Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban,
is a historical city in the
Mathura district of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is located in the
Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in
Hinduism as
Krishna spent most of his childhood days in this city.
[ Vrindavan has about 5,500 temples dedicated to the worship of Krishna and his divine consort ]Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
.
It is one of the most sacred places for Vaishnavism tradition. Vrindavan is a significant part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" which also includes Mathura, Barsana
Barsana is a historical town and ''nagar panchayat'' in the Mathura district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Barsana is believed to be the birthplace and home of the Hindu goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. It is in the Braj re ...
, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra (, ) is a city and administrative headquarter of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is also known as Dharmakshetra ("Realm of duty ") and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita".
Legends
According to the Pura ...
, Dwarka and Puri.
Etymology
The ancient Sanskrit name of the city, (), comes from its groves of ''vṛndā'' (Holy basil
''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...
) and ''vana'' (a grove or forest).
Geography
Vrindavan is located at . It has an average elevation of 170 metres (557 feet).
Yamuna river flows through the city. It is located 125 km away from Delhi and 15 km away from Mathura City.
Climate
Demographics
As of 2011 Indian Census
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Vrindavan had a total population of 63,005, of which 34,769 were males and 28,236 were females. Population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 7,818. The total number of literates in Vrindavan was 42,917, which constituted 68.11% of the population with male literacy of 73.7% and female literacy of 61.2%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Vrindavan was 77.8%, of which male literacy rate was 83.7% and female literacy rate was 70.3%. The sex ratio is 812 females per 1000 males. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 6,294 and 18, respectively. Vrindavan had 11,637 households in 2011.
Vrindavan lies in the cultural region of Braj.
Religious heritage
Vrindavan is considered to be a sacred place for Vaisnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
tradition of Hinduism. The other prominent areas surrounding Vrindavan are Govardhana, Gokul, Nandgaon, Barsana
Barsana is a historical town and ''nagar panchayat'' in the Mathura district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Barsana is believed to be the birthplace and home of the Hindu goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. It is in the Braj re ...
, Mathura and Bhandirvan
Bhandirvan is an ancient religious site in Mant Tehsil of Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The site is associated with the legends of Hindu god Krishna and his chief consort goddess Radha.
Transport
Bhandirvan forest is ...
. Along with Vrindavan, all these places are considered to be the center of Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
and Krishna worship. Millions of devotees of Radha Krishna visit Vrindavan and its nearby areas every year to participate in number of festivals.[ Vrinda means Tulsi (A sacred species of flora) and van as forest, therefore Vrindavan is a holy forest of Tulsi. Vijaypal Baghel, known as GreenMan is promoting, planting and farming Tulsi in mass around the Vrindavan.] The common salutation or greetings used in Braj region by its residents is ''Radhe Radhe
''Radhe Radhe'', also spelled ''Radhey Radhey'', is a Hindi expression used as a greeting and salutation in the Braj region of India. The greeting is associated with the Hindu goddess Radha, who is the consort of Krishna. She is worshiped as th ...
'' which is associated with the Goddess Radha or Hare Krishna which is associated with Krishna.
History
Vrindavan has an ancient past, associated with Hindu culture and history, and was established in the 16th and 17th centuries as a result of an explicit treaty between Muslims and Hindu Emperors, and is an important Hindu pilgrimage site since long.
Of the contemporary times, Vallabha
Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu (1479–1531 CE), also known as Vallabha, Mahaprabhuji and Vishnuswami, or Vallabha Acharya, is a Hindu Indian saint and philosopher who founded the Krishna-centered PushtiMarg sect of Vaishnavism in the Braj(Vraj) ...
charya, aged eleven visited Vrindavan. Later on, he performed three pilgrimages of India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, barefoot giving discourses on Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
at 84 places. These 84 places are known as Pushtimarg Baithak
Baithak or Bethak, , is a site considered sacred by the followers of the Pushtimarg tradition of Vaishnava Hinduism in India for performing devotional rituals. These sites are associated with Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhu, the founder of Pushtimar ...
and since then are the places of pilgrimage. Yet, he stayed in Vrindavan for four months each year. Vrindavan thus heavily influenced his formation of Pushtimarg
Pushtimarg (), also known as ''Pushtimarg sampradaya'' or ''Vallabha sampradaya'', is a subtradition of the Rudra Sampradaya (Vaishnavism). It was founded in the early 16th century by Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) and is focused on Krishna. .
The essence of Vrindavan was lost over time until the 16th century, when it was rediscovered by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In the year 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Vrindavan, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Krishna's life.
In the last 250 years, the extensive forests of Vrindavan have been subjected to urbanization, first by local Rajas and in recent decades by apartment developers. The forest cover has been whittled away to only a few remaining spots, and the local wildlife, including peacocks, cows, monkey
Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
s and a variety of bird species has been virtually eliminated.
Temples
Vrindavan, the land of Radha Krishna has about 5500 temples dedicated to them to showcase their divine pastimes. Some of the important pilgrimage sites are -
* Shri Radha Madan Mohan Temple, located near the Kalidah Ghat was built by Kapur Ram Das of Multan. One of the oldest temples in Vrindavan, it is closely associated with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The original deity of Madan Gopal was shifted from the shrine to Karauli in Rajasthan for safekeeping during Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
's rule. Today, a replica of the original (deity) is worshipped at the temple
* Sri Radha Raman Mandir, constructed at the request of Gopala Bhatta Goswami and houses a saligram
A shaligrama shila ( deva, शालिग्राम शिला, Śāligrāma-śilā), also rendered as shaligram, is a particular variety of stone collected from riverbed or banks of the Kali Gandaki, a tributary of the Gandaki River in N ...
deity of Krishna as Radha Ramana, alongside Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
.
