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Festival of Holi in Vrindavan
It is the colourful festival of Holi and isn’t it apt that my travelogue takes you to Vrindavan & Mathura. Radha & Krishna have blessed the holy land of Brajbhoomi with their presence. They are the most celebrated characters of Hindu mythology. In Braj, unlike other places Holi is not a one day festival but the celebrations continue for one week. Many local legends & folklore are associated with each day’s celebrations. People from far & wide come to witness the unique ‘lathmaar’ holi of Barsana & Nandgaon. This year due to covid the celebrations would be a low key affair.
We were fortunate to witness the holi celebrations of March 2017 at the famous Banke Bihariji ka Mandir in Vrindavan.
Vrindavan dham
Vrindavan is a dham / tirth for the Hindus. They consider it as the supreme location of Vaishnavism. In Vrindavan, everyone addresses Radha as Radharani and her name comes before Krishna. Jai Shri Krishna is a common form of salutation in Hindi heartland. Instead, in Vrindavan you get to hear ‘Radhe Radhe’. To visit Vrindavan is like going on an extraordinary spiritual journey. It is true that India is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Kings or governments have not kept India linked together for centuries but it is the footsteps of the pilgrims. They have been traversing from Badrinath/Kedarnath in the North to Rameshwaram in the South and from Jagannath Puri in the East to Dwarka in the West.
When in Vrindavan reasoning, history & facts have to be left behind in the cupboard! To be able to enjoy the divine experience of your visit to Vrindavan, you have to believe in mythology & legends. Nearly 5000 years ago, Lord Vishnu took his eighth & most colourful purna avtaar (endowed with 16 kalas) as Krishna in Mathura. Krishna known as Kanha or Kanhaiya showed his Bal-Lila and many miracles in Gokul & Nandgaon. He came to Vrindavan as a young boy to revel in his own creation.
Krishna in Vrindavan
Legends say that Krishna didn’t come alone to Vrindavan. Each & every divine being took form as something or the other in Vrindavan so that they could witness Krishna’s lilas. For this reason, Cows, Krishna’s cow-herd friends gopis, gopikas (milk maids), peacocks, parrots, monkeys are considered sacred. Even trees, creepers, leaves, blades of grass (doob) and other innate objects are also revered in Vrindavan. Along with all these, Yamuna features prominently in Krishna’s exploits. In Krishna’s times there were 12 beautiful van (forests) in Brij including Vrindavan. With the pace of urbanization, they have all disappeared. The sites where Krishna enacted many events of his life including his many miraculous feats and his divine love for Radha are still revered today. Many devotees come to perform the 80 kos (roughly 300 kms) Brij yatra, in which they cover all these lila-sthals on foot.
Braj scholar Alan Entwistle has beautifully summed up the spirit behind Braj yatra:
“A fundamental concept underlying motivation for pilgrimage to Braj is that Krishna’s activities, while they once occurred on earth in historical time, are by no means over and done with. They are not remote that nowadays serve as more than an allegory of how we should relate to god, but are being enacted eternally on a plane that transcends the world of our blinkered everyday experience”.
Vrindavan finds mention in the epics Ramayan & Mahabharat and also in many of the Puranas. The tenth adhyaya (chapter) of Shrimad Bhagwat recounts many lilas of Krishna in Vrindavan and surrounding areas. Reference is also there in Vishnu Puran, Varaha Puran and Harivamsa.
Vrindavan is today a town with a population of 100 thousand residents but with a floating population of almost another 100 thousand per day. During the festivals of Janmashtami & Holi the number of tourists & devotees increase many fold. At the time of Krishna it was only a small village on the banks of river Yamuna where the cow-herds resided.
History of Vrindavan
During the medieval era when North India came under the Mughal rule, many saints & holy persons came to Vrindavan. It was the beginning of Bhakti movement. They re-discovered and re-established the various lila shtals of Krishna. The devotional practices, divine visions & miracles of the saints and their bhakti towards Krishna led to the revival of Vrindavan as one of the main centres of Vaishnavites. Vrindavan became the centre for the establishment of several devotional lineages. They include Radhavallabh Sampradaya (associated with Hit Harivansh Mahaprabhu), Nimbark & Haridasi (of Swami Haridas), Vallabhite or Pushtimarg (associated with Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya). The one saint who had major influence over Vrindavan was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He founded Gaudiya Vaishnav Sampradaya . His followers & devotees considered him as an avatar of Shri Krishna.
