Vrindavan, a city known for the devotees of Lord Krishna is situated on the bank of Yamuna River. In Veda and Puranas, it is said that the childhood of Lord Krishna spent in Vrindavan, the oldest city. In Vrindavan, Lord Krishna played “Raas Leela” with “Gopies” and Radha Rani and Lord Krishna fell in love with each other at Vrindavan.
Every year the city hosts hundreds and thousands of people for darshan of Lord Krishna at the famous temple of Banke Bihari. If you are planning a two-day trip to Vrindavan, you can cover the major pilgrimages like Barsana – Home of Radhi Rani, Giriraj Ji Maharaj Temple, Gokul, Chaurasi Khambha, Chintamani Shiv Temple, Ramanreti and Vrindavan.
Places to Visit in Vrindavan
Banke Bihari Temple
Image Credit: Google
Shri Banke Bihari Mandir is a famous temple in Vrindavan, and the idol of Shri Krishna is in the form of a child. The architecture of the temple is in the form of Rajasthani style. In front of Shri Banke Bihari, there is a huge lawn for the devotees and the interesting fact is there are no bells in the temple. The devotees’ chants Radhey Radhey during their visit and there is no entry fee for Darshan. During the peak season, huge crowds gather and the darshan of Shri Banke Bihari is quite tough. There are lot of monkeys in the narrow lanes paving towards the temple, so try not to keep your belongings, especially spectacles, can carry a small purse.
Radha Raman Temple
Radha Raman temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna in the form of original Shaligram and the idol of Krishna smiles in a magnificent way. The temple was established in 15th century and later renovated in 18th century. The Radha Raman Temple is only 2 kms away from the Vrindavan Railway Station, auto/e-rikshaw are available from the railway station.
Image Credit: Google
The timings of the temple are:
- 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
- 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Mangla Aarti: In winters at 4:00 AM
- Mangla Aarti: In summers at 5:30 AM
Prem Mandir
Prem Mandir was developed by Shri Jagatguru Kripalu Maharaj and spread across a wide area. At the surrounding of the main temple, Lord Krishna Leela was displayed through statues. You can take a view of immense beautiful life of Lord Krishna, where he carried Giriraj Parvat in his small finger, dance above the sheshnag, raas leela, and the beautiful gardens. The temple is made with white marble and intricated carvings mesmerize you. People sit at the lawn of the temple and perform kirtan bhajan and dance in the devotional songs.
The temple has Food Court at reasonable prices and free service for keeping shoes. You can’t carry luggage inside the temple premises. The timings of the temple are:
- 8:30 AM to 12 Noon
- 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Nidhivan
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It is said that in Nidhivan Lord Krishna plays Raas Leela every night and after 7:00 pm no one is allowed to enter the temple, not even priest. The devotees gathered early in the morning around 4:00 AM to have a look at the place where Lord Krishna performed the Raas Leela. As per the priest, while leaving the temple in evening, the bedding was done, and food was served to Krishna. But when the priest visits next day, things usually not in place, or beddings are scrambled. The trees of Nidhivan are in quite unique a way which is not seen in any of the places.
Gopeshwar Mahadev Mandir
There is a famous story in Bhagwat, when Lord Krishna was playing Raas Leela with the gopies, Lord Shiva thought to enjoy that moment with Krishna. He decided to take a avatar of female to be with Lord Krishna. At Gopeshwar Mahadev Mandir, devotees take a look of both Masculine Shiva in daytime and in the evening the feminine power of Lord Shiva is worshipped.
Image Credit: Google
Timings to visit the temple:
- Summers: 5:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 4:30 PM – 9:30 PM
- Winters: 5:30 AM – 12:00 PM and 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Aarti Timings:
- Summers- 7:30 AM and 7:30 PM
- Winters- 6:30 AM and 6:30 PM
Barsana
Barsana is known as the birthplace of Radha Rani and the city is famous for Lathmar Holi. Barsana is around 34 kms from Vrindavan and situated in Mathura district. There are autos and buses that ply from Vrindavan. The sand of Barsana feels like velvet and locals called it “Braj ki Raj”. The temple looks like the home of Radha Rani and in Varanda area, devotees sit and feel the peace.
