Vrindavan – The Most Prominent Hindu Pilgrimage
Vrindavan is one of the most prominent Hindu pilgrimage sites with an ancient past associated with Lord Krishna. According to Hinduism, this is where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days and wooed Radha and other gopis. This town is about 11 kms away from Mathura which is considered his birthplace.
The town hosts many temples dedicated to the famous couple of Radha and Krishna which is considered sacred by the Hindus and attracts many pilgrims every year. Due to the vibrancy of the town, many tourists also visit it to see the awe-striking temples and experience the rich history narrated by the local-dwellers of the town.
The seemingly endless list of temples in the town may confuse a tourist so to make it easier for you, we have come down with a list of the top temples which are worth a visit to better know the rich heritage of the place.
Govinda Dev Temple : This temple was built in 1590 by Raja Man Singh from Jaipur. Architecturally, this temple is considered one of the finest in the north of our country. It is believed that this temple took full five years along with ten million rupees and several thousand men to complete and erect. It is a magnificent seven-storeyed structure with an altar of marble, silver and gold. The main deity worshiped here is of Govinda Dev or Lord Krishna.
Madan Mohan Temple : This temple is one of the most ancient temples of the town established by Srila Sanatana Goswani at a time when Vrindavan was just a forest. The original deity of Madana Mohana was found by Advaita Acharya at the base of an old Banyan tree. Upon discovering the deity, he entrusted the worship of the deity to his disciple, Purushottama Chaube, who in turn handed over the deity to Sanatana Goswani. On the present date, the deity of Madana Mohana is worshipped along with Radharani and Lalita.
Banke Bihari Temple : It is one of the favourite temples of the devotees and is usually seen crowded by them round the year. Built in 1864, this temple holds a significant place in the heart of the followers of Banke Bihari. There are a lot of rituals which are followed in the temple regarding the deity. Only after the main prayers, the curtains infront of the murti are drawn to give darshan(view) to the long line of the devotees. Unlike the other temples, the curtains infront of the deity are not left open, rather they are opened and shut at the interval of every few minutes.
Sri Ranganatha Temple : This temple is built like the quintessential South Indian temple with a height of 30 meters with three gopurams (gateways, a tall Shikhara (crown) and gold-plated decorations. It was built by the wealthy Seth family of Mathura in 1851 and is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a form of Lord Vishnu lying down on the Sess Naga(the divine serpent). It is one of the largest temples of Vrindavan surrounded by high walls. It is also famous for Brahmotsava, which is a grand 10-days Rath Yatra(car festival) during the month of Caitra (March-April).
Radharamana Temple : Radharama means “the one who gives pleasure to Radha” and is one of the names dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is believed that the deity of Radharamana has self-manifested from a salagram-sila on the full moon day of Vaisakhi(April/May) and following that the seva puja was established in 1542. This auspicious event is celebrated every year in the temple by bathing the deity in 100 litres of milk and other holy items. The remnants of this bath are considered like nectar and distributed among the participating devotees. The standard of the worshiping is also very high.