In addition to the above, the Bhakti movement poets like Surdas, Meera Bai, Raskhan spent many years in Vrindavan and contributed to the glory of Vrindavan & Krishna through their devotional compositions. Swami Haridas was a spiritual poet and classical musician. His compositions & music influenced both the classical music & Bhakti movements of North India. He was the disciple of Sri Purandara Dasa of Karnataka, the father of Carnatic music. Swami Haridas was the Guru of Tansen & the legendary singer Baiju. Such was his fame that the Mughal Emperor Akbar came to Vrindavan to meet him. His compositions are classified as Vishnupadas.
In one of the compositions Swami Haridas while describing Radha & Krishna (translated in English) says
“Two beams of light are playing- unique their dance & music. Ragas & Raginis of heavenly beauty are born, the two have sunk themselves in the ocean of raga”. In another composition he says ” None knows the beauty of raga, tala and dance as Radha does”
My introduction to Vrindavan and last visit
My sister-in-law (my wife’s elder sister) Sushma didi introduced me to Vrindavan many years ago. She took us to Vrindavan for darshan of Banke Bihariji. She stays in Faridabad and from there it is hardly 1.5 to 2 hours journey to Vrindavan by road. On another visit, she took us on on overnight visit to Vrindavan & Mathura. I had also visited Vrindavan in 2013 for my nephew’s wedding but didn’t get to see anything. I along with my brother was busy in making the arrangements for the guests. Vrindavan has today turned into an excellent wedding destination specially due to its proximity to New Delhi.
My last visit to Vrindavan was on Holi day in March 2017 to participate in the Katha of Swami Govind Dev Giriji Maharaj organized by Acharya Pundrik Goswamiji Maharaj at his Vaijayanti Ashram. I stayed for three full days in Vrindavan and got to explore some of the famous temples of Vrindavan and also visit Nandgaon, Gokul, Govardhan and Mathura Museum.
Visiting the temples of Vrindavan
There are more than 5000 temples in Vrindavan. It is not possible to visit all the temples. I visited few of the temples (some old & some new) and would like you to take a virtual tour with me. During the reign of Akbar he was tolerant towards Hindu religion. This led to the construction of four large temples and many smaller shrines in Vrindavan in the second half of 16th century.
Banke Bihari Temple – Holi celebrations
On the day of Holi, we decided to visit only the temple of Banke Bihari whose Holi celebrations are unique. Legends say that the deity of Krishna appeared before Swami Haridas as a swyambhu when he was engrossed in singing a devotional composition for Krishna. For number of years it was kept in Nidhivan and was worshipped by Swami Haridas during his lifetime. It was much later that it was moved to a temple built in 1862. This temple came to be known as Banke Bihari temple. When the deity was in Nidhivan it was called Kunj Bihari. The deity stands in the tribhanga posture. Banke means bent and Bihari means one who enjoys.
Swami Haridas’s connection
Swami Haridas entrusted to Shri Jagannath Goswami, his younger brother and disciple the honour of performing the daily seva of the Lord. The descendants of Jagannath Goswamiji carry out the tradition of seva even today. Three sevas are offered everyday. They are shringar, rajbhog & shayan. Banke Bihariji is woken up after 9 a.m. The people believe that he would be tired after indulging in Ras Lila till late every night. In this temple the young beautiful form of Krishna is depicted. It is believed that if someone gazes at the deity for long, Banke Bihari would get affected by ‘buri nazar’. To avoid that, the deity is always hidden behind a curtain. The curtain is pulled to the side only for few moments every fifteen minutes to give darshan to the assembled crowd in the large courtyard. The architecture of the temple resembles that of a large haveli of Rajasthan.
The temple is always crowded and being Holi day, the crowd was exceptionally large who had all come to play Holi with Banke Bihariji. As my S-I-L personally knows Goswamiji, we managed to get a special entry through a side door to the first floor corridor from where we had a bird’s eye-view of the proceedings.
Holi with Banke Bihariji
The atmosphere was charged as gulal was thrown up and smeared on each other’s faces. Water colour was sprinkled on the devotees from the four corners.
Diana L Eck, the Harvard scholar and an authority on India has written a book called ‘India – A sacred Geography’. While describing the festival of Janmasthami in Vrindavan she writes “The devotees were standing so tightly packed together that all sense of individual boundaries dissolve in a sea of devotion…. The jostling, elbowing current of the crowd somehow brings each person to see baby Krishna to each heart’s satisfaction”.
