Budget hotels in Braja and Vrindavan

BRAJA MANDALA
Braja Mandala covers an area of 2325 sq km (1453 sq miles) surrounding xe "Vrindavana" Vrindavan and Mathura. Braja is where Sri Krishna performed his pastimes 5,000 years ago. There are twelve principle forests in Braja and all of them are considered places of pilgrimage. Other major places in the Braja area are Nandagram, Varsana, Gokula, Govardhan Hill, and Radha Kund.

Vrindavan and Mathura are the most important Vaishnava holy places in all of India. This is because Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and Vrindavan is where he had his childhood pastimes. For a spiritual tour of India, it is an extremely important and highly recommended place to visit.

ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) has one of its major centers in Vrindavan called the Krishna Balarama Mandir. Other interesting temples in Vrindavan are the Govindaji, Madana Mohan, Banke Bihari, Radha-Damodara, Radha-Raman, and Sri Ranganath.

In the Adi-varaha Purana it is stated: “Any person who dies in any place within Mathura—a holy place, a home, or even a courtyard—certainly attains salvation. In this world Mathura is the best of all holy places.”
One of Akbar’s general, Man Singh of Jaipur, built the Govindaji temple in Vrindavan. His grandson, Maharaja Jai Singh II (1699-1744), who built the city of Jaipur, moved several Deities from Vrindavan and Mathura to Jaipur to protect them from Muslim attacks.

Deities Carved by Vajranabha
It is said that Vajranabha, the great-grandson of xe "Krishna" Krishna had 16 deities carved. It is said that these Deities were carved from a rare, imperishable stone called Braja.

The four presiding Deities of Braja Mandala are Sri Harideva of Govardhan, Sri Keshava Deva of Mathura, Sri Baladeva of Baladeo, and Govindaji of Vrindavan, who has now been moved to Jaipur.

There are two Naths—Sri Nathji, who was originally at Govardhan and is now in Nathdwar, Rajasthan, by Udaipur, and Sri Gopinath, who is now in Jaipur.

The two Gopals are Sri Madana Gopal, renamed Sri Madana Mohan, who is now in Karoli (Raj), and Sakshi Gopal, who is now in the town of Sakshi Gopal, Orissa, near Puri.
The four Mahadevas (deities of Lord Siva) are Chakleswar at Govardhan, Kameswar at Kamavan, Bhuteswar at Mathura, and Gopiswar in Vrindavan. The four goddesses carved are Manasi Devi at Govardhan, Vrinda Devi at Kamavan, Pathal Devi at Mathura, and Yogamaya Devi at Vrindavan.

It is said that Vajranabha first had three Deities of Krishna carved. He never saw Krishna, so they were carved from the description of Uttara, the mother of Maharaja Pariksit. He had three different images carved, but none of them were perfect. Govindaji resembled the face, Madana Mohan resembled the navel down to the lotus feet, and Gopinath resembled the trunk of the body, from the navel to the neck.
Sri Govinda and Sri Gopinath are now in Jaipur and Madana Mohan is in Karoli, a small town in Rajasthan.

Six Goswamis of Vrindavan
The six Goswamis of Vrindavan were sent by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish the places of pilgrimage in Vrindavan. These six Goswamis were bona fide spiritual masters situated on the highest platform of devotional service to God, and for that reason they were called goswamis.

They were Sanatana Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Raghunath Dasa Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Jiva Goswami, and Raghunath Bhatta Goswami. Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswami first came to Vrindavan in 1515 to uncover the lost places of Krishna’s pastimes.

They followed the strictest standard of devotional service or spiritual practices. Sri xe "Raghunath Dasa Goswami" Raghunath Dasa Goswami’s daily activities included chanting 64 rounds of japa, worshiping his Govardhan shila, bathing thrice in Radha Kund, offering 1,000 obeisances to Krishna, and offering 2,000 obeisances to the devotees of Krishna, plus embracing them. He rested ninety minutes a day and some days not at all. Throughout his life, Raghunath Dasa Goswami never ate anything for sense gratification.

Kusuma Sarovara
A 25-minute walk from Radha Kund is Kusuma Sarovara, which is the best swimming spot in the Braja area. Kusuma means “flower,” and here the gopis would pick flowers for Krishna. Also at this place is a temple dedicated to Uddhava. This temple was established by Krishna’s great-grandson about 4,800 years ago. It is a peaceful place.

Govardhan Hill Parikrama
Govardhan Hill was about 3km (2 miles) high 5,000 years ago, but because of the curse of Pulastya Muni, it is sinking the height of a sesame seed daily. Presently at its highest point the hill is just 25m (80 ft) high.

The parikrama (circumambulation) route is 25km (14 miles). It is a form of worship to walk around Govardhan Hill. Of all the devotees of Lord Krishna, Govardhana Hill is the best because it supplies Krishna and Balarama with all types of necessities.

Devotees take rocks from Govardhan Hill and worship them exactly as they worship the Deity of Krishna in the temple.

After leaving the town of Govardhan, you come to the village of Aniyora. In this village there is a Balarama Temple, which is by Sankarsan Kund. Madhavendra Puri found the Gopalji Deity while staying near here.

Govinda Kund is just after the village of Aniyora. This is where Lord Indra bathed Krishna, after Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill. This kund was made by the bathing ceremony. This Gopalji Deity is now known as Sri Nathji and is now worshiped at Nathdwar in Rajasthan.

At the tail end of Govardhan is Apsara Kund, which is said to have been created when the seven main Apsaras came and bathed Lord Krishna. Govardhan Hill is said to resemble a peacock, so the kund next to Apsara Kund is called Punchari Kund, as this area is the tail (punch) of Govardhan.

In the town of Jatipura, at Sringa Stali, at the middle of the hill, devotees pour milk over a Govardhan shila. The samadhis of Vallabha Acharya and his son Vitthala are located here.

Govardhan Town
Manasi Ganga Kund is traditionally the starting and ending point of the circumambulation of Govardhan Hill. It is a large lake located in the middle of the town of Govardhan, and it is in the center of Govardhan Hill. It is considered to be as holy as the Ganges.

Mana means “mind” and Ganga refers to the Ganges River. Once Nanda and Yasoda, hearing of the glories of the Ganges River, had a desire to bathe in it. All the cowherd boys did not want to leave Vrindavan, though Krishna was willing to take them there despite the great distance. They wishfully said, “I wish mother Ganga would come here.” To fulfill the desires of his devotees, Krishna entered into meditation and from his mind sprung the kund known as Manasi Ganga.

The temple of Chakaleswar Siva-linga is at Manasi Ganga. It is one of the five presiding Siva-lingas worshiped in Vrindavan. Chakra Tirtha, which was created by the Sudarsana Chakra, is embedded in the northern bank of Manasi Ganga.
On the bank of Manasi Ganga is the Mukharavinda Temple. There are two shilas in this temple. One shila is marked with the outline of Krishna’s crown (Mukut-shila). According to Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja the other shila is the mouth of Govardhan (Mukharavinda-shila).

The Harideva Temple, near Manasi Ganga, was established by Krishna’s great-grandson 4,800 years ago. Harideva is one of the four presiding Deities of Vrindavan. The temple is a two-minute walk from the southern bank of Manasi Ganga. The temple was built by King Bhagandas of Jaipur, whose son, Raja Man Singh, built the Govindaji Temple in the sixteenth century during the reign of Emperor Akbar.

Brahma Kund is the water that collected after Lord Brahma bathed Lord Krishna. This is where Lord Brahma offered his prayers after he took the cowherd boys away and hid them to test the power of Krishna. It is located on the southern bank of Manasi Ganga. Manasi Devi Temple is located on the bank of Brahma Kund. Manasi Devi is the presiding deity of Manasi Ganga, and one of the four main goddesses of Braja Dhama. The others are Vrinda Devi, in Kamavan; Yogamaya Devi in Vrindavan; and Pataleswari Devi in Mathura.