* Banke Bihari Temple, built in 1862 after the image of Banke-Bihari was discovered in Nidhivan by Swami Haridas
Swami Haridas (1480—1573) was a spiritual poet and classical musician. Credited with a large body of devotional compositions, especially in the Dhrupad style, he is also the founder of the Haridasi school of mysticism, still found today ...
.
* Radha Vallabh Temple is one of the ancient temple of Vrindavan. It was constructed in 1585 AD and was the first temple made up of red sandstones.
* Radha Damodar Temple is a Gaudiya Vaishnavism temple, which is dedicated to Radha Krishna and was constructed in 1542 CE.
* Sri Krishna-Balarama Temple was built by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Raman-Reti. The principal deities of this temple are Krishna and Balaram, with Radha– Shyamasundar and Gaura
''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
- Nitai alongside. Adjoining the temple is the samadhi of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (; 1 September 1896 – 14 November 1977) was an Indian Gaudiya Vaishnava guru who founded ISKCON, commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement". Members of ISKCON view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a repr ...
, the founder of ISKCON, built in pure white marble.
* Prem Mandir is a spiritual complex situated on a 54-acre site on the outskirts of Vrindavan dedicated to divine love. The temple structure was established by spiritual guru Kripalu Maharaj
Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj (IAST: '; 5 October 1922 – 15 November 2013) the fifth original Jagadguru in Indian history, the embodiment of the nectar of divine love, was one of the foremost rasik saints who showered the bliss of ...
. The main structure built in marble and figures of Krishna cover the main temple.
*Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir
Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir is a temple under early stages of construction at Vrindavan, Mathura, India. As planned, it will be the tallest religious monument in the world. At its potential cost of it is likely to be one of the most expensive ...
is housed in a modern geodesic structure with a traditional gopuram based on Khajuraho
Khajuraho () is a city, near Chhatarpur in Chhatarpur district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, Khajuraho has the country's largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous f ...
style of architecture. It is being built by one of the ISKCON factions based in Bangalore. At cost of it will be the tallest temple in world on completion.
Transportation
Road
Vrindavan is well connected by roads and is connected to Delhi by National Highway (NH) 44 of the Golden Quadrilateral network. Earlier it was NH 2.
129 km from New Delhi
117 km from Gurgaon
Gurgaon (pronunciation: ʊɽɡãːw, officially named Gurugram (pronunciation: ʊɾʊɡɾaːm, is a city located in the northern Indian state of Haryana. It is situated near the Delhi–Haryana border, about southwest of the nationa ...
54 km from Agra
9 km from Mathura
While in Vrindavan, battery powered e-rickshaw
Electric rickshaws (also known as electric tuk-tuks or e-rickshaws or toto or e-tricycles) are small 3-wheeled vehicles powered by an electric motor and battery ranging from 650 to 1400 Watts. They save on fuel costs compared to auto rickshaws ...
are available for commuting within city-limits.
Rail
* BDB/Vrindavan is on the Mathura-Vrindavan MG link.
* VRBD/Vrindavan Road is on the Agra-Delhi chord.
Flight
Nearest Airports are Agra Airport and New Delhi International Airport.
City of Widows
Vrindavan is also known as the "city of widows" due to the large number of widows who move into the town and surrounding area after losing their husbands. There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 widows. The widows come from states of West Bengal, Assam and Odisha. Many spend time singing bhajan
Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...
hymns at bhajanashrams. An organization called Guild of Service was formed to assist these deprived women and children. According to a survey report prepared by the government, several homes run by the government and different NGOs for widows.
Gallery
KesiGhat River.JPG, Keshi Ghat on banks of the Yamuna river
Vrindavan, India (20566547434).jpg, Rangaji Temple of Vrindavan
PremMandirSideViewFromCanteen.jpg, Prem Mandir, Vrindavan
Prem Mandir (lit. The Temple of Love) is a Hindu temple in Vrindavan, Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is nearly holy city Mathura. It is maintained by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, an international non-profit, educational, spiritua ...
ISKON TEMPLE 1.jpg, Krishna Balaram Mandir
Madanmohan Mandir Vrindavan.JPG, Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan
Radharani 5.jpg, Wall art of the name Radha
Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...
Pagal Baba Mandir.jpg, Pagal Baba Temple
See also
* Gokul
* Mathura
*Barsana
Barsana is a historical town and ''nagar panchayat'' in the Mathura district of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Barsana is believed to be the birthplace and home of the Hindu goddess Radha, the chief consort of Krishna. It is in the Braj re ...
* Nandgaon
* Radha Kund
*Kusum Sarovar
Kusum Sarovar is a sacred water reservoir with a historic sand monument in its backdrop. It is situated on the holy Govardhan Hill between Manasi Ganga and Radha Kund in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Kusum Sarovar is considered ...
* Radha Rani Temple
* Banke Bihari Temple
* Radha Raman Temple
* Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan
* Nidhivan
* Radha Krishna
References
External links
{{Authority control
Krishna
Cities and towns in Mathura district
Vaishnavism
Sacred groves
Widowhood in India
Yamuna River
Rigvedic rivers
Hinduism
Krishna temples
Locations in Hindu mythology
Holy cities
Hindu holy cities
Hindu pilgrimages
Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
Religious tourism in India
Ancient Indian cities