Vrindavan:-
Vrindavan is simply 15 kms away from Mathura, and is another major pilgrim’s journey place in India with ancient and beautiful temples. The name Vrindavan evokes the playfulness and loving characteristics of Lord Shri Krishna. Vrindavan has varied temples. Majority of the temples in Vrindavan are devoted to Lord Krishna. As per the Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna had spent his childhood in Vrindavan, although he was born in Mathura. It is believed that Lord Krishna has spend a lot of time and made lot of mischief in Vrindavan.
One of the foremost vital and vivacious temples in Vrindavan is of the Bankey Bihari Temple. The Bankey Bihari Temple homes a sacred image of Lord Krishna called Thakkur ji that shows Krishna with a virtually blackened body. Devotees enter the shrine area carrying garlands of flower petals and tender them to the spirit of the sculpture as Brahmins (priests) pull away and forth ahead of the icon, sometimes drawing across the curtain to shroud the icon for an instant. The curtain is then drawn back and a good cry of ThakkurJi is hooted. The hall and the sanctum sanctorum of this temple are adorned with floral carvings.
Vrindavan is synonymous with the childhood pastimes of Sri Krishna.
Vrindavan is also the center for various Vaishava groups. In a centuries-old tradition Hindu widows have been coming to live out the rest of their lives in Vrindavan. They are expected to shed all physical adornments, including long hair, wear only white cotton saris and lead an austere lifestyle. In Vrindavan there are thousands of widows coming mostly from Bengal. They begin their day by bathing in the Yamuna and congregate at ashrams to sing bhajans (devotional songs). In return, they get a daily ration of rice and pulses and some cash. Subsisting on charitable donations made by wealthy traders, the widows pass their life in devotion to Krishna, the Supreme Lord.
Vrindavan (alternatively spelled Vrindaban, Brindavan, Brindavana, or Brundavan) also known as Vraj (as it lies in the Braj region) is a town in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the site of an ancient forest which is the region where according to the Mahabharata, a grand Epic of Sankrit literature dating back to the 3000BC, the deity Krishna spent his childhood days.
The ancient name of the city, Brindavana, comes from its groves of 'Brinda' Ocimmum tenuiflorum (Holy Basil or tulsi) with vana meaning a grove or a forest. Two small groves still exist at Nidhivan and Seva Kunj.
Two major categories of the life of Krishna are placed in this forest. First, there are the events of him as a child, killing demons, stealing butter and indulging in childhood pranks. Secondly, there are the events of him as a young man, playing with the girls and young women of the village. These inspired the works of the Gita Govinda.
In later times the name of the forest has often been used within Hindu India, to represent an idyllic place or garden.
It is the location of many ancient and several modern temples and religious institutions based on the connections with Krishna’s childhood. It is the most important Vaishnava place of pilgrimage and is the theological center for many forms of Vaishnava Theology, including Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology.
The town has the sacred Yamuna River passing by. The deity who is renowned for his pranks used to hide the clothes of the gopis while they used to bathe in Yamuna. It was on the shores of this river that the God is believed to have danced with the gopis (cow herding girls).
On the way back the visitors can pick up the items in marble and alabaster. Usually the semi-precious stones and gems work on the items make them even more beautiful pieces of craftsmanship.
When the lord used to perform playful dance with the gopis He used to perform ras. But when He used to disappear, the gopis enacted episodes from His life that were refereed to as lilas. Together the ras and the lilas have formed the present day dance forming 'Raslila' that is performed and promoted by the likes of Swami Haridas and Shri Narayan Bhatt. Since the main theme of the dance remains the childhood pranks of the Lord it is performed by thirteen-fourteen-year-old Brahmin boys.
Mythology:-
Mathura was once a Buddhist center. Krishna's leelas with Radha have been the subject of literature all over India; especially that of Jayadeva. Radha is considerd to be one of the Shaktis of Vishnu; born as the daughter of King Vrishabhanu and his wife Kalavati, certain legends assert that she was married to Krishna. She is also known as Brindavani or Brinda. Radha is considered to be a manifestation of Lakshmi. The Brindavan refers to a sacred Tulsi forest. Raas Leela on Sharad Poornima (full moon night in the month Oct 15-Nov 15) or during Holi is of great importance here.
History:-
Legends say that the name 'Vrindavan' is derived from Vrinda, another name for the sacred tulsi (basil) plant. Legend says that once at a time the entire place was a tulsi grove. According to another tradition, it was named after one of Krishna's playmates, Vrinda Devi. The earliest known place of worship in Vrindavan is said to have been built by the local gosains in a large garden called Nidhiban, later named Seva Kunj. It is popular believed that Emperor Akbar was taken blindfolded inside the grove where he had some kind of a spiritual experience. As a result of this, he acknowledged the spot as being holy ground.