After bathing in Manasi Ganga and taking darshan of Harideva, one goes to the parikrama path and continues through the market. You will then come to a busy crossing where you should turn right onto the road that goes over Govardhan Hill, about 300m ahead. Just before reaching the top of the hill, you will come to the Lakshmi-Narayana Temple on your left. This is one of the 108 Divya Desam Temples mentioned by the Alwars as being one of the most important temples in India. Just after the Lakshmi-Narayana Temple, before the top of the hill is a left turn that continues the parikrama of Govardhan.

Nandagram
Krishna lived here from the age of eight to sixteen. Nanda Maharaja built his house on top of the large hill to protect Krishna from the demons King Kamsa sent to kill him. The Nandagram Temple is on top of the hill. There are two black marble Deities of Krishna and Balarama in this temple. On the side altar there is a Siva-linga called Nandeswar, who is said to have been installed by Vajranabha.
At the bottom of the hill is a Narasimha Temple. Nanda Maharaja worshiped the Narasimha and Varaha Deities that are seen in this temple. Close to this place is a yogurt pot used by mother Yasoda. One hundred fifty metres from the Narasimha Temple is Yasoda Kund. Mother Yasoda would bathe Krishna here.

Nandagram is 50km northwest of the town of Vrindavan. The panda guides here are very persistent. If you talk to any of them or take anything from them, you should expect to give a donation.

Pavana Sarovara
This lake is located at the bottom of Nandagram Hill. Mother Yasoda used to bathe Lord Krishna here. Radharani would come to cook for Krishna every morning on the bank of this kund. There is a well here from which Srimati Radharani drew water when she would cook for Krishna.

Varsana (Barsana)
This is where Srimati Radharani lived and had many pastimes with Krishna. It is 42km from Mathura. There are four peaks that make up Varsana; each one of these peaks represents a head of Lord Brahma.

On top of one of these hills is the Larily Lal Temple (Sriji Mandir), the temple of the beloved, which is where the original Radha-Krishna Deities of Varsana reside. Vajranabha installed the Deities in this temple. There are colorful pictures on the walls and ceiling, depicting the loving pastimes of Radha and Krishna. This temple is an important place to visit.

At Pila Pokhar Srimati Radharani washed her hands. Because of her touch, the kund turned a golden-yellow color.

At Mayur Kutir (Mor Kutir) there was a dancing contest between Krishna and a peacock. Srimati Radharani judged their abilities. In the small temple of Mayur Kutir there is a painting of Krishna dancing as a peacock.

On the hill next to the main temple, is the Kushal Behari Temple, built by the king of Jaipur at the turn of the century.
Sakara Gully (Sankari Kor) is the spot where Krishna would stop the gopis to steal their yogurt.

Between Varsana & Nandagram
One time as Krishna and Radharani were sitting together a bee was disturbing Radharani by flying near her. Krishna requested a friend to chase the bee away, and after finishing the task the friend came back proclaiming that madhu was gone. As madhu is a name for both a bee and Krishna, Radharani took the name as meaning Krishna and she began to cry, thinking Krishna was gone. Seeing Radharani cry, Krishna also began to cry, and their tears mingled together and became the kund known as Prema Sarovara. This place is a few km from Varsana.

At Saket, midway between Varsana and Nandagram, the nighttime pastimes between Krishna and the gopis take place. Radha and Krishna first met here. There is a temple here of Yogamaya. Her temple is here because she arranges the meetings between Radha and Krishna.

Uddhava Kyari is where Uddhava met the gopis when he was sent by Krishna to pacify them. This place is close to Nandagram.

Forests of Vrindavan
In the Madhuvan forest, Dhruva Maharaja attained the darshan of Lord Vishnu during Satya-yuga. Satrughna, the brother of Lord Rama, made his capital in Madhuvan. There is a Deity of Satrughna on the bank of Krishna Kund. Krishna Kund was made by Krishna striking his flute on the ground. The village Deity is Balarama. His right hand is raised, and he is pitch black. There is a temple dedicated to Narayana and Dhruva Maharaja here. There is also a cave in which the demon Lavanasura lived.

In the Talavan forest Balarama killed Dhenukasura. There is a Deity of Balarama and his consort, Srimati Revati here.

At Kumudvan forest, on the bank of Padma Kund, is a small temple dedicated to Lord Kapila, who performed austerities here during Treta-yuga. Kumud means “water-lilies.” During Krishna’s time, beautiful water lilies grew here. If one takes bath here he acquires all the knowledge of the Vedic literature.

At Bahulavan there is a small temple with Deities of Krishna, Yamaraja, and Bahula carved in the wall.

Krishna killed Bakasura in the Khadiravan forest. On the bank of Maduri Kund (Sangam Kund) are the bhajan kutirs of Lokanath Goswami and Bhugarba Goswami.
At Bhadravan Krishna killed the demon Vatsasura. There is the Bhadri­swara Siva Temple here founded by Vajranabha. In the Bhandirvan forest, Balarama killed the demon Pralam­basura.

Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, being desirous of attaining the position of a gopi in Vrindavan, stays in the Bilvavan forest performing austerities. There is a Lakshmi temple there.

Lohavan is where Jarasandha was defeated 18 times. There is the Radha Gopinath Temple there. There is also the cave where the demon Lohasura lived. Krishna killed this demon.

Across the Yamuna

Gokula
Gokula is where Krishna lived until he was seven years old. The pastimes of Damodar, the stealing of butter, and other childhood pastimes took place here. There are small temples on the side of the hill that mark the places where Krishna killed the demons Putana, Trinavarta, and Sakatasura. The architect Visvakarma built the House of Nanda Maharaja over 5,000 years ago. It is on a hill and has 84 pillars.

Utkhal (“grinding mortar”) is where Krishna was tied to the grinding mortar by mother Yasoda. It is in a small hut, a km from the town of Mahavan. Nanda Maharaja’s well is across the road from here.

A few km south, at Brahmanda Ghat, on the bank of the Yamuna River, is where Krishna ate dirt. When forced by mother Yasoda to open his mouth, he revealed to her the entire universe.

Raval
Raval is the birthplace of Srimati Radharani. It is 9km from Mathura on the other side of the river. Once King Vrishabhanu went to the Yamuna River to take bath. He saw a golden lotus flower that shone like a million suns in the middle of the river. In the middle of the lotus flower was baby Srimati Radharani. Lord Brahma appeared before King Vrishabhanu and told him that in his previous life he and his wife, Kirtida, had performed great austerities to get the consort of Lord Vishnu as their daughter.

King Vrishabhanu took the child home, but found her to be blind. Narada Muni appeared before the king and told him that despite the child’s blindness he should go ahead and perform all the auspicious birth ceremonies. Nanda Maharaja brought baby Krishna along for the ceremonies. When baby Krishna crawled before Srimati Radharani, She could smell the wonderful aroma of his body, and at that moment she opened her eyes. The first person she saw was her eternal consort, Sri Krishna.

Mathura


Population: 235,000, STD Code 0565

Mathura is an extremely important pilgrimage city where Lord Krishna was born 5,000 years ago. It is 150km south of Delhi and 14km from Vrindavan. Mathura is on the main train line between Delhi and Agra.

History
Mahmud of Ghazni sacked Mathura in 1017. At that time Mathura was considered one of the richest cities in the world. Both Sikander Lodi, in about 1500, and Aurangzeb, in 1669, destroyed temples in Mathura and Vrindavan. The Muslims would sometimes take the deities from the temple and bury them under the steps of a mosque. The steps of the Nawab Kudsia Begum Mosque had deities taken from Mathura buried under its steps. After the British took over this part of India in 1803, no harm came to the temples or deities.

Information and Tours
There is a Tourist Office on the first floor of a building in the back of the Old bus stand.
There is a daily tour to the towns of Vrindavan, Nandagram, Varsana, Govar-dhan Hill, Radha Kund, and Krishna Janmasthan that leaves from the Old bus stand at 6.30 am.

