Main Temples and Holy Places of Mathura

Dvarkadhish Temple
Kesavadeva Temple, Jami and Katra Masjid

Vrindavan The City Of Temples

Madan Mohan Temple

Govinda Dev Temple
Radha-Gopinath Temple
Jugal Kisore Temple (Kesi ghata temple)
Sri Ranganatha (Rangaji) Temple
Banke Bihari Temple
Radharamana Temple
Radha Damodara Temple
Sri Radha Gokulananda Mandir
Radha Vallabha Temple
Radha-Syamasundara
Sri Gopesvara Mahadeva Mandir
Krishna Balarama Mandir
Seva Kunj
Nidhi Van
Imlitala tree
NANDAGRAM (Nandgaon)

This is a famous village where Krishna lived with His so called Foster parents,
yasoda Mayi and Nanda Maharaj. After leaving Gokula because of the disturbance
created by the demons, Nanda Maharaj first stayed at Shakatikara (Chhatikara),and
then at Dig, and then at Kamyavana, before finally settling at Nandagaram, where
he built a permanent residence. It is said that Krishna was in his sixth year when His
foster parents Nanda and Yasoda arrived at Nandagram and he remained there until
he was almost eleven, when he left to reside in Mathura with his actual parents,
Vasudev and devaki, to whom He was born in prison cell of kamsa. In the
bhaktivedanta purports to the Srimad Bhagvatam, it is mentioned that Nanda
Maharaj left Gokul when krishna was three years and foue months old, having more
or less completed His kumara-lila. At Shaktikara, Krishna Enjoyed his pauganda-
lila and began taking out the calves along with other cowheard boys of the same
age. Krishna celebrated His fifth birthday at Shakatikara and after few more months
Nanda Maharaj left Shakatikara and after staying at few places like Dig and
kamyavana, and finally settled at Nandagaram when Krishna was six years and
eight months old. At Nandagaram Krishna entered his purva-raga and assumed the
beauty of million cupids which marks the begining the period of His Kaisora-lila,
where He looks after the cows instead of the calves and begins his amorous patimes
with the gopis.Then at the age of ten years and seven months Krishna left
Nandagaram for Mathura.

Nanda Bhavan / Krishna Balaram Mandir

This was the site of Nanda maharajas residence known as nanda Bhavan where
krishna and Balaram lived; the word bhavan means a palatial residence. The
present temple of krishna-balarama has been built on the spot where Nandas
residence once stood. within the temple one can see the large deities of yasoda
Mayiand Nanda Maharaja with Krishna and Balaram standing in between them. on
the right side of nanda are Krishnas friends Shridama and Madhumangala.on the
left of yasoda one can see Radharani, and then Rohini and Revati, the mother and
the consort respectively of Balarama.
These deities of nanda, Yasoda and krishna are said to be the same deties found by
Lord Chaitanya in a cave on Nandishwara Hill.The other dieties are added at a later
time After Lord Chaitanyas departure from Vrindavana, he sent the Six Goswamis to
the Holy Dhama for the purpose of excavating all the lost places of Krishnas
pastimes as well as eastablish temples of Radha-Krishna, wrtie books on the science
of devotion, and in general revitalize the cult of krishna-bhakti amongst the
population. within a short time, temples were built at all the important pastime
places like Vrindavana, Goverdhan, Nandagaram, and varsana. The present Krishna
Balaram temple at Nandagaram was reportedly built by the wealthy landowner
Rupa Rama Singh of Varsana in the 19th Century.

Vrinda Kunda

Vrinda Kunda is where Srimati Vrinda Devi is said to contemplate how she will
arrange the daily pastimes of Radharani and Krishna. Next to Vrinda Kunda is Gupta
Kunda, which is where Radharani is said to secretly meet Krishna. There is a
beautiful deity of Vrinda Devi in the temple here. She has a yellow parrot on her left
hand. This parrot is said to fly around Vrindavana and on returning tells Vrinda Devi
what is happening there. The parrot is named Daksa and is said to have one lakh
(100,000) disciples. Vrinda Devi arranges the pastimes in Vrindavana. Tulasi is an
expansion of Vrinda Devi. Paurnamasi is the guru of Vrinda Devi.

Gupta Kunda

Gupta Kunda is considered to be one of the most important kunds in the Braja area.
It is said to be one of the three yoga-pithas in Braja. The other two are at Radha
Kunda and near the Govindaji temple in Vrindavana. A yoga-pitha is an eternal
center of the Lords pastimes. It is said that Radha and Krishna meet in the morning
at Gupta Kunda, during the mid-day at Radha Kunda and near the Radha Govinda
temple in Vrindavana at night.

There is an ancient Radha Krishna murti here, carved out of stone, that is said to
have been established by Vajranabha, the great grandson of Krishna. This murti has
been desecrated by the Muslims, so worship is no longer done to this murti. Every
Monday the local villagers come and pour milk over this murti of Radha and Krishna.

Vrinda Kunda, Gupta Kunda and the small temple here are now in the care of
ISKCON devotees. Vrinda Kunda is about one km from the village of Nandgaon
(Nandagram), not far from Pavana Sarovara. There is a good view of the Nandagram
temple from Vrinda Kunda. The living facilities are very basic at the temple here, as
there is no electricity. You can contact the mail out department at the ISKCON
Vrindavana Temple to get more information about Vrinda Kunda.