The four temples that were built in honour of his visit are Govind Deva Temple, Madan Mohan Temple, Gopinath Temple and Jugal Kishore Temple. The first is an impressive construction built with red sandstone. Architecturally this temple is considered one of the finest art in North India.
However, apart from its history, what keeps Vrindavan alive in the popular imagination of the people is its rich legend and mythology. Vrindavan is considered the place where Lord Krishna spent his early childhood. It was here that Krishna indulged in adolescent pranks with the gopis (milkmaids) in the forests and stealing their clothes while they bathed in the river.
It is astonishing to know that the small city boosts around 4000 temples. Some of the temples that can be watched over here are Madan Mohan Temple that was located near the Kali Ghat and was built by Kapur Ram Das of Multan, the Banke Bihari temple, built in 1864. Other temples to the land of the lord, chant and sing hymns in Hid praise. The visit to the Pagal Baba temple, Bankey Bihari temple, Govind Dev temple and the Isckon temple is a must. The fragrance of the garlands, flowers and the incense is bound to get carried with you for a long time.
Temple architecture:-
The basic structure of temples in India is a room or garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) where the image (murti) of the main Deity is kept. The temple is approached by a flight of steps and is often built on a platform. A porch covers the entrance to the temple, which is supported by carved pillars. A prominent roof called the shikhara surmounts the top of the garbhagriha, and dominates the surroundings. As time went by, small temples grew into temple complexes. Some temples have a hall (mandap) from where one can see the sanctum sanctorum.
Temple architecture in India is broadly divided into northern and southern styles, classified by the form and shape of the shikhara and the distinctiveness of its decoration. The shikhara of the temples in South India tend to be made up of distinct horizontal levels that diminish to form a rough pyramid. Each level is decorated with miniature temple rooftops. Some temples from South India also have tall shikharas over the elaborate gateways or gopurams to add to the overall symmetry to the temple complex. The shikhara of the temples in North and Central India, in contrast, resembles an upturned cone that is decorated with miniature conical shikharas. Some temples developed their own local flavor apart from adhering to their basic native style.
Most of the temples in Vrindavan belong to the North Indian style of temple architecture, while a few conform to a mixed style. Most of the temples now present in Vrindavan were constructed after AD 1000, while some of them are of recent origin.
Madan Mohan Temple:-
Madan Mohan Temple on the riverside is the oldest structure in Vrindavan. This famous temple was established by Srila Sanatana Gosvami and was the first Gosvami temple built in Vrindavan, which at that time was just a forest. The original Deity of Madana Mohana was discovered at the base of an old vat (banyan) tree by Advaita Acarya, when He visited Vrindavan. He entrusted the worship of Madana Mohana to His disciple, Purusottama Chaube, who then gave the Deity to Sanatana Gosvami. Sanatana Gosvami spend 43 years in Vrindavan. Worshiped along with Madana Mohana are Radharani and Lalita, who were sent to Vrindavan by Purusottama Jena, the son of Maharaja Prataparudra.
This 60 foot high temple was opened in 1580 on a 50 foot hill called Dvadasaditya Tila, next to the Yamuna. Ram Das Kapoor paid to build the temple. One day a ship he owned, loaded with merchandise, went aground in the Yamuna. He was advised by Sanatana Gosvami to pray to Madana Mohana for help. The ship came free and the owner of the ship made a big profit, which he used to built this temple.
The temple is associated with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who stayed here. Due to the fear of Muslim onslaughts on the temple the original murti was moved to Rajasthan (Karoli). A replica is now worshiped in the temple. The bhajan kutir and samadhi of Sanatana Gosvami, together with the puspa-samadhis of Candrasekhara Acarya and Tapana Misra are also here.
Govinda Dev Temple:-
Govinda Dev Temple was a grand seven-story structure, with an altar of marble, silver and gold. Architecturally this temple is one of the finest in North India. A sculptured lotus flower weighing several tons decorates the main hall ceiling. It was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh from Jaipur, a general in Akbar's army, who was inspired to do it after meeting Rupa Gosvami. It was said to have cost ten million rupees and several thousand men were working for five full years to complete it. Akbar himself had donated the red sandstone for its construction. In 1670, during the rule of a later Mughal king, Aurangzeb, it was plundered and destroyed leaving only three stories of the original temple. During this attack, when few stories remained, all of a sudden the ground began to shake violently and Aurangzeb's men were terrified and ran for their lives, never to return.