You can change money at the State Bank of India (407-647) on Railway Station Rd.

Most of the temples are closed between 1 and 4 pm.

A good astrologer to see is Raghunatha Yogi (Radha Mohan Das) who does astrology, palmistry and numerology. He is located at the Hotel Brij Bihar in Mathura. You should call him at 404-209 for a appointment. One person told me that Raghunatha Yoga answered the question that he had come to ask before he asked the question and when Raghunatha Yogi answered the question he mentioned the person's name that he was asking about without him telling Raghunatha Yogi the person's name. He is iniated by His Holiness Kesava Maharaja.

Krishna Janmasthan
The temple here is called the Keshava Deo Temple (1965). Lord Keshava, one of the four presiding Deities of Braja, was installed here by Vajranabha, but the original Deity was moved to Rajdhani, a small village near Kanpur. The central Deities in the temple are Radha-Keshava. On the left altar, by the entrance door, are Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra, being looked at by Sri Chaitanya. On the right altar are Sita, Rama, and Laksman. Across from them is Hanuman.

The Deities can be viewed from April to October 5 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 9 pm and from November to March 5.30 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 8 pm.

There have been several major tem­ples built on this site. The first temple here was constructed almost 5,000 years ago by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna. The next big temple was constructed here during the time of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta Vikra­-maditya around 400 AD. This temple was so grand that it was said that neither painting nor description could describe it. Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed this temple.

Another temple was built here in 1150. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited this temple. It was destroyed in the 16th century during the reign of Sikander Lodi.

During the reign of Jahangir, Raja Veer Singh Bundela of Orchha constructed another temple about 75m (250 ft) high at the cost of Rs 3.3 million. In 1669 Aurangzeb destroyed this temple and had a mosque, which is still here, built from the materials of the temple.

Next to the temple is a small room that looks like a prison cell, where it is said that Lord Krishna appeared. Aurangzeb’s mosque is directly next to the temple, but it is normally closed.

Others say that Krishna’s appearance place is about 250m away, at a small temple near Potra Kund. At this other temple there are deities of Vasudeva, Devaki, and four-armed Krishna. Darshan is from 8 am to 7.30 pm. Just behind this place is Jnana Vapi where Sri Chaitanya stayed while in Mathura.

Yamuna River and Visrama Ghat
The Yamuna River is lined with several ghats. It is a nice peaceful place to walk around. You can rent a boat here and take a pleasant ride on the river. A boat should cost less than Rs 50 for an hour.

The most important ghat is Visrama Ghat, which is where Krishna rested after killing King Kamsa. It is said that Lord Varaha also rested here after killing Hiranyaksa. There are 5,000-year-old deities of Yamuna Devi and her brother Yamaraja here. Every day there is a Sunset Arati offered to the Yamuna River.

The Sati Burj (16th century), a red sandstone tower with a dome, is said to have been built to commemorate the sati of the wife of the Maharaja of Amber (Jaipur).

A km north of Visrama Ghat on the riverbank, is Kamsa Qila, an old fort that is now in ruins. Raja Man Singh of Amber (Jaipur) built it.

Not far from Visrama Ghat is the Dwarkadish Temple, built in 1814. It is a very popular temple dedicated to Lord Krishna.

Archaeological Museum
Mathura has an excellent museum which has many ancient sculptures of Lord Krishna and Vishnu. Many of the sculptures here are also of the Buddha, which include a famous 5th century standing Buddha. Many ancient sculptures in museums throughout India and in London are originally from Mathura. This museum is located on Museum Road by Dampier Park and is open daily except Mon and government holidays from 10 am to 4.30 pm. From the middle of April to the end of June it is open from 8 am to 12.30 pm; free.

Other Places
Many pastimes from the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas took place in Mathura. Ambarish Maharaja waited at Ambarish-tila in Mathura for Durvasa Muni to return from being chased by Lord Vishnu’s disc. At Bali-tila, Bali Maharaja performed his great yajna (sacrifice) to take over the universe. Lord Vamanadeva begged three steps of land from Bali Maharaja at this place.

Narada Muni instructed Dhruva Maharaja in Mathura. Ravana performed austerities to acquire his mystic powers here.

Where to Stay
International Guest House (405-888), right next to Sri Krishna Janmasthan, has clean double room with bath for Rs 140 and very basic rooms for Rs 35/60. There is a vegetarian restaurant called Bhojanalaya in the guest house.
Hotel Brijraj (406-232), opposite Sri Krishna Janmasthan, has good, clean, smallest rooms with hot water for Rs 225 and Rs 350 for a room with A/C. A room without hot water is Rs 175.
Hotel Nepal (404-308), Delhi Rd, opposite the New bus stand, has decent rooms with common bath for Rs 200, with private bath for Rs 250, and a bigger room with an air cooler for Rs 350.
UPSTDC Tourist Bungalow is at Civil Lines, Bypass Rd.
Agra Hotel (403-318), Bengali Ghat, has a fairly decent room with hot water and a view of the Yamuna for Rs 450. Rooms without a view are Rs 350. This hotel is right next to the Yamuna, about a six-minute walk from Visrama Ghat.
Kwality Hotel (406-195), near the Old bus stand, has double rooms for Rs 250. It is run-down.
Modern Guest House, opposite the Old bus stand, is a basic place with rooms from Rs 130/160 up to Rs 150/200. The rooms are all right, but they have very small windows, if you can call them that.
Hotel Brij Bihar (404-209), Yamuna Market, Tilak Dwar, down the street from the Old bus stand, has single rooms for Rs 200 and double rooms for Rs 230. The rooms here are decent.
Gaurav Guest House (406-192), 100m south of the Government Museum, has rooms with common bath for Rs 100/150, rooms with bath for Rs 200/250 and Rs 400 with TV.
Hotel Sanjay Palace (407-867), Sanjay Market, Arya Samaj Rd, near Holi Gate, has decent single rooms with common bath for Rs 125 and double rooms for Rs 250 with bath. They also have rooms with air-coolers and A/C.
Hotel Surya (408-344) has good rooms for Rs 350/450.
Mansarovar Palace (408-686; 401-611), State Bank Crossing, has modern rooms for Rs 650/750 and Rs 750/1100 with A/C.
Hotel Madhuvan (420-064; fax 420-684), Krishna Nagar, is one of the best places in town. It has a pool and good modern rooms for Rs 750/950 and Rs 900/1100 with A/C.
The 3-star Best Western Radha Ashok (405-557; fax: same), Masani Byepass Rd, a little out of town, is a first-class, well-managed place with rooms for $55 and suites for $75. It has good, modern rooms with central air-conditioning. This place is about a 20-minute car ride from Vrindavan. It is the best hotel in the area.

Where to Eat
Most of the places in Mathura are cheap vegetarian places.
Bhojanalaya vegetarian restaurant at the International Guest House, is located next to Sri Krishna Janmasthan. Open 11 am to 3 pm and 7 to 10 pm.
Brijraj, across from Sri Krishna Janmasthan, serves snacks and dosas.
Brijwasi Mithai Wala, across from Sri Krishna Janmasthan, has good sweets and snacks.
Hotel Madhuvan, Krishna Nagar, has Indian and Chinese food. It is one of the best places in town.

Travel
Mathura is 145km southeast of Delhi and 50km northwest of Agra.

Air The closest major airport is in New Delhi (3½ hr, 150km).

Train Mathura is a major stop on the Delhi–Agra and Delhi–Mumbai broad-gauge lines. It is a hectic station, so it is hard to miss. From Delhi it takes two to four hours, usually three, to reach Mathura.

Many trains depart each day for Mathura from both the New Delhi train station, by Connaught Place, and the Nizamuddin train station. Trains leave more often from the New Delhi Station, but the Nizamuddin station is closer to the airport. If you take an evening train (after 5 pm) it may be difficult to get a seat, and you cannot purchase an A/C-class ticket.