The temple is surrounded by the hills known as Brahma Hill and Vishnu Hill. We took auto to reach at Barsana and while enroute the greenery freshens up your mind. Don’t forget to take a sip of sweet lassi of Barsana.
Nandgaon
After reaching Barsana, drive towards Nandgaon which is only 8kms from Barsana. A quaint town is the home of Lord Krishna, where he lives with Shri Nandji Maharaj and Yashoda Maiya. At the top of the hill, there is a temple dedicated to Shri Nandji. There are several other tourist attractions in Nandgaon, which includes famous temples like Yashoda Nandan, Nritya Gopal, Nand Nandan, Udhav Kyaro and Gopinath etc. The stunning lake called Pan Sarovar is a peaceful place to spend time with yourself and you can also go boating.
Giriraj Ji Maharaj/ Govardhan
The Govardhan Maharaj or Giriraj Ji Maharaj is only 21 km from both Vrindavan and Mathura. If you are planning from Barsana, then the distance would be around 23 kms. Lord Krishna holds Govardhan Maharaj from his tiny little finger to protect the people of Braj from heavy rain.
Devotees performed parikrama of Govardhan Ji which is of 30kms, now there is a small route for those who won’t be able to perform the parikrama through long route. Devotees poured milk and offered white flowers to Govardhan Maharaj.
Chaurasi Khambha
Chaurasi Khambha means 84 Pillars and is situated at a short distance from Govardhan Temple. The temple depicts the symbol of devotion, and the carvings are intricated on each pillar. The drawings made on the upper portion of the pillars depict the various incidents. While paving towards the temple, the small market of handlooms, and clothes are worthy enough to buy, as the price are cheaper. Don’t forget a sip of lassi famous as Gokul ki Lassi.
Chintaharan Mahadev Temple
Chintaharan Mahadev Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the temple is situated on the bank of Yamuna River. In the temple, devotees can perform the pooja by themselves. The other small temples of Shani Dev, Hanuman Ji and Devi’s are also built around the temple. At the temples, devotees feel peace and can sit for a long time near the bank of Yamuna ji.
Ramanreti
Ramanreti is in Gokul, near to Mathura, where Lord Krishna plays with his brother Balram and friends. The sand of Ramanreti gives a different touch and you can’t stop yourself from playing. The deer sanctuary is famous which is maintained by the Forest Department and people visit to look at. At evening the aarti is performed by the elephant.
Vrindavan Temple Timings
The temples in Vrindavan remain closed from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM, so plan accordingly.
Holi in Vrindavan
Holi is most popular festival in India and Vrindavan is the best place to enjoy holi. In Banke Bihari, holi played with the flowers (Pholon wali holi) and gulal in Vrindavan. In Barsana, the famous Lathmar Holi played in the town and people across the state joined the festival. In 2024, the holi is on March 24th, if you love colours and want to enjoy the traditional lathmar holi, plan a trip to Barsana.
Best Time to Visit Vrindavan
The best time to visit Vrindavan is in winter, from October to March. The weather is cool, so bring as many winter clothes as possible. The sight-seeing places look colourful, and the greenery surrounds the temple. Monsoon is always a good time to plan but the issue of flooding in Yamuna River is a major issue.
Hotels in Vrindavan
The hotels near Prem Mandir are pocket friendly and the other location for the budgeted hotel is near Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg Road. During my visit, I stayed in Vrinda-de-crest, which was quite spacious and has big grounds with colourful huts in green, red, and blue colour. The hotel is within walking distance of Prem Mandir with so many options of restaurants.
How to Reach Vrindavan
- Nearest Airport: Agra Airport which is 54 kms from Vrindavan.
- Nearest Railway Station: Mathura Railway Station. Auto and Taxi are easily available for Vrindavan.
- By Bus: Highways are very well connected with major cities. NueGo electric buses are very good option which saves environment, with flexible leg space and available in maximum slots.
Important Tips
- If you have your own vehicle, try not to use it in the city of Vrindavan.
- Take an e-rikshaw to visit temples in Vrindavan.
- Don’t forget to bring winter clothes, it’s too cold even in February.
- Must try the tasty lassi of Barsana.
Pack your bag and explore the unexplored places with Hema…