In the land of Krishna
One can feel the presence of the Divine in the holy cities of Vrindavan and Mathura
Kavita Kanan Chandra

The spirit of Lord Krishna lives in Vrindavan and Mathura, the cradle of his childhood and youth. Together with the towns and villages of Gokul, Barsana, Govardhan, Nandgaon and adjoining areas, called Brajbhoomi, you can feel the presence of the divine deity everywhere.

Do not be surprised if total strangers greet you with ‘Radhe, Radhe’. The numerous temples devoted to the lord, sites associated with his childhood mischievous acts, adolescence pranks to youthful flirtations; the Dwapar Yug (time when Krishna lived) to the present Kalyug time ceases for Krishna tales lingers.

Though the thousand fabled ‘kunds’, the 137 sacred groves and the holy hills of Krishna’s pristine past might just be illustrations in paintings and adorning the verses of ‘bhajans’ yet the towns of Vrindavan and Mathura do offer some solace. The temples, lanes, ghats and few leafy groves still weave stories around the melody of Krishna’s flute and his romantic interludes with Radha.

With the rites of spring, the most revered temple of Banke Bihari in Vrindavan gears up for its most fascinating festival of Holi. It attracts hordes of tourists and photographers, who congregate to capture the colourful affair in their films or memory for posterity.

The lal pede of Mathura are a food lover’s delight

The frenzied days of festivity commence a week before the actual day of Holi as devotees throw fistful of ‘gulal’ on the supreme deity. For a week, visitors immerse themselves in a riot of colour. On the day of Holi, by tradition Banke Bihariji just watches the celebration. The entire place throbbing with people gets drenched in vibrant hues of pink, orange and red. Past noon, the colours are chucked to hold sticks as women in ‘ghunghat’ start chasing menfolk and an amusing spectacle ensues in the courtyard of the temple. The Lath Maar Holi here is unique to Brajbhoomi and its genesis is interesting too.

As legend goes, Krishna once went to meet Radha in Barsana but was chased away by her friends with sticks in hand. A few days later Krishna returned with men from Nandgaon to play Holi with Radha. As if to keep the tradition even to this day and enact the playfulness of Krishna and Radha, the women of Barsana chase men from Nandgaon by playing Lathmaar Holi. In Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari temple, too, this re-enactment plays full on in front of thousands of devotees and tourists amid lot of colours, cheers and gaiety.

Besides the two important festivals of Holi and Janmashtami, devotees throng the temple all-year-round and pay obeisance to the deity that looks resplendent in black adorned with jewels. There is a huge rush in the morning for the temple closes by noon.

A peacock roams around in the streets. Photos by the writer

You can also visit Nidhi van that is close by where it is said that amidst the sacred groves, Krishna and Radha used to do ‘ras leela’ and indulge in fun and frolic. Here Krishna devotee music maestro Swami Shri Hari Das spent his entire life here. The idol of Banke Bihari emerged on its own here and it was installed at the temple by Swami Hari Das.

Though there are many temples associated with Krishna, two modern temples deserve mention. If it was the melodious flute of Krishna that so enchanted the gopis, the chants of ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Rama’ will draw you to Shri Krishna Balram temple of ISKCON (International Society of Krishna consciousness). Many foreigners are drawn here by Krishna consciousness.

One of the latest temples, Prem Mandir is truly awesome, especially when lit with neon lights at night. The statues depicting various events from Krishna’s life and the colourful musical fountain is a big draw for children. The light, music and grandeur of the marble building mesmerises one and all. The temple is not just a place of worship but it is almost like an open-air theatre, a nice way for generation next to learn about the holy deeds of Krishna.

The temple trail could continue but you should visit Mathura and explore the lanes and by lanes leading to Holi gate and Vishram ghat.

The latter is the place where Krishna and Balram rested after killing Kansa, the cruel ruler of Mathura. In the evening, you should visit the serene ghat for the aarti or a boatride in the Yamuna river. The Dwarkadhish temple nearby is an old temple where you get spiritual vibes.

However, you can’t leave Mathura without having the delicious ‘Mathura ke pede’. It was for nothing that Krishna was known as the beloved ‘bal gopal’ or ‘makhan chor’. The mischievous toddler’s love for milk and butter is widely known. You can’t escape the fragrant smell of thickening of milk in large vats as the halwai rhythmically stirs it on earthen chulha. For sweets, just look around for any hole-in-the-wall for lassi, lal pedas, khurchan or any milk sweet, you will find it everywhere.

Wake up early and hang out in the alleys and your senses will be overwhelmed by the aroma of brewing cardamom tea or frying of desi ghee kachoris and samosas. Mishthan bhandars and shudh shakahari bhojnalayas abound and you will be drawn to them like bees to honey. In Mathura, Krishna Janmabhoomi temple must be in your itinerary for this holds mythological significance as Shri Krishna was born here. You can see the jail built at the site and also savour yummy lassi and milk sweets inside the temple premises. There is tight security and you will not be allowed to take anything inside. The adjacent mosque looms large and one salutes the communal harmony of Krishna's birthplace.

Fact File

How to reach: Mathura is 147 km from Delhi. Vrindavan and Mathura are well connected by road, air and rail to Delhi and other major cities of UP. The Yamuna Expressway has greatly reduced the travel time from Delhi to Mathura.

Best season: October-March

Festivals: You can visit Mathura-Vrindavan during festivals of Krishna Janmashtami, Jhoolan Yatra, Holi, Guru Purnima and Radha Ashtami to soak in the religious fervour of Krishna’s birthplace.

Where to eat: Brijwasi Mithaiwala and Shankar Mithaiwala are famous for ‘pede’ and sweets. Om Pahalwan Kachoriwala and Brijwasi Chaat wala are famous for street food in Mathura.

Places to visit: Mathura: Krishna Janmabhoomi, Dwarkadhish Temple, Govind Deo temple, Raman Reti, Brahmand ghat, Vishram ghat and others.

Vrindavan: The major attractions are Banke-Bihari temple, Radha-Vallabh Temple, Prem Mandir, Shri Krishna Balram ISKCON Temple, Ma Vaishno Devi Mandir and others.

HOME