How To Get Here

Vrinda Kunda is one km from Nandagram. To get to Vrinda Kunda you can take a
taxi and stop at Varsana and Nandagram on the way. To get here from Vrindavana
by public transportation you first take a public bus to the town of Kosi and from
there you take a tempo to Nandgaon and then walk the remaining km from there. It
is about one hour from the Sri Sri Krishna-Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan.

If you are at Nandagram and are on the road facing Pavana Sarovara you make a
left turn and go about half a km. There is a road here that goes only to the right and
there is a sign here that says Vrinda Kunda, which points to the right. You make a
right turn here and go about a km. Vrinda Kunda will be on your left. There is a small
temple here and kunds on both sides of the temple.

varsana

1407050227Radha-Rani-Mandir-Barsana-Mathura-Uttar-Pradesh
Varsana

Situated high on a hilltop that overlooks varsana is the majestically beautiful temple
known as the Sriji Mandir. this is one of the most famous temple in Vrajawas built on
the spot where Radharani once lived in Her fathers place. The temple is also called
the Ladliji as well as larilylal mandir. the village of varsna is the place where
Radharani spent the early part of her youth, prior to her marriage with Abhimanyu.
Although she was ooriginally born at Raval Near Gokula, when Krishnas father
moved his kingdom from Gokula to Nandagaram dur to fear of demons, his close
friend Vrishbhanu Maharaja, Radhas father, also moved his kingdome from Raval to
Varsana. Nanda Maharaja and vrishbhanu were both the kings and rulers of the
cowheard men, and both were extreamly wealthy because they possesd thousand
of cows and maintained the large stock of milk, buter, yogurt, ghee, as well as
substantial stock of grains.They both built oppulent and spacious palaces on the
summit of hills and each palace was fully equipped with all the necessities and
included many luxurious and palatial rooms where their respective family lived.

In the Bhakti-ratnakara it says.Here is Vrishbhanupura, also known as Varsna.Close

to this mountain is the residence of Vrishbhanu. on this wonderful mountain the
prince of vraja, Vrajendra-Kumar, performs the dana-lila unseen by others. Here
Radhas proud pique was broken and where Krishna become intoxicated by
performing so many wonderful pastimes. Between the two mountains is a narrow
path known as Sankara-khora or Danaghati, and the fun that they had there is
completely indescribable. The dana-lila, mana-lila and vilasa-lila, all took place on
the ridges of these two mountains. Radharani played with her girlfriends here in Her
childhood. In her odolescence beauty of her full youth-hood

Shriji Mandir

This magnificent temple perched high on the hilltop is one of the most famous site
in the whole Vraja.One has to walk up almost two hundred steps to reach the main
gateway of the temple. Appearing more like a medieval palace with its high walls
and elaborately designed chatris and arches, the temple of Shriji is dedicated to
Srimati Radharani, who is known locally by the pet name Shri.This famous temple
is also known as ladlilal Mandir, because it contains deties of ladli and lala, who are
the childhood form of Radha and krishna. The word ladli means dearly beloved
daughter and lala means dearly beloved son, which is an affectionate way of
addresing young boys and girls in Vraja.The deities were discoverd here at Varsana
by Srila Narayana Bhatta, who also built the original temple with the help of Raja
Todarmal, his dedicated followers and important minister in the Goverment of
emperor Akbar.The temple is actually built on the site of Maharaja Vrishbhanus
palace where Radharani used to live. This temple was at one time also known as the
Radha-Ramana Mandir. According to historical records, the temple is seen today was
built by the king of orchha, Raja Bir Singh in 1675.

The hill on which the temple stands is stated in the shastras to be a manifestation of
Lord Brahma.who after pleasing Lord krishna, was given a boon to appear at this
place in a form of a hill, so that he could witness the Transcendental pastimes that
would take place here.Lord brahma desired to perform some minial service for
Radha and krishna and therefore appeared as a hill on which the divine couple
could enact trascendental pastimes and he could also obtain the dust of their lotus
feet upon his head. it is mentioned in the puranas that Lord Brahma performed
penance of sixty thousand year in order to acheive the divine darshana of Radha
and Krishna. This hill which is known as Brahmagiri, or sometimes as brahmachala
parvata, has four different peaks representing the four heads of Lord Brahma.There
is a second hill Situated right next to brahmagiri known as vilasgad, vilas parvat, or
sometimes as vishnu parvata, and is consiered to be a manisfestation of Lord
Vishnu.

Radhakunda and Shyamakunda

Radhakunda and Shyamakunda
The Appearance of Radha-kunda

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Shri Krishna Janmasthan

Shri Krishna Janmasthan

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Gokula
Gokula
Mahavana is one of the twelve sacred forests of Vraja and although it was once a large and verdant
forest with parikrama of around 12 kil

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Brahmanda Ghata (Mahavan)
BRAHMANDA GHATA
This is a very famous ghat thathas been glorified throughout the

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Ravala
Ravala
In the Bhakti-ratnakara it says.o srinivasa this is Ravala, the village where Vrishbhanu used to
very Happily live.Shr

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Dauji Mandir
Dauji (Baldev)
Here one can see the largest and most famous deity of Lord Balarama in the whole of Vraja, who is k

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Vishram Ghat (Mathura)
Vishrama Ghata / Vishranti-tirtha
This is where Krishna rested after killing the despotic ruler of mathura, the evil demon known as king
kamsa. when Lord Chaitanya visited

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Bhandirvana