VRINDAVAN-LAND OF LORD KRISHNA

Vrindavan – Krishna bhoomi
If you want a short vacation nearby delhi, Vrindavan and Mathura are ideal places. Just 151 Km from Delhi and it takes just 3 hours. Vrindavan is just 15 km off Mathura. In Mathura where Lord Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. Vrindavan is situated on the New Delhi-Chennai and New Delhi-Mumbai main railway line. Vrindavan, like Delhi faces extreme climate with hot and humid summer and chilly winter. The name ‘Vrindavan’ is said to have been derived from ‘Vrinda’, another name for the sacred tulsi plant.Best time to visit vrindavan is October to March.

Vrindavan is famous for its numerous temples. The most important are :

The Banke Bihari Temple built in 1864 is the most popular shrine at Vrindavan. Holi is celebrates in a special way here. The image of Banke-Bihari was discovered in Nidhi Vana by Swami Haridas, the great Krishna devotee, belonging to the Nimbarka sampradaya.

The Madan Mohan Temple located near the Kali Ghat which was built by Kapur Ram Das.

The Shri Krishna-Balram Temple built by the International Society for Shri Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is one the most beautiful temples in Vrindavan today. This is a International spiritual organisation having 400 centers around the world . This was founded by srila A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada . thousands of pilgrims and International tourists visited Vrindavan centre which is having beautiful temple of Lord Krishna .The principal deities of this temple are Shri Krishna - Balram and Shri Radha - Shyam Sundar. Adjoining the temple is the samadhi of Shri Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON sect, built in pure white marble. The evening time is really special. Devotees are chanting HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA, and the atmosphere is so gripping and special.

The Jaipur Temple which was built by Sawai Madhav Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur in 1917, is a richly embellished and opulent temple. The fine hand - carved sandstone is of unparalleled workmanship.

The Shahji Temple, another popular temple at Vrindavan, was designed and built in 1876 by a wealthy jeweller, Shah Kundan Lal of Lucknow.

Nidhu Ban. From this location you can easily walk to Nidhu Ban. Like Seva Kunja, Nidhu Ban is a mystical garden of Krishnas pastimes. here is the famous mirror temple and the entrance is closed to the Sahaji Mandir.

The Pagal Baba Temple has eleven stories in all and is one of the more modern pieces of architecture.

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.

Kesari Ghat Lord Krishna killed the Kesi demon here. Kesi Ghat is on the bank of the Yamuna. If you bath here you get the benediction of bathing in all off the holy places. There is an arati performed here every day at sunset.

Other places to visit are Lal Babu Temple, Raj Ghat, Meera Bai Temple.

The Rainy month of Bhadon, the month when the Lord Krishna was born, is a time of colourful celebrations. The famous Braj Parikrama - a pilgrimage of all the places in Braj that associated with Shri Krishna, is undertaken.

Places to stay: Vrindavan has around 200 dharamshalas.
Dharamshala we stayed in was was inexpensive, very clean and the food was like home. A strict time table for food was to be followed. The gali’s of vrindavan are famous. The street food is delicious and tempting. Cows are seen numerous on the roads. Vrindavan has very congested lanes, cars and taxis go to the entry point, from where rickshaws are available. Rickshaws or walking are the only options to explore Vrindavan.
How to Get There
By RailThough 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 RoadVrindavan 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. Attractions near Vrindavan: Mathura, Agra.