How true, we had the same experience on the Holi day. The excitement, fervour & spirit of the devotees had to be seen to be believed! A big roar would go up every few minutes when the curtain was pulled to the side to give darshan of Banke Bihariji. Devotees would throw gulal towards the deity. We spent nearly one hour in the temple. It was indeed a life time experience.
होली खेल रहे नंदलाल, वृंदावन कुंज गलिन में।
नंदगांव के छैल बिहारी, बरसाने की राधा प्यारी।
Sri Rangji Mandir
It was surprising to discover that one of the largest temple complexes in Vrindavan is a temple built in the South Indian style with a gopuram. This is the temple of Rangji built in 1851 due to the efforts of Sri Rangadeshik Swamiji from Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Sri Goda Rangamannar. She was a famous 8th century Vaishnava saint who was in love with her Lord Krishna and his leela bhoomi Vrindavan. She fasted and sang for him with the desire to attain him by marrying him. Lord Ranganatha (another form of Krishna) answered her prayers by becoming her bridegroom.
In the Rangji temple Lord Ranganatha is present as a bridegroom with a walking stick in his hand as per the custom in a traditional wedding of Tamil Nadu. To his right is his bride Goda and to his left his vahana Garuda. In this temple while all the South Indian festivals are celebrated, some North Indian festivals are also celebrated with gaiety. During Brahmotsav celebrated few days after Holi, devotees enjoy the pleasure of playing Holi with Ranganathji. There is also another shrine in the complex dedicated to Ram, Sita & Lakshman. There are beautiful sculptures carved on the pillars of the main hall. Later additions have also been made in the complex.
Radha Madana Mohana Temple
This 60 feet high temple was the first temple built in Vrindavan in 1580 on top of a small hillock on the banks of river Yamuna. The temple had the blessings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The deity of Krishna (Madana Mohana) is worshipped along with Radharani and Lalita Sakhi. When Aurangzeb’s army attacked Vrindavan in 1670, the original deities were moved to a temple near Jaipur. The temple’s architecture reminds us of the temples of East India. The outer surface of the octagonal tower curves slightly and each divided into panels with a foliate medallion. There are no other sculptures.
Iskcon temple
The Iskcon temple is also known Krishna Balaram Mandir and was built in 1975 by Swami Prabhupada (the founder Acharya of Iskcon). It was his wish to build a temple dedicated to the two brothers in the same city where they played together several millenniums ago. It is a beautiful temple built in marble. Swami Prabhupada at the age of 69 came to USA in 1965 and is credited for founding The International Society for Krishna Conciousness (ISKCON) and for making the Krishna Bhakti movement popular on the global map. This temple has continued to bring thousands of devotees from the Western World to Vrindavan in the search of peace & spirituality. Many of them decided to settle down in Vrindavan.
Prem Mandir (the temple of divine love)
This beautiful marble temple built in a sprawling campus spread over 55 acres is the new attraction in Vrindavan which is top on the list of the tourists coming to Vrindavan. It was built by Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj and completed in 2012 after 12 years. It cost Rs 1.5 bn. The shrine on the first level is dedicated to Radha Govind while Sita Ram are on the second level. Beautiful gardens & fountains surround the temple and there are beautiful depictions of beautiful leelas performed by Krishna.
Govind Dev ji temple
The majestic temple of Govind Devji was built in 1590. Raja Man Singh with blessings & funds provided by Mughal emperor Akbar built it. It is built in red sandstone. The ceiling of the main hall has a sculptured lotus that weighs over several tons. In those times thousands of men toiled for over 7 years to complete it and it cost 10 million rupees then. The upper four floors were destroyed by the army of Aurangzeb. The temple is always surrounded by monkeys.
Radha Raman Temple (Shahji temple)
The beautiful marble temple of Radha Raman was built in 1860 by the Shah family of Lucknow. It is also known as Shahji temple. The temple has beautiful marble figures on the parapet wall of the terrace. The temple is unique in the sense that the spiral pillars are crooked in shape and the locals refer to this temple as ‘tedha khamba mandir’. There are beautiful paintings etched in marble.
Nidhivan
Nidhivan is a place full of mystery. Locals believe that Krishna still visits this ‘van’ (forest groove) every night and performs Ras-Leela with Radha. Saints & poets over the centuries have eulogized the divine love displayed by Radha and Krishna. They believe this love to be the original source of all love that exists in the universe!