If you want to travel higher class to Mathura in the evening you can purchase a second-class ticket and get on an A/C carriage. You can then ask the ticket collector or the train conductor if you can upgrade your ticket to a higher class. They will often allow this. A second-class unreserved ticket from Delhi to Mathura is Rs 42. This class is very crowded and uncomfortable. When you get on the train you can pay an extra Rs 40 and ride in the second-class sleeper class, which is less crowded.

From Mathura many trains go to and from Agra (1 hr). There are direct trains to Jaipur (6 hr), Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Ujjain (12 hr), Mumbai, Calcutta (32 hr), Ahmedabad, and Baroda.

The Toofan Exp #3008 (11 am) goes to Calcutta (32 hr) via Allahabad (12 hr). The Malwa Express #4668 (8.20 pm) goes to Ujjain (12½ hr). The Kalinga-Utkal Exp #8478 (3.35 pm) goes to Puri. The Jammu-Ahmedabad Sarvodaya #2474 (12 midnight) takes 14½ hours to get to Ahmedabad. There are several trains to Vadodara and Mumbai.

There are direct trains to Chennai (35 hr), Hyderabad (33 hr), Visakhapatnam (44½ hr), and Vijayawada (28 hr). The Kerala Exp #2626 goes to Thiruvananthapuram (1.30 pm, 53½ hr). The #5314 Exp (7 pm) goes to Lucknow (14 hr) via Sitapur.

The only train from Jaipur to Mathura is the Jodhpur-Varanasi Marudhar Exp #2464 (3.20 pm, 5½) which arrives in Mathura at 8.50 pm. The Varanasi-Jodhpur Marudhar Exp #4863 departs Mathura at 6.45 am, and arrives in Jaipur at 12.20 pm.

Bus There are two bus stations in Mathura. From the Old bus stand, buses depart to Agra (hourly), Vrindavan, Haridwar (9 hr), and to the town of Govardhan. A semi-luxury bus goes to Haridwar (10 pm, 8 hr).

From the New bus stand, a couple of km west of the Old bus stand, buses depart to Delhi (3½ hr, Rs 40), Jaipur (6 hr, Rs 70, almost every hour), Bharatpur (1½ hr, Rs 30, every hour), and Agra (1 hr, every half-hour). A luxury bus goes to Jaipur at 10.30 pm. For Delhi there are deluxe buses (Rs 70) that come from Agra, and if there is a seat available when it reaches Mathura, you can get a seat.

Radha Kund and Syama Kund
This is a very tranquil and peaceful place. Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider it to be the most holy place in the Braja area. There are two holy tanks here right next to each other. For years Radha Kund and Syama Kund were lost and no one knew exactly where they were located. When Sri Chaitanya came to Vrindavan in 1514, he rediscovered these two important kunds.

The story of Radha Kund is that a demon named Aristasura, in the body of a bull, was killed by Krishna. The gopis (cowherd girls) told Krishna that for killing a bull he had to purify himself by visiting every single holy place in the three worlds. Krishna then said, “Why should I visit all these places, I will just bring the water from all these places here and then bathe in them.” Krishna then struck his heel on the ground and all the waters of the holy places entered into Syama Kund. The gopis led by Radharani then dug another pond nearby with their bangles. Then a representative of all the sacred places told Radharani, “Our lives would be successful if we could enter your pond.” The holy waters from Syama Kund then flowed into Radha Kund with the permission of Radha. So Radha Kund is the holy waters from all the sacred places.

Raghunath Dasa Goswami
Raghunath Dasa Goswami first stayed at Radha Kund, the two kunds were only 4m by 4m in size. Raghunath Dasa Goswami and Jiva Goswami supervised the expansion of the kunds around 1554.

Radha Kund appeared at 12 midnight on Bahulastami, the eighth day (astami) of the waning moon in the month of Kartika (Oct/Nov). On that day thousands of people come and bathe at midnight in Radha Kund. It is an ecstatic and exciting event.

There are many people who will try to guide you around the area and give you things. If you take anything from them or talk to them, expect to pay something. Do not get angry, it will not help. Some of the guides that approach you are actually very good and know the area very well. They can give a quick hour tour for Rs 50 to Rs 100.

If you give charity to the children, you may attract an immediate crowd of twenty or thirty kids, who will not leave you alone. A good idea, if possible, is to not talk to anyone and not even acknowledge their existence. Any donations given at temples will be politely accepted. If you like to give donations to anyone else, it is advised to give as you are leaving.

The cheapest way to get to Radha Kund is to take a tempo (many) to the end of Chatikara Rd. From there you get another tempo to Radha Kund. There are several direct buses to Radha Kund that can be boarded at the bus stand or in front of the ISKCON temple.

You can get a motor rickshaw for Rs 250 or a taxi (45-min) for Rs 450 roundtrip, which includes a two-hour waiting time. From Vrindavan, the road to Radha Kund is bumpy, and a motor rickshaw can be uncomfortable.
There are fairly decent rooms at the Manoranjan Dharamshala.

Tour of Radha Kund
From where you arrive by taxi or bus you walk down the road toward Radha Kund. Just past the small hospital on the left is the Radha-Gokulananda Temple. As you continue walking to Radha Kund you come to the small white marble roadside temple of Sri Kundeswara Mahadeva on the left. This is just before you see Radha Kund on your right. There are four Lord Siva temples in the four directions, surrounding Radha Kund, which protect Radha Kund.

As you continue on this road, Radha Kund is on your right. Another 60m (200 ft) from the Sri Kundeswara Mahadeva Temple is a stone structure shaped like an upside down U on the right side. This marks the site of Radha’s and Krishna’s swing pastimes. If you walk up the small alley sloping up the hill to your left you come to the blackish pyramid-shaped Radha-Krishna Temple. This temple is the oldest temple in Radha Kund. Raghunath Dasa Goswami rediscovered the Radha-Krishna Deities in this temple when he excavated Radha Kund. There is a large neem tree and banyan tree entwined together in the courtyard of the temple, which are worshiped as Radha and Krishna. Next to this temple is a small ISKCON Temple, from which there is a good view of the kund from the roof.

You return to the parikrama path, turn left and walk 20 metres. The next road you see is the Govardhan parikrama path. Just after this junction on the left, is the red stone Gopala Manipur Mandir.

You then continue down the road 30 seconds and just pass the water taps, you come to the Radha-Gopinath Temple on the right. This temple is right next to Radha Kund. On the altar of this temple the Deity of Gopinath is in the center and on his right hand side is Srimati Radharani and on his left hand side is Ananga Manjari, the younger sister of Radharani. Some of the ashes of Raghunath Dasa Goswami are entombed in this temple, and there is 24-hour kirtan at this spot.
You then return to the parikrama path and continue down the path 15m. On your left is the red stone Mahadeva Siva Temple. Lord Mahadeva protects the northern side of Radha Kund.

Down a little is the Radha-Govinda Temple on the right. In the outer compound of this temple is the Tongue of Govardhan. Raghunath Dasa Goswami saw the need of a water source other than Radha Kund, so he decided to have a well dug. As the workers dug down, they struck a rock and blood flowed from it. That night in a dream it was revealed to Raghunath Goswami that the stone was the tongue of Govardhan and should be worshiped.

If you proceed to the left from the Radha-Govinda Temple entrance on the path toward Syama Kund and walk straight 20m you come to the Teen (Three) Goswamis’ Samadhis of Raghunath Bhatta (left side), Krishna Dasa Kaviraja (center), and Raghunath Dasa Gosvami (right side). Gopal Bhatta Gosvami’s bhajan kutir is 8m—to the right as you face the Teen Gosvamis’ Samadhis.

To the left of this samadhi is the bhajan kutir of Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami. This is where he wrote the Chaitanya-caritamrita. The bhajan kutir of Raghunath Dasa Goswami is directly opposite Kaviraja Goswami’s bhajan kutir and down a few steps toward Syama Kund. At this place Raghunath Das Goswami would speak three hours a day about the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya. On the left side of the same building is the bhajan kutir of Sri Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura.

