ISKCON Vrindavan, also called Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, is one of the major

ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 ...

temples in the world. It is a Gaudiya Vaishnava temple located in the city of

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj, Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of ...

, Mathura district, in the Indian state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu gods

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

and Balarama. The other deities of temple are

Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , ) is the combined form of the Hindu god Krishna with his chief consort and ''shakti'' Radha. They are regarded as the feminine as well as the masculine realities of God and gender in Hinduism, God, in several Krishnaism, Kr ...

and Gauranga Nityananda.

History

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder–''

acharya In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a religious teacher in Hinduism and Buddhism and a spiritual guide to Hindus and Buddhists. The designation has different meanings i ...

'' of the

International Society for Krishna Consciousness The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by ...

, inaugurated the Krishna Balaram Mandir and installed deities (''

murti In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing d ...

s'') of

– Balaram,

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

– Shyamasundar, the '' gopis'' Lalita Devi and Vishakha Devi, and

Gaura ''Gaura'' was a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The name was derived from Greek Language, Greek ''(gaûros)'' meaning "superb" and named in reference to the stature and floral display of some specie ...

– Nitai on Ram Navami (April 20) 1975.

Deities

Radha Syamasundar Vrindavan Radhastami 2004

The presiding deities of the temple are

and Balarama at the central altar. On the right altar are

as Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar with the gopis Lalita and Vishakha. On the left altar are

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; ), born Vishvambhara Mishra () (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), was an Indian Hindus, Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bha ...

with Nityananda, and ISKCON founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Near the temple, at the entrance to the complex, is the '' samadhi mandir'' of Prabhupada, built of white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

Festivals

Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the '' Gita Govinda ...

- Birth anniversary of

Radhashtami Radhashtami () is a Hindu religious day commemorating the birth anniversary of the goddess Radha, the chief consort of the god Krishna. It is celebrated in her birthplace Barsana and the entire Braj region on the eighth day ('' ashtami'') of ...

- Birth anniversary of

* Balarama Purnima - Birth anniversary of Balarama * Gaura-purnima - Birth anniversary of

* Nityananda trayodashi - Birthday anniversary of Nityananda * Gopashtami - Festival dedicated to pastimes of Krishna with Cows *

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

- Festival of love and colours, Major festival associated with pastimes of Radha Krishna * Sharad Purnima - Festival associated with the maharaas of

and gopis. * Kartik Purnima - Festival associated with raslia of Radha-Krishna and gopis. * Chaturmaas * Kartik Damodar Maas - Kartik month celebration which is believed to be the most auspicious month for the worship of Radha Krishna *

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

- Major Hindu festival dedicated to

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

(another form of Radha Krishna) * Appearance and disappearance days (birth and death days) of Vaishnava ''acharyas'' and saints.

Gallery

File:Vrindavan-India0005.JPG, ISKCON Temple, Vrindavan File:Sri Krishna Balaram Temple, Vrindavan.JPG, Outer appearance of temple File:Krishna Balaram Mandir (2010).jpg, Entrance of ISKCON Temple, Vrindavan File:Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir Vrindavan 11.jpg, Alley inside temple File:Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir Vrindavan 38.jpg, Inside area of temple File:At Krishna Balaram Mandir, Vrindavan, India, 2015-03-15.jpg, 24 hours kirtan is performed inside the temple File:Banke bihari (481).JPG, Deities of temple - Gaura Nitai File:Banke bihari (489).JPG, Deities of temple - Radha Shyamsundar File:Krishna Balarama12.jpg, Deities of temple- Krishna Balram File:Vrindavan 27 (cropped).JPG, Wall art of Radha Krishna inside temple File:Vrindavan 28.JPG, Wall art of Radha Krishna on swing inside the temple File:Samadhi Mandir, Srila Prabhupad, ISKCON, Vrindavan.jpg, Samadhi temple of Srila Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON temple, Vrindavan File:Radha Krishna at Iskcon Vrindavan.jpg, Idols of Radha Krishna inside temple museum File:Vrinda Devi.jpg, Idol of goddess Vrinda inside temple museum File:Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir Vrindavan 09.jpg, Statues of Krishna Balram outside temple museum

References

External links