There is a temple in the premises. Rang Mahal in the premises has a bed made of sandalwood and it is decorated with flowers every night. By the side of the bed, a jar filled with water, a pan (betel leaf) and neem datun is kept. In the morning when the doors are opened it looks as if someone has slept on the bed, the water jug is empty, the pan has been consumed and the neem datun has been used. No one has been able to solve this mystery and the enigma continues.
No person is allowed to stay in the van after the evening aarti at 7 pm. It is believed that whoever tried to break the rule and stayed overnight in the van was found dead the next morning. The trees or shrubs in the van are miniature in size.
Nandgaon:
A visit to Brajbhoomi remains incomplete if one doesn’t visit Gokul, Nandgaon, Barsana & Govardhan, the places associated with the childhood of Krishna & Radha where Krishna had performed his bal-lilas & showed many miracles. I hired a cab for 8 hours to cover all these places and Mathura Museum.
The first stop was at Nandgaon (42 kms from Vrindavan) where Krishna had spent 9 years + of his childhood with his foster parents Nand Baba and Yashoda Maiya. Nand Maharaj and other gwalas had moved to Nandgaon from Gokul due to the terror caused by the demons at the behest of Kansa, the king of Mathura.
Temple in Nandgaon
The main Krishna temple of Nandgaon is located on the top of a hill known as Nandisvara Hill. As per legends, Shiva expressed a wish to Vishnu to allow him to stay in Nandgaon so that he could witness all the leelas performed by his human avtar Krishna. Vishnu agreed and Shiva manifested himself as the hill on the top of which Nand Baba and his family resided. It was an interesting climb up the hill with the houses of the residents on both the sides. Holi festival had been celebrated 3 days ago in Nandgaon and the signs were visible everywhere. The temple besides the deity of Krishna has the deities of Nand Baba, Yashoda Ma & Radha. There are beautiful murals covering the entire walls & ceiling of the temple. The entrance gate to the sprawling temple complex is imposing. From the top one get’s a panoramic view of Nandgaon.
As I climbed down after darshan, I was attracted by a stall selling freshly made lassi manned by a Brajwasi dressed up in the traditional attire with a pagdi. The lassi also tasted divine.
Brij bhasha is a dialect of Hindi spoken in Brijbhoomi. It is so sweet to listen to and Brijwasis are simple & hospitable people.
Barsana
My next halt was at Barsana located 9 kms from Nandgaon, where Radharani was born and lived with her parents. On way to Barsana, we stopped to have darshan in Kirti Mandir, a beautiful temple built by Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj. The famous event associated with Holi known as ‘lathmaar holi’ had been celebrated in Barsana only a couple of days ago. This is an event that attracts many foreigners to Barsana. Barsana is situated around two hills named as Brahma Hill & Vishnu Hill. On the top of each hill there is a temple.
Lathmaar Holi is an event where the men folk provoke the women who in turn try to hit them with sticks. The men use shield to protect themselves from the thrashing. It is believed that this event is reenactment of the teasing of Radha & her friends by mischievous Krishna & his friends. While Radha & her friends try to chase them away.
The main temple in Barsana on top of a hill is dedicated to Radharani. It is a beautiful temple and hundreds of devotees of Radharani come here for her darshan & divine grace.
Mathura
The city of Mathura is located on the banks of river Yamuna. With a population of 0.5 million, it is the largest town in Brijbhoomi. According to mythology it is the birth place of Krishna. It finds mention in the epic Ramayan where it is mentioned that Shatrughana slayed the demon Lavanasura here. The ancient name was Madhuvan from which it became Madhupura and later Mathura. According to Hindu religion it is one of the Sapta Puris, the seven cities considered holy by Hindus. There are several temples in Mathura including the Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex. The original temple was destroyed by the invaders and a mosque stands there. The other temples include the famous Dwarkadheesh temple. I had visited these temples on an earlier visit but unfortunately the pics have been lost.