Also near here is where the Pandava trees meditated on the bank of Syama Kund. When Raghunath Dasa Goswami was excavating Syama Kund, the Pandavas appeared to him in a dream. They told him not to cut the trees because they, the Pandavas, were living in that form meditating on the banks of Syama Kund. He therefore dug around the trees, giving Syama Kund its irregular shape. Local authorities say the Pandavas have left and only a dead tree marks the place of their previous residence. At Manas Pavan Ghat, Radharani and her girlfriends are said to bathe every day at noon.

You then come to the Jagannath Temple on the left. A little further down, on the left side of the road is Lalita Kund. Next to this kund is the Lalita Mohan Temple, where there are deities of Krishna and the gopi Lalita. Directly across the road from Lalita Kund is the bhajan kutir of Jiva Goswami and a small temple dedicated to Radha-Damodara. Jiva Goswami did much of the practical work of excavating and managing Radha Kund. Inside the kutir is the impression of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s footprints.

Just before the path bends to the right, 10m further on the left hand side is a small dirt path, which leads to the Bankhandi Mahadeva Siva Temple. This Siva Deity protects Radha Kund on the eastern side.

If you continue about 10m around Syama Kund you come to the place where Sri Chaitanya sat when he came to Radha and Syama Kund. This spot, called Tamal Tala (Mahaprabhu Baithaka, sitting place), is on a platform, on the bank of Syama Kund. Sri Chaitanya’s footprints are enshrined here.

About 20m further down the path is the Manoranjan Dharamshala.

A little distance further, on the right, is the Madana Mohan Temple. Just past this temple are the stairs that lead to the path where Radha and Syama Kund meet. On this path, just past the mini-mountain of Govardhan-shilas, is a small open-air shrine honoring the lotus footprints of Radha-Syamasundara.

Vrindavan
Pop: 50,000 Area Code: 0565

Vrindavana is 135km south of Delhi and 55km north of Agra, just off the Delhi-Agra Road. It is 12km or a 25-minute auto-rickshaw ride from Mathura. It has a small-town atmosphere with narrow streets and not much motor traffic. There are said to be over 5,000 temples in Vrindavan.

Orientation and Information
Vrindavan is a maze of small streets. Everywhere you walk there are temples. The Govindaji and Ranganatha temples are in the eastern part of town. In the middle of the downtown area is Loi Bazaar, a main shopping bazaar to get devotional items and clothing.

The Krishna Balarama Mandir (Hare Krishna Temple) is in a peaceful area called Raman Reti, about a 15-minute bicycle-rickshaw ride from the main downtown area. The road in front of the Hare Krishna temple is called Bhaktivedanta Swami Road. It is also referred to by its old name, Chatikara Road.

A good detailed guidebook about Vrindavan and the surrounding area is Vrindavan and Braja Mandala also published by Spiritual Guides. It gives a good description of most of the places in the area, directions how to get there, and stories about these places. Vrindavan, Govardhan and Radha Kund by Rajasekhara Das are three good color picture books.

Weather
During the summer the temperature is between 22°C (71°F) and 50°C (122°F). The winter has a low of 4°C (40°F) and a high of 25°C (77°F). The rainy season is from the end of June to September.

During the summer months of May and June, Vrindavan is one of the hottest places in the world. It can be very cold in the winter, from the end of November to mid-February. During the winter you need warm woolen clothing in the morning, but the weather is usually all right during the day.

The weather is perfect from late September to mid-November, during the month of Kartika. Also the month of March and the first half of April is perfect.

Tours
There is a Braja Darshan bus tour (Rs 40, 8 am to 6 pm) departing from the Vrindavan bus stand. It goes to Nandagram, Varsana, Govardhan town, Manasi Ganga, and Radha Kund. There is no guide. It is a good, fast, cheap way to go to these places. You can also get this bus in front of the Krishna Balarama Temple.

Post
There is a post office in front of the ISKCON Gurukula building, near the street. The people working there are not efficient. The main post office is near the Govindaji Temple.
Internet and Fax

There are several places across the street from the ISKCON Tempe where you can access the Internet. Often the connections are slow if you can get on at all. Usually the best times to try to get on the Internet are early in the morning and after 9 pm.
If you want to send a fax to someone near the ISKCON temple the fax number for Bihari Lal is (91 565 442-976). You can also send a fax from there.

Water
Most of the tap water in Vrindavan is dangerous to drink and tastes horrible. If you do drink water from the tap or a well, you should only drink water that you see the locals drinking. It is best to ask the locals what water is safe to drink.

Directly across the street from the ISKCON Temple there is a tap that many people drink from and usually do not get sick. This water tastes good and is suggested, if you choose to drink tap water. Also the water at MVT is supposed to be all right.
Photography

The best place in Vrindavan for developing and purchasing film is RK Studio. They also have photos of Deities and temples in Vrindavan. Most of the rickshaw-walas know where it is located. You can get passport photos taken at a shop on the road that goes between the Banke Bihari temple and Loi Bazaar.

There is a photo shop next to the Ranganath Temple that has many photos for sale of the temples, Deities and sadhus of Vrindavan.
To the right as you exit the ISKCON Temple, about half a block down is a photo shop that takes passport photos and has a good selection of photos for sale of temples and deities in Vrindavan.

Travel Agencies
Aerotrek Travels is run by two brothers who work out of both Mathura (0565-404361) and Delhi (371-5966). The Delhi address is E-1 Mercantile Building, 2nd Floor, Connaught Place. They can book plane tickets anywhere in the world at discount prices. They are highly recommended. One of the brothers, Sanjiv Misra lives in Mathura and goes to the ISKCON Guest House on Wed and Sun evening, and more often during the busy seasons. You can ask in the ISKCON Guest House how to get in contact with him.

Radha Travels (Off: 82512, Res: 82474), Agrawal Market, Mandir Lane, Loi Bazaar. During the busy times of the year someone from the travel agency normally goes to the ISKCON temple every night. For train tickets and confirming flight they are recommended.

Doctors and Hospitals
There is a good Ayurvedic doctor on the road going to Banke Bihari Temple from Loi Bazaar, called Dr Narottama Lal Gupta. His son Liladhar Gupta, speaks English well and is also good. They also practice at their house at 502 Purana Bazaar (442-665; fax 443-914).

If you have jaundice (hepatitis) there is a good doctor in downtown Vrindavan who is a disciple of Shyamasakhi. One person told me that he was almost dead and was saved by this doctor. His house is down a side street right next to the STD phone on the road between Banke Bihari Temple and Loi Bazaar.

Across the street from the ISKCON temple at the pharmacy, Guptaji prescribes Ayurvedic medicines that I have found to be helpful with basic ailments, such as infections, cuts and basic stomach disorders.

Saraf Hospital, Bhaktivedanta Swami Rd (also called Chatikara Road), the road going out of town past the ISKCON Temple, and Ram Krishna Hospital are two places that can be used in an emergency. Better than these two places is Methodist Hospital in Mathura. If there is a serious illness it is highly suggested to go to a hospital in Delhi.

F or a long-term illness I recommend going to Delhi and seeing Dr Triguna or going to the Tibetan Clinic. Both places have been given good recommendation for being effective (see the Delhi section).

WARNING! Often doctors in Vrindavan try to convince foreigners to get expensive long-term treatment for stomach, liver and other disorders, that they do not need. It is a good idea to get a second opinion before buying expensive medicine.

Monkeys
You have to be careful of the monkeys, because if you give them a chance, they will steal anything they can from you. They especially go for your eyeglasses, bananas (small surprise), and other fruit. They can jump down from a roof and snatch your glasses off your face in one swipe. While you are trying to get your friend’s glasses back, another monkey can come and steal your glasses too (true story). On the Vrindavan parikrama path there is a spot by the Yamuna River where you have to duck down to go through a doorway. This is a favorite spot for the monkeys to steal glasses. They also bite, especially small children. Children like to bother monkeys, and the monkeys won’t take any nonsense from them.

