Vrindavan
Vrindavan is a town in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the site of an ancient forest which is the region where, according to the Mahabharata, the Supreme Lord Krishna spent his childhood days.
The town is about 10 km away from Mathura, the city of Lord Krishna’s birthplace, near the Agra-Delhi highway. The town hosts hundreds of temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna and is considered sacred by a number of religious traditions such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Vaishnavism, and Hinduism in general.
Connectivity:
Air: International travelers coming to Vrindavan via air route can use the Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi. This is the nearest airport from Vrindavan at a distance of 150 kms. The journey from the airport to Vrindavan would take around 3 and a half hours.
Rail: Vrindavan has no long-distance rail station. So, if you are planning your Vrindavan Tour via the rail route, you would need to use the closest major rail head at Mathura. The rail station at Mathura is about 14 kms from Vrindavan..
Road: For Reaching Vrindavan, you can also take the road. There are a small number of direct buses that ply between Delhi and Vrindavan. However, several buses go to Mathura and the frequency is also good. Every half an hour, you would get a bus to Mathura. So, you can board the Mathura bus, get down at Chatikara Road and then take a motor-rickshaw or a tempo to reach Vrindavan. Private taxis can be hired too from Delhi to reach Vrindavan. Vrindavan is also well connected via road to Haridwar, Agra, Jaipur and other key cities of India.
Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir is the world’s tallest temple under-construction at Mathura, At cost of INR 300 crore (US$47 million) it will be one of the most expensively built temple in world by ISKCON.
Banke Bihari Temple, built in 1862 is the most popular shrine at Vrindavan. The image of Banke-Bihari was discovered in Nidhi Vana by Swami Haridas, the great Krishna devotee, belonging to the Nimbarka sampradaya.
Prem Mandir is the most beautiful and clean, religious and spiritual complex situated on a 54-acre site on the outskirts of Vrindavan, is one of the newest temples dedicated to Divine Love. The temple structure was established by spiritual guru Kripalu Maharaj. The main structure built in marble looks incredibly beautiful and is an educational monument that reflects the true history of Sanatana Dharma. Figures of Shri Krishna and his followers depicting important events surrounding the Lord’s existence cover the main temple.
Sri Krishna-Balarama Temple built by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in a location known as ‘Raman-Reti’, is one of the most beautiful temples in Vrindavan today. The principal deities of this temple are Krishna and Balaram, with Radha–Shyamasundar and Gaura-Nitai alongside. Adjoining the temple is the samadhi of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, built in pure white marble.