Temple is now empty and the replica of Govindaji is worshiped in the new Govindaji Mandir (located behind the original temple). The original Govindaji is worshiped in Jaipur.
Gopinath mandir:-
The Deity of Gopinath worshiped in Radha-Gopinath Temple was discovered at Vamsivat by Paramananda Bhattacarya, who entrusted the Deity's worship to Madhu Pandita. On the altar are Deities of Srimati Radharani and Her sister, Ananga Manjari. Madhu Pandita's samadhi is next to the temple.
Gopinathji was originally installed in Vrindavan by Vajranabha, the great grandson of Krishna. When the Muslims raided Vrindavan, the original Gopinath Deity was taken to Jaipur. The Gopinath Deity in Jaipur and Lord Krishna are said to exactly resemble each other from Their shoulders down to the waist.
Jugal Kisore Temple:-
Jugal Kisore Temple (Kesi ghata temple) is one of the oldest temples of Vrindavan, completed in 1627. After Akbar's visit to Vrindavan in the year 1570, he gave permission for four temples to be built by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, which were Madana-mohana, Govindaji, Gopinatha and Jugal Kisore. It is sometimes called the Kesi ghata temple, as it is located next to this ghata.
Sri Ranganatha (Rangaji) Temple:-
Opposite from the Govinda Dev Temple is an imposing south-Indian temple called Sri Ranganatha (Rangaji) Temple. It is 30 meters high with three gopurams (gateways), a tall shikhara (crown) and gold-plated decorations. This South Indian style temple was built by the wealthy Seth family of Mathura in 1851 and is dedicated to Lord Sri Ranganatha or Rangaji, a form of Lord Vishnu lying down on the Sesa Naga (divine serpent). This temple has a traditional South Indian gopuram (gateway), a Rajput-styled (architectural style prevailing in the present Indian state of Rajasthan) entrance gate and an Italian-influenced colonnade. One of the enclosures within the precincts of this magnificent temple has a 15-meter-high pillar made of gold. It is one of Vrindavan's largest temples and is surrounded by high walls. Once a year there is a grand car festival (Ratha Yatra) known as Brahmotsava during the month of Caitra (March-April). This festival lasts for 10 days. At the entrance, there is an electronic puppet show about stories of Krishna and a small museum.
Banke Bihari Temple:-
One of the most popular in Vrindavan and famous all over India is the Banke Bihari Temple, built in 1864. There are curtains in front of the richly decorated murti. After the main prayers the curtains are drawn apart to give darsan (viewing) to a long line of devotees. The curtain before the Deities is not left open like at other temples but every few minutes it is pulled shut and then opened again. The Deities do not get up until 9 AM. The temple has mangala-arati only one day a year and only once a year can the lotus feet of the Deity be seen, on Akhyaya Tritiya. Many devotees come every day, especially in the month of Sravana, during Jhulan Yatra, the swing festival. The murti is said to have been discovered by the musician-saint Svami Hari Das in Nidhi Van, a kadamba grove where Banke Bihari was originally worshiped. A contemporary of the Six Gosvamis, Svami Haridasa, known for his bhajans, was the guru of the famous musician Tansen.
Radharamana Temple:-
Radharamana Temple is the famous temple of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Radharamana means "one who gives pleasure to Radha". It is one of the many names of Lord Krishna. The seva puja of Radharamana was established in 1542, after the Deity self-manifested from a salagram-sila on the full moon day of Vaisakha (April/May). This event is celebrated every year by bathing the Deity with 100 liters of milk and other auspicious items. The remnants of this abhiseka (bathing) are like nectar. Gopal Bhatta Gosvami's other shalagram-shilas are worshiped on the altar here. The appearance place of Sri Radharaman Deity is next to the temple. Radharamanji is one of the few original Deities of the Gosvamis still in Vrindavan. The standard of worship is very high.
Also kept in this temple is the wooden sitting place (hoki) and shawl (chaddar) or Lord Caitanya that He gave as a gift to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. There is no Deity of Radharani in this temple, but a crown is kept next to Krishna signifying Her presence. Gopal Bhatta's samadhi is located here. The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously since the Deity was installed over 460 years ago and the cooking still follows cookbooks from that time.