Most of the time monkeys are sneak thieves and will not try to steal from a formidable opponent. Keep your eyes open for them, and never let them get too close to you without looking at them. Give them a look to let them know that you know they are there. Never turn and run from them, as they are extremely fast. If they go for your bananas and challenge you, renounce the bananas. This is a life and death situation for them. They are willing to die for a banana.

Changing Money
There is a State Bank of India branch, on the road to the right at the end of Loi Bazaar, where they change money. They can be inefficient and take a long time. At Shishu Kumar Agarwal, next to Ganga Prasad cloth shop in Loi Bazaar, you can change money at the bank rate, with a small commision, and get an exchange certificate.

The State Bank of India at the ISKCON temple may change small amounts of money, if you ask nicely.

You can get money wired to you from your home country via Western Union. The agent for Western Union in Vrindavana is Gangotri. It cost $39 to wire from $300 to $3000 from the US and 25 pounds to wire up to 2000 pounds from the UK. Gangotri is also an official money changer.

Income Tax Clearance
The office to get an income tax clearance is by KR College, in Mathura. If you have a student or entry visa you need to bring a letter from the organization sponsoring you.

Krishna Balarama Mandir
This beautiful temple has Deities of Gaura-Nitai (left altar), Krishna Balarama (middle altar), and Radha-Shyama­sundara (Radha-Krishna on right altar). In front of the temple is the Samadhi Mandir of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

ISKCON:Vrindavan
This is where his body was laid to rest after he left this world and returned to the spiritual world.

Devotees chant the mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, both to themselves and in public. They follow in the line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who lived in West Bengal in the 15th century, who taught that self-realization is attained by devotion to Krishna or God.

By the guest house entrance are the actual rooms that Srila Prabhupada lived in while in Vrindavan. The bed that you see is where Srila Prabhupada passed away in November 1977. In these rooms there are many of the personal items that he used while in Vrindavan and while traveling around the world.

The guest house and restaurant are the best facilities in Vrindavan. The guest house is usually full, so it is a good idea to try to book it in advance. The phone number for the guest house is (0565) 442-478. The temple address is Krishna Balarama Mandir, Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg, Raman Reti, Vrindavan, Mathura District, UP. Rickshaw drivers know this place as the Angrasi (Englishman) Mandir.

ISKCON Temple Schedule
The Deities’ doors are open from 7.15 am to 12.30 pm. They close for a half-hour to offer food to the Deities a half-hour before each aratik. The temple is closed between 12.30 and 4.30 pm (4 pm in the winter). The temple reopens at 4.30 pm (4 pm in the winter) and stays open until 8.45 pm (8.15 pm in the winter). Sandhya arati is at 6.30 pm in the winter.

Temple Mangala Arati
4.30 am
Altar Closed
5.00 am
Greeting the Deities
7.15 am
Srimad Bhagavatam Class
7.50 am
Puspa Arati
8.30 am
Noon Arati
12.00 pm
Temple Closes
12.30 pm
Temple Reopens (Arati)
4.30 pm
Sandhya Arati (6.30 winter)
7.00 pm
Shayan Arati (8 pm winter)
8.30 pm
Temple Closes for Night
8.45 pm

Yamuna River
This is the most sacred river in India. The main reason it is so sacred is because it flows through Vrindavan and Mathura, and was thus intimately connected to Lord Krishna’s pastimes. One who bathes in the Yamuna can be purified of all sinful reactions and attain love of Godhead.

Keshi Ghat
Lord Krishna killed the Keshi demon here. Keshi Ghat is on the bank of the Yamuna. If you bathe here you get the benediction of bathing in all of the holy places. There is a Yamuna Arati performed here every day at sunset.

WARNING! Several people have been robbed at knifepoint at Keshi Ghat while doing Vrindavan Parikrama. It is not a good idea to bathe here if you have any valuables with you. You should be especially cautious if you are alone or it is getting dark.

Govindaji Temple
This magnificent Krishna temple was built in 1590 by Maharaja Man Singh from Jaipur and took several thousand men five years to build. The original Govindaji Deity was found about 450 years ago by xe "Rupa Goswami" Rupa Goswami. Govindaji was removed from this temple when the Muslim emperor Aurangzeb had his army destroy part of the temple. The original Deity is now in Jaipur, in a temple right outside the King of Jaipur’s palace.

Since this temple was partially destroyed by Muslims, it is considered that worship can not be done in this temple. Behind the temple, therefore, another temple was established where worship is performed to the Deities that were installed after Govindaji was removed and taken to Jaipur.

There are two small temples on two sides of the Jagmohan, the main audience hall. Inside the small temple on the southern side, down 12 steps is a cave in which the Deity of Govinda was found and where Rupa Goswami used to meditate. A deity of eight-armed Yogamaya sitting on a lion is also there. There is also a stone slab with the footprint of Krishna on it. Vrinda Devi, who is now in the town of Kamavan, used to be in the northern part of the temple.

Ranganatha (Rangaji) Temple
This temple is dedicated to Sri Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu), as is the famous temple in Sri Rangam in Tamil Nadu. It is constructed in the South Indian Dravidian style and has an impressive gopuram tower over the main entrance. It is the biggest temple in Vrindavan. Non-Hindus (non-Indians) cannot enter the main temple area where the Deity is located, but they can enter the courtyard.

Madana Mohan Temple
Advaita Acharya discovered the original Deity of Madana Mohan (Krishna) at the base of an old vat tree, when he visited Vrindavan. He entrusted the worship of Madana Mohan to his disciple, Purusottama Chaube, who then gave the Deity to xe "Sanatana Goswami" Sanatana Goswami. Worshiped along with Madana Mohan are Radharani and Lalita.
This 18m (60 ft) high temple was built in 1580 on a 15m (50 ft) hill 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 Goswami to pray to Madana Mohan for help. The ship came free and the owner of the ship made a big profit, which he used to build this temple.
The original Madana Mohan Deity was moved from Vrindavan to Jaipur when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s soldiers attacked Vrindavan in 1670. That Deity is now in Karoli, which is southeast of Jaipur in Rajasthan. There is a new Madana Mohan Temple at the bottom of the hill, where the replacement Madana Mohan Deity is now being worshiped. Worship was moved to this new temple because the Muslims contaminated the old temple.

On the side of the temple is the bhajan kutir (meditation place) of Sanatana Goswami. There is also a sweet water well here that Sanatana Goswami used.

At the bottom of the hill, down a side road to the left of the temple, is the samadhi of Sanatana Goswami. On the side of the samadhi are the puspa-samadhis of Candrasekhara Acharya and Tapana Misra, two of Sri Chaitanya’s associates. Behind Sanatana Goswami’s samadhi is a grantha samadhi, which contains some of the original manuscripts of the Goswamis.

Radha-Vallabha Temple
This popular temple was founded by Hit Harivamsa Goswami, a disciple of Gopala Bhatta Goswami. Darshan is 6 am to 12 noon and 6 to 9 pm.

Radha-Damodara Temple
Jiva Goswami founded this temple. The main Deities here are Radha-Damodara. Other Deities worshiped here are the Radha-Vrindavan Candra Deities worshipped by Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami, the Radha-Madhava Deities of Jayadeva Goswami, and the Radha-Chalacikana Deities of Bhugarbha Goswami. The original Deities were all moved to Jaipur.

The samadhis of Jiva Goswami, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, Rupa Goswami and the puspa-samadhi of Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami are here. The bhajan kutirs (meditation place) of xe "Rupa Goswami" Rupa Goswami and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are also here.

