Radha Krishna Vivah Sthali, is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

, dedicated to

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� ...

and

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 ...

. The temple site is present in the Bhandirvan forest of Mant constituency in

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...

district,

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 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The site holds cultural importance as according to

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

scriptures - ''Braham Vaivarta Purana'' and '' Garga Samhita'', Radha and Krishna were married in Bhandirvan forest in the presence of

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, the creator, who also became the priest and solemnized their wedding ceremony. Annually, this divine wedding is celebrated on the occasion of Phulera Dooj which usually falls in the month of February - March. IMG-20230413-WA0003

Bhandirvan is listed as one of the sacred forests of

Braj region Braj, also known as Vraj, Vraja, Brij or Brijbhumi, is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area which also includes Palwal, Ballabhgarh and Nuh in H ...

. Inside the premises of Bhandirvan, there is Radha Bhandir Bihari temple where Krishna is seen putting the

sindoor Sindoor (, ) or sindura (,) is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red or maroon Cosmetics, cosmetic powder (substance), powder from South Asia, usually worn by marriage, married women along the part of their hairline. In Hindu communities, ...

on Radha's head which symbolises a significant marriage ritual in Hindu wedding ceremony. Near this temple, there is Venu Kup, a sacred well which was believed to be created by Krishna himself with his flute. There is also a pair of huge

banyan trees A banyan, also spelled banian ( ), is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adjacent prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...

beneath which Radha and Krishna's marriage ceremony took place. A temple dedicated to

Balarama Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

is also present inside the temple premises.

History

Bhandirvan is one of the most prominent forest among the forests 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 ...

. It is celebrated as the forest of

Braj Braj, also known as Vraj, Vraja, Brij or Brijbhumi, is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area which also includes Palwal, Ballabhgarh and Nuh in ...

where Krishna used to enjoy taking lunch with his cowherd friends under the massive Bhandirvata banyan tree. Bhandirvan has many legends associated with it. Some of the major leelas (events) linked with Bhandirvan are :-

Radha Krishna Vivah Leela

Bhandirvan has witnessed the divine marriage ceremony of Radha and Krishna. The wedding ceremony took place in the presence of Brahma who also acted as the priest. This unison of Radha and Krishna happened in the absence of society. The locals say that only 10 million confidential associates of the couple (that included ''sakhis'', peacocks, parrots, cows, and monkeys) participated in this marriage. To give more importance to "''Parakiya rasa''" (love without any social foundation) over "''Svakiya rasa"'' (married relationship), this marriage was kept hidden. According to scriptures like ''

Brahma Vaivarta Purana The ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' (; ) is a voluminous Sanskrit text and one of the major Puranas (''Maha-purana'') of Hinduism. It is an important Vaishnava text. This Purana majorly centers around the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna. Although ...

'' and '' Garga Samhita'', the story mentioned is as follows :- "One day,

Nanda Baba Nanda or Nandagopa (, ) is a cow-herd chief, and the foster-father of Krishna, featured in the Harivamsha and the Puranas. Nanda is the son of Parjanya, a ruler of the Vraja region, who is a son of Devamidha. He is the chief of Gokulam, which ...

went along with infant Krishna to Bhandirvan for cow grazing. When Nanda sat under a tree to rest, a ferocious storm started blowing and the environment became dark. Nanda was afraid for the safety of his son. Krishna also acted as if he was frightened and hugged Nanda with fear. But then, Nanda saw the beautiful

gopi Gopi (, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are commonly referred to the group of milkmaids of Braj. They are regarded as the consorts and devotees of Krishna and are venerated for their unconditional love and devotion (''Bhakti'') to him as described i ...

approaching him from the storm in her divine form. She was glowing with beauty. Realizing that it was a play, Nanda gave the infant to Radha and said that he knows that she is very dear to Krishna. He said that she can enjoy with Krishna and after that leave the infant back home to

Yashoda Yashoda (, ) is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was bo ...

. Radha was very happy to see the infant Krishna and kissed him. Suddenly, a palace appeared in front of her. The palace was shining with jewels and rubies. And then she saw the infant Krishna vanished from her lap while a young handsome man appeared before her wearing jewelry and a crown. She immediately realized it that it was the divine form of Krishna. Krishna praised Radha and acknowledged his deep love for her. He told Radha that she was the other half of him. But Radha shared her pain of separation with Krishna to which Krishna consoled her and asked her to wait as he would make her happy. At that moment, Brahma appeared in front of them and under his guidance performed their wedding ceremony by making the couple exchanged their garlands and chanting Vedic mantras sitting in front of the holy fire. This marriage ceremony was called Gandharva Vivah. Thereafter, Krishna and Radha spent time together in delightful pastimes. After some time, Krishna again returned to his infant form and promised Radha that they would keep returning to Bhandirvan for their lovable pastimes. Thereafter, Radha took the infant Krishna back to his mother Yashoda".

Killing the demon Pralamba

The site is also famous for leela associated with Balrama and

Pralamba Pralamba is an asura killed by Balarama in Hindu mythology. According to the pertinent legend, the asura assumed the guise of a cowherd and attempted to join Krishna and Balarama in a game of jumping, whose conditions dictated that the loser c ...