Radha Damodara Temple:-
Radha Damodara Temple is one of the most important temples in Vrindavan. The original Deity was hand carved by Rupa Gosvami and given as a gift to his beloved disciple, Jiva Gosvami, who later built a temple. Formerly this spot was in the middle of Seva-kunja and it was the bhajan place (where he performed his devotional activities) of Rupa Gosvami. Other Deities here are Vrindavan Candra worshiped by Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Radha-Madhava of Jayadeva Gosvami and Radha-Chalacikana of Bhugarbha Gosvami. When the original Deities are moved, the replacement Deity is called a pratibhu-murti and is considered as good as the original Deity. The samadhis of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami and Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraj Gosvami are here.
Srila Prabhupada spent here most of his six years (1959 to 1965) before coming to America. He translated the first three cantos of the Srimad-Bhagavatam here.
In Sri Radha Gokulananda Mandir are the the Radha-Vinoda Deities of Lokanath Gosvami, Radha-Gokulananda Deities of Visvanath Cakravarti, Caitanya Mahaprabhu Deity of Narottama Dasa Thakur, Vijaya Govinda Deities of Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and the Govardhan-shila given to Raghunath Dasa Gosvami by Sri Caitanya. Also, the samadhis of Srila Lokanath Gosvami, Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura, and Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura are here. Visvanath Cakravarti arranged to have this temple built.
Radha Vallabha Temple:-
Radha Vallabha Temple is another very popular temple of Vrindavan which was founded by Harivamsa Gosvami, who started the Radha Vallabha sampradaya emphasizing devotion to Radharani. In this temple, there is no Deity of Radharani, but a crown has been placed next to Krishna to signify her presence. The original temple of Radha Vallabha was destroyed by the Muslims in 1670 and a new temple was built beside the old one.
Radha-Syamasundara are the Deities of Syamananda Prabhu. Darsan is from 8.30 to 11 am and 5 to 8 pm. It is one of the seven major temples in Vrindavan. Syamananda's samadhi is across the street and down from the entrance of the temple.
Sri Gopesvara Mahadeva Mandir:-
Sri Gopesvara Mahadeva Mandir is the oldest temple in Vrindavan. Gopesvara Mahadeva is Lord Siva, who came to Vrindavan to become a gopi of Krishna. Here Vrinda Devi blessed him and allowed him to enter the rasa dance of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna then offered Lord Siva the guardianship of the Rasa mandala and placed him at its entrance. Ever since, all Vaisnavas pray first for his mercy to become a servant of the servant of the gopis.
Vajranabha, the great grandson of Krishna, also installed the Siva-linga in this temple. Every morning from 4 am to noon, thousands of people pour Yamuna water over the linga. It is said that the big pipal tree here is a kalpavriksa tree and will fulfill all desires. This temple is in the Vamsivata area.
Jaipur Temple:-
Jaipur Temple, one of Vrindavan's most opulent temples, was built by the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Madhav, in 1917 after 30 years of labor. The fine hand-carved sandstone is of unparalleled workmanship, the huge pillars that hold up the roof are each carved from one solid rock, and the intricately fashioned marble on the altar is reminiscent of the Mughal period. The Maharaja financed the railway line that connects Vrindavan with Mathura, just for the purpose of hauling the huge pieces of sandstone used in the temple construction. The Deities worshiped here are Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, Ananda-bihari and Hansa-gopala.
Shahji Temple:-
Shahji Temple, another popular temple at Vrindavan, was designed and built in 1876 by a wealthy jeweler, Shah Kundan Lal of Lucknow. The Deities at the temple are popularly known as the Chhote Radha Raman. Noted for its magnificent architecture and beautiful marble sculpture, the temple has twelve spiral columns each 15 feet high. The `Basanti Kamra' - the darbar hall is famed for its Belgian glass chandeliers and fine paintings.
Krishna Balarama Mandir:-
Opened in 1975 by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Raman Reti, 3 km from the center of Vrindavan. The principal Deities of this temple are Krishna with His brother Balaram. Next to Them are Radha (Krishna's consort) with Syamasundara and Gaura-Nitai. The samadhi (cenotaph) of ISKCON's founder-acarya, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in pure white marble is within the complex in front of the temple. His private chambers have been converted into a museum. The temple is built in the Bengal Renaissance style with bright frescoes on Krishna's life. There is also a guesthouse, restaurant, gurukula and gosalla. Hare Krishna devotees from all around the world come here, bringing a truly international flavor to this ancient holy city.
Among the new temples springing up along the Mathura-Vrindavan road is the Gita Mandir which houses the Gita Stambh, a pillar with the entire Bhagavad Gita carved on its surface.
The imposing temple, built by one of the country's leading industrial families, the Birlas, is overshadowed by multistoried edifice known as the Pagal Baba Mandir just down the road.
Other Holy Places of Vrindavan:-
Seva Kunja and Nidhuban are gardens where Krishna performed many of His pastimes.
