as Thakkur Ji, which shows Krishna with an almost blackened body. This is the most popular temples amongst tourist and is always crowded, however one can enjoy amazing street chaat around this area after darshan.

The Rangaji Temple

On the way is also the magnificent Ranganath Mandir(16) and Brahma Kunda. Lord Vishnu also came to Vrindavan in the form of the Ranganath deity to witness the sweetness of Lord Krishnas pastimes here.dates from 1851 and is a mixture of architectural styles, including a Rajput entrance gate, a soaring south Indian gopuram (gateway tower), and an Italianate colonnade.

The ISKON temple

One of the most impressive temples is the ISKCON Temple, which was built with funds from devotees overseas. Here, the marble buildings almost glow with a light of their own and there is evidence of intricate carving. A huge amount of tourists are drawn here to admire the amazing architecture and enjoy the celebrations on festivals.

Other offbeat places of significant importance are:

1. Yamuna darshan at the Keshi Ghat.

Many pilgrims go at early morning and walk around Vrindavan for two to three hours.

This is called Pancha Kosi Parikrama. It was here that Sri Krishna killed the Keshi demon and saved his friends. Build by the King of Bharatpur the imposing landmark gives us a clear idea, how beautiful all Vrindavan was, after the followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu attracted people from all over India, including their Kings, to establish pilgrim centers for the devotees of different regions.

2. Sri Gopesvara Mahadeva

the protector of the Dham.You can easily walk to the next temple. He has been posted as the gatekeeper of the Rasa dance and to protect the Dham.

3. Vamsi Vata.

From the Gopesvara Mahadeva temple we walk a few steps to the entrance of the Vamsi Vata temple.Before we reach there, we will come to VRINDA'S Gopal Mandir. Here is the information center of the WVA World Vaisnava Association also known as the Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha. Here you can get information about the activities of the joined forum of the Gaudiya Sampradaya and all their different missions.

4. Vrinda Kunja.

From the Vamsi Vata temple you walk back passing again the Gopesvara temple and turn left on the small Bhut Gali. On the next turn is the entrance to the Vrinda Kunja. This sacred garden of Vrinda devi is a true forest of Vrinda trees. Vrinda Kunja is also the place where Vrinda devi blessed Lord Shiva to enter the Rasa dance of Lord Krishna.

5. Sri Sri Radha Govindaji Mandir.

From Vrinda Kunja we will walk to the Radha Govindaji Mandir.

The Govind Dev Temple was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh and now lies empty, its upper layers having been torn down during the time of the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, who doubtless considered the place one of idolatry. What remains of this red sandstone edifice is impressive. If one takes the time to examine the artwork and in particular, the vaulted ceiling, one may experience a lot of the devotional fire that inspired it in the first place.

6. Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir.

From Govindaji Mandir you can walk to the Gopinath Mandir going through Gopinath Bazaar. Turn to the left in direction to the Radha Raman temple and you will pass by the entrance to the Gopinath Mandir. Magnificent construction tells us of a glorious past.

7. Sri Sri Radha Raman Mandir.

Here, next to the Yamuna, everything is very close to each other, telling us the story how intimate those great Acharyas were with each other. The worship of the deity of Radha Raman is on a very high standard.

8. Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda Mandir.

From here you can visit the next temple of Srila Lokanath Goswami by walking down the street towards Keshi Ghat for a few meters. A very sweet and small temple not to by missed. This is the Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda temple.In the compound you will visit the Samadhi of Srila Lokanath Goswami, Srila Narrottama das Thakur, his only disciple and of Viswanath Cakravarty Thakur. Inside the temple are also the deities if Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. The last two saints did enormous work to restore the happiness in Braj after the Muslim attacks had taken place.

9. Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan Mandir.

The next stop is a little further. You can take a Riksa, or walk if you feel well. Now we will return to the center of Vrindavan to the holy Seva Kunja. You can take a Riksa or walk. In the middle of the way is the popular Bankebihari temple.

10. Seva Kunja.

Coming from Vansi Vat ,after a short Krishna and the Gopis reach the Rasa Stali, which is the wonderful area of Srimati Radharanis Seva Kunja. The garden of Seva Kunja surrounds the temple of Srimati Radharani and also Lalita Kunda is situated here. At night it is prohibited to come here.It is believed that, lord Krishna and his Gopi's performs the divine nritya rasleela every night and any bystander couldn't stay alive the next day. There are many stories associated with this, which makes this place even more interesting

11. Bhatron Temple

This temple is less popular and lies in the border area of Entrance inside a village situated above a small hill it is unique and serene , due to lack of awareness the number tourist visiting the area is negligible , but I love visiting the temple because of the peace and serenity it has. Its definitely an offbeat spot

12. Dwarikaadheesh ki Bagichi

Dwarikaadheesh ki Bagichi which is another place of archeological importance. This is a beautiful location to photograph and only old generation knows the tales of its glory as new temples have been built across Vrindavan.

13. Shyam Sundar Mandir

Its a small walk from Radha Damodar mandir, its is one of the 7 Devalaya from ancient times, and have a great heritage importance.

14. Tarash Mandir

This is my native Mandir where i live when I go to Vrindavan, it was owned by Banmali Roy, Raja from Tarash estate, and was bestowed to our family in 1957. The Raja didn't believe in Murti Pooja and was Arya Samaji. Due to local pressure he had to make Krishna's temple being in the land of Lord Krishna. He made a standalone statue of Krishna, however his daughter turned out to be great devotee of Krishna and was compared with Meera. When her marriage was fixed she asked for a last visit to the temple to see Krishna, and its said in front of many people it was seen a light passed from her forehead to the statue and she left the world. Raja had a dream next day to use one of the tree from temple's compound and use the timber to make a statue of her daughter and establish it with lord Krishna. Due to this reason this temple is famous as Jamai Thakur ( Son in law) amongst Bengalis.

Sites Nearby

Mathura is the place where according to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna born. The place is closely linked with many episodes in the early life of Krishna. The main places to visit are Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi, Vishram Ghat, Sati Burj, Kans Qila, Jama Masjid, Dwarkadheesh Temple, and the Archeological Museum.

Gokul and Mahaban nearby are the places where Krishna was secretly raised. Thousands of pilgrims visit these places during the birthday festival of Lord Krishna (Janmashtami) in July/August.

Barsana is the place where Krishna’s consort Radha was born. The place is especially interesting during the festival of Holi when the women of Barsana attack the men of nearby village Nandgaon with sticks and play the Lathmar Holi.

An eighteenth-century stronghold of the Jat rajas with its picturesquely contrived garden-cum-water palaces, Deeg is a popular tourist rendezvous today. It is situated around 21 km off Vrindavan.

Agra, the capital of great Mughals and city of Taj Mahal is around 67 km off Vrindavan.

I hope next time you visit vrindavan you will have a new perspective to view these temples and sites.

Happy travels, stay safe - Follow me at @travel_o_some