History of Mathura
Mathura is one of the ancient cities of India and excavations by Archaeological Survey of India have pointed to the fact it was a prosperous town from 1000 BCE onwards. It was an important centre of trade due to its strategic location as it fell at the junction of two important trade routes. In the 6th century BCE it became the capital of Surasena Kingdom. It was ruled by the Maurya empire (4th to 2nd centuries BCE). The famous Greek traveller Megasthenes in his writing in early 3rd century BCE mentions it as great city by the name Methora. It later came under the control of the Indo-Greeks. Later it flourished under the Kushan Empire, Gupta Empire and Harsha Empire. It became an important centre for Hindus, Buddhists & Jains at different time periods.
The city was sacked and temples were destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1019 CE. Some new temples were built after that but the city was again sacked by Sikander Lodi towards the end of 15th century CE. Later the Keshavadeva temple was rebuilt on a grand scale by Bundela Raja Vir Singh Deo in the early 17th century at a cost of 3.3 million rupees. On orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1670 all Hindu, Buddhist & Jain temples of Mathura and Schools were destroyed.
Mathura Museum
I was keen to visit Mathura Museum. Mathura School of Art refers to one of the most ancient arts of India. It is in the form of sculptures. It flourished for nearly 8 centuries from 2nd century BCE to 6th century CE. Buddhism, Jainism & later Hinduism all flourished around Mathura. Mathura was the centre of religious artistic expression. It has the unique distinction of producing devotional icons of all three faiths under different empires & dynasties. The art of Mathura is different from the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara that developed from the 1st century CE.
Government Museum of Mathura is an archaeological museum that was established in 1874 during the British era. It has some of the most valuable masterpieces of Indian art. Few of them date back to as early as the 4th century BCE.
Please do not miss visiting this Museum if you happen to visit Mathura. Museums are storehouse of rich ancient heritage. They allow us a peep into our ancient history and make us appreciate the development of art over different periods.
Food in Vrindavan:
Eggs, non-veg & alcohol are not allowed in Vrindavan. Vrindavan is famous for its milk products. The lassi served here with a thick layer of curd or malai on top is just delicious. It is served in clay pots. Sweets made with khoya/mawa, specially the pedas are too good. Street foods such as kachori-sabji, samosa, aloo tiki made in pure ghee taste divine. There are many shops around Banke Bihariji ka Mandir selling these products, Many restaurants serve vegetarian thali.
Connectivity
Vrindavan is at a distance of 160 kms from New Delhi and takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours by road. It is at a distance of 70 kms from Agra. From Mathura it is 13 kms away. Several long distance trains halt at Mathura.
Hotels
Nidhivan Sarovar Portico & Anandam Clarks Inn Suites are the better hotels in Vrindavan. There are several budget hotels too. Many ashrams & guest houses offer lodging facility. Apartment stay option is also available.
Commuting in Vrindavan
Commuting is a problem as the lanes in the older town are narrow & crowded. To reach Banke Bihariji temple the four wheeler has to be left quite a distance away. Thereafter, one has to either walk or hire a cycle rickshaw. To go to the other temples, auto rickshaw is a better option.
Best time to visit
Peak summer months from April to June should be avoided as the average temperature hovers between 37 to 42*C. Winters are the best months to visit Vrindavan. If you visit during the period of Holi or Janmashtami be prepared for extraordinary crowds.
Tip for travellers:
Monkeys are a menace in Vrindavan. They can be found everywhere. If you are walking on the streets of Vrindavan, please remove your spectacles and sun glasses. They are the favourite targets of the monkeys. They snatch them away in a flash. For people like me who wear spectacles, walking in Vrindavan becomes a handicap.
Dark spot of Vrindavan
The holy town of Vrindavan has a black spot. It has a sizeable number of such women who have been banished by tradition and abandoned by their families. They are called widows of Vrindavan. For decades they led a life of misery, singing devotional songs & begging in the lanes of Vrindavan. Moved by their plight, Supreme Court stepped in 2012 directing the government to provide better living conditions for them. A number of charitable institutions & NGO’s have come forward to care for them and improve their lot.
References:
Wikipedia, ‘Monuments of India’ Volume I book by George Michell & ‘India -A Sacred Geography’ book by Diana L. Eck.
This travelogue has become lengthier than I intended it to be but I couldn’t help it. There is so much to write about Vrindavan & Mathura that to compress it in a single blog proved to be a herculean task!!
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I have clicked all the pics (except my own pics and as credited for two pics)
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Disclaimer:
I have made sincere efforts to provide you the correct information about all the places that have been culled out from various sources. I do not take any responsibility for any errors that might have crept in the narration. There is no intention to hurt the faith or religious sentiments of any person or community.
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