. Pralamba was a strong and powerful demon sent by Mathura's tyrant king Kansa to kill Krishna and Balarama. It was at Bhandirvan where Pralamba was killed by Balarama. The story goes like this - "Once, a great demon named Pralamba entered the playgroup of gopas (cowherds) disguised as a boy, with the intention to kill both Balarama and Krishna. But Krishna, who was already aware of this, began to think about how to kill the demon. However, externally he received him as a friend. According to the game rules, the defeated members in duel fighting games had to carry the victorious members on their backs. When the party of Balarama, came out victorious, the boys in Krishna's party had to carry them on their backs through the Bhandirvan forest. Imitating others, Pralamba, who appeared there as a cowherd boy in Krishna's party, carried Balarama on his back. In order to avoid the company of Krishna, Pralamba carried Balarama far away. But soon the demon began to feel the heavy burden of Balarama, and not being able to withstand that, finally assumed his real form. At first, Balarama was surprised by the demon's appearance, but he quickly understood that he was being carried away a demon who wanted to kill him. Immediately, He struck the head of Pralamba with his strong fist, who fell down dead with a tremendous sound, as blood poured from his mouth".

Krishna Swallowed Forest Fire

Lord Krishna performed many leelas in Bhandirvan which also includes saving the cowherds and the calves from a colossal forest fire. According to legend, one day, Lord Krishna and his friends brought the cows to drink water at the river

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

and then let them graze freely. The boys became so absorbed in their games that they were unaware of their cows wandering off. The cows made their way to the Munjavan forest where they got lost and couldn't return. When Krishna's cowherds friends could not find the cows they also went to look for the cows in the forest without Krishna and Balrama. At this time, the servants of Kansa set the forest on fire, which spread everywhere in a moment and surrounded the cows and cowherd boys. Seeing no other way to save themselves they called out to Krishna, who arrived there in an instant and told his friends to close their eyes, Krishna swallowed the colossal forest-fire immediately saving the cows and his friends. The place where Shri Krishna swallowed the forest fire is called Munjatavi or Isikatavi.

Krishna Killed Demon Vatsasura

In Bhandirvan, Lord Krishna also performed the leela of killing the demon Vatsasura. Once, Lord Krishna and Balarama were playing on the bank of the Yamuna. At that time, the demon Vatsasura came there intending to kill them. Disguised as a calf, the demon mingled with the other calves. But Krishna, who already noticed this, immediately told Balarama about the demon's entry. Soon, both of them followed the demon. Krishna caught hold of two hind legs and tail of the demon-calf, whipped him around with great force and threw him to his death into a tree.

Festivals

The main festival of temple is called Byahula Utsav in which wedding ceremony of Radha and Krishna is performed annually by senior priests. According to

Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...

, the festival is celebrated on the occasion of Phulera dooj.

Temple Gallery

File:IMG-20230401-WA0004.jpg, Radha Krishna in Bhandir Bihari Temple, Bhandirvan File:Radha Krishna marriage Bhandirvan.png, Radha Krishna temple beneath Bhandir Vat, Bhandirvan File:Radha Krishna in Bhandirvan.jpg, Radha Krishna Vivah Mandap in Bhandirvan File:Bhandirvan.jpg, Bhandir Vat in Bhandirvan File:Krishna crown in Bhandirvan.jpg, Krishna's Vivah Mukut placed near Venu Kup in Bhandirvan File:Radha Krishna in Vanshivat.jpg, Radha Krishna temple in Vanshivat near Bhandirvan temple File:Vanshivat tree.jpg, Vanshi Vat (tree) near Bhandirvan temple

How to Reach

* Location - Bhandirvan,

Mant assembly constituency Mant Assembly constituency is one of the 403 constituencies of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, India. It is a part of the Mathura district and one of the five assembly constituencies in the Mathura Lok Sabha constituency. First elec ...

Mathura district Mathura district () is situated along the banks of the river Yamuna is a district of Uttar Pradesh States and Territories of India, state of north-central India. The historic city of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura is the district headquarters. ...

- 281202. * By Rail - Nearest Railway station is Mathura Junction. Mathura is well connected with trains from across India. * By Air - The nearest airport is in

Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...

at a distance of 100 km. * By Road - Bhandirvan is around 27 km away from

railway station and 20 km away from Krishna Balrama Mandir,

. The local transport and cab facility is available at both the locations.

Nearby attractions

Vanshivat, Vrindavan

Just nearby Bhandirvan (around 600 metres) is Vanshivat. In this place,

used to eat lunch with his ''sakhas'' (friends) and play His flute to call

rani and all the

s. It is famous for the Maharaas. Lord

along with Goddess

and

s used to do

Raslila The Raslila (), also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a ...

under the Vanshivat tree. Presently, there is Radha Krishna temple constructed in Vanshivata and also the Vanshivata tree is still present in the temple premises.

Belvan, Vrindavan

Belvan is around 8 km away from Bhandirvan. The place is famous for Goddess

Mahalakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

temple. According to locals, it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi is still doing austerities to be the part of

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 ...

Maan Sarovar, Vrindavan

Maan Sarovar is around 8 km away from Bhandirvan. In Maan Sarovar, there is a kund (lake) surrounded by huge trees and bird sanctuary. According to folklore, once Radharani pretends to get angry (Maan) from Krishna and came to this lake. On learning this, Krishna followed her to this lake and by his mesmerizing talk pleased her. There is temple on the bank of this lake dedicated to Srimati Radharani.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* https://www.patrika.com/agra-news/bhandirvan-vrindavan-1290999/ * http://radhanathswamiyatras.com/forests-of-vrindavan/bhandirvan/ * https://iskcondesiretree.com/page/bhadiravan Hindu temples in Mathura district Radha Krishna temples Tourist attractions in Mathura district