There is a Govardhan Shila in this temple that was worshiped by Sanatana Goswami. It has Lord Krishna’s footprint on it, and it was given to Sanatana Goswami by Krishna himself. For a small donation the pujari will show you this shila. You can see the imprints of Krishna’s footprint, walking stick, flute, and the hoof-print of a calf imbedded in the shila. Maharaja Man Singh of Amber (Jaipur) built this temple. The doors of the altar are open from 8.30 am to 12 pm and 5.30 to 8 pm.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada lived here for six years from 1959 to 1965. He translated and wrote commentaries on the first three volumes of the Bhagavatam here. When you enter the courtyard of the temple, Srila Prabhupada’s rooms are to your right.

Radha-Gokulananda Temple
In this temple you can see the Radha-Vinod Deities of Lokanath Goswami, Radha-Gokulananda Deities of Viswanath Cakravarti, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Deity of Narottama Dasa Thakur, Vijaya Govinda Deities of Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and the Govardhan-shila given to Raghunath Dasa Goswami by Sri Chaitanya. The samadhis of Lokanath Goswami, Narottama Dasa, and Viswanath Cakravarti are next to the temple.

Radha-Gopinath Temple
The Deity of Gopinath (Krishna) was discovered at Vamsivat by Paramananda Bhattacarya, who entrusted the Deity’s worship to Madhu Pandit. On the altar are deities of Srimati Radharani and her sister, Ananga Manjari. Madhu Pandit’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.

Radha-Raman Temple
Gopal Bhatta Goswami established this temple. The Deity of Sri Radha-Raman (Krishna) was manifested from one of Gopal Bhatta Goswami’s shalagram-shilas on the full moon day of Vaisakha (April/May) in 1542. This event is celebrated every year (May) by bathing the Deity with 100 litres of milk and other auspicious items. Gopal Bhatta Goswami’s other shalagram-shilas are also worshiped on the altar. The appearance place of the Sri Radha-Raman Deity is next to the temple. Radha-Raman is one of the few original Deities of the Goswamis still in Vrindavan.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s kaupina (cloth) and asana (seat), which Gopal Bhatta Goswami brought from Jagannath Puri, are also in this temple. They are brought out to be seen by the public three or four times a year. The asana is black wood and is about 30cm (12") by 25cm (10"). Gopala Bhatta Goswami’s samadhi is to the left after you enter the first gate from the street into the temple compound.

The fires for cooking in the temple kitchen have been burning continuously for over 435 years, since the Deity was installed. This is so no foreign elements, such as matches, are used for ignition purposes.

Darshan is usually 9 to 11 am and 6 to 8 pm. According to the season, times may change.

Radha-Syamasundara Temple
In this temple are the Radha-Krishna Deities of Syamananda Prabhu. Darshan is from 8.30 to 12 am and 5 to 8 pm.

Seva Kunja (Nikunjavan)
This is where Krishna would massage Radharani’s feet and decorate her hair with flowers. Once Krishna pushed his flute into the ground here and created a small kund, called Lalita Kund, to satisfy Lalita Sakhi’s thirst. No one is allowed within the enclosure at night. The numerous monkeys that are here during the day also leave at night.

Nidhivana
Radha and Krishna are said to take rest here after dancing, and other conjugal affairs. Nidhi means “sleep.” There is a small temple here which has a bed where Radha and Krishna are supposed to take rest. The samadhi of Haridasa Swami is here. He discovered the Banke Bihari Deity here.

Banke Bihari Temple
This temple (1864) was established by Haridas Swami, a contemporary of the six Goswamis. This is the most popular temple in Vrindavan, especially in the month of Sravana, during Jhulan Yatra. It is an interesting temple to visit.

The curtain before the Deities is not left open like at other temples. Every few minutes the curtain 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. Only one day a year can the lotus feet of the Deity be seen, on Akhyaya Tritiya. Darshan is from 10 am to 12.30 pm and from 6 to 9 pm.

Gopiswara Mahadeva Temple
Vajranabha, the great grandson of Krishna, installed the Siva-linga in this temple. It is said that the big pipal tree here is a kalpa-vriksha tree and will fulfill all desires. This temple is in the Vamsivata area.

Kaliya-hrada
At Kaliya-hrada, there is a kadamba tree that Krishna jumped from to chastise the Kaliya snake.

Deoria Baba Ashram
Located across the Yamuna in a secluded area this ashram was where Deoria Baba lived in a hut located above the ground. For years Deoria Baba did not touch the ground. His two senior disciples now run the ashram and give classes and speak good English. To get to this ashram, you take a boat across the river at Keshi Ghat and then walk about 20 minutes to the right (south).

Vrindavan to Mathura Road
Gita Mandir is a large temple which has a Gita Stamba— a pillar with the Bhagavad Gita carved on it. The Birla family built it. Pagal Baba Mandir, is a beautiful large marble temple, close to Vrindavan.

Vrindavan Parikrama
It is customary for devotees to walk around the town of Vrindavan. 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 walk around the town.

Where to Buy
If one merchant tells you he will give you the exact same items as another merchant, but at a much cheaper price, more than likely you will be getting an inferior quality product. Most of the time, these merchants are working on a very low profit margin and cannot afford to give you a large discount. I demand a money back guarantee in case there is a defect in any of the products. A good merchant will gladly do this, as they will not want to ruin their reputation.

Ganga Prasada (442-162; fax 442-524), end of Loi Bazaar, is one of the best places to get devotional clothing. They have an excellent selection of items, and the quality is guaranteed or you can return it. They are highly recommended.

Gangotri (442-034; 442-524), next to Ganga Prasada, is a good, trustworthy cloth merchant with many high quality items.

Rasbihari Lal & Sons (442-570; fax 443-092; e-mail: vrinhand@nde.vsnl.net.in) are directly across from Ganga Prasada in Loi Bazaar. They have a good selection of devotional items, books, and pictures at good prices. Upstairs there are many more items.

Hare Krishna Das (442-498; fax: same), another shop that sells many of the same items, is to the left a few shops down. Sometimes their prices are cheaper for the exact same items, but they do not have as good a selection.

Dinesh Cloth Merchant (442-552; Fax 442190), Loi Bazaar, has good quality cloth and they are fairly easy to communicate with.

Mahesh Cloth Merchant has a good selection of items and is fairly easy to communicate with. He usually has new items that no one else has and good bags and bead bags.

Khadi Bhavan is a government undertaking that sells good khadi (hand-woven cotton) products at a fixed price. The month of Gandhi’s birthday, October, they have a 30% off sale.

Rajendra Tulasiwala, Loi Bazaar, has good quality and prices on tulasi and other beads. They can make custom orders of beads that you design yourself.

Heera Jewellers, in the beginning of Loi Bazaar by the Loi Bazaar Post Office, Gopaldas Emporium and Shriji Jewellers are all honest silver jewelers with a good selection of items.

Six Fingers Narayana is known to be one of the best tailors in Vrindavan. To get to his shop, go to the end of Loi Bazaar, make a right at the T intersection, and go down about 10 shops. His shop is on the right.
Matang Perfumers, across the street from the ISKCON Temple, has a good selection of incense and oils. Some people think they sell the best incense in India, and other people do not like this variety of incense.

Shipping: Shishu Kumar Agarwal, who has a trunk shop next to Ganga Prasad, also ships things out of India. He sells many other items at reasonable prices.

ISKCON Guest House Shop is a well-stocked shop with different devotional and gift items. There is a good selection of quality

Rajasthani goods, devotional books, semiprecious jewelry, gift items, and western goods.

WARNING! I have heard of many people being pick-pocketed in Loi Bazaar. A group of women thieves working together are supposed to be active there. They may even act like they are customers and rob you while you are sitting in a shop.

Where to Stay
Maheswari Ashram (442-043) is a recommended place, about a ten-minute walk from the ISKCON Temple. Basic rooms with bath are Rs 60, and there are rooms for Rs 80 in the new building that have small kitchen areas. It is a popular place and will definitely be full during festival times.
Denuka, near the ISKCON temple, is a newly built place with good rooms with hot water for Rs 175. It is a recommended place, but will usually be full during festival seasons and Kartika.

