Vrindavan is a holy city located at a stone throw distance from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. There are many places to visit in Vrindavan that are connected to the childhood life of Sri Krishna. This is one of the holiest places to the Hindus and the place is spotted with beautiful temples, holy ponds, and charming forests. Vrinda means Tulsi, so the place itself is a forest of Tulsi. Brindavan is also famous for festivals where Holi and Janmashtami are celebrated with full spirit. As Vrindavan and Mathura are located side by side, you can also visit the temples in Mathura during your tour. Vrindavan is home to some 4000 temples, 137 forests and 1000 holy ponds.
The famous places to visit in Mathura Vrindavan include Banke Bihari Mandir, Prem Mandir, Radha Raman Temple, ISCON Temple Vrindavan and Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple.
Banke Bihari is the holiest temple in Vrindavan built by Swami Haridas in 1542. Dedicated to Sri Krishna, the temple is famous for the celebration of the Jhulon Yatra Festival in the month of August. This time the temple is decorated with flowers and plants and thousands of pilgrims reach here from all over India. The idol of this temple is kept behind a curtain that is drawn and pull every minute.
In 2011, Jagadguru Shri Kripaluji Maharaj built a large temple at Vrindavan and named it as the temple of God’s love popularly known as Prem Mandir. The temple is made of white marble and the intricate design and beautiful portraits amaze the visitors. The painting on the wall and ceiling depict the various phases of Sri Krishna’s life and the temple is now a famous Vrindavan tourist place.
Another white marble stone-built temple is the Shahji Temple. The temple built by Shah Kundan Lal in 1876 is dedicated to Sri Krishna. Here Sri Krishna is worshiped as Chote Radha Raman. Travelers admire the stunning architecture of this impressive marble temple.
The spiritual aura of Vrindavan attracted many people who spent their lives in Brajbhoomi and also built temples for the Thakur of Vrindavan. Radha Raman Temple was built by Gopal Bhatta in 1542 and is dedicated to Sri Krishna. Though the temple is named after Sri Radha, there is no deity of her, instead, a crown is kept that symbolizes Sri Radha.
Vrindavan is the birthplace of Sri Krishna so how can Swami Prabhupada leave the place without building a temple here. The ISCON temple in Vrindavan is one of the most beautiful temples which is also known as the Krishna Balram temple. Located within walking distance of the Banke Bihari temple, Iskcon Vrindavan offers Bhagavad Geeta classes and impressive sight of Aarti every day.
Vrindavan is the land of God where you will find temples in different styles. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, Rangaji Temple is one of the best places to see in Vrindavan. This temple reflects a blend of South and North Indian architectural style. Here Lord Vishnu is worshiped in the name of Lord Ranganatha.
Most of the temples in Vrindavan are dedicated to Sri Krishna as the place is connected to his childhood. But there is also a shakti Pheet, named as The Katyayani Peeth temple in Vrindavan. Also known as Uma Shakti Pheet, the temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths. The best time to visit the temple is at the time of Navratri and Vijaya Dashmi. You can also visit the nearby grove which is a charming place to spend some time peacefully.
According to mythology, the name of the place where Sri Krishna was actually grown-up was Gokul. So a famous devotee Lokanath Goswami constructed the temple Radha Gokulananda in the name of the place Gokul. The temple is located between the Keshi Ghat and the Radha Raman temple. The temple is not a very big one neither has a rich architecture, but the religious chants that fill the temple with a sacred aura attract the travelers who want to spend some time amidst immense purity.
One of the oldest temples near Vrindavan is Govind Devji Temple that has a beautiful architectural design. Located at the holy city Mathura Govind Devji Temple is one of the holiest temples dedicated to Sri Krishna.Here the idol depicts the face of just born Sri Krishna. The temple built of red sandstone is an architectural marble and one of the best places near Vrindavan.
Another must-visit temple in Mathura is Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple. There are many small temples inside the temple complex. Though this is an old temple, the present structure of the temple has been developed by the modern Indian industrialists.
Your Braj Darshan is not completed until you visit some holy pond in the holy cities. So visit the Kusum Sarovar a green emerald water pond surrounded by various flower plants. Located in between Govardhan hill and Radha Kund, this is a beautiful site to spend some time amidst the ultimate serenity. There is aflight of stairs that will allow you to descend to the pond.
Mathura and Vrindavan are also famous for festivals. Here Holi and Janmashtami are celebrated with full spirit. You can visit Barsana and Nandgaon to witness how devotees play with colors during Holi.