The Seva Kunj is where Lord Krishna performed the Rasalila with Radharani decorating her hair with flowers and her lotus feet. Radha and Krishna would sometimes spend the night here, dancing with the gopis and enjoying transcendental pastimes. There is also a small temple dedicated to Radha and Krishna's pastimes called Rang Mahal. Today this place is surrounded by temples. The Seva Kunja road leads to Srila Jiva Gosvami's Radha Damodar Temple, Srila Syamananda Gosvami's Radha Syamasundara Temple, and Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraj Gosvami's Radha-Vrindavan-Candra Temple.
At the Nidhi Van (Nidhuban, Nidhuvan) Krishna rested with His beloved Sri Radha. The shrine inside has a bed, which is decorated with flowers by the priest every evening. No one is allowed to stay inside after dusk because according to popular belief the Lord visits the spot with Sri Radha. The samadhi (memorial) of Svami Hari Das is also within this complex. All the groves of Vrindavan are notorious for monkeys that have a special fascination for cameras and spectacles.
At the Imlitala tree (tamarind) Srila Sanatana Gosvami established the worship of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to sit daily under the Imlitala and chant japa. Deities of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Radha-Krishna are installed under this tree.
Yamuna river flows through Vrindavan and Mathura. It is the most sacred river in India as it is so intimately connected with Krishna's pastimes. Situated on the bank of the Yamuna is the Kesi Ghat, where Krishna killed the Kesi demon and saved His friends. One who bathes here gets the benediction of bathing in all of the holy places, can be purified of all sinful reactions and attain love of Godhead. This is also very famous bathing place in Vrindavan. An arati (prayer with offering of lamps) to Yamuna Devi is held here every day at sunset.
Vrindavan Parikrama:-
It is customary for devotees to walk around the town of Vrindavan, especially on Ekadasi. There is a parikrama path that goes around the town. This path is one street over from the ISKCON temple. It takes two or three hours to go around the town.
Unique Attractions of Mathura - Holi:-
Holi is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna (Feb-March). Holi in Braja is celebrated for several days, at different places around Braja, before the actual day of Holi.
People throw colored powdered dye and colored water on each other. This is joyfully celebrated in Braja, especially at Varsana, Nandagram and Dauji. In Varsana the festival includes colorful processions with music, song, dance, and some boisterous scenes around the temples. If you go to these festivals you should expect to be totally covered in dye and never to be able to use the clothes that you are wearing again, at least until next year's festival. This is celebrated at the same time as Gaura Purnima.
Varsana:-
Groups of visitors go around in small and large groups here. In the afternoon gopas (men) from Nandagram come to Varsana and play Holi with the local gopis (women) of Varsana. The women hit the men hard with 2 m (7ft) long bamboo staffs. The men have shields which they protect themselves with. During this time local songs are sung. This festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Nandagram:-
The day after the Holi festival at Varsana, Holi is celebrated in Nandagram. The gopas (men) from Varsana come to Nandagram to play Holi with the gopis (women) there. The flag of the Larily Lal Temple in Varsana is carried in an elaborate procession to Nandagram. At this time the residents of Nandagram attempt to capture the flag, but their attempts are foiled. After this, women play Holi with bamboo staffs. This festival is celebrated on the tenth day (dasami) of the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Phalen:-
On the full moon night in Feb/March a huge bon-fire is burned. One of the local priests walks through the fire unscathed. One story about Holi is that Prahlada Maharaja refused to worship his father and wanted to worship his father's enemy, Lord Vishnu instead. His father's sister Holika, who was immune to being burned, sat with the boy in a big fire. Prahlada's devotion was so great that Holika was burnt to death and Prahlada was unharmed. The Holi festival at Phalen re-enacts this event.
How to reach:-
By Air:-
The nearest airport is Agra around 67 km away from Vrindavan. There are regular flights to other important tourist destinations of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Khajuraho. The nearest international airport is Delhi, which is connected to almost every important city in the world with major airlines.
By Rail:-
Though Vrindavan itself is a railway station, the major railway station nearby is Mathura on the Delhi-Chennai and Delhi-Mumbai main line. Several express trains connect Mathura from other major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Calcutta, and Agra. Three local trains leave Mathura Junction each day (6.30 am, 3.40 pm & 7.40 pm) for the station in the south of Vrindavan.
By Road:-
Vrindavan is connected to Mathura and all other places of interest in Braj by bus services and is on direct road link from Delhi and Agra. Getting to Vrindavan from Mathura is very easy as there are frequent buses, shared tempos, and taxis available throughout the day.