Santi Ashram (442-227) is a decent place, right next to the ISKCON property on the backside. Rooms are Rs 125 and Rs 200 for a big room.

Fogal Ashram (442-319), a third of the way downtown from the ISKCON temple, is a large place that has very basic rooms with bath for Rs 50 and Rs 80. The Rs 80 rooms are a little newer. For location and quality this is not a very good choice, but because of its size a room is usually available, even when Vrindavan is very crowded and everything else is full.

Govinda Bihar, down a side road across the street from Fogal Ashram, has good rooms for Rs 150 and Rs 200. It has A/C rooms for Rs 600.

Temple & Garden (also called Temple Gardens) (442-225) is a nice place that has big rooms with a little kitchen area for Rs 275 a night. It is a suggested place in a quiet area, but it is a little hard to find. The easiest way to get here is to have a rickshaw driver bring you.

ISKCON Guest House (442-478) is one of the best place to stay in town. Smaller rooms are Rs 250 and standard doubles are Rs 300. There are more expensive rooms, which are more likely to be available, some with hot water and an air-cooler for up to Rs 450. It is often full, so it is best to book a room in advance. Even then, during the festival times and during Kartika (Oct/Nov), you most likely will not get a room here.

Chintamani Kunj (442-503) is a five-minute walk from the ISKCON Temple on Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg, going away from the downtown. It has good rooms for Rs 200 and Rs 300 during the high seasons. Recommended.

On the other side of the street is the nearby Citrakut Dhama (442-729), which has basic rooms for Rs 150 to Rs 200.

MVT Guest House (443-400) is a newly built place with spotless, modern rooms with bath, hot water and a kitchen for Rs 600 and Rs 800 for an A/C room. It is located behind the ISKCON Temple, in a peaceful location. It is one of the best places in town and is recommended. They may offer discounts during the off-seasons.

Where to Eat
ISKCON Guest House has a good selection of reasonably priced items that include a thali for Rs 50. Some good items on the menu are fried rice, dhal fried, mixed vegetable, gobhi-alu, chips (French fries) and the cheese (panir) preparation.
There is a booth at the ISKCON Temple that serves pizza and other snacks. You can also purchase a good selection of maha-prasada in the temple room. The baked goods are usually very good. You can eat temple prasada breakfast (Rs 10) and lunch (Rs 20).
MVT has a good A/C restaurant on the top floor. It has good pizza, Indian and Continental food. Recommended, but it is not cheap.
You can get cold drinks and good lassis across the street from the ISKCON Temple at Biharilals. This place is also a good general store.
There are a few good fruit and vegetable stands across the street from the ISKCON Temple. They are conveniently located, but they usually charge around 25% more than what you pay for the same items downtown. They may also overcharge you and have a problem adding correctly (always in their favor), so it is a good idea to carefully add up the bill yourself.

Taxi Companies
Puran is a good, recommended driver. He often hangs around in front of the ISKCON temple and you can ask around for him, or you can maybe ask at the ISKCON Guest House. Gopal and his brother (442-493) are also very good and know both Delhi and Jaipur.

Dinesh’s KB Travels and Gift Shop (442-223) hires out taxis for the Vrindavan area, Delhi, Jaipur and other places. To get to his shop, if you are coming out of the ISKCON temple, you make a right and walk half a block. His shop is on the right.

If you need a Sumo Jeep, Chandra Mohan Jaiswal is a good driver (home phone: 445-354).

Local Travel
A bike-rickshaw to Loi Bazaar costs Rs 7 for one person and Rs 8 for two people, and anything over Rs 10 is overpaying. People have been charged Rs 100 and more. Sometimes at night and during festivals there are just no rickshaws around, so you may be forced to pay Rs 10 to Rs 15 to get to Loi Bazaar. This should not happen very often.
To get to Fogal Ashram is Rs 4, Maheswari Ashram is Rs 3, Vrindavan bus stand Rs 10. Locals may pay lower prices.

To visit the major temples in Vrindavan takes about three hours and costs Rs 20 or Rs 25 per hour. Many of the rickshaw-walas know where all the major temples are located.

Taxi Fares
To Radha Kund and back with a two hours waiting time is Rs 450. To go to Varsana and Nandagram is Rs 600. To go to Varsana, Nandagram, and Radha Kund is Rs 700. To go to Gokula and Raval is Rs 550. To do a local trip in Braja is about Rs 500 for 4 hours and Rs 600 for 6 hours. To go to Mathura and back by taxi is Rs 200, and one way it is Rs 150. To take an auto-rickshaw to Mathura is Rs 60 one way and Rs 120 roundtrip. To go to Delhi is Rs 1100. To go to Delhi and drive around for the day is Rs 1200.

Travel
Air The closest International airport is in Delhi (150km, 3½ hr).

Train There is no long-distance railway station in Vrindavan. The closest major railway station is in Mathura, about 14km away or a half-hour taxi ride. There is a passenger train between Mathura and Vrindavan.

Bus There are buses to Delhi that you can get at the Vrindavan bus stand or in front of the ISKCON Temple at 5, 7, and 9 am, and 12 noon, 2.30, and 4 pm.
Buses to Vrindavan or Mathura from Delhi depart from either the Interstate Bus Terminal near Kashmiri Gate, in Old Delhi, or from the Ashram bus stop in the southeast part of Delhi. There are a few direct buses from Delhi to Vrindavan, but most of the buses go to Mathura (every half-hour). If you take the Mathura bus, you get down at Chatikara Road and from there get a motor-rickshaw or a tempo. You should ask the conductor of the bus to inform you when you reach Chatikara Road, or ask a few passengers to help you get off at the correct place. After dark it may be difficult to get a rickshaw at Chatikara Road. After 8 pm, it is best to get off the bus in Mathura and get local transportation to Vrindavan.
There is a direct bus to Jaipur at 5.45 am from the Vrindavan bus stand. You can also get buses to Agra (1 hr). There is an overnight bus, with thin seats, that goes to Haridwar at around 8 pm. The bus stand is about a twenty minute bike-rickshaw ride from the ISKCON Temple (Rs 10).
There are many buses to Haridwar, Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi that depart from the two bus stands in Mathura.

Taxi Taking a taxi is the most convenient way to reach Vrindavan from Delhi (3½ hr, 150km) if you have a few people in your group, are a family with children, or you just want to be decently comfortable. From the airport it is Rs 1500 (max Rs 1800) direct to Vrindavan. If you take a long-distance taxi you will be charged for both going and returning, as it will be difficult for the taxi driver to get a return fare.

A taxi to Agra or Aligarh costs Rs 700 from Vrindavan. A taxi to the train station in Tundla costs Rs 750. From the Tundla train station it will cost about Rs 800 to Vrindavan. A taxi to Jaipur costs Rs 1800, if you go and come back the same day. The taxi is Rs 800 for each additional day.

Mathura to Vrindavan
The easiest transportation to take between Mathura and Vrindavan is a taxi (25 min, Rs 150 to Rs 200 from the Mathura railway station or a motor rickshaw (30 min, Rs 60 from Mathura).

From the railway station there are often very crowded shared motor rickshaws (tempos) that go to Vrindavan (Rs 5). To get a tempo you may have to take a bike-rickshaw to the main road and from there get a tempo. From the main road, tempos depart every few minutes. Tempos also depart from the New bus stand and from Krishna Janmasthan. Once you reach Vrindavan you have to take a bike-rickshaw. To the ISKCON temple a rickshaw should cost Rs 10.

Buses from Mathura to Vrindavan leave infrequently from the Old bus stand, so it is better to take one of the regular tempos or an auto-rickshaw. There is a small train that leaves Mathura Junction at 9 am and 8 pm that goes to Vrindavan. It returns from Vrindavan at 9.30 am and 8.30 pm. Sphere: Related Content